This is such a cool, community experience in the East Bay. I've heard about Wat Mongkolratanaram…read morefor quite some time from friends in the area, and both read about and viewed so much content about this local Sunday event as well. Finally was able to go and experience it! If you've been, would love to hear about your experience too! Essentially, Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Buddhist temple located on Russell Street in Berkeley. They serve lunch to the community (I believe 10a to 1p, although do research ahead of time to ensure they're serving the day you come). I would recommend coming earlier than later, as some items do go quickly. Bring cash with you because your cash = how many coins/tokens you will receive to give the food stations. Right by the coin checkin area, you will find the beverage area of water/Thai tea, and other bevvies. The Thai Tea goes fast too, so also recommend grabbing one early if that's your go-to. There are community-style tables/chairs and also a grass area to enjoy your meal. I noticed several groups bringing blankets and picnic baskets for their afternoon set up. A great idea! For vegetarians or those looking for a more veggie focused lunch, there was a separate line for that. We arrived a little late, so the food stall I waited in line for only had minced pork, yellow curry, and rice, although that alone was filling enough and so delicious. My husband stood in a line for a beef noodle soup. I noticed a food stall with papaya salad, potentially fried chicken, and I believe a mango sticky rice. For dessert we waited in line for the Thai coconut pancakes or Kanom Krok, in cinnamon and plain flavors..they also were serving chive too! I love that you can 'leave a bag/take a bag' if you want to grab these items to-go, as well as grab plastic to-go containers too. There are napkins, utensils, and a sauce station. This is run by all volunteers I think, and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Parking isn't impossible, but because this happens only on Sundays, it did take a few minutes additionally to grab street parking nearby. All in all, a lovely afternoon paying homage to the beautiful Thai culture through food and community. Would def do it again and just prepare to arrive closer to the beginning of the event.

CASH ONLY! Sunday brunch…read more Just based off sheer selection, the Thai temple in Berkeley is the place to go to eat on Sundays. Came on a rainy day and the place was still pretty packed. I really enjoyed the plate and all the sides were pretty solid. Well-spiced and perfect with rice. The soup noodle was good, the celery kind of threw me off but it's filling and warm. The mango sticky rice is classic. Definitely going to stop by again.

We went here recently to sit with Ajahn Amaro, a Theravadan monk in the Thai Forest tradition. He…read moreteaches here once a month. It's an interfaith Buddhist monastery, and there is a variety of stuff that happens here -- sittings, classes, ceremonies, etc. The space is absolutely gorgeous! The main temple room is like 3 stories high, with gorgeous stained glass. There are cushions and chairs, the chairs being quite comfortable and sturdy. You have to remove your shoes, and there is a nice plush carpet (light blue, no less!) in the temple room. If it's winter and you're going to sit here, I recommend wearing a lot of clothing or bringing a blanket. We were freezing when we were there. I imagine it's hard to heat a room that's 3 stories high.

An Indonesian friend introduced me to this place. I have to admit I thought the white monks were…read moreweird. Not because they did or said anything weird. Just because they were the first white monks I ever met. But it was good to know I was wasn't the only Buddhist born person there. I trust they don't use Buddhism for commercial profit. How could they be Buddhist if they did? My brother goes here every time he comes to visit from the east coast. He's not Buddhist anymore, but still likes the meditation classes. I wish they would convince him to stay Buddhist. I also wish they had more Sri Lankan monks, more kids activities, yoga, and female monks. The location is perfect for kids. The temple is in between 2 elementary schools. Teaching children how to meditate would be so nice! The space would also be good for family yoga. I hope they take these suggestions into consideration.

