San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin is located in Japantown, San Jose. I've really only gone here when…read morethey have the Obon Festival and they open up some of the surrounding buildings and have displays of banzai trees and plants, geisha paper dolls, calligraphy, etc. I have several friends and their families involved in the church league activities.

Community and Buddhism come to holistic togetherness at the Buddhist Church Betsuin in San Jose,…read moreCalifornia. I've gone to several services and dharma talks at this Buddhist Church and really enjoyed the experience. I was surprised about the similarities a the Sunday service here and what I experienced at christian churches. It felt very familiar. What is especially attractive about Buddhist Church Betsuin is the inclusiveness of the community. Everyone was really approachable and super friendly. There was absolutely no pushiness, which I really appreciated. Just openness and togetherness. There are many events that happen in and around the Buddhist Church. Japantown is vibrant and appears to becoming more and more popular. This Buddhist Church benefits the community because it anchors everyone into something entirely unique and special in San Jose.

In October 2010, after a negative experience at SGI in San Francisco, I traveled from Fremont to…read morethis location in Santa Clara. The main purpose was to purchase altar supplies, but also to chant Daimoku at a community center. Because of the bad experience at the SF center, I called ahead to be sure the center and bookstore would be open. When I arrived, the front door was locked during business hours. I rang the doorbell, and a man came from a back room, with his beads in hand, indicating to me he had been chanting. I told him the purpose of my visit, and he told me the bookstore was closed for inventory and that the community center was also closed for cleaning (even though he and others were there, chanting). He then told me if I wanted, I could return the next day, but he didn't know if the bookstore would be open then, either. He then recommended I try the online SGI bookstore (which was ALSO "down for inventory") and dismissed me from the door. This was my last experience with SGI, after multiple attempts to reintegrate myself in, as well as introduce new believers to, the organization. I am now a proud member of Nichiren Shoshu!

I am a proud SGI member.. this other person who writes is not a good representative of our practice…read moreor what we teach.. a buddhist should not let a closed store ruin her day. With that said, I love this center -they are a great group of people and volunteers and are always helpful.

Amazing Buddhist temple in Milpitas! Beautiful, well maintained, spotless, super clean, flower…read morearrangements are top notch and the sense of peace in there is incredible. My colleague and I went to pay a visit after our lunch nearby and they were super friendly to us, open doors, no questions asked. I loved the attitude and spend a good time observing the art and learning about what activities do in the temple. We could not visit upstairs as they are dormitories.

For Further Information or Assistance. E-Mail：…read moreinfo@HuaYenUSA.org http://www.huayenusa.org/ https://www.facebook.com/Avatamsaka.Buddhist.Lotus.Society/ Tel：(408)942-0874 Add：50 South Main Street, Milpitas, CA 95035 USA

I've always been curious about meditation and decided to give this place a try based on other Yelp…read morereviews. My husband and I enrolled in the Level 1 Meditation class, which is free, and lasts for 12 weeks. It definitely is a commitment, but we attended all but one class (due to Thanksgiving break) and really found it so enjoyable and fulfilling. To note, this is Zen Buddhism that they are teaching, so if you are particular about that, it's something to consider. The Shifu who runs the class is really insightful and funny. (I think he's absolutely endearing!!) He made the classes fly by. The way they go is that the first half of class is dedicated to teaching you the basics of Zen meditation (chanting, sitting, walking). The second half is lecture in the dining hall, otherwise known as Dharma talks, which teach you a lot of the practical and traditional aspects of Zen Buddhism and meditation. Overall, going here has helped my hubby and I connect a lot better and learn how to handle stress in a more calm way. We definitely would have joined the level 2 class if we hadn't moved up north. I try to visit and meditate here whenever I am in the South Bay :)

I've visited many temples in the past due to my Buddhist mother dragging me, but this temple is the…read moreonly one that I really enjoy and actually will go on my free will. :P I took the level 1 meditation class in English, which I find is really rare. The other temples that I've been to only speak Chinese or Vietnamese. I don't understand Chinese very well, so I was very happy to find English courses here. The teacher is Shifu JianYing, who is a happy and funny monk. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. The lectures are enlightening, fun, and enjoyable. I highly recommend taking the class if you have time (once a week for 2 hours for 12 weeks), and it's free too! :)

Another or my 'lunch break' discoveries in San Jose! One day I passed by when driving and added to…read moremy mental list of places around to go. The other day I had a quick lunch at work and checked that this temple was just 7 minutes away...so perfect excuse to get some meditation going and get all spiritual for the rest of the day (and week for sure!). Needless to say that this temple being located 'in town' surprised me, but even more when I saw the gardens, so well taken care of and so welcoming! Giant fatty buddhas with generous smiles, luscious plants that will transport you to an exotic South Asian locale and, oh, food, they also give food! I did not dare to ask for anything, but surely the grandmas there were enjoying a free lunch! I read about it but for special occasions, but it looks like they do everyday. Fruits offered to deities or buddhas were super fresh. My understanding (for the writing I saw) is that this is a Vietnamese temple (which to me looks similar if not the same as the Thai ones i have visited around). In any case, my visit was mostly curiosity, to get a glimpse of another culture and a different way to lead a spiritual life and the pursuit of beauty.

My grandfather designed and built this house with his own two bare hands, back in the 40s. He owned…read morethe surrounding 100+ acres and farmed the land. until the late 1960s. When my grandparents passed away in the early 2000s, I thought developers were going to buy the land and knock everything down. Tu Lam Buddhist Temple bought it and completely preserved it! If the walls could talk, it would tell a beautiful story of family and friends with lots of love and laughter. I was raised in that house and I thank the temple from the bottom of my heart for saving it. Please enjoy when you visit!

