Atlanta Buddhism Meditation Classes and Groups - Atlanta Mindful Meditation Blog

Guided Meditation

April 2026 Atlanta Buddhist Meditation Events

4/18/2026

Meditation for World Peace at Grant Park Gazebo
April 11 at 9:30am
With Phra Ajarn Maha Dam Phommasan, Walk for Peace Monk from Wat Lao Buddha Khanti!

Wednesday Night Meditation & Dharma Talk:
Next date: April 22 & May 6, 7:30pm - 9pm

Quang Minh Temple (Chua Quang Minh), home of Grant Park Meditation
1168 Benteen Ave SE, Atlanta GA 30312

Etiquette Reminders:

Entrance to the right of the Buddha Hall
Remove shoes before entering
Maintain quiet reverence - avoid unnecessary or loud conversations
Digital Detox: We encourage you to not use electronic devices during the session. Please be sure to silence your phone. Photos are ok, but please be mindful and avoid disturbing others.
Comfort and Modesty: Please wear clothes that are respectful and appropriate for sacred spaces (i.e., avoid bare shoulders and short shorts).

Grant Park Meditation, Atlanta's Intown Mindfulness Group at
Chua Quang Minh Temple
1168 Benteen Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
grantparkmeditation.org/classes

Day of Mindfulness Retreat
Saturday April 18 at 10am
Kim Cang Monastery

All are welcome, including newcomers/beginners as well as those with experience. Activities include guided meditation, touching the earth (prostrations/bowing), Dharma talk, Q&A / discussion, mindfulness practice, and vegetarian lunch.

Led by Buddhist monks and nuns including:
- Venerable Priya Sraman: Ven. Priya ordained as a monk in Sri Lanka, and has a degree from Harvard University, among his academic endeavors. He is currently the Buddhist chaplain at Emory University and is well-versed in multiple Buddhist and interfaith traditions.
- Venerable Dong Hue: Formerly an engineer before ordaining as a nun, Ven. Dong Hue practices in several traditions, including the Vipassana (Insight) meditation of Theravada Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw, as well as the Vietnamese Mahayana tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.

Free and open to the public. We suggest a donation for those able, to help cover the cost of food and supplies, and show gratitude to our teachers.

Kim Cang Monastery
4771 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia Georgia 30038

Buddhist Ceremonies and happy Theravada New Year! (Cambodian / khmer, Lao, Thai, etc)

Happy 90th Birthday His Holiness the Dalai Lama

9/1/2025

His Holiness the Dalai Lama
90th Birthday - Spread Compassion and Loving-Kindness
Atlanta's Tibetan Buddhist Center, Drepung Loseling Monastery at drepung.org

News Coverage NYT HHDL

More about the situation in Tibet from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y772jlpgzo

New York Times on the Dalai Lama's Succession plan: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/02/world/asia/dalai-lama-successor-tibet-china.html?unlocked_article_code=1.T08.-y_G.7ClHbBZ1_VO1&smid=url-share

Urban Lotus: American Buddhist Folk Music new album streaming - using music as Dharma!

8/17/2025

More about the creator of the music of Urban Lotus:

Reverend Heng Sure is a senior disciple of Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. When he’s not travelling to deliver talks and lead discussions on topics such Buddhism and Veganism, you’ll find him at home part of the year at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in California, and the other part at Gold Coast Dharma Realm in Queensland Australia.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, he attended the University of California at Berkeley from 1971-1976, where he was active in theatre and music. After receiving his M.A. in Oriental Languages, he met his teacher, Hsuan Hua, who would later ordain him in 1976 at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB ), as “Heng Sure” – a Dharma name which means “Constantly Real.” In 2003, he earned a PhD in Religion from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. He is perhaps best known for a Three Steps One Bow Pilgrimage he made from 1976 to 1979, along 800 miles of the California Coast from Pasadena to CTTB in Ukiah. During his pilgrimage, and for three more years after he arrived at CTTB, he maintained a vow of silence.

Heng Sure began playing guitar at the age of 16, and although he took a break from music while turning his focus towards a monastic life, he returned to the instrument in 2000. Master Hua felt it would be a great way to make the teachings accessible to Western ears, and encouraged Heng Sure to use his musical talents to turn the Dharma Wheel. And so for close to 20 years now, music has played an integral role in his life and teachings. In addition to three CD’s of Buddhist Songs and Stories, he co-produced an instructional banjo DVD, Zen Banjo, drawing on the connections he has found between meditation and music.