Starting in the spring, the churches of the Japanese American community in the East Bay each pick a…read moreweekend to hold their annual food bazaar. This one at the Buddhist church is one that I never miss! Starting on a Saturday night and into Sunday, the bazaar features a white elephant sale, games for little kids, and I think the best homemade Japanese and American foods. From burgers and hot dogs to Japanese favorites, it is all made with love. The simple bowl of udon is delicious. Skewed pork deep fried is great with beer or sake. There's chili and rice, manju, strawberry shortcake, and chicken teriyaki box dinners. All proceeds benefit the church and it's programs.

i have attended church here for 20 years. my son joined church basketball league. we travel 18…read moremiles to come to church but the community is warm, fun, and supportive. i'm treasurer of the women's group for 8 years now. we have alot of fun. you should join us and learn how to prepare japanese mochi, chirasushi, inarisushi, tsukemono, and other foods for the bazaar, and when we support the church fit special holiday luncheons. membership luncheon is May 2025.

Incredibly beautiful Tibetan monastery up on Highland Place! So aptly named! The space for…read moremeditation is incredibly peaceful and tranquil and the rose garden is just lovely. This summer I've been flirting with the idea of taking their regular classes, especially this "Time Space and Knowledge" series which sounds absolutely fascinating, but I haven't been able to bring myself to commit to it. So far, I've only been to their Open House, Sunday meditation (5-6pm) and talks (6-7pm) that are open to the public. Drop-in Kum Nye (Tibetan yoga) on Sunday morning (10-12) might be the next thing to try. So far they're all great. Always bring more peace and clarity to my mind. I'm really grateful that this wonderful sanctuary is located in Berkeley, walking distance from where I live! I have the Tibetan lama Tarthang Tulku who brought the ancient teaching to the West in the 60s and all the committed Westerners who keep this place up and running, to thank. I first "discovered" this place when I was a wide-eyed undergrad here long time ago. Found it really exotic; nothing like the Buddhism I was immersed in back in Taiwan. That got me hooked to finding out more about the Buddhism in the West. Then I found out that I really like Americanized Buddhism, be it the transplanted Zen or Theravada or Tibetan. Wide-eyed Westerners are really intent on personal transformation, if not the total enlightenment itself. It's amazing and moving. It's funny that while some Buddhists in Taiwan tend to be a conservative bunch sticking to strict rituals and morality and conduct, Buddhism in the West - free of the cultural baggage of thousands of years of tradition - is so liberal in contrast. Westerners I've talked to (a highly-educated bunch of people) really question things, are totally obsessed with meditation and mindfulness (something tragically lacking in where I'm from), and are quite insistent on going back to figuring out the Buddha's original core teachings. It's absolutely wonderful. I found that I started to meditate in the US of A, an activity I had NEVER done seriously back in Asia (which might be why I'm so bad at it). Never mind I'm from a Buddhist family; all we did was bowing and chanting and recitation. No one told me to watch my breath. No one taught me to observe my rising and falling thoughts. Just sit there focusing on reciting the name of Amitabha Buddha, whose presence and power I'd love to believe in but honestly, remain agnostic to. It's ironic that my complaints of the Pure Land school are similar to some white people's complaints of their enforced church-going or synagogue-going. Funny how I'm now rediscovering my faith here. Also funny how Christianity in the US (at least the evangelical type, at least in this part of the US) is sometimes perceived as redneck & conservative, while in Asia many Christians are highly-educated, cosmopolitan, "progressive," well-read and well-travelled middle-class intellectuals.. real smart just like some Euro-American Buddhists here in the US. Maybe people should just stick their heads out and check out what other folks are doing elsewhere from time to time. And reflect. Part of the mindfulness practice? Anywayz, I found the Nyingma Institute up on Highland a REALLY NICE place to meditate and calm your mind down. So well-maintained and so incredibly peaceful! I don't see any Tibetans here though. this place is very "white" in both its instructors and study body. I'm not sure what to think of it yet... don't know if the practice is in any ways benefitting the Tibetans themselves (who I think badly need some "transference of merits" since they're in such a screwed-up situation). Well, I sure hope some of the $$ they make here goes to the Tibetans!

