As of September 28, 2022 the Dharma Bum Temple policy is "masks are strongly encouraged" but no longer required. Our seats will remain socially distanced and we will continue to limit the capacity in both meditation halls. We still ask that you do not come to Temple if you are sick, have a cough, or believe you have been exposed to anyone with Covid-19.
The Dharma Bum Temple is a home for the study and practice of Buddhism, yet we do not advocate one particular school of Buddhism. Our community is simply a bridge for people to learn how to make change within their own life and be of benefit to others.
The Dharma Bums focus on The Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path and Six Paramitas. To speak about Buddhism is not enough, one must practice these basic Buddhist principles. Through diligent practice one will begin to realize the cause of their suffering, thus moving beyond suffering for the benefit of all beings. When one enters the stream of Buddhism it can be confusing, so we help make it easier to understand.
The Dharma Bum Temple offers Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation Services, Dharma Talks, Homeless Outreach, Prison Outreach, Dharma Bum Kids, Dharma Bum Teens, Dharma Bum Life Program, Visiting Monks, Nuns & Buddhist Scholars, Silent Retreats, Morning Meditation Services, Meditation and Intro to Buddhism Classes in Spanish, Buddhist Recovery Program for Overcoming Addictions, Co-Ed Buddhist Fraternity, College Meditation Groups and More - ALL FOR FREE!
The Dharma Bums are disciples of the Buddha, practitioners of the Dharma and caretakers of the Sangha.
Sep 21 2022
I have launched a 7-day fundraising campaign with a $5,000 match! Please read below, share it and help us secure a new roof!
A 95-year-old building will inevitably bring challenges we must fix. Every winter for the past five…
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Jul 20 2022
Pride Week and the Lighting up the Cathedral at St. Paul's Cathedral is always so beautiful and my greatest honor to be involved! I share the words I wrote 4 years ago. I’ve been honored to participate in Pride the…
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Jul 20 2022
Beautiful words below from Lisa Johnson Kogan who has been fearlessly leading our Dharma Bum Kids and Family Sangha for over 10 years! We love you Lisa and happy birthday, you are a gift to us all!
Yesterday was…
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May 19 2022
There have been moments over the past 15 years of the Dharma Bum Temple that for me have really defined the beauty of this community. Yesterday was without a doubt one of those moments. It has been nearly 2 ½…
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May 3 2022
The Dharma Bum Temple is excited to announce the return of our Family Sangha on Saturday May 14th at 9am - 10:30am and an RSVP is required! Masks are also required for children and adults. Toddlers do not need masks.
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Apr 17 2022
On April 15, 2018 we held a special ceremony reciting the Heart Sutra and planted a Bodhi Tree at the Dharma Bum Temple. It was a celebration of the one-year anniversary in the new Temple. The Bodhi Tree was a…
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Apr 17 2022
Dear Friends,
Five years ago today we moved into our current home in University Heights. After ten years of the Temple being downtown (2007-2017) and eight years of Buddha for You being near SDSU (2009-2017), we had the incredible…
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Apr 1 2022
Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you safe and well during these challenging yet inspiring days! Many of us have experienced tremendous pain and loss over the last two years. At the same time stories of heroic proportion surround…
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Feb 26 2022
Dear DBT Sangha,
It brings me great joy to share the Dharma Bum Temple and Buddha for You will reopen Saturday March 12, 2022. Believe it or not March 12, 2020 was when the Temple first closed due to…
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Dec 30 2021
Waking up on Christmas morning to find a feel good story about our little Dharma Bum Temple on the front page of the local section in the San Diego Union Tribune is about as special as it gets! Special thank…
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Oct 24 2021
Dear Friends,
This past year has been unlike anything we could have ever imagined! I first want to send love to all those who have been impacted by the pandemic. Lives have been lost and hearts have been…
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Jul 23 2021
As we wrap up the first two weeks of reopening the Dharma Bum Temple, I am deeply moved by the beauty of this community. It was so touching to see all the people who returned to the Temple and…
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Jul 2 2021
It brings me great joy to share that we have slowly reopened the Dharma Bum Temple and Buddha for You Gift Shop. The complete schedule of classes will continue to be updated on the website schedule.
As we reopen…
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Jun 10 2021
This has been an incredibly challenging 15 months for the world as so much loss, pain and suffering continues. I first want to take a moment to recognize and remember those in our community who have lost loved ones due…
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Mar 23 2021
Dear Friends,
Every Spring for my birthday it is my honor to humbly raise money for the Dharma Bum Temple. Last April however as the pandemic hit us all hard, it did not feel right to ask for support…
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Oct 25 2020
Dear Friends,
Here we sit in crazy times, yet one thing that is constant is the heart of this community. I am reaching out and asking for donations so we can secure much-needed funds as we close out…
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Jun 11 2020
We received a beautiful email and would like to share it below:
To all of the people who have worked to build and sustain the Dharma Bum Temple Sangha,
Hello, my name is _______. I’m not sure if…
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Jun 11 2020
Hello All,
The Temple received an email two weeks ago from the Mayor's office with regards to their exploration of reopening "Places of Worship". They were reaching out to many religious facilities in San Diego and putting together a…
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Dec 15 2019
Saturday night December 7th we hosted our second annual Volunteer Appreciation Event at the Dharma Bum Temple. It was a time to honor each person in this photo and about 20 others who could not be with us, as together…
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Nov 29 2019
It has become a tradition at the Dharma Bum Temple to feed the homeless on Thanksgiving morning. We do this every Thursday at 5PM but on Thanksgiving it is a special event and we are grateful for everyone who shows…
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Nov 5 2019
Every day I am in awe at the amount of people who walk into the Dharma Bum Temple. Some people are here for the first time and some have been here for many years. Some live in San Diego…
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Aug 15 2019
A sharing from DBT Co-Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik:
There are moments at the Dharma Bum Temple where I completely stop and just be in tremendous gratitude. 95% of my time is spent building, creating, cleaning, funding, organizing, managing, putting shoes…
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Aug 15 2019
This past weekend I was invited to Temple Emanu-El by Rabbi Devorah Marcus to speak at a memorial service. The man who died was 55 years-old and a practicing Buddhist. His family are members of the Jewish Temple. I want…
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Jun 18 2019
The Dharma Bum Temple was pleased to welcome back and host Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (also known as Ajaan Geoff) on June 13, 2019. Ajaan Geoff is a world renown Buddhist scholar and teacher (see more complete biography at bottom of post)…
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