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

A very nice quiet place....in my eyes At a time in need for…read moreprayer and feeling helpless I really could let my hair down and take in the precious moments given to me.

This is an updated review. I previously posted this review for Heavenly Grace Buddhist Temple but I…read morewas told by another yelper that this temple is at 200 Centre Street while the one I was reviewing is actually on 214 Centre Street. I have been coming to this temple for over 10 years and it has not changed at all throughout the years. The decor has not changed at all and the kitchen downstairs that serves a free vegetarian lunch most days has remained exactly the same. It seems to be a pretty authentic temple, except for the random disco ball above the Buddha, which I have never been able to figure out why it is there. The free vegetarian lunch here is very good, if you don't mind eating it in a rather dungeon looking basement. On Chinese New Year, this place is PACKED. The lines goes around the block and it seems like at least a thousand people pass through this temple on one day. The line goes pretty quickly and even though it was looped around the entire block, we waited only an hour. Halfway through the line, they give out a snack and hot tea, which was amazing. Inside, there is pretty much an assembly line and there is no time for prayer. They give you a red envelope and fruits as you pass through the line to go downstairs to get a lunch box.

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.

Some people really like this temple, and that's fine. I didn't. Why wear Japanese clothing?…read more We're not in Japan, and most of aren't even Japanese. It seems like they're deliberately making this place feel alien so people have to really buy into their way of engaging with Buddhism. It seems a bit too performative, like I'm worrying more about the rituals and being accepted into the club rather than engaging with my mind and relating to other people in an authentic way. That kind of pull is not good. These are just my two cents. I don't want to sound like I'm trashing it. It might be exactly what you're looking for.

Short version: odd experience, some of which was within the temple's control and some was not. If…read morethis experience turned you off, do not allow it to define your experience of Zen or Buddhism, because this was a particular manifestation that made me rather uncomfortable and did not seem representative of the practice at large. Noticeable lack of diversity in the actual students, though the public crowd was more mixed. I guess the intentions are good though. Liturgy and sutra chanting is done in English, which is an understandable choice - I guess you want folks to understand what they are chanting. But if you have ever been to a temple where chanting is done in one of the languages where the tradition of Buddhism first developed and flourished (i.e. i.e. Japanese/Chinese/Sanskrit), you'll notice that the syllabic and tonal structure of those languages creates a particularly beautiful aesthetic for chanting which is largely lost in English. The translations were also rather awkward and I found myself more focused on the lack of congruence in the whole situation than the actual content of the sutras, which is unfortunate. A very helpful gentleman was walking up and down the aisle and making sure everyone was on the correct page, which was very considerate. A lady next to me, who'd clearly been before as she had all the liturgies memorized, seemed to take particular pride and zeal in butchering the pronunciation of names when we were reading through the ancestor line. I get that foreign languages are difficult and that human speech patterns are largely set after childhood, and that there's no malice in mispronouncing something, but you'd think a little humility would be called for if you know you're about to pronounce something that you're likely to screw up. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Beginning instruction for zazen meditation was good. They provide you with pillows and cushions and introduce you to various poses. I thought the tone was appropriate and approachable for beginners. However, I perceived the meditation leaders to be overly judgmental during the actual meditation session (which, given the foundational belief that all is simply a construction within your mind and judgement is one of the building blocks of suffering, is rather ironic). The instruction is to sit still, but inevitably people want to cough, or shift around, or scratch their nose. When this happened I would catch the leaders looking around or leaning slightly in one direction or another to see who the "culprit" was, and at some point one of them called out, in a particularly harsh tone, for people to sit still. The general seriousness and gravity with which parts of the ritual are carried out (such as the bringing in of the reading podium) seem to have missed the point that all is temporary. You'd think a funeral was happening here. Lastly - and this is what really ruined the experience for me - my boyfriend had left his glasses on his cushion, and at some point during the walking meditation, they were broken. Again, there is a sad irony in the fact that something was carelessly broken during an exercise that was meant to be about mindfulness in walking - literally, feeling the movement of your foot, the placement on the ground, the shifting of balance, the movement of your joints, etc. I find it hard to believe that the breaking of a pair of glasses could have been missed in such a quiet, deliberate, concentrated exercise, and if someone was aware that it happened, I was profoundly disappointed by the fact that they simply left them there without claiming responsibility. But - all is temporary, judgement causes pain, attachment is the root of all suffering. So I'll let go of the glasses, I'll let go of the awkward English sutra chanting, I'll let go of the fact that people looked waaaaaaay too serious, and I'll let go of this experience. :)

I came here as preparation for a college class presentation and had one of the most interesting…read moreexperiences in my life. Upon arrival, I met with the head monk who led me to the meditation or Jijang-Bosal (Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva) Room. He instructed me to grab a floor pillow. From there, we spent 45 minutes in the dimly lit room having a conversation about the core principles of Zen Buddhism​m before he led me in a sitting​ meditation session. I'm not a Buddhist, but he treated me with such compassion and acceptance. We were even able to converse a little bit about coss-theological topics. Overall, the temple has such a pleasant​ atmosphere. I'm sincerely impressed and thankful that they would offer me such a unique experience. If you're​ a Buddhist looking for a Zen meditation​ temple or just curious, I'd recommend giving Chogyesa a visit.

Authentic Korean Buddhism adapted to New York!…read more Offer a combination of Korean Buddhist practice for Korean Speaking participants on Sundays. Tuesday and Thursday evening 6:30 to 8:00 pm meditation practice in English. Come early for beginning instructions. 3rd Saturday every month, all day retreat includes Yoga/Tai Chi instruction and walking meditation in Central Park. Monks are welcoming and bi-lingual (Korean/English).

Traditional Chinese Buddhist temple that serves vegetarian food downstairs. They have a cat and…read moreyard where they conduct funeral chants and burn dead paper money.

Stopped in during the year of the rooster lunar year 2017…read moreLoved it, they had burning incense outside and inside too. Many people walked in to pray, meditate and ask for blessings. Will try to be back

We were fading fast in the humidity as we travelled back to Soho from our fantastic Fried Dumpling…read morejaunt. But I follwed my eyes and darted across the street to this place, with my friend David behind me shouting, "It's a restaurant supply store, Leib! For Chinese restaurants!" Well, okay, in an area dominated by restaurant supply stores, I can see why one would think that, whatwith the red and gilt of it all. But it's actually a (small) Chinese Buddhist temple. Though English communication didn't seem an option, everyone was very nice, and it must be a year round temple, because it looks as though it has a kitchen in it. If you're looking to remind yourself of your commitment to the Dharma, I'd say, sure! Stop in. Can't say much else about it, though, as everything was in Chinese. But if you find out if there's a resident monk or if there are weekly Dharma talks, do post it here!

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.

Awesome temple. 1)…read moreIt is beautiful. They are very welcoming and nice. 2) The Buddhist statues and Chinese calligraphy is fantastic. 3) Must visit if you are around the area, and have some time.

Grace Gratitude is a hidden place of zen located away from the overly toristy areas of China town…read more The wood awnings and gold lettering at the entrance were immediately captivating. Then seeing the laden gold statues of Buddha at the front of the temple it was easy to fade into the Zen aura of Eastern Asia. The temple offers various literature for free and are open to you sitting in the meditation area during nonservice hours to study. I would recommend stopping in, Buddhist or not, it is a tranquil space full of high energy