Midwest Buddhist Temple — Attraction in Chicago

I am leaving a four star review because I have yet to visit more often, and I am unaware of what is offered during the week. I attended a Sunday morning group meditation before service with my seasonal allergies, and was passive-aggressively cajoled into wearing a mask, spreading bacteria in a room that seemed full of individuals attached to a fear of a dry cough. So there is an issue of an attachment to cleanliness over logic and courtesy that I hope has changed, since a drank tea with saliva in it multiple times in the last year. I have also shown up after traveling great distances only to find an unopened door. So I hope this place gets it together, and improves their promotion as well. Otherwise, it was more like a Western church service than what you would expect in Japan. There is an emphasis on culture that slightly discriminates the dire need for compassion in Chicago at this time. But I assume much of the weekly goings-on are excellent in...

This organization solicited organizers of the Old Town Art Fair to offer artists parking at the temple during the show. The price printed in the vendor packets was $200. My friend, who traveled a thousand miles to participate in the event, drove her truck through Old Town during rush hour on a Friday after setting up her booth. When she got to the temple the staff asked her for $400. She showed them the printed offer; they told her that was wrong. After another hour in traffic she found public parking, not listed in the vendor packet, for less than $200. We informed the art fair organizers of this bait-and-switch. Hopefully, the temple won't be officially recommended to artists for parking in...

The architecture and Japanese garden drew me in, but the welcoming and organized Pure Land Sangha keeps me coming back. If you're on a journey towards balance, liberation, or self-awareness, this place can serve as a home base for fellowship and family fun. Services are held weekly in person and on Zoom each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. MBT has an array of clubs, activities, and volunteer opportunities for all. I highly recommend coming by for the big annual Ginza block party next summer for food, music, Buddhist books, and traditional Japanese attire. Check out the newsletter to see when the children's Dharma School is in...