I recently attended the 70th annual Teriyaki Bazaar. Wild to think that I've been attending this…read moreevent for decades now, as well as making it a tradition to take my son over the years too. Pro Tip: come early to avoid the lines. We arrived close to 11:00am. Found a parking spot of the road. Ticket lines were short. We were 3rd in line for chicken. It tastes exactly as I remember: falling of the bone deliciousness. We stuffed our faces, grabbed some beers and explored the Hall. A lot of the floral arrangements were already sold. Bake sale seemed to be abundant this year. Homemade goods booths are always my favorite. I picked up two jars of pickles this year for my Best Friend who couldn't come. There was no gambling, no plant sale, no Inari sushi, no kids games and no history exhibit. This temple holds a very special place in my heart. It was sad to see that it was significantly smaller with less booths and exhibits. I understand it's a lot of work, without the volunteers it isn't possible. I guess I need to fly back to volunteer next year!

Started going here in the 9th grade. Met some great people from here from attending the Sunday…read moreservices and Sunday school and from joining the youth group. Lots of great Volleyball practices and tournaments with Dennis and Debbie, Mr. Ito and Marcus. Rev. Hamashita did my older brother's wedding. She also did the funeral services and 49 day service when my dad passed. Lots of great memories here. Oh the mochi pounding days! Watch out for your fingers. That's something everyone should experience. The Teriyaki Bizarre in July is always a great fun event for families and check out the Obon festival right after that if you're interested in the traditional Japanese style of dancing to honor the ancestors and those that have passed. The Sunday services are open to all and it's good to have new blood. It is sad to see the elder Japanese that helped mold the temple for so long thin out.

My experience at Odiyan has inspired me to follow my dreams. I continue…read moreto be involved when time permits creating sacred art. A caring attitude toward each other and Odiyan's vision keeps me involved. Alan O.

I've lived and worked both at Odiyan and nearby Ratna Ling Retreat Center for almost 3 years around…read more2012 to 2015. Since then I've come back regularly every year for a few weeks or a couple of months at a time. Odiyan is a hidden gem, an otherworldly place, like no other I've ever been. Life at Odiyan is very simple, work is very hard, but the time you spend there is so so worthwhile, heart opening and life changing. The way the community immerses itself into spiritual practice at Odiyan is through work, the daily practices and study. There's a lot to do at Odiyan. The grounds are immense and breathtaking wherever you look, and the amount and scope of projects are remarkable. The Buddhist teachings manifest at Odiyan as sacred symbols, temples, prayer wheels, stupas, books, online programs, and the grounds of this amazing unique mandala. Life and work at Odiyan are one. People there embrace the projects as their own, and the grounds as their own home. Having your mind and body immersed in the beauty of Odiyan's nature, and in the sacredness of what you work with, puts you face to face with your own idea of self, and with the purpose of being here in this planet. You meet your own resistance, and your own potential as human being to overcome it. Odiyan teaches you that you can be and accomplish much more that you ever thought you could. This is not your typical meditation retreat center, it's a place where people come to engage with concentrated spiritual practice that manifests through their work in the sacred art and construction projects, the gardens, care for the land and animals, the kitchen work and the practices and classes. My life was transformed by working and living at Odiyan and with this community, and for that I will always be thankful to this amazing community and its Founder. I don't think there's many other places on earth were you can have such a powerful experience. I would recommend anyone that is seriously considering a spiritual path or that loves simple life and hard but fulfilling work to try Odiyan for at least 6 months. This is the most amazing place to take an extended break from you habitual, worldly life.

I have been inspired to visit here for a while and finally found the chance…read more The campus is very well kept. Love seeing the peacock family touring around with a nice diversity of the family members and their squirrel friends. I love how friendly people here are. I especially appreciate my experience at the bookstore/gift shop. They helped me find the perfect GuanYin for my meditation area and showed me many tips. I only wish that they can host somewhat frequent weekend retreats. I would love to come back to practice over the weekend. Many thanks to the wonderful people practicing here or helping out here. They also offer free books too at the hall. Would come back for another visit tmrw.

