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.

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.

Great place to come to enjoy the serenity of a Thai temple. They offer Thai classes for kids on the…read moreweekends (pre Covid). The temple and grounds are well kept and the monks offer services and lead prayers. This temple is a great place to refresh yourself and find peace (at least for a few moments).

True Buddha School Rainbow Temple is a must-visit destination when you are coming to Seattle this…read moreis a very private place and extremely beautiful. It is not always open to visitor but on every Sunday the Temple will host the Homa Ceremony (Fire Puja) in order to clean up and eradicate all of your karmic hindrances. The temple was built by His Holiness Living Buddha Liansheng and Shimu Vajra Master Lien Huong by His Holiness own pocket. Please support TRUE BUDDHA SCHOOL!

Beautiful place and very peaceful! Love to come back to enjoy the fresh clean air of this place!read more

My bestie and I attended the Kuan Yin Enlightenment Ceremony…read more The temple is open from 9am-5pm on ceremony days only. The temple is open to the public. Entrance is free. During ceremonies, the temple is crowded. Parking is well organized with street lights and attendants. Parking is free. My bestie and I were the only Caucasian's; everybody else were Asians. There are a couple etchings and writings in English. The temple is slowly working on providing English translations. Several monks are available and happy to assist with any questions or explanations. A free lunch (vegetarian) and tea is offered for those interested. This offering is potluck style with many dishes being homemade. The grounds are absolutely lovely. We both enjoyed strolling every inch and admiring the art and vivid colors. Thank you Ksitigarbha for welcoming the two of us with open arms.

This is a great temple. We went New Years and it had enough room for a lot of people. Would come…read moreback to to see more.

Amazing community, wonderful Shrine room. I always felt very welcomed to the classes, to the…read more meditations and to the Cherenzi on Sundays. it is a Tibetan Budhist Monastery - what a better place to educate yourself and to learn to become a better, compassionate human being? May all be happy and may all be free!

I highly recommend the Friday Calm Abiding Meditation. It's open to the public. They have…read moreintroductory short sits starting at 7:00 PM where a few different short meditations are explained. At 7:30 the long sit sessions begin, consisting of three 20 minute sessions including a walking meditation around the front shrine/altar. I find these longer sits really force you to find your inner calm. I always leave feeling awake, energized, and ready to start my Friday night. Be sure to check their schedule: http://www.sakya.org/sakyacalendar.html Some Friday nights, they have special ceremonies (often not intended for those uninitiated into Buddhist practices) and the Calm Abiding Meditation is designated @Home.

I love the vibe. It is very calming and relaxing. I only…read morewish that the microphone used was of a good quality because it is impossible to understand what is being said.

Beautiful, new Buddhist temple tucked away in Clinton. It's about as peaceful as could be, as it's…read moresurrounded by high trees not too far away from the water. We could not attend mediation or services due to COVID-19. Hopefully next time I'm in town, COVID will have calmed down and I can see this beautiful site from the inside.

I have just recently moved to Seattle and gotten involved with KMC Washington. I am so impressed by…read morethe people here! There are many very long-time practitioners of Buddhism here, and it is clear that they have been sincerely being Buddhists. These are people who have learned from a qualified Buddhist master, and they are humble and have a sense of humor. It is so refreshing! This is a great example of Sangha. As you can see from the photos, the temple is beautiful with a lovely meditation room. This is covid time, and they are being careful, so everything is streamed right now. It will be wonderful when people can gather together inside again in the future.

I encourage everyone to make their own impression but being as this is Yelp, here's mine: this…read moreplace is great in concept but it quickly gave off a cultish vibe to me. And I'm not saying this because I'm a skeptic of Buddhism, as my entire family is Buddhist! My grandfather was a political figure in Vietnam who had the backing and support of the Buddhist party. He also was the one who lent his car to his monk friend on the day that monk infamously lit himself on fire in protest (if you Google pics you can see my grandpa's car in the background behind the burning monk). So yeah, I'm trying to say that I have a familiarity/background with Buddhism. Anyway back to the KMC: Everyone was very nice, but I didn't like how everything was "for purchase" and how meditation classes have a mandatory fee. I'm used to free or donation-based sessions, as most Buddhist temples/centers I'm familiar with are. It felt like they obviously were trying to make money wherever they could, which didn't feel very Buddhist to me? But again, I understand that this place isn't technically a temple or monastery etc so maybe that's the difference. Group meditation felt more like a lecture hall at a college. I personally seek a more intimate, calming environment. Here, they have the ceiling lights on so bright you'd think you were being interrogated. How does one relax and meditate with bright ass lights? Perhaps that's a challenge on purpose? I'd suggest dimming the lights a bit for meditation, even if it means some might fall asleep. *UPDATE*: Upon further online research, I've discovered to my shock that the NKT organization is actively against the Dalai Lama and have been called the "Death Eaters to the broader Hogwarts of global Tibetan Buddhism." There are actually testimonies written by "survivors" claiming how NKT is very much a cult. Make up your own mind about it but the info is out there. TLDR: I don't know if most who go here are aware of all this controversy and that Kelsang Gyatso is opposed to His Holiness. Basically, the sect he's created here is based on teachings/practices that's been banned from Tibetan Buddhism, and there are eyebrow-raising articles online regarding the activity of its members. I strongly urge anyone interested to do their research first because I suspect they're largely successful due to the ignorance of Westerners (their target audience/demographic). I'm giving them 2 stars because the people seemed nice, they provided snacks afterwards, and the lesson taught that day had value, but I personally will not be supporting this center and will seek meditation from a more traditional Buddhist establishment.

