Temple Buddhist Center

09/06/2026

9am Sunday Service - TBC Sunday Service - “Cling Free” with Victor J. Dougherty

09/05/2026

Season Two premiere! Whit and co-host Carol Murray dive into the power of meditation — why it builds awareness, acceptance, and patience, the science behind it, common myths that hold beginners back, and practical tips to start your own practice. Plus, a new library of guided meditations is now available on Spotify and YouTube.

Find Om on the Range on Spotify, YouTube, the TBC website, and the TBC Discord channel. Email us at [email protected].

Happy trails!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7lm9D0ZoHURxCdccLhDkCK?si=s3gxU04nT46GCuresVqtMQ&utm_source=copy-link

Om on The Range · Episode

09/02/2026

🙏Wisdom Wednesday: The Art of Wise Effort (Sammā Vāyāma)

When many of us hear the word "effort," we think of straining, grit, and white-knuckling our way through a problem. In a culture driven by relentless productivity, effort often means doing more, pushing harder, and exhausting ourselves.

In the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path, Wise Effort is something entirely different. It is not about force. It is about direction, balance, and energy conservation.

The Buddha compared our practice to tuning the strings of a lute:
💥 Tuned too tight: The string snaps under the strain. Over-effort leads to burnout, tension, and agitation.
🪢 Tuned too loose: The string sags and makes no music. Under-effort leads to sluggishness, distraction, and inertia.
🎶 Tuned just right: The pitch is clear and resonant. Wise effort is steady, balanced, and sustainable.

🌱The Four Aspects of Wise Effort
Wise Effort is simply training the mind where to place its energy:

1) Preventing unwholesome states of mind (greed, aversion, anxiety) before they arise by guarding the senses.

2) Releasing unskillful states once they’ve already taken root, meeting them with compassion rather than shame.

3) Cultivating wholesome states (kindness, curiosity, presence) that haven't yet appeared.

4) Sustaining and deepening the clarity and peace that are already here.

🪷A Practice for This Week~
Notice where you are spending your mental energy today. When you catch yourself caught in rumination, irritation, or tension:
Pause and relax the shoulders.
Ask yourself: Is this thought serving my peace or feeding agitation?
Gently set it down, and redirect your attention to the rhythm of your breath or an act of kindness.

"Radiate boundless love towards the entire world, above, below, and across ~ unhindered, without ill will, without enmity."

May your practice today be steady, gentle, and balanced. 🧡

09/01/2026

🌟 Awaken from within. Join us for Healing Arts and Hearts on Sunday, September 6th as we explore The Enneagram of the Soul ~ a contemplative path to waking up.

In this contemplative gathering, we'll explore the Enneagram not merely as a personality typing system, but as a wisdom tradition that invites greater self-awareness, spiritual transformation, and the soulful embodiment of our true nature. Together, drawing on the shared contemplative heart that Unity and Temple Buddhist Center hold under one roof, we'll discover through reflection, story, and practice how the Enneagram can become a pathway to greater freedom, compassion, and awakening.

About Nhien:
Rev. Nhien Vuong, JD, MDiv, is a Unity minister, founder of Evolving Enneagram, an international Enneagram teacher, and a longtime practitioner of Centering Prayer, a contemplative practice of sacred silence. She is the author of The Enneagram of the Soul: A 40-Day Spiritual Companion for the Nine Types. She is glad to return to Unity Temple on the Plaza -- her spiritual home, and the house Temple Buddhist Center calls home, where she previously served as Associate Minister.

Schedule:
9:45 am - 10:30 am Book signing between services in the foyer
10:30 am - 11:30 am TBC Second service
11:30 am - 11:45 am Book signing downstairs, in …Temple Space
11:45am - 12:45pm Healing Arts and Hearts with Nhien Vuong

08/30/2026

Devastating floods and landslides have swept through Nepal, leaving thousands of families displaced, homes destroyed, and communities in urgent need of relief. 💔🌧️
Right now, local organizations and first responders are on the ground providing life-saving aid:
🍲 Emergency food & clean drinking water
⛺ Temporary shelter & blankets
🩹 Vital medical supplies & hygiene kits
Every dollar makes an immediate difference. Please join us in sending relief and hope to those affected.

🔗https://www.directrelief.org/emergency/nepal-floods-2026/

08/30/2026

9am Sunday Service - TBC Sunday Service - “Making a U-Turn” with Jennifer Reid

08/26/2026

Wisdom Wednesday: The Art of Holding Things Lightly 🍃✨

Much of our daily frustration, resentment, and emotional exhaustion doesn’t come from what people do; it comes from the rigid scripts we hold for how they should behave.

In contemporary Western Buddhist practice, a central teaching is learning to hold life with an open hand rather than a clenched fist. When we grip tightly to expectations of partners, coworkers, family members, or friends, we set ourselves up for constant disappointment.

Letting go of expectations doesn’t mean being a doormat or abandoning healthy boundaries. It means meeting reality as it is, rather than suffering over how we wish it were.

How to practice holding others lightly today:
🔍 Trade expectations for curiosity: When someone doesn't react the way you hoped, pause and ask: "What might they be carrying right now?" Shifting from judgment to curiosity instantly softens tension.
🪝 Notice the "shoulds": Pay attention to internal sentences like "They should know better" or "They should have done it my way." Each "should" is a hook creating unnecessary friction.
👐 Keep your hands open: Imagine holding your relationships like a handful of sand. The tighter you squeeze, the more slips through your fingers. When your palm rests open, connection breathes freely.
🚧 Distinguish boundaries from control: Boundaries define what you will do to protect your peace; expectations try to control what others do. Focus entirely on your own side of the street.

Freedom isn't found in getting everyone else to change -- it’s found in freeing your heart from needing them to.

Weekly Reflection: Where are you holding on too tightly today? What would it feel like to unclench your grip and let someone simply be who they are?

08/23/2026

9am Sunday Service - TBC Sunday Service - “A Condition of Complete Simplicity” with Robert Brumet

08/22/2026

How often do we pause to check the motivation behind what we do? 🌿

In Buddhism, Wise Intention (Sammā Saṅkappa) is the mental factor that shapes action and determines its ethical quality. It’s not just what we do, but the state of heart and mind behind it. When we learn to cultivate wise intentions, we naturally reduce harm and open the door to greater compassion, clarity, and peace.

Designed specifically to fit into busy family lives, our upcoming Daylong Meditation Retreat gives you dedicated space to step back, investigate the body-mind process, and deepen your practice within a supportive community.

Whether you've been meditating for years or just a few weeks, all levels of experience are welcome.

What to Expect
🧘 Alternating Practice: Guided sitting, walking, and movement meditations
🎙️ Dharma Talk & Q&A: An in-depth dive into Wise Intention and Buddhist ethics
💬 Teacher Conferences & Sharing Circles: Opportunities to reflect and connect
🕊️ Heart Practice: Grounding in loving-kindness and compassion before heading home

Retreat Details at a Glance
🕘 Time: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM
📍 Format: Join us in-person or via Zoom (Hybrid)
🥪 What to Bring: Comfortable clothing, a sack lunch (or visit nearby cafes during the break), and a reusable drinking cup.

Learn more and sign up:

RetreatsTemple Buddhist Center is committed to providing meaningful meditation opportunities for everyone. We offer daylong hybrid retreats on a quarterly basis, and one or two residential retreats per year. Our next retreat is our 3rd quarter daylong retreat on August 29th, followed by our New Year...