Ever since I've been studying Religion, I'm more and more intrigued with Buddhism. I've only knew…read moreabout Theravada Buddhism, which is practiced mainly in SE Asia - Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka (not SE Asia but still). Tibetan Buddhism is unique since it's sort of still Mahayana Buddhism but can be categorized as Vajrayana Buddhism. I never really understood Theravada Buddhism. My husband is Cambodian and I have a lot of Laotian friends. I've attended their temples and didn't understand it. What I love about Vajrayana Buddhism is how beautifully colorful it is to teaching you self-love and meditation. Everyone is invited. Free meditation sessions every Sunday from 11 am - Noon. Donations accepted. Gift shop with beautiful souvenirs. Everyone is very welcoming. The first three rows are for those who want to sit down on floor level to meditate. There are pillows for comfort. I sat in the front, in the middle. The monk is very well articulated and spoke with a little humor. What he speaks about is "common sense" but it will make you think again. About your life. About what it means to live. Towards the end, there was a 20ish minutes session of meditation to clear your mind. I love it! I plan to more and often again. Everyone should take time for self-love. 252/2019

A great place to participate in a simple guided meditation or advanced Buddhist practice. Never…read morebeen to a Buddhist Temple give us a try! 1st Sunday of the month 11:00 meditation ends tea and snacks. The biographies of the teachers and calendar of events is listed on the web site. Most public talks are available on Livestream. The Shrine is one of the best examples of high Tibetan style in North America. Closed Christmas week next open for company Sunday 12-31-2017. I found the Center right as they opened in the current building around 2008.

It's a bit bizarre to see a place like a Buddhist temple out in the outskirts of Atlanta, but…read moregetting here you can feel a sort of different atmosphere that's hard to describe in words. The owners of this place obviously take great pride in taking care of it, so if you're here to take pictures as many are, spare a few dollars and donate to them.

It's hard to miss this place from 675. I had passed it many times and wonder what it was. We…read morefinally stopped and it was worth it. After we walked around for about 20 minutes, one of the worshipers actually came up to talk to us and gave us a lot of information. He answered a lot of questions. The detail is emmaculate and he told us that the entire thing is hand carved so it is taking a while to finish. If you have ever been curious I suggest stopping by. They are very nice there.

Peaceful place, nice people. Don't miss to check in. Perfect place to relax , meditate, and reflect…read moreourselves.

Lovely people here and the guided meditations are powerful. I've been a few times and each time…read moreI've learned a little more about the nature of my mind.