If you've never been to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you should definitely visit! ‍ We stopped…read moreby on our way to Mendocino, and it was amazing. We really enjoyed walking around and exploring the beautiful and peaceful grounds. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a large Buddhist monastery in Ukiah, California. The community includes a temple, schools, a vegetarian restaurant, and an animal sanctuary. The "Ten Thousand Buddhas" refers to the thousands of Buddha statues lining the walls of its temple. It is known for its peaceful, meditative environment and its emphasis on spreading Buddhist teachings, especially the principles of non-violence, vegetarianism, and mindfulness. We dined at the Jyun Kang Vegetarian restaurant and had crispy noodles and vegetables, fried rolls, and sweet and sour protein balls. All were very tasty!

Serene and beautiful monastery grounds. Happy to discover a hidden gem in the hills. When you first…read moreturn in you'll drive along a small tree-lined road and go up the hill to their gated entrance. You may have to call their intercom to enter through the gate if they are not currently hosting an event. When you first visit, go to the reception office for an intro about the monastery and their activities. You can join their regularly scheduled meditation classes and dharma classes. The building to the left of that is where they hold Buddhist classes and talks. To the left of that is a small hill and walking nature loop to see a Kuan Yin statue placed within a circular, eight petaled lotus mandala. The walk has beautiful views of the surrounding distance. Down towards the right is the temple, which is only open to the public during events. They recently finished some renovations inside their main temple and outside gardens. The gardens behind and below the temple opens to expansive views too, yet is still undergoing construction. You can see a small pagoda with a Kuan Yin statue and a rectangle platform with a statue of the Buddha. Inside the temple, it is common etiquette to remove your shoes, place them in a shoe cabinet along the wall, and wear socks inside (no bare feet allowed here) during events. There are bathrooms and a water station too. I joined a recent Friday meditation gathering and it was nicely organized and run very well. They have a welcoming sangha community too.

Beautiful scenery and grounds. The peace I felt was incredible. I love it here. I highly recommend.read more

So... would you like an update? It's worse. I am not knocking all the amazing teachers that come…read morethrough there, or Kornfield etc... just the elitism in the way its run. I mean, they say in their mission statement they're grounded in Buddha's teachings. I'm sorry, I still don't see it in action. I suppose I have to admit that this exclusiveness approach is serving some people in the community, and so I up my stars to two, but my heart knows this is anything but Buddha like. I don't wish to be negative, but I do feel, especially in times like these, that it's important to be honest and authentic. Small "elitisms" (if you will), are part of a larger dynamic. Its time we started looking at little closer at the reasons behind our choices. Thanks for reading. May all beings know peace.

I've just returned home from a 9-day silent meditation retreat at Spirit Rock. It was my first long…read moreretreat, but the teachers made it very comfortable and easy for me. They all have had enough experience (some of them decades) to know just what I was experiencing. The land at SR is breathtakingly beautiful, and the buildings have been designed to blend into the landscape. There are multiple hiking trails that are accessible from the main campus, and all of them take you along beautiful routes. The guest houses ("dormitories") are simple yet have everything you need. Some retreat centers have you bring your own linens and toiletries, but SR supplies you. There is a mini-pharmacy for personal items you forgot and also for remedies, should you need them. The teachers were just wonderful, as were the staff. I must give a special nod to the kitchen staff, who worked hard and delivered one outstanding vegetarian meal after another. I enjoyed every aspect of my retreat. Other reviewers mentioned that they thought SR was too expensive, and while I admit their retreats are a bit pricey, having read the specifics on several other retreat centers around the country, I did feel as if I was getting the "luxury" version of a meditation retreat. In the meditation hall, retreatants will find every possible combination of cushions and chairs so you can be as comfortable as possible during sits and, as I mentioned, you don't need to bring your own linens. You also don't need to bring body wash, shampoo/conditioner, or body lotion. Vegan, cruelty-free products are supplied in the guest houses. All in all, I was just thrilled with my experience at SR and look forward to a return visit in the future.

Happy that there's a local Thai buddist temple in the Fairfield area. The monks are friendly…read more Sometimes they have festivals where volunteers make authentic Thai food to get donations in for the temple. They also have events for Thai citizens to get their Thai passports and Thai ID cards renewed. Very convenient!

