I walked by the temple and was struck by the calmness of the beautiful cat sunning himself outside!…read more I'll leave it to a practicing Buddhist to provide more subjective information. More info and photos available here: http://macaulay.cuny.edu/eportfolios/drabik10website/neighborhoods-2/sunset-park/houses-of-worship/xi-fang-temple/photos-of-the-xi-fang-buddhist-temple/

I was shocked to have never seen a more commercial temple than this one. The temple is located on a…read moredowntown corner of Fujianese Chinatown in Brooklyn, at 8th Avenue & 51st St. Immediately upon entering, on the right is a long jewelry counter of Buddhist jade jewelry for sale. At the end of the counter was a receptionist/nun/salesperson. Immediately to the right of the counter are the stairs down to the all-day full-service vegetarian restaurant in the basement. The nun passed me the menu.The restaurant is open every day (7 days) from 11 am to 10 pm. Even the prices seem high! I considered a small soup, but the smallest was "medium" at $8.75 for a chicken & corn soup. Clearly this temple intends to cater to the highe$t clientele only. Opposite the jewelry counter near the front wall is a statue of Guanyin on a counter. On the main alter, past the prayer cushions & tables on both sides is the main altar, with a statue of Amituofo. To the left of the main altar is an open doorway to a small room with a statue of Dizangwang. I saw no Yaoshifo ("Medicine" or "Healing") Buddha. And did I also miss Mile, the Buddha of the Future? Everything is bright & shiny, golden, & new. Even the 3-story-plus-basement-and-4th floor "penthouse"-and-roof-deck building itself appears to be a recent complete renovation. There is a staleness, shallowness, & lack of warmth that reflects poorly upon the supposed mission of its leaders.

I live upstate, but whenever I come into the city, I try to get to Kadampa Meditation Center…read moreBrooklyn. I really appreciate the meditation classes, and feel like I've grown a lot in my own meditation practice by joining here. But even more so I really love the community of practitioners. I always feel welcome when I come, and the community is vibrant and friendly.

I've been going to this center off and on for a few years. I'm not really a group class kind of…read moreperson, which is why I've taken a few hiatuses but this place is really great (why I've returned). The teachers are all experienced meditation teachers and do a good job making newcomers feel welcome while also helping more experienced people continue to develop. One way this works is that classes are structured so one can drop in anytime and understand what is discussed, but if you go consistently classes you will see how classes build on each other. I think the drop-in feature is great because, unlike a gym, there is no required commitment to try it out. A typical class contains a meditation session followed by a philosophical/spiritual discussion from a buddhist point of view. You don't need to be buddhist to understand what is discussed or learn the meditation techniques. I personally found it very interesting to ponder the philosophical discussions and to incorporate them into my daily life.

Beyond beautiful Buddhist stupa…read more 1) It feels like a little slice of Burma in NJ. 2) The Stupa is very well maintained & clean. 3) Make sure to take off your shoes before entering the Stupa area. There is no signs, just expected - or else, someone will come out & inform you. 4) It is a must visit spot if you are around the area

Which day is the Water festival ? Did anyone can come in join?…read morePlease let me know when is the Water festival date.

A treasure of a Dharma center FPMT,part of the network founded by Lama Yeshe,several years ago made…read morethe move from manhattan to this beautiful space which is shared with yoga and yogis A beautiful tranquil place filled with kind beautiful people.The center attracts amazing visiting teachers .Ven Robina Courtin being one,in the past they've also held events at Tibet house in Manhattan.There are also monthly pujas.Sorry I was unable to pull up their tel number my phone would not cooperate. But if you check their website it will also give you their calendar.You can also receive Emails.plz also lookup FPMT

I don't think most people outside of the neighborhood know this place exists. But real talk, the…read moreHan Ma Um Zen Center is one of the coolest things in NYC and of course, it happens to be smack dab in Flushing, Queens. One doesn't have to be buddhist to appreciate the gorgeous architecture and it's a destination that could certainly use more recognition. Founded in over 30 years ago, the temple is belongs to the largest buddhist order in South Korean, the Jogye order. There are only a few branches in the United States and it's only fitting to have something like this near the 2nd largest Korean community in the United States (#1). They're open each day from 10AM to 9PM. If entry is not available (#2), then consider walking around the grounds for a beautiful photo on a sunny day. It is about a 25 minute walk from the Main Street subway and residential street parking is available. ______________ (#1) Second only to Los Angeles. (#2) COVID is still happening.

