Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara

Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara A Buddhist Community in the Japanese Jodo Shinshu Pure Land Tradition.

Originally located at 131 East Canon Perdido Street, the Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara was founded in 1922 by Japanese immigrants to Santa Barbara. They had the wish that the teachings of the Buddha should thrive in this country, so that the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha would continue to illuminate the lives of future generations. As the membership grew, the current building at 1015 East

Montecito Street was constructed and dedicated for Buddhist practice and mindfulness in 1966. The Buddhist Church of Santa Barbara belongs to the Buddhist Churches of America and the Jodo Shinshu school of Buddhism. With roots in the Pure Land Buddhist tradition, we share a common spiritual heritage with many Buddhist communities active today in Japan, China, Korea, and Vietnam, as well as here in the United States. We look to the eminent 12th century Japanese Buddhist priest Shinran as the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. He taught that by listening to the words of the Buddha with an open heart, our path is illuminated by the wisdom and compassion of awakening.

Do I have to meditate to become enlightened? Who, or what, is a Buddha? According to Buddhism, will I see my loved ones ...
06/25/2026

Do I have to meditate to become enlightened? Who, or what, is a Buddha? According to Buddhism, will I see my loved ones in the afterlife?

If you have questions like this or more, we welcome your curiosities! In addition to our monthly services and lunch and learn discussions, we have a library containing everything from doctrinal texts to reflections of Buddhism in daily life. As you see here we also have scores of easy-to-read pamphlets that can help you make sense of the world through a Buddhist lens. Want to learn more? DM us!

Please join us in July for our monthly sermon Saturday the 11th and be sure to come to the temple a week later on Saturday July 18 for our annual Obon festival!

BCSB was represented today at our annual Buddhist Churches of America Southern District Buddhist Conference! It was a da...
06/13/2026

BCSB was represented today at our annual Buddhist Churches of America Southern District Buddhist Conference! It was a day filled with the dharma including special talks from Rev. Dr. Mark Unno and Rev. Yukari Torii of our sister sangha San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. We thank our friends at our other sister temple Senshin Buddhist Temple for organizing such a great experience to learn and connect with friends or make some new ones. Congratulations to Senshin on their 75th anniversary, too!

06/13/2026

Obon is confirmed:

Cheers to our friends in Santa Maria!
06/13/2026

Cheers to our friends in Santa Maria!

With July just around the corner, Obon season is almost here! We hope you’ll join us on July 18 for our annual gathering...
06/11/2026

With July just around the corner, Obon season is almost here! We hope you’ll join us on July 18 for our annual gathering of joy to enjoy odori folk dance, entertainment, tasty snacks, a Japanese flea market, and more!

Obon is an annual summer Buddhist holiday in Japan to honor our deceased ancestors and made its way to the Central Coast over 100 years ago.

Hello Dharma friends! June is just around the corner, so mark your calendars for our monthly Buddhist gathering on Satur...
05/27/2026

Hello Dharma friends! June is just around the corner, so mark your calendars for our monthly Buddhist gathering on Saturday June 13.

Join is at 10 am for our service which includes moments to calm the mind, honor our ancestors who passed away in the month of June, and listen to a Dharma message. In observance of Pride Month, Rev. JP will discuss Buddhist views of on same s*x marriage and how our mother organization, the , began conducting those ceremonies more than 50 years ago.

Then, stick around for our Lunch and Learn: Buddhism and Pop Culture discussion. We’ll discuss the 2019 film The Farewell starring Awkwafina and how Buddhism helps us navigate the moral dilemmas of what we tell, or don’t tell, our loved ones.

Whether you’re a longtime member, interested in experiencing a Buddhist temple for the first time, or somewhere in between, you belong!

For today’s Learn More Monday: did you know that BCSB was one of the first Shin Buddhist temples in North America to hav...
05/19/2026

For today’s Learn More Monday: did you know that BCSB was one of the first Shin Buddhist temples in North America to have a woman resident minister? Rev. Seiko Okahashi served BCSB in the 1960s and was our spiritual leader when we moved to our current location. She was one of only a tiny handful of woman ministers in the at the time, and paved the way for several more.

Okahashi Sensei is pictured here with the Fujinkai (Buddhist Women’s Association) during her tenure. Historically, the BWA has been the foundation of our temple and sister sanghas. They kept the community nourished and stewarded the dharma for generations through fundraisers and other organizing. They even gifted the temple the exquisite kansho bell that calls us to gather and reflect.

Shin Buddhism teaches us that all are equal in the light of infinite wisdom and great compassion, and this egalitarianism is central to our beliefs!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our May Dharma gathering today! We were especially delighted to welcome our friends...
05/09/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us for our May Dharma gathering today! We were especially delighted to welcome our friends from our sister temple, the Guadalupe Buddhist Church, pictured here with BCSB folks. Fun fact: our temple was established in 1913 under the auspices of GBC, and so we’re grateful that our karmic connections continue to this day. Thanks to all of the additional newcomers and longtime friends who attended.

In his message, Rev. JP discussed the life and lessons of Ven. Shinran, the founder of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, and whose birth we observed this month.

We hope to see you at our next service and lunch and learn on Saturday June 13. And, mark your calendars for our Obon celebration on July 18!

Address

1015 E Montecito Street
Santa Barbara, CA
93103

Telephone

+18059623633

Website

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