San Luis Obispo Buddhist Church

I made a pitstop at this Jodo Shinshu temple on my way biking from Grover Beach to SLO. It was closed when I arrived. There was an elderly couple in front of the temple. They were very friendly and told me to close the gate when I head out. The shrine was closed so I couldn’t get in, but through the glass door, I could see part of the interior. Everything seems very organized. There is a sense of stillness in every corner. They have a shelf full of brochures covering a variety of topics. I was surprised to see that they even talk about same-​sex marriage. I googled it up and found that Jodo Shinshu has a very positive and accepting attitude towards same-​sex marriage. They have weekly service going on. Don’t miss this place if you’re passing by!

After coming to this temple for about 8 years for Buddhist Retreats, it is a great place for a religious getaway. The temple is surrounded by many trees and nice scenery. The weather in the summer usually hovers around mid-​70s, which is very nice, though it can get cold at night.
The main hondo is pretty spacious and nice, while there is a large room downstairs for meals and workshop activities, next to a kitchen. There is also one larger hut closeby and several small huts down the stairs. Not to mention, Avila Beach is only a ten minute drive away, which has been great for beach services and just hanging out.
Being in the middle of NorCal and SoCal, it is no wonder that weekends at SLO temple are filled with these retreats :)

This church is tucked away on Ontario Road, off the San Luis Bay Road exit off the 101. The entrance way is across the street from the Bob Jones Bike Trail parking lot, and you’d never expect to see a church here tucked away in the middle of no where between Avila Beach and San Luis Obispo even if you were looking for it.
The building was built in the 1960’s, and it’s fairly authentic in the Japanese-​Buddhist décor factor. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty convinced they must have called a Japanese traditional temple architect during the time it was built when they decided to move from central SLO downtown area to this place.
The services are not every weekend due to the fact that Rev. Fujii also doubles as the reverend for Guadalupe Buddhist Temple in Santa Maria.
It’s not like Gardena Buddhist Church where they have a large congregation of old Japanese retirees or anywhere from 40 – 250 attendees per service. SLO’s congregation is much smaller, with maybe 20 regular patrons visiting every weekend, maybe down to 9 or so not including the Dharma teacher if attendance is low. It’s really interesting because it’ll be a shock to most Japanese-​American Buddhists who grew up going to Buddhist Churches. In Gardena where I’m from, it’s the Japanese retirees who go faithfully every Sunday/​weekend and the young families that will show once in a while, or when Dharma School is in session, or when there’s a big service like Ohigan or Hanamatsuri (Buddhist equivalent of Easter). Here in SLOBC, it’s the total opposite. Every weekend there’ll be the same young, white, or somewhat newcomers to the temple, and the Japanese veterans come only when there’s important services. Not saying it’s wrong; just unusual.
But I don’t blame these people for only showing up once in while – the place is not easy to get to. I once found a stranded couple with car trouble one night on Ontario Road on my way to church and had to take the wife back into SLO to get her to an AMPM to get some anti-​freeze so they can get their car started back up again. The temple LITERALLY hides behind that big hill between the PG&E facility and the Johova’s Witness church, and the entrance is even more so tucked away.
I like that the church is in a quiet, secluded area though. Every time I go there for church, I feel like I’m in my own little safe haven. The people there are very friendly, very resourceful, and few of the most open-​minded, warm-​blooded people I know on this planet. I live 200 miles south of San Luis now, but every so often I like to go up to visit because I’ve made friends with people there whom I consider irreplaceable.
If it isn’t the friendly atmosphere, the warm welcome you receive from the regulars, or the not-​so-​fluent English speaking minister that makes you want to go there, try going there at 10AM when the gates open and walk around the temple until service starts at 10:30. Take in deep, slow breaths and savor every sight and sound while you observe the small Japanese zen garden in front of the temple, or the view of the mountains, trails, and wine orchards in the back of the temple. I guarantee you once you feel that serene, crisp air and find peace within yourself, you’ll want to come back again. :)