My daughter and I came here with my boyfriend since his father's alter is at this temple. It was my…read morefirst time here. It's a small temple, but very quaint. We didn't meet any monks during our visit, but the people were pleasant. They have a lot of separate areas with different statues of deities and different places where you burn incense and pray. For someone like me who's not accustomed to the rituals, I found it a bit confusing to bounce from room to room, not knowing which deity was responsible for governing what. I was told for someone who's a devout Buddhist, there's an order to the various prayer locations and each statue of a deity has a different meaning, so you know who you're praying to. It looks like I need a few lessons on becoming a Buddhist.

I have been coming here since I was young. It's very spacious, there's different statues throughout…read morethe temple allowing you to pray at each one for something different. The interior is clean and bright. The monks are very kind and always smiling. Occasionally you can eat vegan food here and the food is cooked well. ------------------------- Today, I went to the temple for a *special & big event*. It was loud and fun! The tables were nicely spread out and everyone was having a good time. There were water bottles already on the table and coke available as well. We had two plates, a napkin, chopsticks, & a spoon. There were so many dishes-- I think 9 different ones came out. Which were all made by different temples. The Monks came around and said hi to each table as well.

The Monks accepted prayer request from a non-Buddhist without question. As a retired United Church…read moreof Christ pastor, I know hospitality. 85-year-old Grandma Wincom was a wonderfully hospitable guide. Honestly, I was nervous but they were accepting. I was moved to tears as they chanted the prayers for our beloved ones that have left this earthly life. I'm so grateful for this experience.

I went to the Lao New Year Festival on Saturday, which took place at this temple. The event was…read morepretty small, but enjoyable. There were a couple of very detailed floats in front of the temple, which were perfect for photo ops. I wanted to see what the food vendors were selling before eventually getting 3 sugar cane drinks, 2 steak dishes with jeow sauce, and some pineapple with dipping sauces. My friend also shared his coconut dessert with us, which was tasty. I liked that the vendors were very friendly and let you sample what they were selling, since you might not be familiar with their sauces. We also liked the jeow sauce so much, that we bought a bottle of it and already used it twice since then. After enjoying our food, we went inside the temple- you'll need to take off your shoes before entering. My friends got blessed by the monk and received pretty handmade bracelets! There were also some dancers on the stage, but I didn't have a chance to see them. Looking forward to come back next year!

Since all I see is one angry review, I feel obliged to describe my own positive experiences at this…read moretemple. The last reviewer doesn't go into detail about what left them with a negative impression, but I have visited Wat Lao Boubpharam many times over the last ten years, both on my own and with groups of students, on ordinary days as well as during festivals, and have always found it a very warm and welcoming place. My students and I were mostly white Americans, but we were never ostracized. Quite to the contrary, if festivals or ceremonies were going on, we were always urged to participate. It might have helped that I gave my students a primer in basic temple etiquette before showing up. I also made sure my students knew that many of the older people in the local Lao community do not speak English well -- I wonder if what the other reviewer experienced as rejection might have come down to a language barrier? Or perhaps just different cultural expectations about what Buddhism is and how it should be practiced (which can be *very* different from place to place). But Wat Lao Boubpharam gives a wonderfully authentic experience of Lao Buddhism, and in the course of my own life, I have encountered few people in this world more generous and welcoming to outsiders than Lao Buddhists.

November 26 is now officially recognized as an Indochinese Association Holiday in San Diego. We…read moreattended the unveiling ceremony of the auspicious Quan Yin statute. The San Diego Police Captain and his team were special guests at the ceremony, as were the City Council members. To celebrate, there were fireworks, a lion dance, singers from Westminster, and food for all. My dad used to be the Treasurer for this association, so he was really happy to spend the afternoon with his long time buddies. If you get a chance, stop by, light an incense or two, and visit the new beautiful Quan Yin statue.

The San Diego midnight lion dance show was performed here at the temple. The dancers and drummers…read moredid so well. The inside of the temple is beautiful. Where you are able to light incense and pray.

Small temple, nice decor for the new year. Not open any other time besides April.read more

Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda was one of the best books I ever read. I live a yoga lifestyle…read moreand found Yogananda's teachings inspiring. I was delighted to come to the third Self Realization Fellowship Temple that Yogananda established in America right here. I attended a Satsang and enjoyed it very much. Afterwards Prasad was given and had a nice chat with some folks. Nice bookstore on premise as well.

Historically, this is one of the temples where Yogananda (the founder) gave services. The grounds…read moreare peaceful and beautiful.

the church was nice and the sermon was homily. I attended a baptism and they were 5 children who…read morewill get baptized that day. Everything was well organized and not chaotic.

I've been coming here for years…read more Granted that it's not placed in the nicest neighborhood, it still offers and serves its purpose for all your catechism and religious needs. There are plenty of smaller communities within this church which shows its diversity. There's a Filipino Community, Mexican Community, Samoan Community, African-American Community. I also know that the Filipino Community offers these novena prayers upon request where they bring a Mama Mary to your house for a few days 'til it's the next person's turn on the list. They have different choirs for different mass times and occasionally, they also have masses that are influenced by one of the church communities. I remember coming to a mass that was partially in Samoan and the music was amazing. I personally come here on Sundays for the 11 o'clock mass and their choir for the 11 o'clock mass is my favorite! It's the African-American group and their style is soulful and almost similar to that southern baptist sound. I love coming to church during the lenten season (or any season for that matter) to see the new decor at the alter that change very frequently. The African priest is also my favorite; he changed my entire church experience. Overall, I invite you to come in on Sundays at 11AM! It's something to see for yourself.

This is a welcoming place for traditional Jewish worship. The congregation is friendly with many…read morebilingual Spanish/English speakers. The service is done in Hebrew and English. Free parking is on the street in this residential neighborhood. There is a handicapped accessible entrance on Second Avenue and an accessible restroom in the fellowship hall with no stairs. Oneg after the service is a dairy meal with people bringing food to share, so a variety of main dishes, side dishes, drinks and desserts. The teaching is interesting, giving us something to think about. Lots of historical insight, including viewpoints of rabbis and philosophers from the past. The worship is inspiring, the people friendly, the atmosphere warm. Different traditions are welcomed here. It makes for great discussions.

I've been attending Temple Beth Shalom on and off. I was supposed to convert last year, but life…read moregot in the way. The congregation is very warm and welcoming; it's like my second home where I belong. My favorite classes, hosted by the rabbi on Zoom, are very informative. There's also a Hebrew class after Shabbat services on Saturday which helps alot with my learning with judaism.