Ever wondered where to find a place of meditation for the Sakyas? That place is the Santa Monica Buddhist Center. Established in 2010 by Lama Jampa Thaye, this center is also known as Sakya Samten Ling. That name means “The place of meditation of the Sakyas.”
The Santa Monica Buddhist Center is located off Main Street in Santa Monica. It provides a wide array of classes. These classes include meditation plus Buddhist thought and philosophy. They occur on Saturdays.
For practitioners, the center offers a full program. This program includes Vajrayana group meditations. These meditations focus on Green Tara and Chenrezik.
The Santa Monica Buddhist Center had a great honor in 2018. Both His Holiness Sakya Trichen and His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin visited. They gave blessings and teachings.
The Sakya Buddhist Center is administered by the Dechen Foundation. This is a 5013c non-profit corporation. It is registered in the State of California.
Los Angeles is known for its diverse religious landscape. There are 184 Buddhist centers in Los Angeles County. They have around 91700 adherents. Buddhism came to Los Angeles in the early 20th century. Japanese immigrants introduced it. The first Buddhist temple was the Southern California Buddhist Church. It was established in 1905. Rev. Koyu Uchida was its first minister.
Later, the church became Hongwanji Buddhist Church of Los Angeles. It moved to Yamato Hall in 1917. In 1925, they built a new temple. It was at Central Avenue and First Street. Fifteen years later, the name changed again. It became Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. A replacement temple opened in 1969. It is at 815 East First Street. It is associated with Nishi Hongwanji-ha. That temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Kyoto, Japan.
According to Dr. Diana Eck, Los Angeles is a complex Buddhist city. It includes Thai Korean Sri Lankan Vietnamese Zen Chinese and Japanese Buddhist communities.
So, whether you are a seasoned practitioner or just curious, the Santa Monica Buddhist Center offers a welcoming space. It is a place to explore Buddhist teachings and practices. Its rich history and dedication to meditation make it a unique spiritual hub in Santa Monica.