The Texas Buddhist Association is a non-profit nondenominational religious organization committed to providing religious ceremonies and educational programs and serving the community. Not distinguishing between different sects of Buddhism, TBA places an emphasis on spreading the right views of the Dharma. The mission statement is to adopt and practice Buddha's teachings of loving kindness, compassion, joyfulness, and serenity in our daily lives for the benefit of ourselves and others; and to cultivate the wisdom necessary for clear understanding of both the universe and the human spirit. With multiple monastics and a large lay congregation, TBA is now one of the largest Buddhist associations in the United States, with its 515-acre American Bodhi Center in Waller County, Texas one of the largest by area Buddhist facilities in the country, comparable with the nearby 500 acre Chung Tai International Retreat Center Texas Pagoda Chan Monastery in Shepherd, Texas, the 400 acre Deer Park Monastery in Escondido, California, and the 700 acres of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas in Ukiah, California.