Beautiful temple with very nice monks. Come and see for yourself…read more Wat Chaimongkol is well known by supporting from the people in different locations such as Bay areas, Fairfield, San Francisco and etc. Later on, June 25, 2009 is regarded as the best auspicious day of the time 9 A.M. and 9 minutes. All monks officially moved in living until now. Nowadays, Wat Chaimongkol is also officially acknowledged as a member of Assembly of Thai Monks organization so that it is a legal institutation in both secular and religious views. The total area of the current place is nearly a half of an acre with two buildings. In the big building with 2,422 sq. ft., there are 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 1 reception room, 1 kitchen room and 1 dining room. In the small building with 900 sq.ft. there are 2 bedrooms 1 store-room and a 2 car garage. The space between two buildings is suitable for doing activities. Moreover, there is a large area at the front suitable for 10 cars parking excluded from the area of main road and than of informal education school.

It's a beautiful place and the people are even better. It's not what I expected it's so much more.read more

As a former member of SGI-USA, I had heard a lot from them about "the Priesthood issue", which was…read morea covert way of referring to strained relations with Nichiren Shoshu. I was told the Priests are greedy, mean, and power-hungry. However, this couldn't be further from the truth. The Priests are kind, warm, and approachable. The members are open, caring, and loving. The Temple and its administrators value the privacy of the members. I have taken many friends as my guest to the Temple, out of my pride and love for this Temple. It is a very comfortable, even transformative place to be. I find myself making excuses to go there weekly, all the way from Fremont to Pinole! If you are interested in creating peace, joy, and fullfilment in your life, the Buddhism of Nichiren Shoshu is for you! Come check out our Temple!!!

This temple in Concord houses five Thai monks from the Luan Pu Mun lineage of the Thai Forest…read moreTradition (http://www.mybuddha108.com/bio/achan_mun.html). The temple was established twelve years ago to serve the needs of the local Thai community. Welcoming all those interested in Theraveda Buddhist practice emphasizing meditation leading to quieting the conceptual mind and following The Buddha's moral precepts. The monks refrain from gainful employment and rely on the generosity of the lay members for food clothing and shelter. In accord with Buddha's advice the monks stop eating after noon each day to relieve the lay community of the need to respond to their food needs for breakfast lunch and dinner. This temple has the loving support of local SE Asian expats as well as Westerners devoted to Buddhist philosophy. If you are interested in this mission please stop by to see for yourself. Morning chanting 6:30 to 7:30 am, Food offering followed by community meal 10:00 am to 12 noon daily, Daily 1:00 to 4:00 pm quiet meditation space, Sunday's 12:30 pm dharma talk (Thai Language). Most of the lay community speak English and one of the monks is fluent in English. Setting in a tree covered converted residential home.

I came here for the first time with my gf who is thai i wanted to be supportive of her culture and…read moreto learn more of her religion this place has taught me the meaning life, love, and harmony, and that is to love yourself more and never give up on anything!

Such an honor to be invited for a Sunday event with my family…read more Buddhanusorn Thai Temple Fremont The temple was so beautiful and the vegetarian food for lunch was cooked perfect. It is a must visit.

I love this temple Every time me and my husband went to…read morethis temple always make me feel happy and want to praying. Some temple we attend it make me feel scared and not happy, but this one we always go. I recommends this temple because they are always welcome everyone not like some temple at Stockton and sacramento.

This review is for the farm as well as the Green Gulch hiking trail. All of us were quite impressed…read morewith the beauty of the farm produce, and the flowers- very healthy & vibrant. Seems like a pretty neat place to be for a retreat I'm pleased the hike let us through Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. We started at Muir Beach and stayed on the Green Gulch Trail to the crossroads at the top. Definitely some uphill climbing yet doable- met some nice hikers along the way coming down. The views are incredible even with the fog rising over the valley. There was good signage which we appreciated. Back at the beach there are restrooms which was much needed after 6 miles of hiking.

Unreal slice of Heaven nestled in the valley of marin headlands. We hiked from Tennessee Valley to…read moreMuir Beach and decided to hike through the valley on our way back instead of an out and back. What an incredible stumble upon in the midst of our hike. Pictures don't do this beautiful spot justice. It felt unreal when we walked up to the garden then through the zen center. We merely wandered through the grounds, we didn't take advantage of any services so I can't attest to what is available on the grounds besides the incredible gardens. Our round trip hike was almost 10 miles and worth every step taken. Beach, redwoods, valley rolling hills, gardens filled to capacity with beautiful blooms, veggies, and lovingly sculpted grounds. Truly an incredible experience and what a treat to allow it to be open to the public.