A place to practice Zen close to Seattle, but quiet and wooded on Whidbey Island. 60 acres with a…read morelake. This place was established in 1996 and since then have built a zendo, kitchen, dining hall, teachers quarters, and office, and some residence areas. They have retreats here about 3-10 times a year. Some are a week, some are a few days. Year round residency is a possibility after an interview and permission from the teachers in Japan. This is a Rinzai Zen place in the lineage of Yamada Mumon Roshi, former head of MyoshinJi temple in Kyoto. His student Shodo Harada Roshi is the Abbot and his other student Daichi Osho Roshi is the Co-Abbot. Both offer sanzen instruction when they are here from Japan. The head monk is Dairyo. Currently there is no year round sanzen instruction. It's a very beautiful place and the Japanese style gardens are amazing. The vegetable garden always can use people who like to garden. Zen sitting meditation is held daily mornings and evenings. Visitors are welcome. There are hiking trails around the lake. Sundays 8-9 am there is beginning meditation for all the community followed by tea.

In the Hakuin line of Japanese Rinzai Zen…read more This monastery is not closed. Every six months or so, a new "head monk' arrives on the scene usually from Taigen Shodo Harada's monastery, Sogen-ji, in Okayama, Japan. In theory, the current monk, DaiRin, will be staying for a longer period, and will be installed as Vice-Abbot. If you are interested in zen practice, the once a month "mini-sesshin" is ideal to get a taste of zen (dhyana-meditation). If you live on Whidbey, Sunday's "Zazenkai" is an even better introduction. Check out their website, www.onedropzendo.org for the full schedule. Currently, Shodo Harada Roshi comes twice a year for a seven-day intensive ("Osesshin"), in February and September. In September of 2011, Shodo Harada Roshi himself will be installed as Abbot.

I have been attending the Puget Sound Zen Center, both on Vashon and more recently in West Seattle,…read morefor about three years. It is a wonderfully open, cheerful, and thoughtful community, both for experienced practitioners and for those coming for the first time. There are great tips for first-timers here: https://pszc.org/new-to-zen/. I would add two quick things if you are coming for the first time. First, it is a good idea to arrive 15-20 minutes early, regardless of which meditation you attend. It is helpful to get a few pointers on where to sit and what to expect. People will be glad to offer suggestions, and there is always someone assigned specifically to help newcomers. Just ask for "the Shoji." Second, if you do not need wheelchair access, the entrance is right up the steps in the front of the building. The front is the side that looks out on the driveway where you drove in. Like Zen itself, the place has many doors. Like Zen itself, this can be a little confusing. If you need a more accessible entrance, the double doors will be on your right. If they are not open, just knock and someone will no doubt let you in. There is also a satellite Zen Center in West Seattle that meets on Monday nights at Fauntleroy UCC. You can find the schedule and other information for both Zen Centers here: https://pszc.org/.

Warm, supportive community dedicated to learning and applying Zen principles. The practice is…read morerooted in a centuries-old tradition (Rinzai Zen), which feels strong, something I can lean into. When you first start, it might feel foreign, very different, but don't let that dissuade you; the practice, here, is to be true to the discipline while also learning how to teach & apply it in our culture. I also love that there are so many ways to be involved -- from working in the meditation garden, or working in the food garden (food is donated to the food bank), the Racial Healing group - or sitting in meditation on Zoom (every day there's at least one sit). But the thing I appreciate the most is the feeling I get that everyone is sincere, not judgmental or self-righteous. Really just learning how to practice no-self and, from within, transform greed, hatred and ignorance (the vows we say at every sit).