Wonderful and welcoming people here. We had never been to a Buddhist temple of any kind before…read more(sadly) and this was our first experience. I had wanted to visit this place many times before but I was too "scared" to go alone. FINALLY the husband had a Sunday off where he doesn't have to work and they're having their service. When we arrived we parked in the back parking lot, which had plenty of space, and we kinda just followed another couple inside hoping they knew where they were going. We lost track of them however and asked a nice lady in the office where to go for the service. She actually walked us upstairs and introduced us to a gentleman who gave us a tour and explained what the service was like. I really appreciated this since I had no clue what sect of Buddhism this was; spoilers it's the Jodo Shinshu sect of pure land Buddhism (very common in Japan). My knowledge on Buddhism is really more for another sect so his explanation of the service and the book went a long way. The service I would describe exactly how he said to us "very Americanized with some traditional elements thrown in there". I was weirdly reminded of a Christian worship service with the pews and the layout of the temple; although obviously no cross at the end of the pews. They also have a Sunday school (Dharma School) portion and on this Sunday they had a lady read a children's book to everyone. For me I wasn't really a fan of this, I found it silly and took that opportunity to read the book more. After the children were excused to the Dharma class they had the "adult" portion of the service which was lots of chanting and lessons from the book. The singing and what not again reminded me of a Christian service. I'm not saying this like it is a negative thing, just "warning" you in the event you're expecting more of a sitting on the floor sort of experience. After service was over we had the opportunity to burn incense and give thanks. A few people gave us warm welcomes and we spoke to a few for a good while. Another thing you will notice is the members of the temple range greatly in age and race. If you're afraid to come here because you'll stick out; don't be. Everyone was welcoming (well except a few snotty tweens but that's kinda common anywhere lol!) We also came back for the mochituski weekend to get delicious mochi and help support the temple. The neighborhood is a bit rough I won't lie but their parking lot seems safe (parking in the neighborhood was a bit harder). They do allow you to take photos after the service but I felt out of respect I would forego that this time. :) I will be back and I recommend you check it out too if for no other reason than to learn about other cultures and beliefs. Make sure you go on their website to double check they're having a service that Sunday however. They often have special events or fundraisers going on and do not have normal service.

Not really a review on the temple itself. Sunday they had a Japanese cultural bazaar, which…read moreapparently they hold every year. It's basically a fund raiser for the church. All kinds of cool stuff goin on. There was a Taiko drum group there along with a Okinawan group singing traditional songs. An anime workshop with local Neko Press artist Billy Martinez. Folk Dancing, Kenpo demonstation, local traditional art and crafts. Okay, let's get down to brass tax. The food was great! They had teriyaki chicken which they were being generous for six bucks. A grip o chicken. The chow mein was recommended and that came in a mini bucket! I had the Tofu tacos. I know, I know...tofu tacos! They actually weren't all that bad. But If you had to go there for one thing it has to be the strawberry mochi. The best mochi I've ever had! Seriously! The great thing out of all this was that there was no one trying to recruit you into the church or trying to pawn off some religous pamphlets or books. Kinda like those Hairy Krishna's at the airport. They ask you for what ever you can give and they'll give you their book. Then they get all pissy if you give em 65 cents. Yes, I got suckered into givin them money and listening to their spiel. Hey bud that's all I got, now go away. Well there's none of that here. This was a church fund raiser though, and there was an introduction to Buddhism class, but like I said it wasn't forced on you. I guess your Dharmic path will lead you to the Hondo prayer pavillion if that's your higher truth. My Dharma led me to the tofu tacos.

My daughter and I came here with my boyfriend since his father's alter is at this temple. It was my…read morefirst time here. It's a small temple, but very quaint. We didn't meet any monks during our visit, but the people were pleasant. They have a lot of separate areas with different statues of deities and different places where you burn incense and pray. For someone like me who's not accustomed to the rituals, I found it a bit confusing to bounce from room to room, not knowing which deity was responsible for governing what. I was told for someone who's a devout Buddhist, there's an order to the various prayer locations and each statue of a deity has a different meaning, so you know who you're praying to. It looks like I need a few lessons on becoming a Buddhist.

I have been coming here since I was young. It's very spacious, there's different statues throughout…read morethe temple allowing you to pray at each one for something different. The interior is clean and bright. The monks are very kind and always smiling. Occasionally you can eat vegan food here and the food is cooked well. ------------------------- Today, I went to the temple for a *special & big event*. It was loud and fun! The tables were nicely spread out and everyone was having a good time. There were water bottles already on the table and coke available as well. We had two plates, a napkin, chopsticks, & a spoon. There were so many dishes-- I think 9 different ones came out. Which were all made by different temples. The Monks came around and said hi to each table as well.

