The Cambodian new year celebrations that they have there are organized. The people that are there…read moreare extremely welcoming

I had the immense privilege to be able to join this temple's celebration of Losar, the Tibetan New…read moreYear. (Tashi delek) is what I heard upon entering this temple, with kindness emanating from the Tibetan monks as well as the Chinese speaking docent of the temple. Services are often conducted in Tibetan, Mandarin, and English, and visitors such as myself are welcome to participate in the Buddhist religious practices, such as the mantra chanting. Buddhists of all ethnic backgrounds come here to be in community with their faith. On this occasion, Tibetans gathered to celebrate their New Year and generously allowed us to celebrate with them.

I'm taking their Beginner's level Tibetan language class here. Their pedagogy is very different…read morefrom other American schools', e.g., Beverly Hills Lingual Institute, UC extension. Instead of the familiar explanatory and full immersion approaches which American schools usually employ, Land of Compassion Buddha's monks pretty much use the most primitive way to teach a new language-recitation, memorization and repeated practices-in class! I basically don't do any revision at home, as I'm busy with other things; and they go over the new things like 30 or 50 times in class with us to make sure we do the work even if after class we don't study ourselves. I'm wondering if it's a monastic way of language learning as self-study may not take up as much time of a student's, at least when they are on elementary level. Just my guess. Venerable Thupten Jangchu is pretty awesome. I honestly don't remember learning like this after graduating from the kindergarten at six. He guarantees everyone in the whole class "gets it" before he moves on to something new so it becomes not only about learning but also practicing patience, which is sometimes even more important to a student. My class becomes something I look forward to through the week. Nothing is better than learning a new thing in a tranquil place filled with beautiful dharma (the teachings of the Buddha) tools and nice people. The accent/dialect Venerable Jangchu teaches is Khampa which is spoken in Eastern Tibet. If you need to learn another accent/dialect, you should ask in advance when you sign up. I think I paid about $200 for a boot camp lasting 1.5 months. The text book costs $15. A steal, right? Oh, no shoes in the center. There's tea for students. Just make sure you clean up after yourself. Volunteer to put the study trays and sitting cushion back to the storage after class. There are no chairs; we sit on the floor so I find pants more convenient than dresses or skirts. As for lunch, the mall with eateries, Starbucks, Westfield and Ikea is 5 minutes away.

OK, came here on a visit after moving away from LA back to the East Coast. I love this place. I…read moredidn't realize I was coming the weekend after Ching Ming, and that's why it was so happening! On busy days like this, they have many volunteers to help direct traffic. I learned about their underground parking for the first time, it was so crowded! And they don't pressure you to join service. Be as active as you wish. I miss this airy temple with such positive vibes. The only drawback on this place (and it's ok, I don't need it), is they have no fortune sticks.

Happy Lunar New Year! I wish onto you, dear reader, happiness, love and prosperity this year!…read more The year of the horse is supposed to be a pretty bad year for my zodiac animal (not a horse). I don't practice Buddhism, but my mother insisted that I lessen my bad luck this year by bringing me to a temple to "An-Tai-Suay" (this is a verb. I think it means to ask my god "pu-sah" to protect my animal?) I'M TRYING! I'm no regular temple-goer, and I've only been to a few temples in my lifetime...but besides Shi Lai, this one has to be my favorite. It's spacious, peaceful, clean & well kept, beautiful, and full of helpful and friendly staff members who can try to explain things to you even if you don't understand (like me). The smell of incense fills most of the buildings' entrances and it really brought me a sense of peace and serenity. I can't really explain it well, but being here kind of made me feel like I had been lifted away from all of hustle & bustle of my day-to-day life and placed in a zen garden. Today, we wrote our family members names on a small card and hung it on a little lantern among hundreds of lanterns. Along with our names, we wrote/asked for happiness and luck this year, and to keep us safe. Then we went to "An-Tai-Suay" and I think they will be posting/hanging something with my name or something in one of the temple buildings for this lunar year. Although I don't normally go to Temples, this is a place I have really enjoyed being at. I do recommend anyone, buddhist or not, to come here at least once and experience this place. You don't have to wait for an unlucky year either.

