Fo Guang Shan Miami Temple — Local services in Tamarac

A Beautiful Experience with a Minor Social Challenge

My visit to Fo Guang Shan temple was overwhelmingly positive. The temple itself is a serene and beautiful space, perfect for quiet contemplation. The service was moving and accessible, even for someone relatively new to Buddhist practice.

The highlight was undoubtedly the communal meal served afterwards. The food was delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and offered in a spirit of generosity that was truly touching. It's a wonderful way to connect with the community.

My experience, however, was slightly impacted by the person I was seated with. While the community was largely warm and welcoming, my conversation with an individual (who introduced herself as Karin) was unfortunately quite unpleasant. She was dismissive and condescending when I mentioned I was still learning about the mantras, insisting that not knowing the English translations was a sign of ignorance. This felt contrary to the compassionate and patient spirit I believe the temple embodies.

I want to stress that this seems to be an issue with one individual's behavior and not a reflection of the temple itself. The overall experience was positive, and I would still highly recommend a visit. Perhaps it was a lesson in patience and detachment for me! I look forward to returning and enjoying the wonderful food and...

Since we've never been to a service at this Temple, my review covers only the Chinese New Year celebration. There are several parts to the celebration, but we were only able to get to one. It starts at midnight on CNY, with the ringing of the gong to usher in the new year. There are also Buddhist services and a wide variety of demonstrations. We heard some singers, saw a number of different dances, including the lion dance, and saw some really interesting demonstrations of different defensive arts. The only issues were that is was very crowded (which I know is good for the Temple), and quite hot in the parking lot where a lot of the demonstrations took place. There was also a language barrier with many of the announcements being in Mandarin. They may have repeated the in English, but the acoustics were not very good. The interior of the Temple was very pretty with all of the different decorations. There were gorgeous orchids everywhere. We're just going to have to go back on a "regular day," and take a...

I love Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Miami temple. It is called the Miami Temple, however, the physical location is in Tamarac Florida. I connect with the beautiful space and the warm gracious people who fill it. My friend Jennifer took me there the first time and the service fed my soul in ways I never knew possible. This temple welcomes ALL through their doors. I enjoyed learning Wisdom through their teachings and sharing with others. They have an incredible Chinese New Year celebration. I’m sure their Moon Festival is just as inviting. There is a Fo Guang Shan sister temple in Raleigh NC that I look forward...