Over the past eight weeks, our Engaged Buddhist Training Program participants have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to the path of practice, study, and service. We are deeply grateful and proud to congratulate this inspiring group for completing the program with sincerity…

This past Monday marked a beautiful beginning at St. Paul's Manor as we launched our weekly meditation gathering for the senior community. Led by Lora and Jay from our Engaged Buddhist Training Program, as well as Nancy the afternoon was…

We are honored to welcome author and journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis Saturday May 16th at 11am as a special guest at Dharma Bum Temple. His newest book, You’ve Changed: The Promise and Price of Self-Transformation (publishing April 2026), explores the nature…

I wrote the following gathas (poetry) during the Spring 2026 Engaged Buddhism Training Program offered at the Dharma Bum Temple (DBT). My favorite aspect about this training was learning how to meditate and incorporate this practice into my daily life.…

Just one week after closing on the new Dharma Bum Temple building back in April 2017, something truly special unfolded. On April 22nd and 23rd, our community came together, not for a formal event, not for a scheduled class, but…

The restart of our Dharma Bum Garden Club gathering took place on Saturday, April 25th at 10am, and it couldn’t have unfolded more beautifully. Under clear skies and warm sunshine, a vibrant group of participants spanning multiple generations, came together…

On Tuesday, April 21st, we had the honor of welcoming special guest Ben Connelly to the Dharma Bum Temple. A Soto Zen priest from the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis, Ben brought a grounded, thoughtful presence to the evening.

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On Tuesday, April 21st, Dharma Bum Temple co-founder Jeffrey Zlotnik had the privilege of visiting the Vi La Jolla retirement community, where he led a guided meditation and offered a talk on the practice of gratitude.

The session began with…

     In a scene from the 1999 film American Beauty, a teenage boy captures the beauty of a plastic bag dancing ephemerally with his video recorder, ultimately discovering an entire life behind things. Within a movie context this scene represented a…

There is something deeply grounding about working with the earth with hands in the soil, breath in rhythm with the body, fully present in the moment. The Dharma Bum Temple is excited to introduce a new way to practice mindfulness…

On Friday, April 3rd, our CEO & Co-Founder Jeffrey Zlotnik had the honor of serving as a guest speaker at the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living on behalf of the Dharma Bum Temple.

The evening unfolded as a heartfelt and…

This month we are happy to introduce Vicki Kellis and put the volunteer spotlight on her!

How long have you been with DBT? 

I started coming to Buddha for You in 2012 or 2013 for meditation practice up on El…

According to Buddhism , there are four elements of true love.

The first is maitri, which can be translated as loving-kindness or benevolence. Loving-kindness is not only the desire to make someone happy, to bring joy to a beloved person;…

The Dharma Bum Temple's Guest Dharma Teacher Program welcomes Soto Zen Teacher Ben Connelly on Tuesday April 21st at 7pm. 

Huayan Buddhism arose in the sixth century in China rooted in the Mahayana Flower Garland (Huayan) Sutra. Huayan is relational,…

The Dharma Bum Temple is honored to welcome renowned Buddhist recovery teacher and author Kevin Griffin for a special edition of our Sunday Buddhism and 12 Steps meeting on Sunday, April 5th from 10:00am – 11:30am.

Joining us live via…

The Dharma Bum Temple Meditation Outreach Program had the privilege of visiting the School of Creative and Performing Arts on Friday, March 27 to share an introduction to mindfulness and meditation with students.

The session was led by our CEO…

On March 12th, the Dharma Bum Temple had the honor of offering a meditation and discussion for the 50+ HIV Support Group at the LGBT Center. This gathering was a meaningful opportunity to share the practice of mindfulness in a…

This past Saturday, March 21st, marked a meaningful moment for our community as we welcomed 18 new participants into the Engaged Buddhist Training Program.

The beginning of a new cohort is always something special. It represents a shared commitment to…

At the Dharma Bum Temple, every step we take toward restoration is guided by a deep respect for the past and a commitment to preserving the integrity of this sacred space. We’re grateful to share the completion of Phase Three…

During the Covid pandemic an inspiration was born. A movement was created with just an idea. Through beautifully hand stitched beanies and the interactive platform Zoom, the Homeless Hats Knit & Sit became a virtual community. Covid brought difficult and…

ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT! Do you want to join the Dharma Bum Temple at the 18th Annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on Friday May 22nd at 7:30am? We will be sponsoring a table and looking for a total of 10…

Taken from The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching; Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, & Liberation

Buddha was not a god. He was a human being like you and me, and he suffered just as we do. If we go to…