As a leading expert on Buddhist Sutras, he works on translating many Mahayana texts from their original Chinese into English. When he’s in Berkeley, he gives weekly Dharma Talks on Saturday evenings at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery, which are also broadcast online .

Listen to Urban Lotus wherever you get music, and more info at
https://www.dharmaradio.org/urban-lotus/

20th Anniversary of Buddha Mind Monastery in Oklahoma City

11/11/2024

Buddha Mind Monastery is the Oklahoma sister temple of Atlanta’s Dharma Jewel Monastery. Both offer Zen meditation classes in English and in Chinese, Children’s mindfulness class, and more as part of Chung Tai Chan Monastery.

Venerable Abbot Jian Ying visited from Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan in October 2024 to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Buddha Mind Monastery and Chinese Buddhism in Oklahoma City. (He also went to Chung Tai Zen Center of Houston and Texas Chan Pagoda Monastery, Great Dharma Chan Monastery in Boulder Colorado, and other American branch temples.) He gave a Dharma talk and teaching to help attendees celebrate this grand occasion! Go OKC!

ctbuddhamind.org

New Buddhist Temple in Boulder / Denver!

1/8/2023

New temple opening near Denver!
Great Dharma Chan Monastery - Chung Tai Zen Center of Boulder Colorado (Pu Fa Temple 普法禪寺)
https://www.greatdharmachanmonastery.org/

Same family as Atlanta's Dharma Jewel Monastery - Chung Tai Chan Monastery, the Great Dharma Chan Monastery is now open in Boulder CO! Zen meditation classes in English and in Chinese!

Great Dharma Chan Monastery Lunar New Year Event

Great Dharma Chan Monastery will have a Lunar New Year Celebration on Jan. 22nd (Sunday) from 10:00am-2:00pm. There will be a GuanYin Chanting Ceremony, Zen talk, blessing bell striking, new year lamp lighting (you can write down your wishes), and vegetarian meal. If you would like to celebrate the lunar new year the Zen way, and enjoy a delicious meal at a monastery, this is the place to be.

On January 22, Great Dharma Chan Monastery will host multiple activities to welcome the Year of the Rabbit in with peace and prosperity.
You will be able to strike the blessing bell, light a new year’s lamp (including wish writing), and enjoy a vegetarian meal.
Please visit https://www.greatdharmachanmonastery.org for more information.

中台山美國科羅拉多州分院普法禪寺新春活動
普法禪寺大年初一（1/22）將舉辦不同的活動讓大家有機會來寺院開始吉祥平安的兔年。
大家雖然人在美國，但可以把握難得的因緣來叩吉祥鐘，用平安齋，點燈為自己和家人祈福。
以下為活動資訊。
活動及素齋費用全免，歡迎大眾隨喜布施。
普法網站：https://www.greatdharmachanmonastery.org/zh

Great Dharma Chan Monastery Boulder Zen Chinese Buddhist Temple

Happy Thai, Lao, Khmer New Year!

5/12/2022

It’s the New Year in Southeast Asia coming up! Here are various celebrations at Theravada Buddhist temples around town. If you’re new, the largest ones to check out would be April 10 at Wat Buddha Bucha – Thai temple in Decatur, or April 16 & 17 at the Cambodian temples Wat Khmer in Lithonia and Wat Trairatanaram in College Park. In the morning, monks will be chanting inside in Pali, an ancient Indian language, while vendors will be outside. Cultural performances will be mostly after lunch. Not much is in English usually. Please bring cash to support the family-run food and gift vendors, consider making a donation to the temple, and please do not bring alcohol or drugs or smoke.

