This Thai temple is such a hidden gem, was super grateful for friends who introduced us to it. It's…read morea legit Thai temple in Berkeley that has a Sunday morning/afternoon market. You trade in cash for tokens, and then trade the tokens for food that is worth different token amounts (I think that's how they get around the taxes and tip). You can always return the tokens at the end of your meal to get your cash back. My top hits were this pho-like soup with beef and I think bone broth? the Thai iced tea, and the kanom krok dessert (the coconut dessert pastries). CASH ONLY Pros: - the soup is delicious - my friend always brings a container to take the rest of the broth home if she doesn't finish it - all the food is super delicious, and all the workers are super nice - LOTS of options to choose from! Thai food everywhere. Decent prices for the amount of food you get - The temple is beautiful and the statues are gorgeous, even if you're not Buddhist it's a really cool environment to be in - They have covered and uncovered tables to sit and eat at, and you dump your leftovers and dirty dishes in a designated pile, the whole thing is a very well-run ship. Cons: - parking can be tricky - Food can run out if you come closer to noon - lines can be long because the food is so good, recommend you come early - can get loud and crowded - lots of dogs, families, kids, etc. this place is popular. an introvert's nightmare LOL I recommend coming with a party of 2-3 so that one of you can stake out a spot, one of you can stand in a longer line , etc.

The golden paint around the gates instantly demarcated an entrance to the Thai temple. I was…read moreinstantly met with a pleasant aroma of Thai spices. First checkpoint was to obtain tokens in order to purchase the Thai food. Well, I calculated that maybe I had enough stomach space for "two meals" at most, but the portions decent enough to satiate my appetite. I want to gate-keep this experience, however I believe that there is enough publicity that this place is no longer an obscure discovery. The roaming temple dog (maybe a lost but well-behaved dog) mad it an extra fun experience. The food is a great intro to what Thai food is! Pick your personal favorites, I believe each item wouldn't disappoint. I would come again with my friends to revisit this place for a relaxing Sunday breakfast.

We went here recently to sit with Ajahn Amaro, a Theravadan monk in the Thai Forest tradition. He…read moreteaches here once a month. It's an interfaith Buddhist monastery, and there is a variety of stuff that happens here -- sittings, classes, ceremonies, etc. The space is absolutely gorgeous! The main temple room is like 3 stories high, with gorgeous stained glass. There are cushions and chairs, the chairs being quite comfortable and sturdy. You have to remove your shoes, and there is a nice plush carpet (light blue, no less!) in the temple room. If it's winter and you're going to sit here, I recommend wearing a lot of clothing or bringing a blanket. We were freezing when we were there. I imagine it's hard to heat a room that's 3 stories high.

Beautiful peaceful healing place. I have traveled 4 hours to just sit inside the monastery and…read moresoak in the good vibes.

Starting in the spring, the churches of the Japanese American community in the East Bay each pick a…read moreweekend to hold their annual food bazaar. This one at the Buddhist church is one that I never miss! Starting on a Saturday night and into Sunday, the bazaar features a white elephant sale, games for little kids, and I think the best homemade Japanese and American foods. From burgers and hot dogs to Japanese favorites, it is all made with love. The simple bowl of udon is delicious. Skewed pork deep fried is great with beer or sake. There's chili and rice, manju, strawberry shortcake, and chicken teriyaki box dinners. All proceeds benefit the church and it's programs.

i have attended church here for 20 years. my son joined church basketball league. we travel 18…read moremiles to come to church but the community is warm, fun, and supportive. i'm treasurer of the women's group for 8 years now. we have alot of fun. you should join us and learn how to prepare japanese mochi, chirasushi, inarisushi, tsukemono, and other foods for the bazaar, and when we support the church fit special holiday luncheons. membership luncheon is May 2025.

