The moment you walk through the doors of this temple you immediately experience the warmth and…read morekindness of the Cambodian community and their Monks. This is a temple that is devoted to the culture and the meaning of the Cambodian experience. Despite the tragedies of the past, the community remains hopeful and optimistic of all the future can hold thanks in part to the guidance of the Cambodian clergy and the community leaders.

From the owner: Our business is to help Cambodian people enrich their way of life by providing services such as:…read moreTeach Cambodian culture and traditions through lectures and traditional performing arts. Teach Khmer/English language. Provide meditation training and community support.

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.

Discovering Chan meditation practice a couple of years ago has been one of the main turning points…read morein my life. Chan denotes what later became "Zen" in Japan. The method at this center is taught in the tradition of Chan Master Sheng Yen (for more information please look up his wikipedia entry or check out the center's website). If you are curious to learn how to meditate please join the weekly group meditation on Sunday mornings or on Tuesday evenings. If you would like to learn more about the Buddhists teachings then you can also join the Dharma class held on Sunday mornings on a bi-weekly basis by the teacher Iris Wang.

From the owner: We are a Chan Buddhist center and offer various activities such as meditation, Yoga and Tai Chi…read moreclasses, Dharma studies. We operate as a registered non-profit organization. Chan is also known as Zen (which is the Japanese version of it). If you are interested in learning how to meditate please feel free to give it a try and come visit our center on Sunday mornings!

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

I'm not sure why this place doesn't have more reviews and why I have never been here before. It is…read morejust a mile away from my house! Free meditation classes (donations are accepted) are offered on Wednesdays at 7pm-8pm and Saturdays 10am-11am. The class starts with 10 minute stretching exercises, followed by a 50 minute guided meditation. I am a beginner, so I absolutely loved the guidance because my mind kept wandering. The instructor and other staff members were incredibly welcoming, hospitable, and generous. They even invited us to a homemade Thai lunch downstairs after the meditation. I love that I have found a new community of nonjudgmental people. If you want to feel relaxed and accepted, don't hesitate to meditate here!

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.

The blue lotus is an amazing Buddhist Temple located a few hundred feet of the historic Woodstock…read moreSquare. We have come here many times for various events and greater with some Beautiful statues and stained glass windows which make for an peaceful yet beautiful building from the outside. The community is wonderful of folks here. May peace be In our community is a reminder outside one of the entry doors. Truth in that radiates from the Blue Lotus. Today we visited for their Saturdays Vietnamese and Sri Lankan Lunch FEAST! A delicious collection of various food on menu which changes weekly. Love it here... don't miss this hidden zen gem!

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.

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.

The Bahai Temple is a place for all to come and meditate or pray. The temple itself has so many…read moresymbolic motifs incorporated into its architecture that represents all religions. Their grounds are well maintained and gorgeous with plants, flowers, and water features. They have a Welcome Center that explains the history and symbolism to truly appreciate everything this temple has to offer. I recommend stopping here to not only take in its beauty but to connect to faith as a whole. Tip: No Photography is allowed inside the Temple.

Truly a remarkably tranquil and beautiful house of worship. The gardens are lovely, especially in…read morespring and summer. The welcome center has a lot of useful literature on the Baha'i faith, and it's wonderful to learn more about this incredibly inclusive and peaceful religion, and saddening to hear about the persecution of Baha'i people. I've visited the Lotus Baha'i temple in Delhi before, and the building in Chicago is significantly smaller and less of an architectural marvel. However, unlike the temple in Delhi, the house of worship in Chicago is not a tourist destination. This allows for more serene contemplation, away from the hustle and bustle of the main city. The Baha'i hous of worship is easily accessible by public transport and also has ample parking. The restrooms in the welcome center are spotless. Overall, I highly recommend a visit to the House of Worship. It's not a typical tourist destination, but is instead truly a place for contemplation and silence.

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.