About Us

Who We Are

The Grand Rapids Buddhist Temple is an American Mahayana temple.

• We are the founding temple of the HeartSide Mindfulness School of Mahayana Buddhism.

• We draw our inspiration from the Mahayana Buddhist foundational scripture, The Heart Sutra.

• We embrace the rich diversity and history of Buddhist practice, our temple being home to various traditions, including the Heartside Mindfulness, Soto Zen, and Tibetan Gelug traditions.

• We honor the teachings by making it accessible to our community while adapting it to address the needs and conditions facing modern practitioners.

As a community, it is our wish to be ordinary people of great aspiration, embodying the Dharma qualities of humility, honesty, friendship, and integrity. We strive to inspire others to live within the wise view of complete unimpeded difference, the unconditional openness to the way things are, and the spiritual equality of all beings.

The Teachings:

The Four Noble Truths

The Noble Eightfold Path

The Three Jewels

The Five Precepts

Cause and Effect

Interdependent Interbeing

The Four Noble Abodes (The Four Immeasurables)

The Three Marks of Existence

The Three Poisons

The Scriptures:

The Heart Sutra (our foundational scripture)

The Dhammapada

The Diamond Sutra

The Lotus Sutra

and The Vimalakirti Sutra

Our Practice 

We serve our Sangha and the greater West Michigan community by offering Buddhist teachings that support spiritual well-being and respond to the challenges of modern life. Our practice emphasizes applying the Dharma in practical, everyday ways, recognizing that our community is made up of working individuals and families.

We offer Sunday Dharma Talks, meditation, classes, and retreats designed to help practitioners integrate Buddhist teachings into their lives. We also gather for community meals, holiday celebrations, and ordination ceremonies to foster connection, spiritual growth, and friendship.

In the spirit of generosity (dana), our temple is supported by donations and volunteer service. We invite everyone who benefits from our community to support its continuation in ways that are meaningful to them.

Above all, our practice commitment is to create an inclusive, welcoming space where all people can explore the Buddha’s teachings, cultivate wisdom and compassion, and deepen their connection to themselves, each other, and the world.

We welcome everyone to the Buddhist path.