First time visiting this gorgeous Vedanta monastery . Beautiful grounds; meditation room that just feels so good to get quiet in; library and meeting room where Gerald Heard, Aldous Huxley, Huston Smiths , and other modern seekers sat and talked and thought and tripped and wrote. Lovely little gift shop where you can get their honey from hives on campus; I bought myself a little Tibetan Tingsha bells (they look like tiny thick cymbals connected with a leather thong). I will return to hike the shrine trail for walking meditation read more

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Listen up! Do you want to know where to buy the most delicious honey ? The Ramakrishna Monastery has their own bee hives, clover, and wildflower honey! It is the most delicious honey that I've ever found! I get the wildflower with the honeycomb inside, and by extra bottles to give as gifts. They sell the honey in their store, and the proceeds help support the monastery. Today, while purchasing honey, we had a Swami teach us about "Chaitanya". We learned that Sanskrit means "consciousness," "awareness," or "life force." It can also mean "energy," "enthusiasm," or "intelligence". It was a beautiful ride down living Oak Canyon road. There is a beautiful hiking trail in this area as well. Feeling very fortunate that we have so much stuff to do, and learn about here in Orange County! read more

Ramakrishna Monastery - spiritual atmosphere - Hindu Temples Near Me - Trabuco Canyon, California

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Loved visiting the Ramakrishna Mission. The people onsite are super welcoming and its a very peaceful location. We hope to go again soon!

Beautiful day today at the monastery. Take the shrine trail and visit the library. The shrine trail takes about 45 minutes if you stop at each of the 7 stations. We left with some fresh honey and a few other items from the shop. read more

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Nice peaceful walk, nice meditation room. Loved the view and the feel from here, definitely worth going.

This temple has a lot positive energy and I feel it easily. +AAAAA Everyone can try it . read more

I love the Ramakrishna Monastery; It brings peace into my world. Having just gone through a divorce, I feel this ashram is very therapeutic. Please, please, please respect the sanctity of the monk's mission and respect their wishes. When visiting, remember...Silence is golden; suitable dress and demeanor are required; no picnics; no littering; no dogs; no bicycles, and no cellphone use. read more

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Another small update: I'm finishing my schooling and am in a world religions class. The professor who teaches it is a big fan of Ramakrishna and his teachings; and when he mentioned this monastery, I was shocked! Such a small world! Blessings to all. read more

Ramakrishna Monastery - Hindu Temples Near Me - Trabuco Canyon, California

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Spent almost my entire Sunday here and had an absolutely incredible experience. I was hiking nearby in the canyon and saw this place up on the hill. Wandered over and next thing you know I'm sitting in their "chapel" for the 11am lecture and then being invited to a private meditation session at the property's shrine/meditation building. I didn't get to do the mile-long trail on the grounds...but I will definitely check it out next time; it has shrines to all the world's major religions along it. Pretty awesome, I walked up to the beginning of it but didn't realize at the time that it was the start of a trail so I only saw one of the shrines. This monastery is based on the Vedanta philosophy; the monks here live in solitude with a focus on balance and contemplation...if you converse with one, you will notice that socially, they are pretty timid and slow speaking; at least that was my experience. They grow all their own vegetables here, harvest honey, and although they certainly don't live primitively, I got the idea that they try to live off the land as much as possible. I have always had a deep and frankly nonsensical interest in Hindu philosophy, Indian culture (and men...*swoon*), the Hare Krishna movement, etc...and the Vendatic school of thought is just another welcomed bridge on my path to spiritual balance and education. What I connected with the most here, which I haven't while studying other Dharmic religions (Buddhist, Hindu, Sikhi), is that they put much more favor/emphasis on an individuals quest for truth. It felt so much more advanced than other religions I've studied because of all the thought systems involved and the focus on self-realization and Brahman, the ultimate nature of reality. The lecture I attended (which was incredibly intellectually stimulating) really touched on that concept of self-realization as well as the importance of balance and creating polarity in your soul. I left feeling...for lack of any other appropriate word, enlightened and couldn't help smiling on my entire hike back at how wonderful the universe is to me in bringing me random and wonderful experiences like this one. read more

Ramakrishna Monastery - Hindu Temples Near Me - Trabuco Canyon, California

My favorite place to go. I love everything about this place. From the people to the scenery it's heavenly. I come here to clear my mind and meditate. There are lots of cool areas to chill. They have a beautiful hiking trail that leads to varies religions. My favorite part about this place is they have a bee farm and have the best honey I have ever tried. read more