I'm a long-term meditator and yoga practitioner and I came here for a personal retreat. Tibetan…read moreBuddhism has been close to my heart since college for personal reasons and I love supporting local non-profit organizations in general. My room cost (with fees) was approximately $2,800/month. Positives - The meditation classes with Mark Henderson (6:45am-7:30am M-F "The way of the Bodhisattva") and Hugh Joswick (Intermediate meditation) were worth the trip themselves.The morning class is definitely one of the most challenging meditation practices I have encountered, which is exactly what enabled me to learn more about my own personal meditation practice obstacles. The reminder of the Six Paramitas was both timely and deeply appreciated. - Eddie deserves honorary membership in the Department of Knowing Things. Whether I needed information, directions, or help figuring something out, he was consistently helpful and funny at the same time. - Beautiful hillside location with trees, birds and wildlife. - Quiet environment well-suited for meditation and personal retreat - Convenient access to classes and programs - Short walk (~20 mins at my walking pace) to downtown Berkeley (BART etc.) Accommodation & Facility Issues - The room contains a twin-size innerspring (spring coil) mattress. I found it uncomfortable for a month-long stay and would have appreciated more detailed information about the bed in the listing - The room carpet appears not to have been deep-cleaned for an extended period (dust, extensive stains) - whether you stay for a single week or a month, laundry detergent is not provided. Laundry fees still apply. Dish detergent, sponges, hand soap, toilet paper and towels are provided. I believe that guests are expected to buy laundry detergent and wash the towels themselves. - Room vacuum cleaning and dusting is not included, even for longer stays; guests are expected to clean their own room with their own cleaning supplies. - The balcony door is my room repeatedly opened on its own during the night despite being closed before bed. This allowed for cold air into the room. There may be an issue with a stroke plate and the latch. - Information provided to guests (i.e. both AirbnB app and the room printed materials) is inaccurate. - I was shown a pantry containing shared spices but it was not clear what was free to use (e.g. cinnamon yes, oil no?) All guests are provided two boxes (1 for their dry food, 1 for refrigerated food) - coffee beans and tea are provided, coffee cream, milk etc are not - I couldn't find a tea strainer for loose tea in the kitchen; it was handed to me that day and it disappeared again. I am now only using tea bags provided by the institute. - I wasn't able to find cookware compatible with the guest kitchen induction stove one morning. All pots were located in the staff kitchen guests do not have access to that day. - I received 7-8 AirBnB messages containing photos of dirty dishes left in the shared areas though it was not clear who was responsible. As a guest, I found this approach very uncomfortable and impersonal. Overall: This may be a peaceful retreat if you are looking for unanticipated daily challenges to get in the way of your practice. The Four Noble truths still stand in 2026. There is suffering (no laundry detergent on a Sunday evening before a busy Monday) and a way out of suffering. The path sometimes requires a pilgrimage and the return carrying a full-sized jug of laundry detergent up the steep Berkeley hills.

A warm, welcoming, and inclusive community, ever-evolving while offering refreshing teachings and…read moreopportunities to reflectively cultivate engaged practice as applied to daily life. An oasis.

In 2007 I had the good fortune to attend a Qigong workship at the Berkeley Shambhala Center led by…read moreEva Wong. I was somewhat apprehensive about the physical demands of such a practice since I was 60 years old, overweight, and not in good physical condition. I found that the qigong was taught in a gentle way with great sensitivity to participants' physical infirmities. I was quite surprised to find that I felt better after six hours of Qigong than I did before I started and that I was not sore at all the next day. I was even more surprised to find that the second day of instruction was also invigorating and pain free. I have continued to practice this Qigong and have taken additional classes from Eva. My wife and I both have found that this Qigong practice has made us stronger, healthier, and more flexible. It has truly improved our lives at a time when we needed it. Why am I telling you about this old news? Because Eva Wong is returning to teach again at the Berkeley Shambhala Center on December 5-6, 2009. I hope that others can learn to improve their lives as my wife and I were able to.

I came a few weeks ago for the first time and really liked it and was interested in returning. But…read moreI decided not to return, because everytime someone associated with the temple was talking to me about it, they were also touching my shoulder. It made me very uncomfortable and I was never asked by anyone if I felt okay with touch. I was unresponsive to the touches, but on most days, this would be extremely upsetting for me. While I have this experience many places I go, I was shocked to be having it at a Buddhist temple, and this has inspired me to buy and wear accessories that spell out to people that they need to ask before they just start touching people. It should not be necessary to point out that not everyone is comfortable with unconsensual casual touch, but BBT has helped prove to me that it is, and that even in the Buddhist community I'll be treated this way if I set foot outside. Not quite the experience I was hoping for in my first visit to a Buddhist temple.

