Buddhist Temples and Centers in the Los Angeles Area
Wilshire Center Interfaith Council


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Rev. Kusala on "VOA"
...American Buddhism Keeps Asian Influence, Adapts to West...

This week's visit of the Dalai Lama to the United States is focusing attention on American Buddhism, which is growing because of the influx of Asian immigrants and conversion of Westerners to the faith. American Buddhism retains its Asian flavor, but is adapting to Western ways.

Rev. Kusala on "PRI"
...Rev. Kusala on 'Public Radio International'...

Vietnamese immigrants in California have a white American monk Kusala Bhikshu teach Buddhism to their kids because they think they will relate to the teacher and to his English. Lisa Napoli reports for PRI from Long Beach.

Against the Stream
...Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society was founded by Noah Levine...

Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society was founded by Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and Against the Stream, to make the teachings of the Buddha available to all who are interested. We wish to create and sustain communities of healthy, accountable, wise and compassionate people from every walk of life. We welcome people from all racial, economic, sexual, social, political and religious backgrounds and preferences and believe that the path of awakening is attainable by all and should be available to all.

Insight LA
...Under the direction of dharma teacher Trudy Goodman, InsightLA offers mindfulness meditation...

Under the direction of dharma teacher Trudy Goodman, InsightLA offers mindfulness meditation for the curious beginner, as well as intensive training for more experienced students. We are a community of caring and friendly practitioners – come join us! We welcome people of all colors, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. Our programs are made available to all individuals, independent of economic means.

The L.A. Dharma Web Site
...A focal point for insight meditation in Los Angeles...

L.A.Dharma is a non-sectarian Buddhist organization. Our mission is to create a focal point for insight meditation and to help develop community. Buddhist ethics, traditions, and practices inspire our activities. We host retreats, offer meditation groups, workshops and classes.

The Asian Classics Institute, Los Angeles
...Offers formal study courses in Buddhism...

The Asian Classics Institute of Los Angeles, a Worldview Center (ACI-LA*) regularly offers Formal Study Courses, Dharma Essentials Courses, Guided Meditations, and informal and introductory Drop-in Events for those dedicated to the serious study and personal practice of the original teachings of the Buddha. All classes and events are offered free of charge. While the teachings always remain grounded in the authentic tradition of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism as it was preserved by the Tibetan lineages, they are designed to help you live a better and happier life right here in Los Angeles.

Urban Dharma - Meditation with Rev. Kusala
...Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays...

UrbanDharma.org - hosts a Buddhist discussion group led by Rev. Kusala at the International Buddhist Meditation Center on Wednesday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The focus is on understanding Buddhism in the context of our everyday lives through study of the sutras, sharing personal stories, and discussion.

...News and Media...

Zen, USA
...Mary Rourke, LA Times...

In the Student Union Building of Cal Poly Pomona, over a lunch of Gummi Bears and sodapop, the members of the Buddhist Assn. are gathered to learn about the religious traditions of their parents and grandparents. They say it is one part of the family heritage their relatives all but left behind in China, Vietnam or other countries where Buddhism has thrived.

Soul Searching
...Janet Kinosian, LA Times...

It's a shocking image--even to the accustomed eye. Fourteen children, the oldest of whom is 11, are lined up, marching with hands clasped tight behind their backs at Central Juvenile Hall in East Los Angeles. The youngest child, 8 years old, is outfitted in bright orange prison garb, signifying he is a high-risk violent offender, a category that includes murder, assault and armed robbery.

Frenzy Without, Peace Within
...Sorina Diaconescu...

When Lynn Noto, a 36-year-old from Los Angeles now completing her doctoral studies in psychotherapy, was traveling around India in 1997, she was seeking not enlightenment, mind you, but 10 minutes of clarity in her life. That, and a cup of hot chocolate, which she found at a restaurant in Dharamsala.

UCLA Students Resurrect Campus Buddhism
...by Peijean Tsai...

Raised by a Vietnamese Buddhist mother, Amie McCampbell never felt alienated from Buddhism. An altar with the Buddha's likeness permanently sat in her parents' home, she attended pagodas and wore a necklace with a tiny gold Buddha for years during high school.

Zen Abbot Gives a U.S. look to an Asian faith;
...Teresa Watanabe, LA Times...

New head of L.A. Buddhist center is dropping some of her Soto sect's Japanese traditions and emphasizing a more American combination of social action, interfaith work and egalitarian exchange.; She has led "street retreats" on skid row, injected feminism into a patriarchal liturgy and sponsored interfaith gatherings with a Jewish rabbi and a Catholic priest.

...Articles and Prose from Los Angeles...


Nothing Special
...Tom (Ksanti) O'Connor...

