Dharma Jewel Monastery (法寶寺) — Local services in Tucker

this place confuses me,

you can't be like buddha by being like buddha lol...

this is referred to as chan buddhism yes? or a "branch" of, a guy who lived a respected life?

you ever heard the phrase "you can't see the forest for/from the trees"?

you can't get the big picture, without zooming in to see closely, zooming out to see everything,

all perspectives. yes you might be familiar.

Buddha, I mean originally the story goes,

a royal man looked around and was upset about the unfairness in his city, so left his position of power to sorta live life working with strangers and enjoying himself

then you all formed this ridiculous stuff around him...and he'd be laughing at you all.

I see people come here in fancy cars, in nice outfits, and they look for this thing they call "enlightenment"

Buddha never said he was enlightened, he said he was happy and people wanted that for themselves.

listen well.

I just care, I don't need a reason to, I'll say positive or negative if it has an outcome of growth, so here I am I'm sorry.

I mean, when I was a kid I thought my parents fancy clothes were weird I thought the need of shinier cars or bigger homes or constantly moving was weird.

so much of society as a kid I thought made no sense and seemed, boring

wow nice watch and shoes and etc, mine are like 8 years old now I don't really need a watch either

I don't understand, the vast majority of you.

I sold my car when i realized I could be fine without it, I go to grocery, doctor, some hobby, don't really need a car for 99% of living, and I rent one, or ask a friend when I need it

I just can't handle the ethics of vehicle ownership, eventuality says me or someone WILL be injured because of my choice to drive. it would be my fault no matter what. whether or not that's true, the weight on my conscious is real, I can't accept the risk.

bicycle, actually turned out to be so great I got bored one day and road down to Alabama, took me....6 hours.... and that's not even considered competitive

people generally disappoint me so much,

we have more vacant housing than we do homeless people

this monastery is big, massive, taking up so much land and space, in a very toxic neighborhood (don't even get me started)

is this really what buddha wants?

You're all here for yourselves. and you see this the same way you see a Christian church.

if you need conformity and validation, look no further you've found it here.

if you want to be like the buddha, start with figuring out how to bring your community together.

take a 20 minute walk down the street to Henderson park and help turn things around there maybe, when I was going there the trail was poorly kept, the recreational facilities were lacking, not much activity there

you want to be enlightened? you'd have to have a genuine care for our society in a way that you actively bring people up (in a permanent way. "I give food" "I donate" is cheap method of self validation.)

have passions, have a craft, it's ok. learn the difference between "I'm materialistic" and "I want to create or study"

seek growth, and never do it alone. and even when you aren't alone include others when you can.

include people you don't even like or trust

anyways modern Buddhists don't seem to do anything but practice this in a selfish self centered way

I say again

"the" buddha would be laughing at the idea that we made all this around his simple realization that

none of us would be here or have anything without eachother

and you'll never know enlightenment until you've stopped trying to grow your life and instead started growing your self and your community

absolutely beautiful, giant...

Attending the meditation class was a transformative experience that offered both serenity and structure in equal measure. The instructor’s calm presence and clear guidance created a safe space for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, gently introducing breathing techniques, mindfulness practices, and body awareness exercises. The environment was peaceful, and clean that fostered deep focus. What stood out most was the balance between theory and practice—learning not just how to meditate, but why it matters. After just one session, I left feeling noticeably more centered, calm, and present—a rare gift in today’s...

My time at this monastery has been nothing but positive. From the moment I stepped in, the atmosphere was welcoming. I especially enjoyed the guided meditations as the Shifu taught us more than just the technicalities of meditating. I learned about positive mindsets, compassion, patience, and everything that now helps me keep my life calm and reassuring. I was able to shift to a weekly routine that helps me reset and reconnect with myself. Which I definitely needed as a college student.

I cannot recommend this...