Salt Lake Buddhist Temple — Local services in Salt Lake City

I am sorry, but I really need to correct a review as I am a member of the sister-Temple in Ogden and have serious doubts the reviewer has ever set foot in a Jodo-Shinshu Temple. While the review is positive, it is based on stereotypes. The original review is as follows:

"Lovely temple attended by both Japanese and American Buddhists. The Zen tradition is well preserved here."

First, the temple is attended by people of multiple racial backgrounds. The "Japanese" who attend are Americans. According to the review, it seems as though Japanese Buddhists (as in Buddhists whose genetic lineage is Japanese) are not "Americans". It further mislabels the Japanese Buddhists (as in practitioners of Japanese Buddhism) who happen to be White (Japanese and Caucasian are the predominant demographics at this temple) as "American Buddhists".

Second, and most glaringly: I am not sure how the "Zen tradition" is so well preserved here, since this is not a Zen temple - It is a Jodo-Shinshu Temple in the Pure Land tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. Zen is a Mahayana sect but is a meditative sect, not Pure Land. Pure Land Buddhism focuses on recitation of a sutra (usually Nembutsu) with little to no focus on mediation. Zen focuses on Meditation. The two are very different and anyone who spends even two minutes making conversation in a Jodo-Shinshu setting will be made aware of this fact. Maybe the reviewer meant to review the Zen Temple and didn't realize there were other Japanese Buddhist sects in Utah?

I will say, that both Pure Land and Japanese cultural tradition are very well preserved here.

I'm glad to see positive reviews, but it's even better when they happen to be based on...

We went there for the Japanese food festival. Organization was very simple: buy tickets $1=1 ticket. Join the line and simply pay with your tickets for for food and services. There were multiple items of traditional Japanese food: Yakitori, Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki, sushi and more. Each meal was around 5-6 tkts($5-6) which was a great value. Very nice that this kind of events are taking...

My family and I favorite place. The community and service are truly amazing. Come as you are! I always leave feeling very positive and it helps me to check-in...