In about six weeks four of us are to receive our brown robes. It marks a significant milestone in our practice. And this summer, during our monks training, I feel that Rev. Karuna has been setting traps to help us on our journey.

Lessons from Buddhism
...Jennie Sykes Knight...

When I studied Zen Buddhism briefly in college, one of our text books was called Zen mind, Beginner’s mind. The idea is that the goal is to cultivate the mind of a beginner, or, as my karate teacher used to say, “come with an empty cup.”

Living in Community with Others
...Rev. Kusala...

West Covina Buddhist Temple's well-attended Spring Ohigan Service on March 19, 2000 was, in one sense at least, an historic event. It was the first time our Ohigan speaker was not also from the Shin tradition.

Settling into the Heart of Buddha
...Sensei Egyoku...

This month, I want to introduce you to the Sixteen Observances of the Zen Peacemaker Order and to share briefly some perspectives on precept practice.

What kind of person is drawn to Buddhism?
...Curt Darling...

Just about anyone - as regulars at the Khandakapala Buddhist Center (KBC) will testify. Our community is aged anywhere between 22 to 62 and includes attorneys, actors and teachers. In the first of a new series, we will meet the people who make up the KBC as we get up close and personal with someone new each month.

Mudras In Buddhism
Rev. Lynn "Jnana" Sipe

Mudras are one of six principle iconographic themes in Buddhism, particularly in esoteric Buddhism. Briefly noted, these other principle thematic elements are mandalas, asanas, thrones, aureoles, and implements and accessories of the deities.

Buddhism In the Numbers
Rev. Lynn "Jnana" Sipe

The rather inelegant title of today’s talk, “Buddhism in the Numbers”, does an injustice to the elegance of the subject itself, the role of numbers in communicating the dharma.

The European Discovery of Indian Buddhism
...Rev. Lynn "Jnana" Sipe...

It is only with the arrival of the British that the destruction of India’s past was reversed and its recovery was begun, thanks to the persistent efforts of a handful of brilliant and inspired individuals.

An Irreverent Look at Zen in America
...Rev. Jñana...

Zen has had a significant religious impact in America for at least half a century. For most of that time its influence has been limited to literature and the arts in addition to a small, but growing, sangha of ordained teachers and practitioners. In recent years, however, popularized notions of Zen have entered the cultural mainstream of American society so that Zen has become a trendy buzzword.

...by Kusala Bhikshu...

Rev. Kusala's Calendar / Talks and Times

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The Five Precepts
...Kusala Bhikshu...

The five precepts are the foundation of Buddhist practice. Some of the five precepts are found in the Noble Eightfold Path under the category of personal discipline. In that category we find, right speech, right action and right livelihood.

How I Became a Buddhist
...Kusala...

At the age of twenty-eight, I went through what you might call an early mid-life crisis. I quit my job of seven years and went on a forty-five day road trip. I drove cross-country, sleeping at rest stops, in cheap motels, and campgrounds. The road trip offered me a chance to see how other people lived, and time to reflect on what my life was all about.

Do Buddhists go to Heaven?
...Kusala...

I've had the good fortune of speaking about Buddhist afterlife to a number of Christians. One of the things that prompted me to investigate Buddhist afterlife was giving a talk at Central Juvenile Hall. A Catholic girl said I was going to hell, because I didn't believe in God and Jesus Christ.

Do Buddhists believe in God?
...Kusala...

Why is it... The Buddha never talked about the One God of the desert, the Judeo-Christian God? Does this mean that all Buddhists are atheists and don’t believe in God? Did the Buddha believe in God?

The Problem With Sex in Buddhism
...Kusala...

It seems these days in Los Angeles, it's OK to do or be anything you want sexually... And if you're lucky enough to find your true sexual identity, you will be happy and fulfilled the rest of your life.

Buddhist Enlightenment vs Nirvana
...Kusala...

When I first started reading books on Buddhism back in the late 1970’s, I had trouble understanding *Nirvana and Enlightenment. These two words were often used interchangeably by authors writing on the *Theravada and *Mahayana traditions. Sometimes though, the meaning seemed to change depending on who was doing the writing.

The Blues Harmonica and Buddhism
...Kusala...

The first time I heard someone play the blues on a harmonica, it moved me so much, I just had to learn how to play. I found myself in McCabes Guitar Shop back in the 1980's and there on the shelf was a booklet and audio cassette, 'Blues Harmonica for the Musical Idiot' by David Harp.

An Overview of Buddhist Meditation
...Kusala Bhikshu...

Meditation is the second category of the Eight-Fold Path. The three category's are; Personal Discipline, Mental Perfection, and Wisdom.

Buddhist Centers in North America

BuddhaNet.net North American Directory

Buddhist Web-Sites of Special Interest

Special Thanks to the Buddha Project @ www.BuddhaProject.blogspot.com