This temple may be smaller and is more of a humble setup than some of the more prominent temples in…read morethe Bay Area, but it is grand in ways that only a devout Buddhist may recognize. We came here for a Buddhist service for a loved one for the first time. There may be some communication challenges here and there since help at the temple mostly speaks Vietnamese with little English. Some of the monks also do not speak English; however, if you're patient, there is always a translator ready and happy to translate. We had the fortune to have met with the head monk, Thay Giac Minh, on our second visit. We understand that one doesn't see much of his presence outside of when he is leading a Sunday service. His English was good and easy to understand. He was wise, kind, and delighted to help us in planning for our family's ceremonies--no mention of donations or fees throughout the process, which we were pleasantly surprised since it has not been our experience with other local Buddhist temples we encountered. Contributions or gifts are of your own will; we never feel pressure. Recently, we were impressed by a large gathering for Vu Lan and how many people the temple could accommodate outdoors. Bottled waters were passed out for guests during a warm weather day, and storytelling and teaching from the monks, free entertainment, and excellent hot lunches were passed out to all attendees. Even though some of us do not speak Vietnamese, we can feel the humbleness and warm hospitality of the temple's volunteer staff, who worked hard on the day. As for the temple, vegetarian foods offers here, and we enjoyed everything we have here, from the offerings from ceremonies to purchases that one may make at the kitchen deli. There is a sign posted with the kitchen's offerings aside from what is in the deli cases. All purchases are cash-based. It was shared that most of the dishes were prepared by one of the monks, and he is good. It's a drive across town, but when we visit here, we always pick up some vegetarian foods from the kitchen for our dinner. We enjoyed the food, and it's an excellent way to support the temple. Most do not speak English, so bring your Vietnamese friend or practice patience; someone will help you with translation. Tip: Parking here on weekdays is ample but will be challenging on Sundays when services are given. If one does not want to drive around and park across the streets or down further in the neighborhood, park at a neighbor's parking two doors down from the temple, where there are metal fences, and a $5 parking fee will be accepted by its residents.

So very small but the simplicity & humbleness is what kind of makes Quan The Am Temple so beautiful…read moreIMO. While a lot of the reviews mention the kitchen and the temple's delicious food offerings, I can only base this review on the temple as a whole. Parking is rough on busy days and during Mid-Autumn Festival & Lunar New Year- for very obvious reasons. Street parking is an option but do expect a long walk. Perfect place to do some self reflecting or provide yourself with some "me" time.

What a hidden gem! I came here for a free drop-in guided mindfulness meditation on a Wednesday…read moreevening. This center offers a variety of meditation sessions, talks from speakers, and retreats. Drop-in guided meditation is "free" but they recommend a $10 donation which is understandable. Check out their website for a schedule and more info. Although the center looks a little outdated and rundown from the outside, I felt the ambiance inside was warm, welcoming and peaceful. When you arrive, there is typically a friendly host who invites you in and can show you around. There were Buddhist-related images and idols on and around the walls and white Christmas lights strung from the ceilings. We had the option to sit on floor pillows with a small tray table or on regular chairs. Water, tea, and snacks (cookies mostly) were provided. There was a shelf near the entrance displaying flyers for various upcoming events. There was also a table filled with books and items (i.e. specially embroidered hats) available for purchase. They also had a bookshelf filled with books on things like mindfulness and spirituality which you can borrow and return at your leisure. The whole setup was nice. The lady guiding us was well-versed in Buddhist meditation. Her voice was very calming. Initially, she read an excerpt from a book related to mindfulness. It was thought-provoking and appropriate for the type of meditation she was about to lead us in. Then, she closed the book, instructed us to adjust our posture, close our eyes, and focus on one aspect of our breathing. Anytime our mind wandered, we were to gently reroute it to our breathing. This is all we did for the next 30 minutes. The room was quiet... no talking or music. I was impressed by how peaceful and well-rested I felt afterwards. We got to chat with some of the attendees after and everyone seemed friendly. Overall, it was a great experience.

What a gem . This is an FMPT center and is thus able to have amazing dharma talks by wold class…read morespeakers in an intimate setting. Just spent a weekend retreat here listening to the amazing venerable Robina, how lucky to get a front row seat. Have been going to drop in meditation here and it has advanced my practice. The center is run entirely by volunteers and donations, their goal is just to advance peace and compassion. Amazing!

This is a wonderful Sangha and Angie Boissevain is an excellent, accomplished, and warm-hearted…read moreRoshi in the lineage of Kobun Chino Roshi. The members of the Sangha are welcoming, warm, and range from beginners to those already ordained. The practice is simple: Zazen. Weekely sittings are held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., followed by a short service and then a Dharma talk by Boissevain Roshi, or guest speakers from other Zen or Buddhist Sanghas. Longer periods of sitting are held on various weekends and sesshins are held at different times and sites throughout the year. I would highly recommend this Zen practice to anyone. A wonderful group of students led by a wonderful teacher.

Floating Zendo is a Soto Zen meditation group led by Angie Boissevain,…read morehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angie_Boissevain. We meet every Tuesday night in the Friends' Meetinghouse. Meditation begins at 6:30 p.m. After we meditate, we chant the Heart Sutra and bow to the Buddha; then there is a dharma talk. Generally, the talk is a discussion of a Buddhist text the group is studying. Just now, that is the poem Hsin Hsin Ming. Everything is over by 8 p.m. I don't know how to evaluate the group. Obviously, I think it's awesome. The group itself is very low key. We're not especially formal. You can drop in any Tuesday and fit in without special instruction. We have a suggested donation of $2; that covers the rent. We don't provide meditation cushions. There are chairs and pillows, but if you have your own cushion, bring it. Our teacher Angie is great. It is beyond my ability to articulate how much I admire and respect Angie Boissevain. She combines Zen scholarship with a long life's experience.