Small temple, nice decor for the new year. Not open any other time besides April.read more

A buddhist temple nestled within a busy street off a f 43rd street…read more Visited it by recommendation of a friend. Not sure if free vegetarian food is offered every Sunday but the day I went, it did. It was delicious and people are so nice & kind and keep offering me more. A must visit if you want to try out their delicious vegetarian food & a place to pray and find peace. I have heard they have also started monthly meditation sessions. Will check it out one of these days.

I came here today with my dad and uncle to visit my mom's urn that has been placed in this temple…read morefor almost 2 years. When my mom was still with us, we visited this temple every Lunar New Year. Now that she's gone, we still keep the tradition. My parents were devout worshippers who dedicated every Sunday towards volunteering here, rain or shine, year round. Parking here is a bit challenging since the city converted all of the nearby street parking into bike lanes on either side of the road. Honestly, I do not see the point in this because I have yet to see a biker in the many times I've visited this temple! You have to be creative and find parking along other streets. This temple is known for its excellent vegetarian food at a very reasonable price. Even Phuong Trang restaurant orders vegetarian egg rolls from them in bulk. You have to try their egg rolls, it's pretty amazing! On Sundays, there is complimentary food at noon for fellow worshippers. They really go all out and the food is great! Definitely check it out!

I came here with my dad on the first day of the Lunar New Year to burn incense and make offerings…read moreto welcome the Year of the Snake 2025. The temple was beautifully decorated with New Year decor with beautiful backdrops.

This place has incredible energy! Coming here was a life changing experience for me! Everyone is…read moresuper nice and caring!

Absolutely gorgeous temple…read more Came here for the first time this year. They have their own private parking lot. We came here late on a friday night around 7pm, and to my surprise, there was almost no one there. I'd assume that this place gets more packed in the daytime. It's a very quiet place, but beautiful environment to take photos. The front outdoor patio area is fully decorated from floor to sky. Completely covered with lanterns on top, A wall adorned with more lanterns, and a wall covered with chinese umbrellas. And we have inside, where we make our prayers and blessings, make sure you take your shoes off before entering! Also beautifully decorated in honor of Buddha. You can spend quite some time here. Must see!

I lean more towards Buddhism as part of my upbringing is deeply ingrained in Buddhist teachings, so…read morenaturally on the first day of Lunar New Year celebrations, I found myself here. A buddy of mine in Boston suggested I check out Fo Guang Shan temples and so today, I made my way here and so glad I did. All the staff here, including the nuns were wonderful. I gave my blessings to Buddhist deities but also honoring my ancestors too. The temple is on the second floor and not suggested to take photos, out of respect. I then bought some wonderful items to support the temple including Buddhist bracelets, a stuffed Lunar New Year horse, and some Buddhist ornaments (maybe thats what they are called). Met a wonderful sister who volunteered with the temple and other temple goers today. Also had a lovely vegetarian lunch with new friends and Buddhist practitioners. I feel very blessed on this 1st day of the Lunar New Year 2026 to spend it here. Thank you for making my heart full and happy.

父母在，人生尚有來處，雙親去， 此生只剩歸途～世上有些東西可以彌補， 有些卻已此生不復相見，不想讓自己有任何遺憾，就該珍惜每次可以相處的時光～…read more 爸媽來美國， 除了參加兒子的高中畢業典禮，我也趁著我們西來寺白塔三會辦的活動， 帶他們坐這種上車睡覺，下車尿尿的行程，非常適合老人家的，兩個小蘿蔔頭也一起帶出來， 第一站就是來到西方寺， 三位師父非常熱情的招待我們， 不止準備了小禮物， 還有超級好吃的泰式自助餐，非常感謝師父及義工們的熱情，大家若有到 SD 來， 也可以到西方寺來參觀， 禮佛歐！

Since all I see is one angry review, I feel obliged to describe my own positive experiences at this…read moretemple. The last reviewer doesn't go into detail about what left them with a negative impression, but I have visited Wat Lao Boubpharam many times over the last ten years, both on my own and with groups of students, on ordinary days as well as during festivals, and have always found it a very warm and welcoming place. My students and I were mostly white Americans, but we were never ostracized. Quite to the contrary, if festivals or ceremonies were going on, we were always urged to participate. It might have helped that I gave my students a primer in basic temple etiquette before showing up. I also made sure my students knew that many of the older people in the local Lao community do not speak English well -- I wonder if what the other reviewer experienced as rejection might have come down to a language barrier? Or perhaps just different cultural expectations about what Buddhism is and how it should be practiced (which can be *very* different from place to place). But Wat Lao Boubpharam gives a wonderfully authentic experience of Lao Buddhism, and in the course of my own life, I have encountered few people in this world more generous and welcoming to outsiders than Lao Buddhists.