Beautiful building. It is one of those sites that you don't realize you're in a neighborhood as…read moreopposed out in a rural area. A gem of a place hidden to locals. Check it out

Amazing Buddhist spot!…read more 1) It is a little slice of Sri Lanka in NJ. The Vihara follows Sri Lankan & Gaya, Indian ascetics. 2) The temple is under construction when I went there in 10/2025, so the place is a little unkept. There were water bottles littered everywhere, which I picked up & threw in the bins. 3) However, if you are around the area, it is a must visit spot.

I come here to meditate. The entrance is kind of hidden but the place itself is just breathtaking…read more Please be mindful and show respect. Namaste.

I hope I'm not asking for too much but it is much smaller than I expected based on the grand…read moreexterior. There are only 2 statues inside. You are allowed to light one incense for the first statue at the entrance, but no photo and incense allowed after that. It is quiet inside but it was hard to feel zen at the center of Chinatown and across from the Manhattan Bridge. What I really like is the big bowl of paper predictions. There is a note saying if you donate $1 you can take one. Make a wish and choose your paper!

Although i am officially not a Buddhist i am a frequent visitor of this temple for years. One of my…read morefavorite places to find peace & quiet in this often times busy and sometimes crazy city! The temple is at the foot of Manhattan bridge, not so appealing on the outside but the inside is colorful,beautiful & worth checking out. It houses the biggest Buddha statue in all of Nyc. It's serene & peaceful inside. i didn't encounter a lot of people on my visits. usually only locals praying & few curious tourists. There are signs posted prohibiting pictures on certain areas but on the main altar pictures are ok i think -as long as done discretely. Theres also a gift shop on the entrance. You can light an incense for a fee. The care takers of this spot leave you alone to explore on your own. Theres no fee to enter, but i see some donation boxes around. Buddhist or not one can find something to appreciate in this not so hidden Chinatown gem.

We have been attending your Floating lantern ceremony many times. It is such a beautiful thing to…read moredo. We so enjoyed your exhibition, we came out feeling SO relaxed. We have always been made welcome by all the wonderful kind people there. The lake looked amazing with so many lanterns all lit up. We didn't want to leave all the peace and beauty. Thankyou all for sharing it with us xxxx

I was so serious about celebrating my 100th review thus, it took many months to decide what to…read morewrite. I decided to share something very personal. It helped to focus my career when I got out of school. It showed who is "me" and guided "me" to grow personally and spiritually. I have a full of appreciation till this date. If I can explain how, where and what made "me" to grow, it is going to be not easy. Each step was a huge struggle but I understand my life better. I am still searching for more. It is a life long journey. When I was 21 years old, I met this teaching. It was in New York City. The teaching helped to understand my obstacles as a young person and guided to find how to over come each steps. It helped my relationships with my boyfriend and my friends, and career. After the achievement of each obstacles, I knew I became a better person. People around started to tell me how I changed. I became easy to talk to and well rounded. This change helped to develop a good relationship in a business and able to find and keep my boyfriend for long time without any unnecessary arguments (it was important). If you are looking for an answer in your life, it might be to try. It has been a great help for my life. Because of this wonderful experiences, I can respect others that practicing their teachings because it is not easy to do. The teaching, based on the last teaching of Buddha (Nirvana Sutra), gave a tool to find myself. Then, showed me how to elevate as a human and as spiritually but I had to work very hard. We all have some kind of extra senses, awareness (feeling, six sense..etc.). Some has, or can develop, naturally but most need a help to achieve. I definitely needed a lot of it. After sitting for many trainings at the temple in San Francisco ,New York, Paris and Japan, I have polished my inner "me" to be rounded and understand of the others, differences, and the other world. I hope It makes sense? I am not developed as fast as some. Some trainees catches and go very fast and some are slow. I am one of them. The trainings (it's called Sesshin Training). It helped to see another dimensions. It doesn't end there. The training gives a hint of how to overcome. fundamentally, it is mostly to help and do for others and find appreciation in any situation . When I find another dimension, I feel (some see and some feel more). I am starting to sound crazy but the experiences were real and helped to understand tremendously. The training was not easy and especially at the beginning. It was a battle of not want to see and acknowledge or scare to know about..... real "me". Especially, to experience and to know about an existence of the other world was difficult. This unique training (Sesshin) can be finished in 30 minutes. It depends on where your mind are. If your mind are focused, the training can be finished faster or if it's longer, might be what you needed at that time. I had an experience to sit with one of my friends who is a Yoga trainer. Although I practiced much longer, he finished earlier. It may be that he knew how to breath and focus better. Even many years of sitting and meditating, I am still not where I want to be. I am still having difficulty to detach from my attachments. Yes, I have many....believe me. It is a life long training. Wonderful! Doing more free weights, gain more muscle. If you eat a lot, you gain weight. It is simply nature of law, cause and effect (Karma). If I practice more, I shall achieve my goal. I hope I can before I die. Without the body, I can not help others.... There are two locations in New York. Main temple with a gold reclined Buddha of about 15 feet that I was very fortunate to watch carrying into the temple and had a chance to pour some jewels (not actual jewel, consist of grains of rice and so on..) is in White Plains. There is a training center that offer limited trainings in Midtown, 36th between 6th & 5th Avenue.