Disclaimer: This review is based on an open house I attended. I am not a Buddhist nor am I a member…read moreof SGI-USA. SGI-USA stands for Soka Gakkai International-USA. Soka Gakkai has existed in Atlanta since 1969. For a long time, its Buddhist center was located in what appeared to be nondescript office space on 14th Street next to the Big Chandelier. I've driven past it many times over the years. Seeing the words "Soka Gakkai International" across the storefront, I always thought it was a Japanese company of some sort. Over the last 1-2 years, I've watched the center get constructed from scratch in Atlantic Station. It was interesting to watch the building's development. Little did I know it would be for a Buddhist center. I received information on their open house held June 28, 2014 and decided to check it out, out of curiosity. From what I was told by a member, the center opened one month ago in May 2014. The building is very nice. It's modern. "Modern" can also be used to describe the way the folks here practice Buddhism (at least from my perspective). Upon entry, we signed a guestbook and were then introduced to a hostess who gave us a tour of the new facility. Everyone was really kind to us. We were first led to an open space that housed an exhibit called the "International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP)." This exhibit featured high quality, color, informative banners of artists around the world, not necessarily Buddhists or members of SGI-USA (from what I recall), and important qualities each artist exuded. For example, Carlos Santana for Commitment, Yo Yo Ma for Unity, Nina Simone for Equality, and Maya Angelou for Forgiveness. We were shown around the first floor which includes a store where members can buy various Buddhist materials. This includes things like beads and miniature altars/shrines (these have a name, but I forgot). There are also Buddhist books, magazines, and other reading materials. The first floor also contains a greeting/security desk, administrative office space, and meeting rooms outfitted with comfy, cushioned chairs, flatscreen high-def displays, and altars/shrines. This place certainly is *not* your traditional Buddhist temple with monks and burning incense. It's very contemporary. It's not referred to as a "temple," but rather a "center." The second floor contains more meeting rooms, a kids' room (with a great corner view of West Midtown), and the largest meeting room with a larger shrine/altar. I would liken this room to a church sanctuary. Similar setup. I met the A/V guy in the back and saw his equipment -- all brand new and fancy looking. I know nothing about larger scale/professional A/V equipment, but it looked sophisticated. Up front was a band that broke out in a performance of the Motown song "Dancing in the Street." The congregation, the majority of whom appeared to be members, broke out in song and dance. They ended up forming a conga line and danced gleefully around the large room. Just about everyone seemed to be into it. It looked like gospel except it wasn't. The membership was diverse, ranging from African American to Caucasian to East Asian to South Asian. Ages also seemed to run the gamut. The open house was sort of an eye-opening experience for me. I never knew Buddhists practiced their religion in this way (admittedly, I'd never given it any thought). I just wanted to check out new construction in Atlantic Station. I ended up Googling and researching Soka Gakkai later. The type of Buddhism practiced and history of the relatively young organization is quite interesting. Wikpedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soka_Gakkai. In the end, I enjoyed my time at the open house. I met nice people (some who traveled from out of state to be there) and had fun taking a tour of the beautiful facility.

One of the best places in Atlanta to visit! It's an oasis in hot or cold weather plus anytime in…read morebetween. Always clean, warm and friendly atmosphere. Sometimes there are events happening that require privacy so the staff is trained to ensure everyone's safety. This building is a landmark and architectural wonder, as well. A place to go to chant/meditate and to learn how you can make an impact for world peace!

I've been coming here for 3 years now. I've always used Mandarin to communicate, but they are such…read morenice people here, I'm sure they can find a way to communicate with anyone. They help guide me through prayers and let me light candles and incense every time. They also sometimes give me prayer and guardian beads when I've asked. This is a gem for all Buddhists

This temple is lovely. While I've only ever come with my Mandarin-speaking partner, the nuns are…read morealways warm and friendly towards me. As a newbie to Buddhism, they very kindly guide me through each station.

I learned about the Shambhala Center through a meditation class I'd taken at the Decatur Y. It's a…read moregreat place to quiet your mind. MEDITATION Meditation relieves stress by focusing attention inward to induce a state of deep relaxation. Evidence shows it relieves anxiety, pain and depression. SHAMBHALA/MEMBERSHIP The community practices the teachings of basic goodness. Members "make a connection to mindfulness-awareness practice and work to integrate it into daily life." Volunteers conduct most activities. Dues, donations and program fees sustain the center. Membership is voluntary and open to anyone from any background, culture or faith. No-one is excluded because of money. SPACE Across from the Suburban Plaza, the beautiful main meditation hall is surrounded by a few smaller cottages for retreats, meetings and admin space. Parking is free. The lobby welcomes you with tea, coffee, cookies and warm faces. There's a cubby room for coats and shoes, going shoeless isn't required. There are cozy rooms with pillows on the floor. The Shrine Room is for open house & large classes. OPEN HOUSE Free! 9:30am Sundays and 7pm Tuesdays in person and via zoom. Chant at 9:30am, meditate at 10am, discuss at 11:30am. Drop in or leave at any time. PROGRAMS/INCLUSION There are a variety for classes for vows, beginners etc. Some last a few hours, others 6 weeks. Cost - $0 to $100+ but a discount can be requested. There's an online class open to people of color every 2nd Monday at 7pm. The Queer Dharma LGBTQ-QIA2 Sangha is a community of meditation practice founded & hosted by LGBTQ. One Breath, not affiliated with Shambhala, is a "Buddhist-flavored" meeting 3x per week for those in recovery. MY EXPERIENCE I took the 3 hour $20 "Start, Restart Your Meditation Practice Class" for newbies, bring a friend for free. I sipped tea, made small talk and entered the warm and inviting Shrine Room. There was plenty of natural light with cushions, chairs, blankets and good energy. Seasoned instructor Valerie was funny and relaxed. We learned breath, posture, where to place our hands etc. We did seated and walking meditations and even went outside. There were lots of breaks to ask questions and each meditation was 2 - 10 minutes, perfect for beginners. SUM Shambhala is a wonderful place to learn and to practice meditation. Check out the website, drop in to Open House and take a class. You don't have to be Buddhist, the center is free and welcoming to all!

