City of Ten Thousand Buddhas

The Dharma Realm Buddhist Association bought the grounds of the closed Mendocino State Hospital in 1974 and had an international center operating by 1976, building a full monastic city under Master Hsuan Hua, one of the most influential figures in bringing Chinese Buddhism to the West: the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, separate communities of fully ordained monks and nuns, Dharma Realm Buddhist University, K-12 schools, and a strictly vegetarian kitchen. Daily life is organized around recitation, meditation and study, and the grounds famously include free-roaming peacocks.

The visitor culture is distinctive and clearly posted: men's and women's areas are separated, visitors are asked not to kill even insects on campus, all food is Mahayana vegetarian without meat, eggs, onions or garlic, and modest dress is required. The place runs on gift-economy logic rather than ticketing, with day visits free and overnights only during Dharma sessions. This is a living, rule-governed monastic city, and its rules are the community's practice rather than obstacles.

Visiting

The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (4951 Bodhi Way, Talmage CA) is open every day, 8am to 6pm, with free day visits; the vegetarian restaurant and book store keep limited hours; cash or check on site.

Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Ten_Thousand_Buddhas_-_April_2023_-_Sarah_Stierch.jpg), CC BY 4.0, Sarah Stierch.