Visiting this monastery is a privilege, not a right. This is a monastery, NOT A PUBLIC AMUSEMENT PARK. We are fortunate to be able to visit this beautiful monastery. The visiting hours are clearly visible 9-11 am 3-5 pm. The shrine is open during those hours. What makes this place special is the sanctity the monks cultivate through daily prayer and meditation. Check the web site for details. No pets, no picnics, appropriate dress. Before I visit a place, I check their web page to see if pets are allowed. This is a monastery. Not a dog park. Yes, they have dogs but they are their dogs. Please honor this beautiful place and the monks who call this place their home, by respecting their boundaries. read more

I love this place & plan to visit again ..and Again! We did the hike & walked around the grounds. Also peeked into the library & spent some time in the gift shop/produce market area. Also the Koi Pond was beautiful. I love the shrines to other religions ..so awesome that the most spiritual people always respectfully acknowledge other people's beliefs. The other major plus was that I reconnected with one of my very best friends at this place today , just us and our little daughters. Just what I needed today. Om read more

They have a nice little walk really good for meditation and reflection. They also have a cute shop that sells all kinds of spiritual things and the honey that they sell there that's made on site is amazing. read more

This place is gorgeous. Trabeco Canyon itself is such a serene area. The nearby lakes are beautiful and unexpected. In fact, saw a wedding shoot happening here. This place might be hard to find, so lookout for the signs near the entrance. It is a one lane path to the monastery, requiring you driving over a small wooden bridge. The Ramakrishna Monastery offers peace, quiet, and solitude with its meditation hall, shrine, and service hall. If also offers a beautiful nature trail surrounded by lush trees and wildlife. The bookstore is also one of the best religious trinket stores I've seen. There are so many wonderful knick-knacks from Tibetan, Indian, and Nepalese cultures and religions. I'd love to come back here to decorate my meditation room in my house, once I have it. Lastly, you can pick your own fresh vegetables in their garden! Great for the kids too. I've seen so many families pass by for something to do with their kids, whether its to picnic, pick your own farm food, or go on a nice hike. Love passing Cook's Corner with all its motorcycle gangs and Irvine Lake on my way. Even the drive is wonderful. Entire trip is an escape. I would come here every weekend if I could. One thing to note, the people who work here are very passionate. It's always a pleasure seeing a monk, but do note their natural state now is one of aloofness, so social ineptness might be apparent. It just adds to the getaway-feel of the place. read more

Tranquil and serene this place was so beautiful! Perfect for meditation, worship, yoga or just to clear your head. I'm not a highly religious person but I couldn't help feeling closer to god here. This place is worth the visit. I had a very enlightening experience and will be returning again. It couldn't have been much more than a mile so you could bring kids without a problem. It's open from 3-5PM and there are hardly any people at all. read more

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This is a beautiful, serene place to visit and see an actual monastery in Orange County. They have a gift shop where you can purchase everything from home grown produce and honey (with or without comb) to books and Nag Champa incense. It is a very spiritual, calming place to visit and you can wander around the grounds and hike the trails to see the many religious displays they have all around. You park in the grass and after walking up and observing the "quiet" sign you can pretty much have the run of the place. It is interesting to walk in and see the koi pond which has beautiful fish but there are a ton of bees so "be"-ware if you are allergic. The monks respect all religions so there isn't any one single type of display they support everything. If you are cruising down the lane I suggest you pop in and check this serene place out. read more

I walked with lots of emotional pain to this Monastery. Before i decide to go, it was in my mind that i can go and get relax. All my mind was to get there, so i did. I parked and felt great by walking to the meditation room. I had lots of talk with my God Ramakrishna. When i closed my eyes after like 3 4 minutes i heard someone calling me and tap on my shoulder. I scared so much and i said yes? He SAID SORRY WE ARE CLOSE NOW !!!! I was SHOCKED. Talking and praying place is closed now ! So i walked out with more pain in my heart and the weirdness of what i heard and i left. How is this possible? The pray room is close and i had to leave and come back in 2 hours ! I needed that place in that moment ! Im not going there anymore and all my friends too. Its beautiful but not useful ! read more

It was my first time here and I can't wait to come back! I did the 1 mile shrine trail which had beautiful views and some good places to meditate. Then I went into the meditation room, it was quite cool and felt like a cave. I definitely want to meditate longer in there next time. I then went to the gift shop/bookstore. It had great trinkets for a meditation room which I plan on making in my house. I got incense, meditation beads, natural soaps, home made honey on site (yumm!), banana bread, and some organic veggies. I had a great time talking to John in the store who made me some tea, they also have many types of espresso (nice espresso machine). I plan on coming back for their Fourth of July celebration and for some lectures! read more

