This is a list of sanghas in San Diego County, California. All major branches of Buddhism, Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, are represented there, as is the Mahayana form Zen, as are Vipassanā and Jōdo Shinshū (Pure Land). There is also a secular Zen sangha. The area is home to monasteries as well as to less formally engaged groups who gather for meditation and community. Siddhārtha Gautama died over 2500 years ago, but the oldest Buddhist organization in San Diego County is less than 100 years old.[1]
During 1916, Japanese immigrant Buddhist farmers were killed when what was then named Otay Dam gave way and resulted in the Hatfield Flood. The local Japanese diaspora needed a place to hold religious services and went on to found what they call the oldest Buddhist organization in San Diego County.[2] [3] They met informally until they were able to afford a temple space. First they rented a second-floor room on 6th and Market in May 1926. Boys and girls in costume paraded through downtown to celebrate. Later, in 1931, they dedicated today's Buddhist Temple of San Diego at 2929 Market.[4]
| Name | School of Buddhism | Founder/Date | Location | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirror Mind Buddhist Sangha (Center for American Buddhist Practice) | Buddhism (regardless of school), non-sectarian Mahayana | ca. 2005 | San Diego | |||||
| Pacific Seaside Sangha | Buddhism (regardless of school) | Gavin Seedorf (2014) | 4666 Cass St San Diego | |||||
| Dharma Bum Temple | Buddhism (regardless of school) | Jeffrey Zlotnik (2006) | San Diego[5] | |||||
| Buddha For You | Buddhism (regardless of school) | Jeffrey Zlotnik | San Diego | |||||
| Vista Zen Center | Zen | White Plum Asanga lineage | Vista[6] | |||||
| Three Treasures Zen Community | Zen | White Plum lineage | Rancho Peñasquitos[7] | |||||
| Deer Park Monastery | Zen | Thích Nhất Hạnh (2000) | Escondido | |||||
| Sweetwater Zen Center | Zen | Anne Seisen Saunders (2000) | National City[8] | |||||
| Hidden Valley Zen Center | Zen | (1968) | San Marcos | |||||
| Ensenada Zen Group | Vietnamese Zen | Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico[9] | ||||||
| All People's World Beat Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | World Beat Center[10] | ||||||
| Heart Beat Sangha (People of Color) | Plum Village Tradition | World Beat Center[11] | ||||||
| Open Heart Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | (2010) | First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego[12] | |||||
| Peaceful Shores Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | University Lutheran Church[13] | ||||||
| Compassionate Heart Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | Encinitas | ||||||
| Palomitas de Paz Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | Palomar Unitarian Universalist Fellowship | ||||||
| Really Beneficial Sangha | Plum Village Tradition | Rancho Bernardo/Escondido | ||||||
| Still Ripening Sangha (Order of Interbeing) | Plum Village Tradition | Deer Park Monastery | - | Healing Garden Sangha | Zen, Plum Village tradition of Thích Nhất Hạnh | title=Deer Park Monastery Directory|url=http://deerparkmonastery.org/community/socalsanghas/local-sanghas|accessdate=May 31, 2012}} -->|-|Metta Forest Monastery|Theravada, Thai Forest Tradition|Ajaan Suwat Suvaco (1991)|Valley Center[14] |-|Sunnataram California Meditation Monastery|Theravada, Thai tradition|Ajahn Yantra Amaro (1995)|Escondido[15] |-|Wat Lao Navaram Monastery|Theravada||Linda Vista[16] |-|Wat Sovannkiry|Cambodian Buddhism||San Diego[17] |-|UU Meditation Circle|Vipassanā||San Diego, First Unitarian Universalist Church[18] |-|Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Dieguito|Vipassanā||Solana Beach|-|Buddhist Temple of San Diego[19] |Jōdo Shinshū (Pure Land Buddhism)|(1926, 1931)|Grant Hill|-|Hsi Fang Temple|Fo Guang Shan|Hsing Yun (1989)|University Heights[20] |-|Vista Buddhist Temple|Jōdo Shinshū|(1980)|Vista[21] |-|Kadampa Meditation Center San Diego|New Kadampa Tradition|Geshe Kelsang Gyatso|Point Loma[22] |-|Diamond Way Buddhist Center|Diamond Way Buddhism|Lama Ole Nydahl (ca. 1972)|University City[23] |-|Jigme Lingpa Center San Diego|Tibetan, Nyingma, Longchen Nyingthig| Lama Lhanang Rinpoche (2013)|North Park[24] |-|Tibetan Healing Center, Dzogchen Shri Singha of San Diego, Tsegyalgar West|Tibetan, Drukpa Lineage Dzogchen|Namkhai Norbu (2003)|Hillcrest, Encinitas, Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico[25] |-|San Diego Shambhala Meditation Center|Tibetan|Chögyam Trungpa|Kearny Mesa[26] |-|Karma Thegsum Chöling (San Diego) Buddhist Meditation Center|Tibetan, Karma Kagyu, Vajrayana|16th Karmapa (1977) Closed, 2021[27] |San Diego[28] [29] |-|San Diego Rigpa|Tibetan|Sogyal Rinpoche|San Diego[30] |-|Drikung Kyobpa Choling|Tibetan|(1996 or 1997)|Escondido[31] [32] |-|Zen Center of San Diego|Secular| Ezra Bayda and Elizabeth Hamiltin (2006–present) | Pacific Beach[33] |-|Insight San Diego|Vipassanā| (2014)| Liberty Station[34] |-|Encinitas Mindfulness Community|Non-sectarian|Founding teacher, Diana Shimkus -2009everydaymind.com encinitasmindfulness.org|Soul of Yoga, Encinitas|} Notes |