Blissful, peaceful, harmonious with nature with beautiful trees around. Blessed to have been here…read moretoday and meeting Priest George. The energy of this place is extremely grounding, quiet and instantly stills your mind. Highly recommend.

It is a very beautiful and natural temple. It's shady and nice to walk around to calm your mind…read more The inside of the temple is also beautiful. If you have a chance, you should definitely go.

This is a place I've recently found while searching for help with overwhelming grief, to say they…read moreare welcoming is an understatement... While I expected they could help me with grief, I did not expect them to be able to help me fix my entire life, things I have been struggling with since I was a child, which is exactly what has happened. Words cannot express how much gratitude I feel for finding this place and these people.

This monestery is truly a jewel. The Buddhist nuns (women monks) who live, staff and teach at the…read moremonestery are welcoming, sincere and kind. As a level one meditation student, I have found the guided meditations and course instruction to be more beneficial than years of therapy in terms of providing insight into the causes of suffering and showing the way toward a peace of mind. I cannot recommend the free meditation courses highly enough. For the individual who is either brand new to or familiar with Buddhist teaching, the monastery offers an accessible and welcoming learning environment. It is indeed a refuge for those interested in deepening their understanding of wholesome and liberating teachings of the Buddha. The monastery will soon be in transition with a large renovation project starting in the Fall of 2019. In the meantime, it is beautiful and meticulously cared for. Warm lighting and clean, open spaces positively glow with elegant fabrics, inspiring and tasteful Buddhist statues, plants and flowers. The Buddha Jewel monastery is a blessed refuge of sanity, calm and quiet dignity in a chaotic secular world. I can't believe how fortunate we are to have this place located in Shoreline! If you don't live nearby, it is well worth the drive to attend the well-prepared and thoughtfully presented classes. If I had to describe the Buddha Jewel monastery facility and community in one word it would be "integrity". Care and thought and consideration abound in all aspects of the community outreach and education.

Sister Jendy and the other resident nuns are very kind and wise. Although most classes are in…read moreMandarin Chinese, occasionally they have an English speaker such as Venerable Thubten Chodron. Even if you are not a Chinese speaker, the atmosphere during meditation and the chanting of the Heart Sutra is very peaceful.

I've been to the Koyasan temple several times for the 'Moon Meditation' that Taijo-san leads, and…read moreit is one of the most healing experiences you will have. I'll describe the process a bit for those who aren't sure what to expect- First everyone removes their shoes and puts their bags under the bench at the beginning of the meditation room. The head monk will talk about the origin and purpose of the meditation, as well as give us sacred dirt from the Koyasan mountain in japan to rub into our hands. Rev. Taijo himself is just as humble as you would expect a monk to be, but he's also absolutely hilarious and personable! Before meditation we recite an excerpt from the heart sutra (you will fall behind regardless of how fast you can read or your Japanese proficiency lol. Don't be intimidated!) During the meditation, we sit on pillows and in front of the moon visualizer- sometimes in silence, sometimes chanting. And afterwards there is tea so that everyone can get to know each other! Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated options are available. Now, all of this is a 'normal' meditation pre-covid. While the temple is closed, sometimes we will have a moment of mindfulness in the park instead. I've actually dragged several friends to services with me and they all have been grateful for the experience! When it's safe to congregate again, I look forward to practicing at the temple again!

Just an absolute beautiful temple! Newley renovated, I went out for a meditation class and…read morethoroughly enjoyed myself. Learned allot highly recommend visiting.

