Oct 2, 2023 I had to…read moreadd this on Yelp because the Dickinson location wasn't listed, so I didn't get to "check in" as usual. I finally stopped and looked around this Buddhist temple garden area; it's beautiful. There is music playing closest to the temple, so I stopped and listened for a bit; you can smell the incense burning, too. I walked up to the temple steps but didn't go inside because I was in shorts. This garden is a great place to pray and reflect.

If you're in the area, take a moment to walk through this beautiful and peaceful house of worship…read more Admission is free. As we walked around the grounds we were gestured to come inside. Greeted by the smoky fragrant air of burning incense, we checked out each of the deities. Please be quiet as this is an active house of worship.

Very picturesque! Beautiful grand entrance. This place has a sense of calm and peace, especially in…read morethe incense area. The staff was kind enough to let us take photos and look around after it was supposed to be closed at 6pm. The place is gorgeous and I highly recommend to stop in for some great photos. Unfortunately, we did not browse in depth as we did not want to overstay during after hours.

I visited this Buddhist center back in March 2025 for an open house. I occasionally practice…read moreBuddhism for my spirituality. Upon coming here, the building was extremely dark at night. The open house started at 7:30 PM. I would have liked and thought there was going to be well lit as well as them welcoming newcomers, however, not. The building was sketchy too. The parking was plenty, but I immediately felt uneasy and as I was about to leave until another visitor/an elderly lady spotted me in the parking lot and asked me where the open house was going to be. I pretended I knew to help her. Eventually, we were both lost when I couldn't get the door opened as it was locked at 7:20 PM. A guy walked up out of nowhere and said he had a key, then he unlocked the door. Another guy with long hair came from upstairs and said that the open house was "up here". The elderly lady got into the elevator while I climbed the stairway up. I was thinking that the open house would be in a large room. Absolutely not, about 10 people met inside a small room. Come to find out, the tiny room is where the Buddhist center is not the whole office building. There wasn't any shoes allowed in the room for comfort. Okay, I'm inside the room and sat in a chair as I didn't feel comfortable with sitting on the floor. The rest of the visitors sat on the floor. The guy with long hair came then immediately started explaining Tibetan Buddhism and how ties to Karma Kagyu, but founded by Lamar Ole Nydahl. He was speaking fast and I tried to keep up. He then started chanting. He had given us beads to hold. Again, we all chanted with him. He was reading a mantra very fast in a language I didn't recognize. It wasn't English as they said it would be. I don't know why he was going so quick. After he did that, the open house was over with. We had to give the beads back. The long haired man answered questions. Then we left. The open house was free. I honestly didn't care about my experience as it wasn't pleasant. I didn't return as the energy was off. I'll just stick to mediating at home.

Very nice family style modern Buddhism. The people there are nice and informative. They have…read moremeetings on Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30pm and one meeting on Sunday at 9am. I went to the nice house and was greeted with tea and Texas hospitality. A member of the group gave a ten minute talk about a basic Buddhist topic and gave information about their group. Then another member led a meditation in English. I had a really nice time.

This is the most beautiful and largest Vietnamese temple in the Houston, TX area. This is the only…read moretemple that I go to for worship for prosperity, great health, happiness, and praying for world peace.

Amazing to see such an authentic and beautiful large scale Buddhist complex in the United States…read more It is a testament to the devotion and hard work of Southeast Asian immigrants. The tempo is bilingual and has many educational aspects just from walking around. Definitely a must see cultural experience if visiting Houston !

It always blows my mind that there's a temple this big secluded in the woods next to a small…read moreairport. I love coming here during the lunar new year for the festivities. The facilities are clean and the monks are very kind and welcoming. Perhaps the biggest secret of them all is that they sell delicious vegetarian food here! I'm not sure if it's sold every day but I know that they definitely sell it on Sundays. There's a wide selection of Viet dishes to choose from and the prices are fair. I came on New Year's Day when they were selling their special Vegetarian noodle soup and it was some of the best I've had. Generous portion, less than $10, incredibly flavorful broth enhanced by the chili paste. I also tried some imitation meat in a sweet and savory orange sauce. Very unique flavor and something I'd definitely get again. Come here on a Sunday morning/early afternoon and expand your palette with some delicious temple food!

