Beautiful and serene place of worship. It was busy today because it is MLK day, yet it felt so…read morepeaceful and calm. Beautiful architecture and it was wonderful and centering to hear the monks chanting. They were also giving out free food for everyone, which was a nice gesture. Unlike some other places of worship that I've been to, where I am clearly not from the primary cohort of people who go there, this spot was very welcoming, and I did not feel out of place.

Tucked away in the old part of San Jose, Pao-Hua Buddhist Temple is visible from far away with its…read morebeautiful architecture but the entrance is easy to miss. The temple feels like a hidden oasis surrounded by an ordinary neighborhood. The temple is especially beautiful in the spring with its vibrant gardens filled with blooming flowers. The ponds add to the serenity and peacefulness. The temple itself is not very big and you can quickly explore all of it. Everything is kept clean and neat. There is usually plenty of parking and there are even restrooms for guests. On busy weekends and holidays you may have to park outside the premise. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. Overall, I'd highly recommend visiting Pao-Hua Buddhist Temple whether you are spiritual or not. It's a peaceful spot to reflect and enjoy.

This place is usually packed around New Year Tet week otherwise it is very empty and quiet!…read more I likes coming here since it is very quite on weekday morning. For the last two years I have been coming here during the New Year week, everything is the same but it is a temple worship area so everyone respect others privacy. I hope next year they will do something different with the decor so it is not the same as every year.

Visited Tam Tu Metta Buddhist Temple and really liked the experience. The grounds are super…read morespacious and peaceful, with plenty of parking, which makes it easy to visit even when it's busy. The vegetarian food was great! I had a stir-fried noodle dish that was flavorful and satisfying. The line was pretty long, but it's understandable since the temple is still new and growing. You can tell there's a lot of potential as they continue building and expanding the space. During Lunar New Year, it was packed with people and full of energy, it's only going to get more crowded, lively, and community-filled each year as the temple develops more.

Very beautiful place I highly recommend this for Buddhist people Even teaches young people like…read morekids Vietnamese and about Buddha,Wonderful Place if you are looking to clear ur mind or find peace I definitely recommend here, My kids go to the Vietnamese School every Sunday. It is Amazing very clean and they sell vegetarian food, it is so so so pretty on tết they have Vietnamese lanterns all around and little kids singing and dancing. So yeah very peaceful and calm you can go into the main hall and just sit and here the nuns and monk praying and it helps clear all worries and stress and helps you dung ur inner peace and quiet.

I've been to Duc Vien Temple multiple times! It's one of the best places to worship Buddha, pray…read moreand meditate. Normally on Sunday at lunch time, there will be a vegan food market where you can buy delicious pre-made vegan food to donate for the temple and nuns. I came here all the time, not just because I wanted to pray but also to savor the best Vietnamese vegan dishes. The food here are just chef's kiss, some of the dishes I suggest you to try are vegan bun Hue, corn sweet dessert, Vietnamese sandwiches (some days they have it), vegan spring rolls. They're all affordable, $15 for noodle dishes, $5 for sweet treats, $7 for spring rolls. Rice dishes are complimentary in Buddha's spirit (but do help temple's works in return for the food). Even though they're cash only, they do accept Zelle as payment. Also, this peaceful place has a very serene garden, beautiful latern decorations. You should visit this place during lunar new year or mid autumn festival because the temple is best decorated during that time. They also host big events for Viet buddhists and you can check schedule on their Facebook page!

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!

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.

I've visited this monastery about 5 times but the last time I was there it was closed. Spacious and…read morebeautiful place to practice meditation.

This Vietnamese buddhist temple is a great meditation center set on Mount Madonna in Watsonville…read morewhere the street ends on Summit Road, a scary drive for sure with seemingly endless twists and turns. When we got to the top, the sign said "closed due to construction work" but the gate was open, so we entered, and there was plenty of parking and we found several other visitors on site as well. The monastery and surrounding area were beautiful with tall trees, lots of greenery, so many buddha statues large and small, peacocks, deer, a gazebo, a restroom, areas for worship and prayer, and a dining area where we were invited to share a meal with the monks. But the place seemed lacking in maintenance and cleanliness, even considering that it was "under construction". To make matters worse, flies and mosquitos were abundant making it hard to have a snack outdoors. Also, though the animals on site added some charm to our visit, the cawing of the birds was relentless during the hour we were there. Besides that, the main draw was still the quietude in our surroundings. With the current "under construction" condition, I'm not sure it's worth the scary winding roads required to get here. That being said, it's a lovely place to visit, and I would certainly return on better days.

Small temple but treat everyone like family. They are also providing lunch for everyone without…read morecharged on the big event day.

It's such a peaceful and beautiful temple to visit. I came here on weekdays it's so quiet and feel…read moreclam during the visit .

