This place is still relatively new renovated. Seems like they designed the place themselves and…read morestarted to build since 2007 from the photos they posted in the temple. I didn't provide any inside photos since its not so nice to take pictures in temples. The building has high ceilings for good ventilation and airflow since Theres so much incents burning. They do funeral services and has placement for placques of the deceased. Not overcrowded yet and still have space for now. There are street parking only. Can be difficult to find parking if your group has 3+ cars. They have self-serve water in case you get thirsty & some asian candies on the table for grabs. The ladies that work there are pretty knowledgeable with the traditional stuff so if you don't know just ask. . Hopefully you can speak Chinese or have a friend that does. Else if you just want to check out the Chinese culture I'm sure you can just walk in and tour around.

Great place to prey. There is free food on special days. All volunteers are very nice, so you will…read morelike this temple.

Great Tibetan Buddhist Temple Loved it ! Went for The…read moreMedicine Buddha service. Highly recommend

This place is a hidden gem. The center offers both active programs year-around: they have regular…read moreprograms every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and they have special programs for special guests and events. The center often invites amazing speakers and teachers, and this year, they hosted Robert Thurman and Thubten Jinpa (principal translator of Dalai Lama). The community is warm and welcoming, regardless of your level of interests in Buddhism and meditation. I'm very glad to have this place in the midst of the busy-ness of San Francisco. If you want to explore Tibetan Buddhism and meditation, this is a place to go to.

I recommend this temple in the Sunset district of SF. Master YongHua is the Dharma Master and you…read morecan tune in on YouTube, better yet, attend a lecture in person and ask a question about meditation or any troubles of your life. There's great energy here, caring people and always something going on. I recommend the beginners Chan class if you are new and they have a special Buddhist Relic exhibit annually so keep that in mind. I'm also a Disciple so I recommend to check out Wei Mountain Temple in LA too if the practices work for you.

Came here to check out the 10,000 Buddha Relics Collection Exhibit, and got to learn a lot during…read moremy visit. We got to peruse displays of the cremated remains (teeth, sweat, brain, etc.) of the Buddha's sages, disciples, and family, as well as the Buddha himself, whiling hearing very interesting stories about the various pieces.  This was a free event, they just ask that you remove your shoes before entering, and are respectful while inside. Many came here to pray, they also had dedicated hours for meditation. We didn't come during that time, but we were fortunate enough to engage in a formal blessing, clearing our minds and accepting a spiritual energy, performed by the abbot on site using the whole body sharira. The presentation of relics throughout the giant main room was beautifully organized, clearly labeled, and enlightening. The environment was peaceful, and a great opportunity to explore the temple as a whole. We were invited to enjoy food and drinks in the lower level kitchen as well. Everyone there was so kind and welcoming. Definitely a unique experience.

This Soto Zen temple is a wonderful intimate place for contemplation and to practice Zen Buddhism…read more Make sure to visit the garden behind the center. You can stop by on a Saturday for free meditation instruction at 8:30 am and stay for zazen at 9:25 am, a short dharma talk at 10:15 am and tea and cookies with the group, It has an amazing history. Hartford Street Zen Center was founded by Issan Tommy Dorsey who served as the temple's first abbot and founded Maitri Hospice at Hartford Street Zen Center. The beat poet Zenshin Philip Whalen was the temple's third abbot. He read at the famous Six Gallery reading in 1955 that marked the launch of the West Coast Beats into the public eye. Whalen appears, in barely fictionalized form, as the character "Warren Coughlin" in Jack Kerouac's The Dharma Bums, which includes an account of that reading.

I stopped in on a Saturday morning before their scheduled sitting, and one of the volunteers gave…read moreus a tour and really spent time with us, explaining their practice. I also especially appreciated him telling us how things work there, and how to avoid causing any annoyance or confusion. This place is really a gem. I'm looking forward to going back.

Cultivating Tao has changed my life…read more I now have the choice to catch my thoughts and powerfully choose my path rather than having my thoughts run me out of habit. Cultivating Tao I am more at peace and calm, and in harmony within and with everyone/thing in life. What more could anyone want than to experience peace at will? Come try it out for yourself! Wednesdays - Tao Class in English. If you want to learn way of Tao online I recommend Derek Lin: www.taoism.net/enter.htm -- "Perhaps the best explanation is that Tao is the way of nature, or the way of the heavens. Taoism is concerned with the sublime patterns of nature. A person can achieve peace and enlightenment by harmonizing his or herself with the course of nature. A person does not need to become a hermit, but he or she must become free from worldly desires (not having attachment to the desire)." -Unknown Author

The Temple of I-Kuan Dao, "The Way of Unity", is a place full of warmth and wisdom. I studied this…read moreblooming religion as an undergraduate student of Religion in a Global Context. Though I have personally heard one Ph.D. call I-Kuan Tao "cult-ish", I have also seen people enter here and find long sought after spiritual sustenance. From what I have seen, it is not that they vehemently forbid you such dubious pleasures as liquor and cigarettes, nor that they force you to pray. It is more that they smile and say that when you are ready, you will put away such things, and you will happily bow to the origin and sustainer of your soul...