I saw a feature on this temple in the New York Times. I was taken by the beautiful photos. This…read moreis the main Thai Buddhist temple in NYC. The temple is less than five miles from LaGuardia, tucked away in the typical multicultural Queens neighborhood. Plenty of parking. Everyone at the temple was so nice and inviting! I felt awkward at first, but as I was perusing the garden, someone said, "hello! Have you been here before?" I told him, no, I was just curious and wanted to see what the temple was like. He cheerfully said, "go up to the third floor! Just make sure to take off your shoes." The monks I met inside were also very kind. The third floor was BEAUTIFUL. So many colors, artworks, and Buddhas. I had the whole meditation/worship area to myself. I am not religious, but this room was peaceful and serene. It was comfortable and I was so glad to be there. This temple welcomes everyone and has community events and lunches.

I felt very peaceful while meditating in the temple. Everyone was very friendly. I will…read morecontinuously go back.

This is my temple…read more The monk of this temple, Zhi Ming Sifu, is a kind hearted and patient man. There are celebrations of buddhist/chinese holidays beyond the usual meditation and chanting. If you pass by, you should feel welcomed to stop in and visit. It is a peaceful place.

I really recommend this temple! I am a disciple in this temple and the people in the temple is nice…read moreespecially the master!!! They offer food every weekend and after services! They have certain ceremonies and services depending what day and what time of the year it is!!! Recommend 10/10!!

People are so kind, warm, and welcoming. They provide very thought-provoking discussions on Sundays…read morefrom 10am-12pm and then provide delicious vegan food! I highly recommend everyone check it out for themselves.

This was a beautiful True Buddha School (Zhenfozong) temple, but it was closed during the covid…read moreepidemic. It no longer exists.

Amazing Buddhist temple. Must see and must visit if you are in the area…read more 1) The main temple opens only for special occasions. So, if you are lucky, they might be open for those special days. But, you are allowed to walk around the main temple and take pictures, etc. 2) The annex temple is open to the public. It was very nice and calm. 3) Sundays are the busy days for the temple.

Only Theravadin Buddhist Temple in Philadelphia -- and it's only 10 minutes away from my house! I…read morelucked out. It's much more focused at the supporting Thai community, but they're so welcoming and kind. This is my Sangha.

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

My trip to Maharaja Temple, on March 24, 2023. Grand street…read morestop on D train was where I got off. It was 5 minutes walk from the station to the temple. I was ecstatic and very curious, wanting to explore this temple. Pic 1 Once I got out of the station, I saw this wonderful mural of a rabbit. This is the year of the rabbit and an amazing artist exhibited his artwork beautifully. It was a bright, colorful picturesque, and to me, symbolized a yearning for the forthcoming spring, waited so long by many people. Pic 2 I'd reached the front enterance of the temple, saying to myself "what a magnificent temple." There were many foreigners coming in and out of it. A little history about Maharaja Temple. It was founded in 1962 and is the oldest Chinese temple on the eastern coast of the United States. It was initially founded to fulfilled the needs of Chinese Buddhist in the greater New York area. Now, it is open to the public. Pic 3 As I entered the temple, I saw red color everywhere. I lit the incense and went over to pray to the beautiful Buddha. Pic 4. As I entered further into the temple, I was astounded to see this enormous statue of the Golden Grand Buddha. He was adorned with, what looked like, fire behind his head, and fresh flowers infront of him. I stood there, in awe, and felt so tiny compared to him. And again, there was red everywhere. To my amazement, I stopped and asked a Chinese women passing by, what does the red color means? She said that it means good luck for the people. I wasn't satisfied with her answer, so I looked this up online. It said that red has been Chinese's color of power, celebration, fertility, prosperity, and repelling evil. That covered everything. From now on, red is my favorite color. Pic 5. The exhibitions of the History of Buddhism was displayed with pictures of Buddha with captions on the bottom of each picture. There were 32 pictures alltogether, that lined each side of the walls. Buddhism is believing in faith, so much needed for humanity. Pic 6. I was satisfied viewing everything and decided to head out. Before I reached the train station, I stopped at a local market on Grand street and bought a big Bass Bonanza. He was very fresh. I looked into his cleared, lucid eyes, and he starred back at me, suspiciously, not sure of his future. I finally went home. Chow!!

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!

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