I took my daughter to visit my Aunt, Cousin, and Dad today; their urns are there and I like the…read moreatmosphere over there.. calm, pleasant.. serene like a temple should be. Not to mention the bun bo hue chay is excellent.. normally served on Sundays..

I've been going here since I was a little girl. My family and I would go on Vietnamese new years…read moreand my mom and I like to go on Sundays as well. A few of my family members' ashes are kept safe here, which is another reason why I visit this temple. The monks here are so wonderful and the vegetarian food they have is delicious! They also have Vietnamese classes for kids. It's a wonderful place here that I will keep going to.

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.

They have two buildings, one which is a cafeteria that served delicious vegetarian vermicelli…read morenoodle soup. There's another smaller cafe without seating that served vegetarian stir fry with rice. It was a good mixture of crunchy and soft, salty, pickled, and savory. There is limited parking inside but most park on the street nearby and walk over.

If there were such a thing as a Disneyland for Buddhism in an American setting, the closest thing…read moreto that would probably be the Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) sanctuary, nestled in the picturesque Santa Cruz Mountains near the quiet town of Soquel. I mean no disrespect by this (the organization calls itself a "Dharma Wonderland"), as the narrative below will make clear. Our visit had a dream-like quality to it. It was a weekday, with no scheduled events. As we wandered about, we encountered few people. The handful we did encounter were all very pleasant, exchanging greetings and information with us, as if we were all kindred spirits. It wasn't clear to us initially where the physical boundaries of LMB were. Just as we thought we had reached the end, we discovered yet another temple or other point of interest ahead. Each temple was different, in terms of style, purpose and size, as well as architecturally. The most impressive for me was the 100,000 Stupa, the Mahabodhi Temple replica, which looked like something out of an Indiana Jones adventure movie. That's the 39-foot-tall replica of the 1,500-year-old Mahabodhi Temple in India, where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment. But the most profound personal experience for me was provided by the Wish-Fulfilling Temple farther up the road. The gleaming golden Buddha standing off to the side emanated such a special aura of kindness and omniscience that I was inspired on the spot to do something I had never done outdoors before: I prayed. I prayed for several minutes, in fact (though I'm not even Buddhist). Prior to that, at other temple spots, we spun various prayer wheels, large and small. I pushed a large wooden column, suspended like a swing, into a heavy ornate bell several times. It emitted a "bong" that filled the surrounding wooded enclave with its strong yet soothing sound. Across from the bell was a gong, with two different instruments designed for striking it, hanging on either side. One had a solid soft plastic end to it, the other a fuzzy soft material obviously designed to produce a more muffled sound. Placards with background information and instructions for chants were posted in all appropriate places. I especially appreciated the fact that simplified versions of chants were provided, for those of us for whom the full chant phrases were too difficult to remember. Rustic benches made from split logs were available in various spots from which we could admire the views of the forested mountains nearby and in the distance. Most visitors will probably find the trail challenging -- if you hike to all the temples during your visit -- unless you're both young and in top shape. Here are a few other tips: * The road into LMB is one-lane only. If you meet a vehicle coming toward you from the opposite direction, one of you will have to pull off to the side to accommodate the other. This must be done very carefully, as the shoulders -- where they do exist -- are narrow and the drop from the side can be steep. * There is a food "truck" within the compound but it will not necessarily be open (it wasn't when we visited), so either bring your own food or plan to eat before or after you drive in. A vegetarian restaurant called "Pretty Good Advice" (covered in a separate review) is about 2.8 miles away from the entrance to LMB. * Read the information on the LMB website before going, to be able to fully appreciate your visit. We found no maps available at the compound, so I highly recommend that you print one out from the website. * At the very least, check the information on the LMB website before you drive there, to make sure it will be open. If an event is scheduled, keep in mind that parking is limited and make sure you feel up to the challenge. * You may not be approached by anyone to make the suggested $20 per vehicle donation but this can be done at the bookstore/gift shop near the compound's entrance (if you can't afford $20, then offer whatever you can). I have it on good authority that those who do so will be rewarded with good karma!

This really is a hidden gem. Land of Medicine Buddha Retreat had much more to explore and…read moreexperience than I expected. The hiking path was so beautiful, as I thought, but it also had things to see and read... and usually a place to sit while you ponder the Buddhist quote about life's philosophy. You pass not only tall Redwoods, but also a koi pond and tucked away buddhas from different Asian countries -- China, Tibet, India. There are also other areas to explore on the property, such as a meditation area, store and cafe, prayer area, drums and chimes, statues, and waterfall. There were also docents here and there whom you could talk to. (Note that the meditation area where the waterfall and statutes are located are fenced in and are only open at certain times.) There is a $20 entrance fee per car, but I think it is worth it for the upkeep of the property.