This is a beautiful church: culturally, physically, socially and spiritually. I have attended…read moreservices and dharma here on occasion and always been struck by the congregation's warmth and casual air. Seattle Buddhist Church practices Jodo Shinshu aka "Pure Land" aka "Shin" Buddhism. It is one of the most common branches of Buddhism in the US. Many people note that there are assimilation aspects to this branch: they have a bishop, they call their branches "churches" interchangeably with "temples", and introduced lessons to hymns. These things harken back directly to WWII and it speaks to Shin Buddhism's place in the Japanese-American story. I find the members of Seattle Buddhist Church so friendly, and definitely "teaching by doing". You will not find proselytizing - you really have to ask around to get information about practices, services, classes. One of the best times to find out about Shin Buddhism is during Bon Odori, because the church is open and they have informational lectures at that time. Speaking of Bon Odori - this is the site of Seattle's annual festival to celebrate our ancestors and has been for over 75 years! You will find me dancing there every summer. Check the Seafair calendar for each year's dates. Bon Odori is just one of the many cultural experiences the Seattle Church offers in addition to dharma, Japanese Language class, the bazaar, and cultural enrichment classes in conjunction with Nikkei Horizons Sr. Home (like hula, cooking, ikebana and crafts). Within this church they offer Camp Fire, Boy Scouts, Taiko drumming, basketball, and the YBA - Young Buddhist's Association. It 's a wonderful place for families!! My children have always been very comfortable here even though we're not regular attendees. Whether visiting for cultural or spiritual reasons, you will feel welcome at Seattle Buddhist Church!

So many good memories of this place. Dancing in line during Bon Odori. Learning flower arrangement…read more My sensei who taught me iaido. I attended this Temple/"Church" with my stepmom Lumchuan for several years. They orchestrated services very like in christian churches -- a bit of sermon, stand and sing a hymn together; it was very Americanized, and sometimes I really didn't want to go but I went anyway. My step-mom was a bikuni educated in a Thai monastery from age five on. Though I was steeped in Buddhism at the time, from her teachings and others, I never became a real believer in anything, which is okay for any good Buddhist! I love the idea that belief isn't necessary, that it can even be a goal to let go of such considerations. Rather than belief, for me it's art and literature and ceremony and culture and compassion, the most secular of religions. Even if there were a god it wouldn't matter, since he she or it no less than we are bound to this wheel of sorrows. So, I'd bow to the golden Buddha in the niche of this church and light incense and clap thrice, while Lumchuan fell prone before the Buddha in ecstatic devotion. As a kid that was a little embarrassing to me, to be standing beside my step-mom who goes flat on the floor like nobody else did. But what I'd give to spend another day with her now, gone so many years. Dunno if she achieved liberation or not. All of us seem just a little too foolish to ever achieve that.

In an area I was unaware of but a beautiful Temple. I was invited to come back and have evening…read moremeditation. I love the teachings of Buddhism and scripture.

From the owner: Our community, the Washington State Washington Chapter, is a division of Dharma Drum Mountain…read moreBuddhist Association (DDMBA). It is a place to provide residents of the greater Seattle area with a forum for discussing topics related to Chan (Zen) Buddhism. Our goal is to spread and promote the authentic Buddhist Teachings. It was founded in November, 2001.

A welcoming environment to learn and practice the revolutionary teachings of the Buddha. Safe…read more Friendly. Non judgmental.

The Seattle Buddhist Center presents classes and workshops with a western interpretation of…read moreBuddhism. They focus on friendship and practice as a way to connect with a spiritual path. I have found them to be very welcoming and open to questions about my practice. Their regular Sunday evening event is a good place to start with them. They also have drop-in meditation sessions on Saturday Mornings (8:00-8:45am) with no instruction and Thursday Evenings (7:00-8:15pm) with instruction.

An exquisite oasis with hidden statuary and ponds in Seattle. So peaceful and exquisitely…read morebeautiful. It seems to cover all different Buddhist beliefs, and the philosophy is all encompassing.

I enjoyed visiting Co Lam Pagoda Temple they have a very welcoming main entrance. Parking is onsite…read morerather than on the street. And they have a small little trail around the side of the main temple. This trail is good if you go on a sunny day. It can be slippery trail not recommended during rainy day. The view is beautiful on a sunny day from up top of the hill. vegetarian food is always available to buy. Co Lam Pagoda Temple Vietnamese New Year 2024. I came on a Friday of Tet. Parking is across the street plenty of space. The main Hall open for prayers and bottom level is the cafeteria with many vegetarian food to buy and mini games for kids to play. The fireworks are usually done midnight and around 11-12 noon the next day. Decorations and light colors are fun and colorful for celebrating Tet.