In celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), I am sharing a recent…read morediscovery/experience. While I am pretty naïve when it comes to the Buddhist faith and practice, I happened upon this American Buddhist Meditation Temple (ABMT) through a Google Maps marker. I immediately hit the road out of curiosity. Directions: To find this temple, head south on Patterson Ave toward the ocean, passing over the Atascadero Creek and bike path. You'll go up a hill into the More Mesa neighborhood with ranches and orchid farms. Follow the signs to Cal-Orchid by turning right on Orchid Dr (there was no street sign when I visited). The street dead ends with three gravel parking spots on the left for the temple. Given that parking is limited, it is acceptable to park on the property of Cal-Orchid to the right. This was such a unique and hidden find that most locals are probably unaware of its existence. It is a quiet place to practice meditation, offer support to the monks, attend Buddhist ceremonies, and for interested participants to attend formal retreats. The monks here perform a ceremony daily at 4 pm involving chanting and meditation. The property is truly serene with a light breeze, blooming flowers, and greenery of bamboo in every corner of the eye. Buddha statues are also discovered throughout--even in unlikely places such as trees or on rocks. There are multiple areas for meditation, a covered shrine, and places for offerings. Truly a beautiful site for all to explore and learn about. If you visit here, please consider leaving a donation in the locked box for its preservation and services.

Great peaceful sanctuary to learn buddha's teachings and to meditate. The center offers talks open…read moreto the public and study programs to deepen our understanding of buddhism and how to appy the teachings to our lives. There is a class for children also.

From the owner: Mahakankala Buddhist Center has provides services so that people who are interested in meditation…read morepractices can discover the various approaches that we offer at our Center. Whether you are Buddhist or non-Buddhist the techniques taught are suitable to be applied to your daily life. Our goal is to offer individuals methods for increasing their patience, love, compassion, and wisdom. We welcome everyone to attend our events and strive to offer a variety of activities and topics so that everyone's needs are met because we all need peace and happiness in our life.

Odiyana Institute is a wonderful resource and beacon for authentic Vajrayana Buddhist teachings…read more And Tulku Orgyen Rinpoche is so generous with his time and wisdom. We are so lucky to have them!

From the owner: Odiyana Institute focus on the practice and study of Vajrayana Budhism.read more

There's great yoga classes here. I went to the 9:30 class on Tuesday with Debra. I felt so…read morewelcomed. The yogis in the class were so sweet. They showed me around and made me feel comfortable. I've practiced yoga before but struggle with staying consistent. Whether you're new or experienced, I highly recommend trying a class here. Debra's teaching style is one I really enjoy, welcoming, grounding, and sure to leave you feeling relaxed.

The Camarillo Buddhist Center is excellent for both learning about Buddhism and engaging in calming…read morespiritual activities like meditation and yoga. A truly enriching experience.

Friendly welcoming people. Beautiful, calming, peaceful atmosphere. Inspiring meditative experienceread more

After coming to this temple for about 8 years for Buddhist Retreats, it is a great place for a…read morereligious getaway. The temple is surrounded by many trees and nice scenery. The weather in the summer usually hovers around mid-70s, which is very nice, though it can get cold at night. The main hondo is pretty spacious and nice, while there is a large room downstairs for meals and workshop activities, next to a kitchen. There is also one larger hut closeby and several small huts down the stairs. Not to mention, Avila Beach is only a ten minute drive away, which has been great for beach services and just hanging out. Being in the middle of NorCal and SoCal, it is no wonder that weekends at SLO temple are filled with these retreats :)

Great place The teachers are very compassionate, and the community share their resources.read more

I've been a Buddhist devotee all my life and An Lac Mission is by far my favorite temple in the…read moreSoCal area. My family and I have been coming here since the temple was relocated from the Oxnard location in 2003. The current temple is now located in the Saticoy area (down the road from Saticoy Elementary School). Though An Lac primarily serves the Vietnamese Buddhist community, all are welcome to join in its festivities. I was very happy when they had brought in the Sri Lankan Theravedan monk, Venerable Sutadhara, to run the Buddhist center and unify the Sri Lankan Buddhist community in the Ventura area. Ven. Sutadhara is fluent in English as he was the former senior lecturer in Lingustics at the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka. As an American born Sri Lankan, I appreciate the fact that he provides accurate translation from Pali to English so we can better understand our religious affiliation. The newly made meditation garden is just beautiful! Complete with multiple Buddha statues, ponds, and fountains, it is the perfect place to meditate and enjoy the outdoors in peace. The temple also provides meditation, zen, and yoga classes to further your practice. I highly recommend coming here! It is a wonderful place, Buddhist or not!

Whether you're a strong believer or a meditation novice this meditation center is for you…read more Everyone's guilty of being so busy with school, work, or kids or sometimes all three we forget to do simple things, like breathe. Tushita Kadampa Buddhist Center helps you take a second to get back what is rightfully yours- some peace. They are small in size but big on passion. The Center has a calming atmosphere as soon as you walk in, and the staff there is no different. They hold mala bead workshops about every 6 months and they are a great way to learn more, practice patience, and bond with family and friends. Their meditation classes are settling for the busy mind, and healthy for the burdened soul.

I found this place doing an internet search for Meditation classes. They offer many different times…read morefor Guided Mediation classes that work well for anyone's schedule. The temple has a welcoming atmosphere and a great selection in their book store. The teacher was very soft spoken and inspiring. She gave us insight on why we should mediate and it's benefits. She guided us through our meditation and made it easy for us to follow. I'm glad I came here and look forward to my next visit.