The Temple at Sacramento was started in November 1996 under American Buddhist Seminary (ABS) headed by Bhante Seelawimala with the collaboration of a small number of Sri Lankan Buddhists living in the greater Sacramento area and San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Nandika Dias assisted Bhante in coordinating the foundation of the Temple.

The cost of maintenance of the Temple has been carried by traditional Buddhists (Sri Lankan, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Thai etc.) as well as American donors living in the Sacramento area and other parts of U.S.

A major goal of the Temple is to support the ABS mission and help fulfill the religious, spiritual and educational needs of Buddhists and others who are increasingly interested in learning and practicing Buddhism. As part of the Buddhist practice the emphasis is given to Mindfulness Training and the Temple will serve as a Center for Buddhist Meditation for locals seeking for peace of mind.

The Temple is also expected to be a setting for practical training of monks who are learning to meet the unique needs of the Buddhists living in America. Training of monks includes teaching how to communicate Dhamma in English, and management of an American temple which is greatly different from managing a temple in a traditional Buddhist country. Due to financial limitations the current number of resident monks serving the community is limited to three monks.

Our aim is to continue to bring educated monks, and after two years of practical training in America, send them to other parts of the country where people are seeking qualified monks. For this end we need support from generous donors. Please help as much as you can. Your contributions are tax deductible.