Vien Thong Tu Buddhist Temple is such a peaceful and welcoming spot in Houston. Even though most of…read morethe ceremonies and chanting are in Vietnamese , it's easy to feel included just by being there. The temple is beautifully maintained, with the marble statues and flooring that make it feel serene and elegant. Seriously, they have some of the best vegetarian food in town, available only friday through sunday. The menu is weekly updated on Facebook under Zen Vegetarian Dinh Duong Chay Vien Thong Tu.

So I took my parents here to see how beautiful Ive heard it was. Long story short while viewing…read morethis temple the owner came up to my mom and began giving her and I a cleanse. He slapped us with wet sticks and said a prayer/ chant.. It was awesome!

This is a very beautiful temple in East Downtown area right off of 45 near Cullen St. It is…read morededicated to Guan Di as the main deity but also a massive Shakyamuni Buddha at the back of the main building. There are numerous other deities as well which is typical of many Asian temples. This temple is dedicated to Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. People of all faiths welcome. Come pay a visit and have a look at the beautiful shrines. Make a donation (if you can - not mandatory) and take some incense to place for the deities. Think about what they represent and which virtues they personify. Ask to bring those same qualities into your life and the lives of those around you. Also, if something has been on your mind and you need some advice you can ask a question from a deity. There are oracle sticks for anyone to try and the nice gentleman at the temple can help to interpret the reading. Come enjoy the beauty and positive energy of Texas Guandi Temple.

Some places make the spiritual life come alight; this is one such place tucked away. An hours…read moredrive away from the din of Houston. When here time stands still and gives one the ability to delve deeper. The staff and other members are helpful and polite. They usually have retreats that are structured and practice both Buddhist traditions

This a great -mostly unknown-place to meditate. The…read morelocation and vibe of the place is beautiful, relaxing, and welcoming. Even if you do not meditate, even if you are not a buddhist, you can still relax in this fantastic center.

This is the third monestary I have ever visited. The lady we encountered was very gracious and…read moreshowed us the interior of the temple. She even lit an incense stick on our behalf. Even though I don't believe in the same religion as those who espouse Buddhism, I was grateful for the hospitality showed us. The grounds and buildings were beautiful and very well maintained. Please check out this temple! It is well worth the time invested.

This is a great place to visit and walk around. They have done major restoration and a redesign of…read morethe gardens. They have a wonderful collection of bamboo, lilies and lotus plant. If you would like a tour there is always someone here to help you out and talk to you about what the plants are. There is a great meditation group and Reverend Kassapa is always eager to talk and help you learn about Buddhism. It is a place that everyone should visit at least once!

I came here today (Saturday) with my mother. We are new to…read morethe practice of buddhism, and we make a substantial effort to be as respectful as possible. Today, we mistakenly thought that Saturday was the day for english instruction. Upon entering, I removed my shoes and greeted the woman at the front desk with a smile. She did not smile back. This did not make me feel welcome. Me and my mother proceeded further inside the temple, which is BEAUTIFUL by the way. We did take a moment to take it all in. There was no instruction or teachings going on, so we decided to seat ourselves quietly just to observe the beauty of the temple. There was a lively looking woman doing some work on the flowers. I decided to ask her what days of the week do I come for english teachings. Once again, I keep smiling at people to greet them, but they keep frowning! (I want to be clear and say that this is a normal faint smile that you do when you say hello to someone, I definitely was not doing anything weird or threatening) At this point I am thinking, Am I doing something wrong, or are these people really not pleased to have me here for any reason? She directed me to ask the lady at the front desk..so I went to ask. I respectfully stood outside of the room, waiting until she didn't look occupied. She greeted me with a disgruntled "Yes?" And I asked her my question. She answered me curtly, and I proceeded back into the center room of the temple. Me and my mother discussed plans for coming back, and then we decided to leave. As we were leaving, there were VERY kind women practitioners who were more friendly than the 2 workers I am discussing in this review. The woman at the front desk, closed the door on them as they were in prayer. She said "It's getting hot, sorry about that." And did not even say goodbye to us as we left. I am sure they have amazing teachings, its a shame I came on the wrong day! But overall, for a beginner practitioner who is a little unsure of themselves..I did not feel very welcomed or embraced in these interactions I had..I will not be returning. I don't know if these people were having a bad day, or if I did something wrong. But it was very uncomfortable for me. A temple is supposed to be a place where someone can take refuge, and feel safe around other compassionate people.

