This is a main feature of the overall religious architectural design (see Figure 3), a key idea that puts the finishing touches on a unique and peerless ingenious creation that is without precedent and is a display of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua’s foresight and infinite wisdom. So far in the world, whether it be India, China, southeast Asia, there is no such sky bridge that extends from a jeweled palace within a limited space in the center of a city such as it will exist here in West Sacramento, creating a limitless space for imagination on finite land. Moreover, without the sky bridge, it would be impossible to show the majesty and grandeur of the entire building even with the construction of a large Buddha Hall in the middle of the building. This sky bridge makes the entire jeweled pagoda stronger in its religious significance, more majestic and more sublime. As far as the physique and functions of the building are concerned, it reflects Venerable Master Hua's great kindness, great compassion, great vows, and great strength for all living beings, as well as his tireless efforts to promote world peace with his own blood and sweat in his entire life. He promoted for various religions communication and understanding, for Eastern and Western cultural integration, and for better coordination and cooperation. These create a beautiful world in which all sentient beings can live and work in peace and contentment, develop wisdom, and return to their roots and purify their nature in accordance with ancient Buddhist principles.

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Venerable Master Hsuan Hua had previously said, “Coming from outside, I’d like to be the bridge for the people of this country to introduce and bring Buddhism to the West.”

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The sky bridge outside the main hall faces southward directly to the Mountain Gate. The symbolic meaning of the sky bridge is that the bridge is a channel connecting the two shores. From a religious point of view, there is still a distance between the bridge and the mountain gate. The metaphorical meaning is the cultivation process of going from the ordinary person to sage, from delusion to enlightenment. Master Hua instructed us that the function of this monastery is to be the bridge between the Eastern and Western cultures, to encourage religious communication and collaboration, as well as the communication, integration, and coordination of worldly activities. As long as everyone can respect the rules and regulations of the bodhimandala, everyone can make good use of the space available here.