Largest USA Buddhist monasteries are closed communities

I've included some links to some of the largest monasteries in the USA:

Hsi Lai Temple the headquarters in the USA for Fo Guang Shan which was founded by Ven. Master Hsing Yun, who promotes traditional Vinaya Sangha and new school called Humanistic Buddhism, it's a very large group that has temples everywhere in the USA.  Very good group and well-trained. Great at large crowds and attracts large crowds, lovely tea houses, active well educated and nice Sangha largely bhikshuni and some bhikshu.  This is a closed community to outside Sangha, however, if you choose to pursue residency be warned you more often are asked to return to lay life and apply to them for monastic training.

Bhikshuni be warned in the Chinese Buddhist Bhikshuni Sangha it is not normal to return to lay life and expect that you will be accepted again even if you are told to do this, just don't.  Many women are treated harshly by resident bhikshuni who try this, most if not all fail and only achieve novice status.
I strongly recommend no Bhikshuni in good standing even attempt in doing this at all.  This is offered but not viable if you want to keep your bhikshuni precepts, bhikshus are the only group of Sangha allowed to disrobe and return up to 7 times; and even then it's not without some retribution from the 2-part Sangha. YES, it is unfair, but that is the way it really is .... still. Maybe our generation can change this practice to include bhikshuni as well.

I am hoping one day that tolerance for outside traditions and recognition of full ordination of monastics who want to reside within a new Sangha will be allowed, so they serve the USA and all it's citizens, not just their own ex-patriots.  Sangha outside their  system may visit for very, very short stays, you will find them friendly and very nice. I count them as my long time friends and ally's and they have stayed on my nice list. Amituofo!

I've also included the Sagely City of 10,000 Buddhas a totally friendly group of orthodox 2-part Sangha which observes additional teachings of wearing the work robe (5 strip) and the strict segregation of genders on their very large monastery grounds.Everyone there speaks English and it's known for tolerance of both Theravada and Mahayana schools in residence.  This is a closed community.  Ven. Master Hsua Hua donated the land for the Theravada monks of the Abhayagiri Monastery to be built and reside.  Limits for the outside Sangha residence are to short, very short stays.  One day they hope to have enough housing for visiting Sangha who wish to apply for long term stays. I guess they just are open to the monks, even outside their original Chan tradition.  I hope it's soon to change. Amituofo!  Deepest respects to the Elders there whom I have had the privilege of sitting near and eating with.

Chuang Yen Monastery, accepts the visiting monastics only.  This place has provisions for allowable with permission for a 2 week stay at the longest which is unfortunately very, very short.  But historically this has served it's purpose as a wandering monastics way place. Very nice area, remote but they have active amount of laity and very good Sangha in residence.

Being a closed community is not a always a bad thing.  It helps to preserve the integrity and support the training of the resident Sangha.  Staying in one spot helps one's cultivation over time.  Everyone knows and teaches the same thing in the same way creating a style or a school that is recognizable.

Fine line in Cult Status risk in the USA.  Here in the USA we are not favorable to restricted living that denies our basic freedoms granted in our constitution.  We look with suspicion justified on any organization that tries to do that.  The 20s to now in our history has given us disastrous cults leading to deaths and great financial losses. Anytime someone says to you "you can't... go out our walls, manage or keep your own money, must rely on us for your lifestyle, give up your own identity to live with us..."  well alarm bells do go off.  Being exclusionary it has it's risks, even possibly perverting the Sangha making the temple rules above the Vinaya, common sense, and local laws; as well creating a cult which is very harmful to themselves and society. It also risks the good teachings and intent of the founders being lost with time on their own carefully cultivated resident generations.

Advice for closed communities in the USA.  You can't keep outside influences out of any community here in the USA, signs of progress are still influential as well as the prevailing host society around you.  It is better to be known to outside Sangha (Westerners, travelling, solitary) as an open friendly community in the USA so that all kinds of exchanges can happen and we get to learn from each other and contribute to the local area's towns.  If there are any communities that have open doors to outside Sangha then let us know, it will be shouted from the rooftops (not literally but we will post links or information).  If you take a moment to think a bit about why your community came here, it is to spread the Buddha dharma to the masses.  If you don't have the masses coming inside your walls, then you better rethink why you are here in the USA at all.  If you allow long term residence of properly ordained, in good standing visiting Sangha then let us know and I will update this post.  I would rather be corrected now than influence other's by what was past policy.

Avoid upsetting your Western members or the tourists. I can't tell you how many times people have been directing me towards Hsi Lai Temple as a residence because they were seeing me as fit there and are members of the temple.  And they get very upset to learn that the doors are not open as a travelling monastic not part of their order to be a resident there.  We are fair and open in our nonprofits and it should include diversity in religious orders in Buddhism as well.  That is our view in the USA about freedom and fairness   We have cults galore just like Jim Jones, Warren Jeffs, David Koresh, Michael Roach, so many more than these.  People are quick to judge especially here in the USA giving all the scandals we had and still have in Buddhism here in the USA.  When you got "cult" taped to your temple name then you got problems with credibility here in the USA.  Personally it pains me to see that, I'd rather more clarity on this matter be discussed.