A little history of this temple and me: When I migrated from Taiwan more than a decade ago, I was…read moreshocked at how Buddhism was so difficult to find in America. Fortunately, my family was contacted by someone from Jade Buddha Temple. Even though I used to live in Baton Rough, LA, Jade Buddha Temple has ever since been my spiritual center to this point. Anyway onto the review! --- Located relatively close to the Houston Chinatown, Jade Buddha Temple is easy and convenient for visitors to access from the city without losing the serenity of the usual temple ground. In front of the temple is a large pond surrounding a tall, standing statue of Kwan-Yin (Avalokiteshvara). If the day is not too hot, the pond has benches surrounding it, so you can admire the pond and contemplate under the gaze of the merciful Bodhisattva. The temple's largest building is the Hero's Hall (The Main Hall), which houses the namesake jade Buddha statue with Maitreya (Popularly known as fat Buddha) as the cheerful greeter to those who enter the Hall. This is where services and festivals are held, but outside these times, the Hall is a silent yet serene ground to simply sit and behold. Quietness without coldness, simplicity with majestic extravagance, Jade Buddha's Main Hall is truly something that both practitioners and non-practitioners to visit to witness the spirituality and the art of Buddhism. Behind the Main Hall is a court yard that is followed by the second building, Kwan-Yin Hall, which houses the traditional Chinese Kwan-Yin in front and Cundi Avalokiteshvara in the back. In contrast to the more extravagant Main Hall, Kwan-Yin Hall displayed Zen simplicity in its decor, so it is no wonder that this is the Hall where the usual mediation sessions take place. Jade Buddha Temple offers many weekly scheduled events, almost all free, to the visitors that include yoga, mediation, service, and sermon. Although most of the staff and the reverends are Chinese-speaking, Jade Buddha Temple has English-oriented events for non-Chinese visitors. The Temple also has some volunteer opportunities to help maintain the temple ground and logistics. At certain times of the year, the Temple hosts traditional festivals including Buddha's birthday to pray for the welfare of all sentient beings. Whether you are a Buddhist or not, Jade Buddha Temple is worth to visit at least once if you are in the Houston area. The staff and the reverends at the Temple are very friendly and will happily answer any questions relating to life or Buddhism for you! You should temporarily escape from the loud urban environment and take refuge in the Jade Buddha Temple to relax, pray, or simply admire what Buddhism is all about.

This place is a gem, Everyone here is so nice and so kind…read more You can breath peace and harmony here. It feels like never wanting to leave. It was my first time and the monks took their time to patiently teach me the different positions for meditation. After a 20 minute meditation the chants came and they were heavenly; we walked around in circles and then after the session was over, we went to a different room for the teaching. The master spoke so wisely and so calmly;it felt like I was in peace with my mind for the first time in my life. After that, they gave us food. Free food. WOW Free meditation Free teaching Free food Noble people. I am so glad there are still superior beings in this world. Thanks Chung Tai Zen Center, you are a true blessing from God.

How I missed coming here and missing all the masters here at Chung Tai. There's no judgement here,…read moreleave your troubles and worries outside the door. As soon as you step inside you feel immediate peace. Meditation classes are held in both Chinese and English (no charge) and there are also many other events that could help you gain knowledge in Buddhism and become enlightened. Take advantage of the meditation classes and Dharma talks. Masters are all very knowledgeable and helpful, you will be delighted and feel more peaceful after your visit.