Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation USA

Beautiful, majestic, and inspirational.
If you are looking for a festive buddhist temple, then Hsi Lai temple is a better introduction. However, if you are looking for serenity and inspiration, then visit the Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation in San Dimas.
Thanks to the previous reviewer who mentioned about the unmarked road, I was able to find the place. It’s beautifully located at the former campus of Cal Poly (before they moved to Pomona). All the buildings are hispanic and historic.
This place does not have the typical buddhist temple architecture, but the essence of buddhism is all present. Stroll around the beautiful campus, take a 10 minute meditation in the chapel, or sit down and have coffee at the Buddhist bookstore. There are also classes for children and adults on Sundays.
The essence of the Tzu Chi Foundation is to inspire greater love in the society through humanitarian initiatives, rather than just through chanting and inner work. Visit this campus, and you will be inspired.

This place is like a little hidden treasure that no one knows about (except for every Taiwanese person in So. Cal I guess.) When you drive into Tzuchi (pronounced tsiji or ciji), it’s a little disconcerting. The road deadends into a conservation land (or giant cliff, however you want to call it), but there’s an ity bity access road with giant «private property, no trespassing» signs posted. You have to ignore those warning signs, and drive towards that ity bity access bridge, then greet the security guard at the gate (with a smile and hopefully a little bow) before you’re allowed access. Once you drive into their property it’s like a different world in there. The access road leads you all the way to the top of their 90 acre property where they remodeled an old 1920 Catholic boys’ school into a fabulous Buddhist Foundation campus.
Right next to the parking lot when you go in, on the left hand side, there’s a bookshop. That’s actually normally my «destination», so to speak. This place sells great instant noodles. $ 5/​pack, preservative free. They also sell instant rice, instant soup, instant what have you, reusable chopsticks, reusable bento boxes, all kinds of environmentally friendly products, handmade soap, handmade candles, books and tapes on Buddhism, clothing and other merchandise made out of recycled materials, etc. Let’s just say I accidentally or not so accidentally dropped a lot of money in their bookstore.
Their foundation also holds classes on campus. While I’ve not yet attended their classes, I’ve always intended to do so. They have classes on ikebana, soap making, painting, calligraphy, cooking, jewelry making, dancing, English, choir, Buddhism teachings, etc.
My favorite time of the year at their campus would be towards the end of the year when their students have a yearly celebration. Why? You ask? The secret is too awesome this I have to keep to myself. If you’re curious, find out when their «graduation ceremony» is around December and attend it. I accidentally stumbled upon it last year and let’s just say I will find a way to be there again this year.
I hesitate to leave such a stellar review of this place because I’d hate to see it to turn into another Hsilai Temple where it’s commercialized and crowded to the N-​th degree, but honestly this little sanctuary deserves the stellar review.

Tzu Chi Go Go Go !!!