Great place to visit, meditate, learn, and engage with people. The Shambhala Meditation Center of…read moreAtlanta welcomes all. Come just for a vist; come join our vibrant sangha.

This is a small but the most beautiful Buddhist Zen Center I ever visited. The atmosphere is very…read morewelcoming.

This is a super small community so don't go expecting something grand. There are mainly Saturday…read moreand Sunday sessions: Saturday sessions start around 6:30 PM and has mostly non-Vietnamese folks. Sunday sessions start around 11 AM (?) and has more of the Vietnamese individuals. A light dinner and lunch, respectively, are served before the sessions. Do keep in mind that these are vegetarian meals composing of non-meat dishes. I enjoy the Saturday sessions more because it's more relaxing, me not being too comfortable with my Viet. lol. Sessions are causal and varies each week. There is usually a walking mediation, dharma talk, and sitting mediation. Well, that has been my experience on Saturday evenings. Master Hai, or Thay as he likes to be called (roughly meaning teacher), speaks both English and Vietnamese so don't worry about feeling lost. He lives at this place so you can come by to visit, mediate, or ask questions pretty much any time. Although this is a Buddhist temple, they don't force anything upon you or try to convert you. Think of this place as a Zen sanctuary. There is also a garden outside for enjoyment reserved for warmer weather. :) There are a few parking spaces in the front, but just drive around to the back for additional parking spaces. This place is a house that's converted so it will be a normal residential home with flags and other distinguishable statutes. There is no dress code. Just don't come looking like you are about to go to the club in revealing clothing. Check out this link where Master Hai's Master is talking with Oprah. Yes, Oprah Winifred. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=thich+nhat+hai+oprah&view=detail&mid=A2FC537AE4301FF26C41A2FC537AE4301FF26C41&FORM=VIRE11

This is a nice, friendly Buddhist Temple (I know that most temples are friendly). The high monk is…read morealways very friendly and enjoys talking with everyone who visits the temple. It's not very big, but the temple itself is quite beautiful in the inside. He can speak English. I'm not sure if we have a English translation of the chanting book. The regulars who come here to learn about becoming a Buddhist are also nice (most of them, anyways). Before entering the temple, make sure to put your palms together and bow halfway. If you don't know what to do or how you're suppose to do things, just ask someone. They will help you out. The service takes about 3 hours, and afterwards, they will feed you lunch (it's all vegetarian food.. No meat). There are also end of the month picnics (get together to enjoy the Fall weather; looking at the beautiful colors of the leaves of the trees that changed from green to red/orange/yellow). I enjoyed going to those picnics, because we go hiking together, sing and play games (and win some prizes). So if you're looking for a place to learn about becoming a Buddhist, then give this place a try. Who knows, you'll probably make some friends and enjoy yourself! They welcome all kinds of people from young to old and different ethnicities, too. I hope you come and visit.

Grateful for this location for Buddhist meditation and study Truly working on mindfulness by…read morecalming the mind and other modes of creating loving compassion in all aspects of life.