I use to go to meditation sessions there on Friday nights with my wife, Ajahn Tappekorn was usually…read morethere, he was very good at guiding our sessions, and very accomadating to my crazy schedule. This is a great place!

Excellent temple, well cared for, went on several wkend retreats there, very comfortable. I highly…read morerecommend it.

This review is about my experience staying at the Temple for few nights, not the meditation sits,…read morewhich were great! Years back, I had stayed few days at the Zen Buddhist Temple, which was ran by this nice lady monk who had since moved. Because I had a phenomenal and transformative experience, I decided to come back for a second retreat! When I came back, the Temple was ran by a male monk from Korea (could be the same monk now, not sure), and I left there with an uncomfortable and unpleasant time. Reflecting on this, I realized that there were certain assumptions that the male monk failed to inform me, before I checked in. I don't want to go into exact details of what those issues were because I don't want to ruin people's view of the Temple. But, if you have any plans to stay at the Temple overnight, ask what rules and expectations are for guests, especially when it comes to the access and use of the kitchen...

Very welcoming and friendly experience. We were introduced to the meditation center from a friend…read moreand will continue to go. I highly recommend if you are looking for a Zen Buddhist temple.

Beautiful temple. My hubby and I went in just to look, I have never been in a temple before. I…read morewasn't sure if it was okay to go in... Thank goodness for smartphones! If you are not Buddhist and want to go to temple just to observe, look it up online for some tips on what and what not to do so you are polite and respectful.

I just left. Very nice visit. There was a nun there who told me about the temple and gave me things…read moreto read about tantric Buddhism. I hope to go back soon. Sunday service is 10-12pm.

You must visit this beautiful Nichiren Shoshu temple. It's hondo (Gohonzon Room) is magnificent and…read morepeaceful. And, you absolutely MUST take the opportunity to chant Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo to its Joju Gohonzon to receive the ultimate benefits of peace, happiness, eradication of bad karma and eventually enlightenment. The grounds that surround the temple are also beautiful and serene. Chief Priest, Rev. Kato and Assistant Priest, Rev. Hinaro are warm and welcoming. Their happy smiles are infectious. You are made to feel welcome and at home at Myogyoji Temple. My experience there was very positive yesterday when I visited after a 12-long trip from Tokyo, Japan (and during an 11 hour layover) before heading to Miami, Florida. I will definitely visit this temple again whenever I return to Chicago.

Nice, peaceful atmosphere. Kelsang Dorje takes Dharma teachings and applies them to practical use…read morefor today. It was as if he knew exactly what i was going through. Meditation bliss in a fun part of town!

This is a wonderful place. They are warm and welcoming and people from all walks of life attend…read moreservices. Their workshops, classes and events have really invigorated my spiritual practice.

This an incredibly modern pagoda. Sunday services are presented in Mandarin Chinese. Texts with…read morepinyin and English subtitles are provided.

They wouldn't let us park on site where plenty of spots were available during the festival instead…read moresuggesting us park some other place far away. Pretty ridiculous behavior against paying visitors in my opinion.

A truly wonderful place to learn more about meditation. The staff are warm, friendly and very…read morehelpful. Highly recommended.

I love this place so much. I have been for several years…read more Meditation helps me clear my mind and organize my daily life. After I have practiced with the group of people at the temple I feel more and more powerful and peaceful. And now I also practice by myself at home. I really recommend this place .

One of two Sinhalese Buddhist temples in the Chicagoland area, and the only one with a monk that…read morespeaks fluent English. Like a lot of immigrant places of worship, there are two main groups who come here. There are Sri Lankan Americans like me who are here for family and ethnic reasons, and there are American converts who are here seeking. I recommend this temple for both. We don't think of a dead body as very significant, when someone dies, it's a part of life and another turn in the wheel of life, samsara. Life is essentially, impermanence. We handle grief by almsgiving in honor of the deceased, called dhanas (don-nays) which I held both here and in Sri Lanka. The head monk, Bhante Sujantha helped me understand the traditions of my people at the same time he helped me immeasurably with the complex feelings I had after my father's passing (he suffered a lot, I was unable to ease his suffering, American hospitals are not a very good place to die, and we didn't have the best of relationships). The Blue Lotus Temple is also a good place if you're searching, they have classes that will help you, whether you're looking for an alternative to American Protestantism, or you want to learn how to meditate and reduce anxiety. Unlike many other religions, Buddhism does not require you leave your original faith behind, it's more about kindness and mindfulness (in its original meaning). Find Bhante Sujantha on Tik Tok or Instagram, he's better than formal therapy or a good addition to professional sessions. If you can visit the temple, if you can afford to donate, you should also know that Bhante Sujantha is a terrible businessman, but I guess that's how the good clerics are, right? I know about the classes because I came early to my first Dhana and I listened to Sujantha teach, or rather try to teach mindfulness and compassion. Then, after they were done and politely asked to leave the chapel part of the temple for my service, about half the class stayed in and talked very loudly even after having my service started (being streamed live to relatives in Sri Lanka, England, Canada, and Australia) ironically going on about mindfulness and themselves. You can lead an elephant to water, but you can't make her drink I guess. Life is a journey, don't travel alone.

It is with profound disappointment that I write this review of the temple. A teacher there,…read moreapparently struggling with severe mental health issues, broke numerous federal laws concerning me--including alleged but witnessed poisoning of my drinks at Starbucks, destroying my paintings at Winestock, visiting my schools and illegally showing my transcripts to others, slandering me, and assisting in getting me banned from several of my downtown Crystal Lake haunts that I could sometimes afford. In addition, he appears to have worked cooperatively to end significant relationships in my life, and much more. Now I find that the head monk at Blue Lotus Temple has merely an associate's degree from McHenry Community College, yet decided to work cooperatively with this individual--August (Gus) Santo--to discredit me and call the police on me when I was polite and respectful. I hold a BA in Psychology and English from Northeastern Illinois University, an MA in Social Science from St. John's University (School of Practical Theology), two Master's degrees with interfaith ministry training in Ethics & Society and Historical Theology from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University (four academic years), and an 88-semester-hour graduate certificate from Adler University with externships from the University of Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute in Chicago. I also hold three Bible College doctorates in Sacred Literature, Biblical Theology, and Theology. Apparently Mr. Santo was very concerned that I received a D in a class at the age of 19. I had family responsibilities, economic pressures, and a severe anxiety disorder until the age of 35 or so. I never applied for a position at that temple, and I do not understand why they would allow this. I am 70, take great care of myself, practice yoga and movement therapy (once certified in these disciplines), do not drink or smoke, meditate, and am creative. I'm frequently taken to be around 35 because of my lifestyle. Partly because I was an unpaid missionary and caregiver for decades, I have not accumulated wealth, and for reasons beyond my control, I do not have funds to date or socialize. I do not drive, and walking the 1.5 miles to downtown was peaceful--I sometimes enjoyed the company of acquaintances. I do not have family or monetary resources. While there is much more, I've been under considerable stress lately, and I do not understand these people. I was banned from Starbucks as I sat quietly reading. Feel free to evaluate at your discretion.

Fun times! We hit up some awesome activities here... Celebrated Songkran Day with amazing Thai food…read moreand vibes - the community was L I V E !

It is a very beautiful temple, shady, a very wide area in the temple, very beautiful. The people in…read morethe temple are very friendly. Today we intend to go and buy food that is sold every week. without knowing that this week is closed, very sad, but not disappointed at all because I met a monk who came to give advice Give knowledge about this temple and also listen to Mahachat sermons. which has never been heard before It's a very merit... Amen...