Amazing community, wonderful Shrine room. I always felt very welcomed to the classes, to the…read more meditations and to the Cherenzi on Sundays. it is a Tibetan Budhist Monastery - what a better place to educate yourself and to learn to become a better, compassionate human being? May all be happy and may all be free!

I highly recommend the Friday Calm Abiding Meditation. It's open to the public. They have…read moreintroductory short sits starting at 7:00 PM where a few different short meditations are explained. At 7:30 the long sit sessions begin, consisting of three 20 minute sessions including a walking meditation around the front shrine/altar. I find these longer sits really force you to find your inner calm. I always leave feeling awake, energized, and ready to start my Friday night. Be sure to check their schedule: http://www.sakya.org/sakyacalendar.html Some Friday nights, they have special ceremonies (often not intended for those uninitiated into Buddhist practices) and the Calm Abiding Meditation is designated @Home.

I have just recently moved to Seattle and gotten involved with KMC Washington. I am so impressed by…read morethe people here! There are many very long-time practitioners of Buddhism here, and it is clear that they have been sincerely being Buddhists. These are people who have learned from a qualified Buddhist master, and they are humble and have a sense of humor. It is so refreshing! This is a great example of Sangha. As you can see from the photos, the temple is beautiful with a lovely meditation room. This is covid time, and they are being careful, so everything is streamed right now. It will be wonderful when people can gather together inside again in the future.

I encourage everyone to make their own impression but being as this is Yelp, here's mine: this…read moreplace is great in concept but it quickly gave off a cultish vibe to me. And I'm not saying this because I'm a skeptic of Buddhism, as my entire family is Buddhist! My grandfather was a political figure in Vietnam who had the backing and support of the Buddhist party. He also was the one who lent his car to his monk friend on the day that monk infamously lit himself on fire in protest (if you Google pics you can see my grandpa's car in the background behind the burning monk). So yeah, I'm trying to say that I have a familiarity/background with Buddhism. Anyway back to the KMC: Everyone was very nice, but I didn't like how everything was "for purchase" and how meditation classes have a mandatory fee. I'm used to free or donation-based sessions, as most Buddhist temples/centers I'm familiar with are. It felt like they obviously were trying to make money wherever they could, which didn't feel very Buddhist to me? But again, I understand that this place isn't technically a temple or monastery etc so maybe that's the difference. Group meditation felt more like a lecture hall at a college. I personally seek a more intimate, calming environment. Here, they have the ceiling lights on so bright you'd think you were being interrogated. How does one relax and meditate with bright ass lights? Perhaps that's a challenge on purpose? I'd suggest dimming the lights a bit for meditation, even if it means some might fall asleep. *UPDATE*: Upon further online research, I've discovered to my shock that the NKT organization is actively against the Dalai Lama and have been called the "Death Eaters to the broader Hogwarts of global Tibetan Buddhism." There are actually testimonies written by "survivors" claiming how NKT is very much a cult. Make up your own mind about it but the info is out there. TLDR: I don't know if most who go here are aware of all this controversy and that Kelsang Gyatso is opposed to His Holiness. Basically, the sect he's created here is based on teachings/practices that's been banned from Tibetan Buddhism, and there are eyebrow-raising articles online regarding the activity of its members. I strongly urge anyone interested to do their research first because I suspect they're largely successful due to the ignorance of Westerners (their target audience/demographic). I'm giving them 2 stars because the people seemed nice, they provided snacks afterwards, and the lesson taught that day had value, but I personally will not be supporting this center and will seek meditation from a more traditional Buddhist establishment.

This is a place I've recently found while searching for help with overwhelming grief, to say they…read moreare welcoming is an understatement... While I expected they could help me with grief, I did not expect them to be able to help me fix my entire life, things I have been struggling with since I was a child, which is exactly what has happened. Words cannot express how much gratitude I feel for finding this place and these people.

This monestery is truly a jewel. The Buddhist nuns (women monks) who live, staff and teach at the…read moremonestery are welcoming, sincere and kind. As a level one meditation student, I have found the guided meditations and course instruction to be more beneficial than years of therapy in terms of providing insight into the causes of suffering and showing the way toward a peace of mind. I cannot recommend the free meditation courses highly enough. For the individual who is either brand new to or familiar with Buddhist teaching, the monastery offers an accessible and welcoming learning environment. It is indeed a refuge for those interested in deepening their understanding of wholesome and liberating teachings of the Buddha. The monastery will soon be in transition with a large renovation project starting in the Fall of 2019. In the meantime, it is beautiful and meticulously cared for. Warm lighting and clean, open spaces positively glow with elegant fabrics, inspiring and tasteful Buddhist statues, plants and flowers. The Buddha Jewel monastery is a blessed refuge of sanity, calm and quiet dignity in a chaotic secular world. I can't believe how fortunate we are to have this place located in Shoreline! If you don't live nearby, it is well worth the drive to attend the well-prepared and thoughtfully presented classes. If I had to describe the Buddha Jewel monastery facility and community in one word it would be "integrity". Care and thought and consideration abound in all aspects of the community outreach and education.

