Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a coastal city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay of the Pacific Ocean, it is completely surrounded by the City of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles and Mar Vista on the east, and Venice Beach on the south.
The Census Bureau 2006 population estimate for Santa Monica is 88,050, while a 2007 estimate from the California State Department of Finance places the population at 91,124. Santa Monica is named for Saint Monica of Hippo because the area on which the city is now located was first visited by Spaniards on her feast day.
Because of its agreeable weather, Santa Monica had become a famed resort town by the early 20th century. The city has experienced a boom since the late 1980s through the revitalization of its downtown core with significant job growth and increased tourism. For most of the year, the temperatures range from a very pleasant 68 degrees Farenheit (20 degrees Celsius) to 78 degrees Farenheit (26 degrees Celsius) with no snowfall and very little rain.
Buddhist centers in Santa Monica
All One Dharma
Address: 1440 Harvard Street, Quaker House Santa Monica CA 90404 Tradition: Non-Sectarian, Zen/Vipassana Affiliation: General Buddhism Phone: e-mail only EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.allonedharma.org Spiritual Director: Group effort
Khandakapala Buddhist Center
Address: c/o 2461 Santa Monica Blvd C329, Santa Monica, CA 90404 CA Tradition: Tibetan, New Kadampa Affiliation: Manjushri Mahayana Buddhist Centre, Ulverston, UK EMail: [email protected]
Santa Monica Karma Kagyu Study Group
Address: 1245 10th St. #4 (mail only) Santa Monica CA 90401 (Meets at the 'Clubhouse' at Douglas Park) CA Tradition: Tibetan, Karma Kagyu Lineage Affiliation: KTD (Woodstock, NY) Phone: (310) 451-4368 EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.santamonicakksg.org Contact: Daniel Kane
Santa Monica Zen Center
Address: 1001B Colorado Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90815 Steve Strasen or Roger Hawkins CA Tradition: Three Treasures Tradition of Taizan Maezumi Roshi Affiliation: White Plum Asangha founded by Taizan Maezumi Roshi Contacts: Revs. William Yoshin Jordan and Elisabeth Jikan Hartnett,
Soka Gakkai International - USA
Address: 606 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401 CA Tradition: Mahayana EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.sgi.org/ Founder: Nichiren Daishonin
Insight LA
Address: 2633 Lincoln Blvd. #206 Santa Monica CA 90405 Tradition: Theravada Affiliation: Spirit Rock Meditation Center Phone: (310) 774-3325 EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.insightla.org Teacher: Christiane Wolf, MD, PhD Teacher: Maureen Shannon-Chapple Main Contact: Insight LA EMail (Phone: (310) 774-3325) Teacher: Trudy Goodman Spiritual Director: Trudy Goodman EMail (Phone: (310) 774-3325)
Santa Monica Karma Thegsum Choling
Tradition: Vajrayana, Karma Kagyu Phone: 310-451-4368 EMail: [email protected] Website: www.SantaMonicaKTC.org Teacher: Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche Spiritual Director: 17th Karmapa Notes and Events:
Santa Monica KTC is a registered non-profit, founded in Santa Monica to provide the community with meditation instruction and practice. New comers are welcome to contact us to find out about the dates and times we meet.
We are under the guidance of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (www.kagyu.org)
The Laughing Buddha Sangha
Address: 2046 Fourteenth Street Santa Monica CA CA 90405 Tradition: Theravada, Sri Lanka Amarapura Nikaya Affiliation: Dharma Vijaya Vihara Los Angeles Phone: 310-450-2268 EMail: [email protected] Website: www.zentrance.com Spiritual Director: Akasa Levi EMail (Phone: 310-450-2268)
City of Dhamma
Santa Monica is home to eight Dhamma Centers, for a population of 91,124 works out to one Dhamma center for every 11,391 people, a very high ratio of Dhamma centers, compared to the average, in a non-Buddhist country.
There are also numerous Yoga studios, shops that sell Buddha statues and Thangkas, and vegetarian restaurants located throughout the city of Santa Monica.