Ramakrishna Monastery - My favorite shrine, a great place to meditate! - Hindu Temples Near Me - Trabuco Canyon, California

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This is a go to place when I want to step out and be in nature and find silence. Its huge and you can take off on some hikes directly from the grounds. The meditation room is a very powerful place to sit. They have a cute little gift shop full of books and spiritual paraphernalia. I haven't attended a satsang or lecture there yet, but I'm sure I will eventually. read more

It's a beautiful and somewhat peaceful place...BUT!!! Having visited last weekend on a cool sunny day with my 2 small leashed dogs with oopsie baggies attached to their leashes....It's a dead give-a-way that I'm a responsible pet owner. Anyways, a very polite guy came up to us and said "I'm sorry but pets are not allowed here (he had a dog next to him) and I said " No, I'm sorry, I didn't see any signs and I heard the other 2 dogs barking so I thought it would be o.k. He informed me that there is a sign in the front, right when you walk in....But for some reason it was made backwards so you only see it as you are leaving (REALLY) We laughed and I said thank you, you have a beautiful place and I'll be back without my dogs. I didn't get 50 yards (as I was walking directly to the exit) when another guy came up to me and I said, "Yes, Yes, I have just been told, Thank you" It didn't stop him from riding me about the dogs and again informing me about the "Turned Around Sign"...Then right before the exit, there is a nice little shop with a sign that read "Local honey". I asked my wife to give me a second and I went in and purchased a few items for about $45.00. Once I got back my wife said let me go take a quick look. Within 30 seconds another man came up to me an put his hands on me and said "let me show you the sign that says No Dogs" I told him I have been told about it 3 times now and I was leaving once my wife steps out of the shop. I am standing there with their honey and pollen in my arms and he starts to pull me to the exit which is just a few feet away and I told him to get his hands off me and that he was destroying my Chi. Now I'm upset. I told him to turn the damn sign around so people can see it as they arrive so that they wont get harassed and also so that they will not come in to purchase their honey ever again. No Namaste here at all. Who puts up a sign backwards so it can only be seen while exiting????? read more

This gem... this very special place... it is amazing to me that it has public hours at all, and I am so grateful that it does. Just the drive to the monastery begins to relax the mind and body and begin a deeper appreciation of nature and life. Once you get there, the bricks themselves resonate peace, as do the smiles of pretty much everyone you encounter (just being there seems to bring out the calm, respectful, openhearted state in most people I've met). I've been coming here since 2011 and consider it one of my favorite places on earth. The Shrine Trail, and the Order's regard for all religions and teachings, speaks to my heart of respect and truth. The Sunday lectures are usually quite interesting and I am so touched that the speaker typically spends an hour in the (utterly gorgeous) library answering individual questions. The Vedanta Order is not mission-oriented... they do not prosthelytize. You have to find them, and even then, they are very measured in trying to lead you anywhere but to your own experience and feeling. I find the monks and volunteers equally this interesting balance of kind and intriguing and slightly standoffish (I, too, have been gently reminded that 'visiting hours are over' because it is so easy to lose yourself in time there). It's a very special place. I'd sortof rather not many people knew about it because it is an oasis of peace in a county of busyness, but we all could use some more peace in our lives. I find this place provides it plentifully. read more

I left feeling revived and closer to my self than I've felt in a long time.

Beautiful, peaceful, welcoming and inspiring. Must see when in Orange County !! Monks are welcoming and more than happy to answer questions, loving and kind to all. read more

Three of us from Learning Light Foundation went up to the Ramakrishna Monastery and had a wonderful time. From the Koi Pond by the brass statue of the great man, to the California vistas on the trails, to the bookstore packed with beautiful statues and books (with vegetables from the garden), to the deep and humorous lecture in the chapel, everything was smooth and pleasant. We took lots of photos, and had a picnic lunch afterward in O'Niel park nearby. read more

I have been visiting this Monastery for over 20 years and I am always astonished at the general public who cannot observe; follow or respect Religious etiquette. This place is not a PARK; it is a full functioning Monastery. There are set hours which are posted on 5 signs when approaching the grounds. There are no picnics-photographs-dogs or videos allowed. Women should dress in a appropriate manner especially during the summer. This is a working Monastery where Monks reside full time. Would you want just anyone trespassing into your place of worship whenever they pleased to walk their dog, have a picnic, talk loudly, take photos of those who don't wish to be photographed all while wearing the least amount of clothing permissible? Visit but practice RESPECT read more