Really good community and friendly buddhist very dedicated to there work and faith…read more Grate food

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills is truly an architectural gem. Built from thousands of…read moreindividual pieces of imported Italian marble and Indian pink sandstone, each intricately hand-carved by more than a thousand artisans, the level of craftsmanship is remarkable. From the pillars and domes to the smallest decorative details, there is something beautiful to notice everywhere. The spacious grounds and lotus-shaped reflection pond add to the peaceful and uplifting atmosphere. More importantly, this is an active place of worship that offers a quiet space for prayer and reflection. Visitors should remove their shoes where required and respectfully follow the guidelines regarding silence and photography. The entire complex is exceptionally clean and well maintained. The staff and volunteers are courteous, welcoming and always available to answer questions about the Mandir, Hindu traditions or visitor etiquette. Shayona is also worth visiting before leaving. It offers vegetarian meals along with a huge collection of Indian sweets, dry snacks, namkeen and other packaged foods. The food is great quality, and the service is consistently friendly and efficient. A beautiful place to experience faith, Indian culture, extraordinary craftsmanship and community in Southern California.

Came here for the America 250 Years Celebration…read more Plenty of parking next to the temple. Had a great time here. The light show was fantastic! The music that accompanied the show was awesome. Very upbeat. It matched the light show perfectly! Had a blast watching the lights and music blended well together. It was a very fun experience. Glad we were able to be here and enjoyed the America 250 Years Celebration. Check out some of the videos I have posted. Make sure you have the sound on. Enjoy!

Been wanting to visit this temple for a while. Finally got insider info from my in-laws about them…read moreholding an event and lunch is provided. Visiting here and eating temple lunch brought back many fond memories of my childhood as we did this growing up at a temple my grandmother was a part of. Although I didn't understand Burmese, it's ok, just follow the line and your nose as you will surely smell the delicious aroma from the kitchen. The meal was so flavorful and filling: rice dish, soup and dessert called dan bauk. I savored every bite. It's called a donation feast to celebrate something like a birthday, wedding, or anything with the donor doing alms giving which all goes back to support the temple and everyone is welcome. The grounds hosts a huge area with different Buddhist statues to pray. Peaceful and serene. Really enjoyed my experience and can't wait to visit again. Whenever I visit any temple it's always good karma to give alms.

Beautiful and Peaceful Place. Please Try…read more Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits. You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns, and even increased pain tolerance.

This is a little private Vietnamese Buddhist temple tucked away in the hills. We stopped by a few…read moremonths ago during Lunar New Year and were shocked by how picturesque it is once you're here. They are not open to the public during the week (members only and all the chants are done in Vietnamese) but on Saturdays, they are open to the public for worship. This is mostly run by volunteers and a few monks (they call them masters) and everyone is very friendly and nice. Though we do not speak Vietnamese they were very welcoming to us. I would highly recommend if you're Vietnamese and looking for a Buddhist temple to visit or be a part of.

The most beautiful stunning temple. The food is amazing and delicious. The people are kind and I…read morelove it here. 10000000000/5 stars if I could live here I would.

The Master Monk of the new Hai Tang Buddhist Temple is named Nhat Thanh. He practiced several years…read morein India, the origin land of Buddha. If you ever get the chance, please visit this temple and say hello to Monk Nhat Thanh. Overall, it's such a wonderful and peaceful experience. Despite your need for the visit, whether it's for a spiritual guidance or daily prayer, this temple is open every day of the week and everyone is extremely welcoming. You and your soul will definitely find a sense of peace and calmness as your worries and sorrows will also fade away here. In addition, there's plenty of vegetarian dishes available each day for you to choose and purchase from; every dish is made with so much love and care. Your donations will go a long way to help further build the temple. There's also group prayers every Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday around 7pm along with weekend gatherings. The environment here is like no other, the Hai Tang Temple is truly so beautiful and spacious. I love this temple with all my heart and I know your donations would be greatly appreciated here as well!