I'm a long-term meditator and yoga practitioner and I came here for a personal retreat. Tibetan…read moreBuddhism has been close to my heart since college for personal reasons and I love supporting local non-profit organizations in general. My room cost (with fees) was approximately $2,800/month. Positives - The meditation classes with Mark Henderson (6:45am-7:30am M-F "The way of the Bodhisattva") and Hugh Joswick (Intermediate meditation) were worth the trip themselves.The morning class is definitely one of the most challenging meditation practices I have encountered, which is exactly what enabled me to learn more about my own personal meditation practice obstacles. The reminder of the Six Paramitas was both timely and deeply appreciated. - Eddie deserves honorary membership in the Department of Knowing Things. Whether I needed information, directions, or help figuring something out, he was consistently helpful and funny at the same time. - Beautiful hillside location with trees, birds and wildlife. - Quiet environment well-suited for meditation and personal retreat - Convenient access to classes and programs - Short walk (~20 mins at my walking pace) to downtown Berkeley (BART etc.) Accommodation & Facility Issues - The room contains a twin-size innerspring (spring coil) mattress. I found it uncomfortable for a month-long stay and would have appreciated more detailed information about the bed in the listing - The room carpet appears not to have been deep-cleaned for an extended period (dust, extensive stains) - whether you stay for a single week or a month, laundry detergent is not provided. Laundry fees still apply. Dish detergent, sponges, hand soap, toilet paper and towels are provided. I believe that guests are expected to buy laundry detergent and wash the towels themselves. - Room vacuum cleaning and dusting is not included, even for longer stays; guests are expected to clean their own room with their own cleaning supplies. - The balcony door is my room repeatedly opened on its own during the night despite being closed before bed. This allowed for cold air into the room. There may be an issue with a stroke plate and the latch. - Information provided to guests (i.e. both AirbnB app and the room printed materials) is inaccurate. - I was shown a pantry containing shared spices but it was not clear what was free to use (e.g. cinnamon yes, oil no?) All guests are provided two boxes (1 for their dry food, 1 for refrigerated food) - coffee beans and tea are provided, coffee cream, milk etc are not - I couldn't find a tea strainer for loose tea in the kitchen; it was handed to me that day and it disappeared again. I am now only using tea bags provided by the institute. - I wasn't able to find cookware compatible with the guest kitchen induction stove one morning. All pots were located in the staff kitchen guests do not have access to that day. - I received 7-8 AirBnB messages containing photos of dirty dishes left in the shared areas though it was not clear who was responsible. As a guest, I found this approach very uncomfortable and impersonal. Overall: This may be a peaceful retreat if you are looking for unanticipated daily challenges to get in the way of your practice. The Four Noble truths still stand in 2026. There is suffering (no laundry detergent on a Sunday evening before a busy Monday) and a way out of suffering. The path sometimes requires a pilgrimage and the return carrying a full-sized jug of laundry detergent up the steep Berkeley hills.

Great Tibetan Buddhist place to relax meditate and find yourself…read more Excellent teachers.

A warm, welcoming, and inclusive community, ever-evolving while offering refreshing teachings and…read moreopportunities to reflectively cultivate engaged practice as applied to daily life. An oasis.

In 2007 I had the good fortune to attend a Qigong workship at the Berkeley Shambhala Center led by…read moreEva Wong. I was somewhat apprehensive about the physical demands of such a practice since I was 60 years old, overweight, and not in good physical condition. I found that the qigong was taught in a gentle way with great sensitivity to participants' physical infirmities. I was quite surprised to find that I felt better after six hours of Qigong than I did before I started and that I was not sore at all the next day. I was even more surprised to find that the second day of instruction was also invigorating and pain free. I have continued to practice this Qigong and have taken additional classes from Eva. My wife and I both have found that this Qigong practice has made us stronger, healthier, and more flexible. It has truly improved our lives at a time when we needed it. Why am I telling you about this old news? Because Eva Wong is returning to teach again at the Berkeley Shambhala Center on December 5-6, 2009. I hope that others can learn to improve their lives as my wife and I were able to.

Very open and friendly. Respectful of everyone. Reminds me of my temple in Laguna Beach.read more

I loved this Hare Krishna Hindu temple. I heard about it from the owner of the vegetarian…read morerestaurant, Govinda, in Eugene OR. So glad that I finally came here for the Pooja and dinner of kitchari, dahl, paneer curry, and watermelon. I ate the watermelon first because fruit gets digested quicker. Then everything else. Finally the prasadam which was shira and raisins. So delicious! I liked that the menu was vegetarian and that there was no cruelty to animals. So much better than the Buddhist temple in Palo Alto that has a crab fest (never hear of Buddhists killing a living being before...I used to volunteer at a Buddhist kitchen in the Atlanta area and meat or seafood were never, ever on the menu at the World Peace Cafe Kitchen in Sandy Springs. The next time, I come here, I'm going to bring a couple of $20 bills to make a donation. Truly enjoyed this spiritual experience. A real boost to my mental health and happiness in very trying times (wildfire smoke and the pandemic). Overall though, God has been very kind.

My friend and I were in town and came to visit the temple first thing off our iteniery…read more I've only visited once prior for the Christmas lighting and Nativity back in 2016. Christmas lighting happens almost every year and free to the public and members alike. They do free tours and put on quite the show with music ensemble and nativity from all different cultures. You'll see much more abundance of sister and brother missionaries as theyll be the one leading the tours. They're so sweet, kind, willing to answer any questions or concerns you have without pressuring you. I came to love the missionaries bc of that. Ofc if anyone does, feel free to let them know you arent comfortable and theyll back off. Hence, coming here during the summer was a nice treat. We actually happen to arrive in the middle of someone's wedding day. It was a beautuful Tongan wedding. Maybe its a sign?? Lol. The parking inside is ample but when it has events, it does fill quickly. We almost didnt find one, but thankfully we lucked in with the three parking. Everyone visiting was so friendly that we saw and met today. (Xmas, too, in 2016.) There's an abundance of flower garden at the front of the temple, a stream, and water fountain. Up the stairs, to the second floors, has another flower garden. It overlooks the city of SF, so its quite scenic. Our church focuses on making sure its clean so everyone that visits has a pleasant moment with our Heavenly Father. Though, a picnic does seem tempting, I would advise against any food or drinks on the premise as its church grounds and a reverent place. A place is only as beautiful,if everyone puts in the effort to keep it so. We hope everyone visiting can treat this place with the same respect. Other than that, feel free to enjoy. :) Such an ideal place to relax and meditate too.