keep practicing mindfully concentrated breathing meditation to calm the elusive haphazard…read moreconstrcton of the human mind best place to meditate is the nybv spencer street in queens village namobuddhaya

From the owner: We offer you an opportunity to read and learn about Buddhism in the Theravada tradition. Theravada…read more(Pali: Thera=elders, vada=doctrine) or the "doctrine of the elders" represents the school of Buddhism that draws spiritual inspiration from the Pali Canon (or "Tripitaka") generally accepted by scholars as the oldest record of Buddha's teachings. Imparting knowledge with a view toward developing and improving another's knowledge is Dhammadana in Buddhist terminology. The Buddha teaches us to appreciate the value of wisdom since it is the most valuable asset for a living being: hence, the need for us to develop our minds, as well as to help others to develop their knowledge. There are two ways to achieve this end. One is by reading extensively on Buddha Dhamma. The other is by questioning that may invariably lead to discussion. It shall be our endeavor to provide satisfactory answers to such queries. Discussions on the following topics are welcome on this page: Buddha Dhamma Buddhist History Buddhist Culture Personal queries relevant to Buddhism

I visited before in 2016 and felt to shy too enter. I came again and wow. I really had such a…read morewelcome feeling. Everyone seemed like friends . Sat in on a service. I was given a book to use during the service & afterwards folks showed me how to do one of the rituals with incense by the main alter. The Buddhist priest Mr。Ikeda had some chapters chosen for the new year mass greeting 。 Afterwards there was a tea upstairs. We all could meet up and chat and ask any questions. There was also like a fellowship potluck. (Yummy.) Everyone seems like friends. Kindhearted people. It seems more people should be here. It seems perfect in the Big Apple. The church has a nice history in this city. There is service in Japanese and in English. Maybe if you feel stressed and want to find a way to deal with it in a healthy method you might consider coming here. Make time for yourself to learn something new. They'll give you a little food for thought. A thought to carry you through the week. I enjoyed that little thought of positivity. I also enjoyed that since this is the Year of The Dog, they sold beautiful handmade items. Just like they do in Japan. They are decorative and I'd say they charmingly welcome good luck your way. (1)There was Sumi-e ink art created by the head monk here. Rather elegant and beautiful. (2)There were also wooden Ema available for sale($5). "Ema" are wooden wishing plaques. People write their wishes or prayers on a wooden plaque then hang you it up. Wish for anything! Of course, it has cute artwork on it. You can keep your wooden ema with wishes or without your wish on it if you want. I've done both. (()In the Edo period in Japan writing your wish on an Ema was a way you could communicate your wish to god.) The building itself: I must say it was also interesting that it was one the building of William Randolph hearst's mistress. Actress Marion Davies! What a beautiful building. A delight to see the rooms. (^^)/ Check there url. Visit when they are open. Do you need a little good luck charm from the Buddhist Church? Yes!! Make a new friend. Learn a different way of looking at things. A way to enjoy your life.learn to manage your stress.

One of the advantages of living in a multicultural place of New York is the opportunities to attend…read moredifferent exciting, cultural events. Working in an office setting five days a week can make life mundane and well, boring, so on the weekends, I try to explore fun activities around town to educate and enliven myself a bit. This past weekend, I visited the New York Buddhist Church's White Elephant Sale . This church has been serving the New York community since 1938 and regularly hosts special events and programs throughout the calendar year. The White Elephant Sale is a fundraiser held in the basement of the church. Setup like a flea market, there were random items, mostly oriental properties, for bidding and selling, but I actually had my sight on the homemade Japanese snacks and foods. I could not leave this place empty-handed, so I purchased some grandma made vegetarian and inari sushi ($4). Sure, the presentation is a bit spartan and simple, but the genuine bites transported me to a traditional Japanese home decorated in tatami mats. Love these stimulating excursions.