I will admit this review is a little bias. I've been going to this church and working this bazaar…read moresince I was in the second grade which is a long time. But it's totally worth the 5 Stars. Things I know: -It's small. We're a small church but very family oriented church. - We don't serve Alcohol. Hey, we're a small church and those permits are expensive. Reason why this bazaar is better then others: -Our food: All of our food is prepared w/ lots of love and personal touch. I have personally squeezed the age for the inari. Meaning we use the real stuff and yes, it's fresh. None of that canned stuff. We serve loco mocos and portabella mushroom burgers, which I have never seen at any other Bazaar. The Steak Dinners, Chicken Dinners, eggrolls, manju, and baked goods are all very good as well. -Our Silent Auction: We always get some good donations for the silent auction. This year I got a box for the A's game's Japanese Heritage night. We also had a bunch of bonsai trees, beautiful art, and every year one of our chef members donates a sushi dinner for 30-40 people. The donations change every year but we always have some pretty good items and I always seem to spend more then I hoped for. -Our Sunday Entertainment: On Sunday of the Bazaar we close the street down and set up a stage for a number of different performers. This year, Grammy Award nominee Anthony Brown and acclaimed Bay Area writer-performer Brenda Wong Aoki headlined the entertainment. Also, Kalena Gregory's Hawaiian dance group, Hui Hula o na Pu'u i ka Noe; the Destiny Arts Center's youth hip-hop dance group; and the Dii Lewis Band, featuring Lorin Kagehiro all had some awesome performances. I go to a number of bazaar's throughout the year and i must say ours has the most personal touch. Many of the bigger festivals mass mass produce their food and it's made poorly. I've even been to one where they made their veggie sushi w/ celery.. GROSS.. its supposed to be made w/ a nice blanched string bean. I mean if you don't want to spend the money on the string bean at least get cucumber, not celery. So, if you're not doing anything next year during Bay to Breaker time, check it out. I'll be sure to greet you at the Hamburger booth.

Very open and friendly. Respectful of everyone. Reminds me of my temple in Laguna Beach.read more

I loved this Hare Krishna Hindu temple. I heard about it from the owner of the vegetarian…read morerestaurant, Govinda, in Eugene OR. So glad that I finally came here for the Pooja and dinner of kitchari, dahl, paneer curry, and watermelon. I ate the watermelon first because fruit gets digested quicker. Then everything else. Finally the prasadam which was shira and raisins. So delicious! I liked that the menu was vegetarian and that there was no cruelty to animals. So much better than the Buddhist temple in Palo Alto that has a crab fest (never hear of Buddhists killing a living being before...I used to volunteer at a Buddhist kitchen in the Atlanta area and meat or seafood were never, ever on the menu at the World Peace Cafe Kitchen in Sandy Springs. The next time, I come here, I'm going to bring a couple of $20 bills to make a donation. Truly enjoyed this spiritual experience. A real boost to my mental health and happiness in very trying times (wildfire smoke and the pandemic). Overall though, God has been very kind.