If you are looking for view one the city this is a great place to come to. Just go onto the rooftop…read moregarden and depending on the fog situation you can see far off into the distance. If you are looking for a quiet place to meditate and to contemplate life this is your place. If you love flowers and want to see them blooming year round then this is your place, If you are looking to learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints this is your place. They have a fabulous visitors center. The staff isn't pushy. I come here for the pure beauty of the place. It's such a great place to find some solitude. There are benches you can rest on.

Small, low key temple. All in English except for a few chants that are not readily translated. In…read morethe Soto Zen tradition but culturally American. The atmosphere is simple and un-pressured. Friendly meditation instruction and accessible Dharma talks in plain English, often using sources from other traditions and paths in order to make some points more accessible. Have been coming here for years, except for the last ten when I was out of area, and have always found it a source of learning and inspiration.

From the owner: Buddhist meditation, Dharma talks, Buddhist services and spiritual guidance.read more

The Oakland Buddhist Church is the 4th oldest in the US, and one of the largest. Jodo Shinshu…read morecongregations. Despite its size and history, it is a forward looking, community oriented and friendly place. Resident Minister Rev. Harry G. Bridge is a young, personable and humble man (musically talented and gifted with a good sense of humor). He is a wonderful reverend and a great human being. The Church has a pretty good sized Sunday School (we call it "Dharma School", and we have around 60 students), and its two big public celebrations are the Food Bazaar on the weekend of Father's Day, and Obon dancing on the first Saturday of August at 7 pm. We also have a small New Year's Eve Bell Ringing Ceremony at 8 pm on New Year's Eve. The Dharma School is for children two years of age through middle school and we have "Jr YBA" for freshmen through seniors in High School, and the year runs from the first Sunday AFTER Labor Day in September, through the first Sunday in June. If it is your first time, just come--or call to make sure we have service that Sunday. About philosophy: I had my first wedding here 22 years ago and after I got divorced, the Church members were supportive and kind. They do not regard divorce as a "sin" or shameful. Also, Buddhism does not regard homosexuality as a sin. I had my second wedding officiated by Rev Yamaoka, who was the resident minister when i was a kid growing up in the Church. The Church has been very welcoming of my new husband. It is a place where "Everybody Knows Your Name." The Buddhism that I find practiced here has helped me tremendously during difficult times in my life, and the Church members are a wonderful, generous, hard-working and kind community.

Basic Jodo Shinshu Temple of BCA. Managed satisfactorily by Rev. Harry Bridge for the Japanese…read moreAmerican community. The summer Obon Odori dancing are fun!

Super welcoming, efficient and kind... Keep trying the various teachers and I find there's someone…read morefor everyone in terms of style and Dharma offerings with the various programs in wide variety of teachers... Improvement could be made with donating one portal easy like IMC Redwood City and I would really appreciate less aggressive dana talks and an easier portal /platform for donating going to each individual teachers platform and having to sign up with the platform is not a solution and I appreciate your kind attention and hope this can be made easier for all beings to donate to East Bay Meditation Center because basically I'm waiting until the teachers come to Insight Meditation Center Redwood City and donating to them at that venue because easier. Also another Meditation Center that even has an easier platform for donation is Flagstaff Meditation Center you go in pull down the teacher's name click in the donation arrives to the teacher and or Center....

I have been attending workshops at EBMC sporadically for close to 2 years now. I am not a regular…read moremeditator, despite my intentions, I accept what is for now lol. I value EBMC so much as a learning space. The workshops I have attended always provided information for me, whether about the nature of things or about my inner world that was right on time! I have definitely grown as a result and feel helped along through life's challenges & lessons. I love the gift economics model they use, I just wish we could venmo our donations or some other way online where eventbrite doesn't charge fees. I try to pay cash on site instead when I have it, but yea I hate the fees. Tip: scent free space, and they mean it! I actually love fabric softener (it was a luxury my family did not afford when I was a kid) and now I dump it enthusiastically all over my laundry, so attending events at EBMC requires some extra planning on my part, but I appreciate that they are serious to make it accessible for everyone and it's well worth my effort.