Dalai Lama Movie in Cinemas

5/1/2022

Never Forget Tibet: The Dalai Lama's Untold Story
One Night Only in Select Theaters
Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7pm
Never Forget Tibet: The Dalai Lama's Untold Story: A new feature documentary that explores one of the most significant moments in 20th Century history, His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama's incredible escape into exile from occupied Tibet in 1959, which he tells in his own words for the first time on film.
Includes the previously unknown private diary of the Indian political officer who led him to safety, Har Mander Singh. Incorporating interviews with the Dalai Lama's family, the Tibetan Community living in Exile and those with historic ties to Tibet, this culturally significant story offers insights into the importance of our shared worldwide humanity and reveals the incredible details of the Dalai Lama's escape and his wider message of compassion firsthand. It also documents the rich art, culture, and traditions of the region.
"We've received a lot of interest in Never Forget Tibet from around the world and it's more timely than ever this film goes out and shares the first-hand account of the dramatic escape of His Holiness. By combining this incredible story with Tibetan music, prayers and ancient mantras we hope the film conveys some of the beauty and depth of Tibetan culture for audiences to enjoy and experience for themselves. In these strange times we are all living through, it's essential we share our love and compassion with each other and the natural world. This is at the heart of the Dalai Lama's message."
7:00 pm, March 31, 2022 World Premiere is open to everyone to attend at 800+ participating theaters across the U.S. and Canada. Please book in advance.
https://www.neverforgettibet.com/

Never Forget Tibet Dalai Lama Movie Freedom

Day of Mindfulness Retreat Atlanta Spring 2022

3/30/2022

Day of Mindfulness Retreat
Children's, Teens, and Adults groups
Saturday March 26, 2022 at 10am
Kim Cang Monastery
4771 Browns Mill Road, Lithonia Georgia 30038

All are welcome, including newcomers/beginners as well as those with experience. Activities include guided meditation, touching the earth (prostrations/bowing), Dharma talk, Q&A / discussion, mindfulness games, vegetarian lunch, and arts and crafts.

We had a great time with many people attending, including volunteers from Emory University.
Thank you!

Day of Mindfulness Retreat Atlanta Buddhism

Positive news on mindfulness topics

3/24/2022

Interesting News and Buddhist tidbits from late 2021 / early 2022

- Burmese Buddhism Under Siege
There are few means available to send very badly needed donations to support families, communities, monasteries, and nunneries in Burma (Myanmar).
https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/burmese-buddhism-under-siege/?

- Covid Crisis: Donate to help monasteries in India through the Tibet Fund
The pandemic has brought Covid-19 to the Tibetan monasteries in India -- please donate to Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, who often have no major financial support other than Western donors like us. The Tibet Fund is one reputable option:
https://tibetfund.org/

- Dharma Realm Buddhist University now enrolling for 2022
In person classes for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in northern California at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas!
http://www.drbu.edu

- Atlanta college students stepping up during the pandemic
Members of Atlanta Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth help tutor the community virtually this past year:
https://tzuchi.us/blog/atlantas-tzu-chi-collegiate-youth-association-launches-free-online-tutoring-amid-remote-learning

- May We Gather honors lives cut short due to violence
Today, on the 100th day memorial of the Atlanta-area shootings, join us in honoring lives cut short due to anti-Asian violence and racial/religious animus. Please watch and share this short highlights video from May We Gather: A National Buddhist Memorial Ceremony for Asian American Ancestors. Released one hundred days after the tragedy in Atlanta and marking an important memorial period in many Buddhist traditions, this video can be a resource for classrooms, sanghas, and other communities. After watching the video, you may wish to make a ritual offering of light, incense, or flowers; to recite a chant; or to simply observe a moment of respectful silence.
https://www.maywegather.org/

- Congresswoman Lucy McBath introduces gun safety legislation and universal background checks
AtlantaBuddhism.org was invited as an interfaith representative on a panel with US House of Representatives Congresswoman Lucy McBath (Georgia's 6th Congressional District representative, which includes Atlanta suburb areas like Chamblee and Alpharetta) as she described her efforts to reduce violence and deaths by eliminating loopholes that allow guns to be sold without background checks.
https://mcbath.house.gov/gun-safety

Mindfulness Practice in Lilburn

11/18/2021

Day of Mindfulness Retreat
Saturday October 30
Chua Quan The Am
Vietnamese Buddhist Temple in Norcross/ Lilburn
4180 Arc Way, Norcross GA 30093

All welcome. Suggested minimum donation of $25 to help cover costs of supplies and vegetarian lunch.

Activities include making your own small Buddha statue!
(Crafting Buddha images with Plaster / quick-concrete / fiberglass mold)