We took a tour inside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Temple's Visitor's Center…read more The Visitor's center is open to the pubic and it's free. In addition you don't need to make reservations. We were warmly welcomed when we entered and were asked if we wanted a tour or would we just like to look around on our own. We opted for the tour. There was a short video presentation on families and them being together for ever. It was a sweet presentation. Unlike the Carousel of Progress at Disney World where the room moves for you, in this presentation you have to walk to each viewing area. It wasn't an issue. You just moved down the seats 5 feet or so to the next stage. It was a well done presentation. After that we wandered around. In the back part of the visitor's center there are floor to ceiling windows and today was a clear day and you could clearly see the Golden Gate Bridge. What a sight. They also had 3 examples of historic temples. One all the way back in the Old Testament to Moses's time. I thought that was really cool to see temples were built back in the biblical times and not something just made up for today. My parents enjoyed their theater and sat though many of the 8 stores of missionaries and there journeys of faith and service. I listened to 2 and really enjoy hearing about their stories and struggles. The Visitor's Center is Staffed with full time missionaries from the Church off Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Unlike what you may have heard about missionaries, these are just sweet kids trying to make everyone feel welcome and if you're intreasted they will tell you about God and his plan of happiness. These are not used car salesmen they aren't trying to sell you something or pull wool over your eyes. If you are interested in knowing more about them or there church you are free to inquire, but they aren't going to push anything on you. The grounds are beautifully maintained and well manicured. There are always flowers in bloom and the trash is always lush. If you go to the top of the temple you can see a view of the city. There is a staircase to the right and left of the entrance that will take you to the roof. Parking is great. They have there own private lot and parking is free. The spaces are wide and I had no issue parking. Bathrooms, the visitors center has plenty of clean well stocked bathrooms. Concerts and Programs, all free of charge- Their are lots of different offerings depending on the season. I wanted to take a picture of the Easter Celebrations for the week, but my phone died on me. They have some Holy Week activities, if you are interested I'd give them a call and asked for the list of activities that are happening soon. During December there are lots of programs and organizations and other churches participated. I believe they have an interfaith concert which brings people of many faiths together. The last concert I went to was a bell concert. People with musical bells came to perform in the concert hall. It was something I've never heard of before, but enjoyed. Family history center- They have a family history also referred to as genealogy center in the basement and that is also free to the public. We didn't pop our heads in, but we heard it's there.

Really gorgeous building and sunset view but they didn't allow service animals past the gate onto…read morethe rooftop garden (I asked security). I was confused because temples and churches are meant to be inclusive to all people... some cannot go too long without their service animal for medical reasons. It felt like it goes against the message establishments like these pride themselves on... Hoping they will change this soon, for safety reasons.

Small, low key temple. All in English except for a few chants that are not readily translated. In…read morethe Soto Zen tradition but culturally American. The atmosphere is simple and un-pressured. Friendly meditation instruction and accessible Dharma talks in plain English, often using sources from other traditions and paths in order to make some points more accessible. Have been coming here for years, except for the last ten when I was out of area, and have always found it a source of learning and inspiration.

From the owner: Buddhist meditation, Dharma talks, Buddhist services and spiritual guidance.read more

I was asked to bring some mochi for my father's funeral, per the reverends request. But the only…read moreplace that sells funeral mochi in the area now is in San Jose. So on the morning of the funeral, I waited outside the San Jose mochi place for a half hour, first in line with my preorder. Came as fast as I could to this church but arrived 15 minutes late do to traffic. When I finally arrived, the whole place was completely locked and my wife and I were locked out of my father's entire funeral service. Someone finally let us in after it was over. My family has been having services here for generations. But that will stop with me. I will never forgive myself for going on a fools errand to grab some stupid mochi per some ridiculous traditions. And I will never come to support this place again, no matter who dies.

Date: 8/1/2015 Time: 5:35 PM 70° Sunny…read more Even though I grew up in Oakland Chinatown and attended Lincoln Elementary School (a block from this church), I have never attended the annual Obon Festival. Today is my first time. This is indeed an enjoyable and entertaining cultural event - the music, the Taiko drummers, the dancers in their colorful kimonos, the food, and the handcrafted greeting cards ($3.00 or $5.00 each). They also have chicken/steak/short ribs dinners and baked goods (cakes and cookies) for sale - fundraising for the church. I am highly impressed with the music and singing. Wow...jazz and beautiful singing in Japanese; CD's going for $15.00 each. Then hearing the song, Sukiyaki, brings back memories of my childhood days. I am glad that my husband and I decided to stop by to take in the festive celebration. Much appreciation to the members of this church for organizing and putting on this lovely event. Finally, the Obon Festival was worth attending - free entertainment at its best. It may not be as popular as the Art and Soul Festival several blocks away in Downtown Oakland, but I have to say one thing. I did not have to pay $12.00 to watch and listen to a cultural event.