ROCKWALL — If there is anything to remind us that the United States is a cultural collage, it is the temple whose crested green roof juts up from the country landscape on the outskirts of Royse City.

While few know of the temple outside of its congregation, the Wat Lao Buddhist Temple that resides on 37 acres of land just off of Blackland Road has been home to many Dallas-area Buddhists since 1996.

There are many Buddhist temples in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but Wat Lao is only one of two that is an architectural replica of traditional Laotian places of worship. Leck Keovilay, a board member and agent for the temple, said this is largely the reason that people are drawn to this temple in particular.

“Back in Laos, every village had their own temple, like a church,” he said. “Our temple is built like the ones we have in our homeland, and that’s difficult for people to find here because most temples do not have the space for this kind of structure.”

Built almost entirely by the hands of the Buddhist community members and funded by donations, Wat Lao consists of two main structures — the temple itself and a fellowship hall. Both structures are unique, but it is the Phatthasima or “outpost” that draws the eye even from a distance, with it’s bright shades of red and green with gold cresting and statues. It is reserved strictly for religious observances, such as the ordaining ceremony and the monthly service.

On every full moon day, the monks recite the 270 precepts, and a few hundred people gather. This service is open to everyone, even non-Buddhists.

“Everybody is invited to come spend time [at the temple] and practice their own personal religion,” Leck said. “If you come here individually and talk to the monks then, depending on their schedule, you can even participate with them in their evening chanting and meditation. Even Christians can come here just to find peace.”

The members of this Wat Lao belong to the school of Buddhism know as Theravada or “follow the elders,” meaning that they adhere to the original teachings and hail mostly from Laos and Thailand. The core beliefs of Buddhism are founded on each person holding individual responsibility for their destiny. They believe man’s liberation depends on his own realization of the truth, and by teaching oneself not to cling to fading earthly pleasures, one may obtain Nirvana, or the end of suffering, and will cease to be reincarnated.

As monasticism is fundamental to Buddhism, some men decide to become monks and dedicate their lives to guiding and teaching the laypeople. Five monks currently reside at Wat Lao in living quarters attached to the fellowship hall.

“They wake up early for morning meditation, and in the evening, the same thing,” said Keovilay. “During daytime, they are working around the temple.”

The monks can often be seen mowing the lawn or performing other outdoor tasks in their orange robes, even in the heat of summer. Every day, a different member of the congregation brings a midday meal to the monks, who must then fast from noon until sunrise the next morning in accordance to the rules of Buddah.

Anyone is welcome to join them in the fellowship hall, which is vibrantly decorated with a hefty Buddha statue imported from Thailand and a mural depicting Buddha’s life.

The community finds many such opportunities to facilitate fellowship. It honors holidays such as Boun Bang Fai, the “rocket festival” in June that is combined with a July Fourth celebration, and the Lao New Year on April 13-15. This Sunday, Wat Lao will begin honoring Buddhist lent, which will last three months and conclude with a Lantern Festival.

The temple board members plan to add a community center and soccer fields on their land for more opportunities to gather. They also hope to begin encouraging their congregation to engage in the outside events and the election process and begin involving the non-Buddhist community in their celebrations.

“We’re going to open a Lao language class for Sunday school, as well as classes that teach about our religion, culture, and traditions,” Leck said. “The Lao people, they came over here as refugees back in [the late 70s and early 80s], so they have been here for over thirty years and many haven’t had the chance to learn [about our heritage].”

One such refugee is Ven Line Sourinho, a monk who has resided at the temple since 2000.

“Before I came here, I was in Laos, my birthplace,” Sourinho said. “In 1975, when the Communist Party took over my country, the government put me in a concentration camp for 12 years. It was awful. My family came over here in 1980, and I finally joined them [ten years later].”

Sourinho and other members of the congregation are grateful for their temple and for the political and religious freedom afforded them.

“Like everyone else, we wish to have liberty,” he said. “And America is the freedom country.”