It was our first time to the Chua Douc Su Temple and we love the experience, layout, welcoming…read moreatmosphere for family gatherings to pray for New Year. We will re-visit every year when we have an opportunity. Best Temple so far in Washington in Seattle area.

I visit Chùa Dược Sư in 2024 Vietnamese New Year. I had previously came to this temple on weekday,…read moreonly original smaller temple is open every day and their newer larger temple is only open every Saturday 11AM sermon given by Venerable Thích Đồng Trung (Thượng Tọa Thích Đồng Trung) and events schedule is posted on their website. I had heard about their kids Vietnamese language program and wanted to inquire about it. It is for kids ages 7 years and older. Every Sunday 10AM Vietnamese Language classes & activities of Vietnamese Buddhist Youth Group (moi chut nhat Lớp Việt Ngữ). They have vegetarian prepared food available to buy anytime. i think the atmosphere is welcoming. I had a pleasant visit and will be returning again. It been a few years since my previous visit. I really enjoy their new addition of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, also known in Chinese as Guanyin, Statues. They are beautifully placed in area. Along with new Eighteen Arhats. I think the new place cards info about them are helpful. Can't wait to see their next project as they continue to rebuilt their temple.

True Buddha School Rainbow Temple is a must-visit destination when you are coming to Seattle this…read moreis a very private place and extremely beautiful. It is not always open to visitor but on every Sunday the Temple will host the Homa Ceremony (Fire Puja) in order to clean up and eradicate all of your karmic hindrances. The temple was built by His Holiness Living Buddha Liansheng and Shimu Vajra Master Lien Huong by His Holiness own pocket. Please support TRUE BUDDHA SCHOOL!

Beautiful place and very peaceful! Love to come back to enjoy the fresh clean air of this place!read more

Great place for family! They offer vegetarian food you can buy anytime!read more

Looking for a Zen Center? Check out their website:…read morehttp://www.blueheronzen.org/ They offer regular service multiple nights of the week. There is an introduction on Thursday nights and one Sunday a month there is a longer introduction to Zen workshop. This is in the Korean tradition (in the lineage of Zen Master Seung Sahn). I've been a member since 2011 and am very grateful for the training. Visit soon!

This Zen Community is bathed in light. It's not only a gorgeous place to sit, it has the most…read morebalanced energy of any of the Zen Communities I've visited on the West Coast. It would be easy to see that Zen Master Jeong Ji is one of the finest teachers in the US.

It is a very beautiful and natural temple. It's shady and nice to walk around to calm your mind…read more The inside of the temple is also beautiful. If you have a chance, you should definitely go.

Great place to come to enjoy the serenity of a Thai temple. They offer Thai classes for kids on the…read moreweekends (pre Covid). The temple and grounds are well kept and the monks offer services and lead prayers. This temple is a great place to refresh yourself and find peace (at least for a few moments).

I've been to the Koyasan temple several times for the 'Moon Meditation' that Taijo-san leads, and…read moreit is one of the most healing experiences you will have. I'll describe the process a bit for those who aren't sure what to expect- First everyone removes their shoes and puts their bags under the bench at the beginning of the meditation room. The head monk will talk about the origin and purpose of the meditation, as well as give us sacred dirt from the Koyasan mountain in japan to rub into our hands. Rev. Taijo himself is just as humble as you would expect a monk to be, but he's also absolutely hilarious and personable! Before meditation we recite an excerpt from the heart sutra (you will fall behind regardless of how fast you can read or your Japanese proficiency lol. Don't be intimidated!) During the meditation, we sit on pillows and in front of the moon visualizer- sometimes in silence, sometimes chanting. And afterwards there is tea so that everyone can get to know each other! Both caffeinated and non-caffeinated options are available. Now, all of this is a 'normal' meditation pre-covid. While the temple is closed, sometimes we will have a moment of mindfulness in the park instead. I've actually dragged several friends to services with me and they all have been grateful for the experience! When it's safe to congregate again, I look forward to practicing at the temple again!

Just an absolute beautiful temple! Newley renovated, I went out for a meditation class and…read morethoroughly enjoyed myself. Learned allot highly recommend visiting.