Southeast Asian Theravada

The Theravada lineage is alive and the dominant religion in the countries of Cambodia, Laos, Burma / Myanmar, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Here are some of those groups in the United States!

(NOTE: TO SEE ENTIRE ALBUM, hit “ALL PHOTOS” tab on the top left instead of defaulted “HIGHLIGHTS” tab in Google Photos)

Sorted by original language / ethnic tradition, though of course there are lots of different schools within each and lots of overlap as well.

Burmese / Myanmar Buddhist Temples
Cambodian / Khmer Buddhist Temples
Lao / Laotian Buddhist Temples
Thailand / Thai Buddhist Temples
Sinhalese / Sri Lankan Buddhist Temples

Burma / Myanmar centers: —————————–

Ratana Viman Yeiktha Monastery, Myanmar Buddhist Association of Georgia, Lithonia GA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pUp5aGycwJDW9d9b8

2022 Update: They have sold this house and moved to a larger and more rural location in McDonough, GA (south of Atlanta) in 2014. The MBAGA group is still active, with resident monks frequently participating in ceremonies with other temples (mostly other Theravada schools such as Cambodian, as well as some Vietnamese Mahayana) around the area, some summer classes for children, and so forth.

Dhamma Viman, Jamestown NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rcNAb98HZ6AMGsAVA

Dhammikarama Temple, Chapel Hill NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qsMJ6kGD5tYsUjbPA

The Buddhist Temple, Nashville TN 2010-2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eEhWB7kyEcd4pMyKA

Saddhama Gon Yaung Myanmar Buddhist Temple, Nashville TN 2014 (Construction planning!)

Covid Update: The monk in the photo, Dr. Ashin Kavainda, sadly passed away from coronavirus while on an unfortunately timed trip back home to Myanmar (he went to visit in February 2020, and the rest is history…)

Khmer / Cambodian Buddhist temples: ———————————

Wat Kantiyaram (Eastern United Temple Foundation / Cambodian Buddhist Society), Jacksonville FL 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NaQTPkBj6NXWRgF96

Wat Savy Ratanaram, Jacksonville FL 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LzSG7p2MGhbjjcHZ7

Cambodian Buddhist Temple, Silver Spring MD, 2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fe8mmTaBR2kRp8dR6

Update 2022: The Cambodian Buddhist Society of DC has built a stupa too, and Chua Vien An, a Vietnamese Buddhist group, is almost done constructing their new location across the street.

Atlanta Buddhist Temple (Cambodian / Khmer Temple), Stone Mountain GA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/z1bprj5nkBWeNz327

2022 Update: This temple closed in 2019, and was sold subsequently. (The Vietnamese temple literally next door, Chua Linh Mu, is not related.) There are several other Cambodian temples in Atlanta, visit https://georgiameditation.org/cambodian-khmer-buddhism-georgia.html

Trairatanaram Temple (Cambodian / Khmer Buddhist Temple) , College Park 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jt3kBJrFy3DG64bM8

Wat Khmer Georgia, Lithonia GA, 2014

https://goo.gl/photos/zReKPmEdP7KUWPaC9

The main Khmer temple in Atlanta, well, now Stonecrest to be exact.

Wat Thamma Rangsey, Riverdale GA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/pmsSYzD97XbxqUu77

2022 Update – The name has changed!

Wat Buddharam – Cambodian Cultural Center of NC – Charlotte Temple, Charlotte NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m3yjxpzwfWhTQUmo6

There seem to be more Khmer people in the Charlotte area than typical for a Southern city?

Wat Khemararukharam / Lexington Buddhist Temple / Cambodian Cultural Center of North Carolina (CCC-NC), Lexington NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ywz7xQdoyXMzrX4F9

Wat Greensboro, Greensboro NC, 2014

This temple was in the local news for a burglary, which unfortunately is actually common among temples – criminals must think temples are easy targets, but luckily, security measures are being undertaken more and more now!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/E7Ae9XBj2R5eCF589

Spartanburg Buddhist Center (Wat Preah Ang Thom), Spartanburg SC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgsSyT3VZrgMg9bKA

An impressive Cambodian temple, especially considering it’s in small town South Carolina!

Wat Khotesaram, Inman SC, 2014

2022 Update: This place, not much physically to begin with, is likely closed as the property has been sold.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/KKfDrZZLfMTjJKq39

Wat Sao Sokh San, Wellford SC 2014

Another amazing Khmer monastery somehow in the rural Bible Belt of the Deep South. Hopefully the many discriminations they face will gradually turn into tolerance and diversity.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cM877LikKzZVnPdW8

Cambodian International Buddhist Temple, Nashville TN, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/22MBMLJaXENeypMY8

Please find our Nashville and Tennessee Buddhist temple listing now at TNBuddhism.org

Cambodian Buddhist Association of Richmond Virginia – Cambodian Buddhist Monastery, Mechanicsville VA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/bWSihg1C86k51mKL7

Laotian Buddhist Temples —————————

Wat Lao America, Archdale NC, 2014 (New building planned)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dv6hJJe9U7b3n2xLA

The Lao temple near Greensboro / High Point, and as of 2022, I don’t think any new temple has been built.

Wat Buddharam Lao Community Center, Charlotte NC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8tYRD7tM4w5ABU356

Wat Lao Houeikeo Indharam, Grover NC, 2014

I’d say this is close to the middle of nowhere, near the North Carolina South Carolina border. Where do all the Lao people come from in the rural South? Or Charlotte? A mystery to me.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/zW584Sjj8FCn332eA

Wat Lao Buddhakhanti, Snellville GA, 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/j6JZ2beYBms3pUaK8

Wat Lao Buddha Phothisaram, Conley GA, 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uwAwUGSubJZxrWxj8

There are five Laotian Buddhist temples in the greater Atlanta area – details here

https://georgiameditation.org/laos-laotian-buddhism-georgia.html

Wat Lao Buddhamoongcoon, Riverdale GA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aFUUBsguvac7Rc9Q8

Wat Lao Buddha Mettaram, Spartanburg SC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/gvWS4cJAQ4auDWom6

Wat Lao Antioch, Antioch TN (Nashville area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8Drk6uWhnVUV3TLR9

Wat Lao Buddha Pathip, Nashville TN, 2014

This is one of a few Laotian Buddhist temples – the largest one is Wat Lao Buddharam in Murfreesboro; a list of more around middle Tennessee is at our site http://tnbuddhism.org/

https://photos.app.goo.gl/r4aaR6PWrQgDfna2A

Wat Lao Buddharam, Murfreesboro TN (Nashville area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/SMkMpgxEf9ipABg9A

Wat Lao Buddha Manodham, Chickamauga GA (Chattanooga TN area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Ta8ick4Bfo2Q5tzz7

Wat Lao Phoxaiyaram, Lao Buddhist Temple in Albuquerque NM, 2017:

http://goo.gl/photos/xyoYeApexTkC7Wqh9

————————————————-

Sinhalese / Sri Lanka Buddhist Centers:

Georgia Buddhist Vihara, Lithonia GA, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uGN5maMNBPjSzFqg7

Carolina Buddhist Vihara, Greenville SC, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Nd6UiRx85k9HNyzX8

North Carolina Buddhist Vihara, Raleigh NC 2014

2022 update: Note that the NC Buddhist Vihara has moved to a different location in the Raleigh-Durham triangle area.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/a2YCaynTZ8XfxrZC6

Washington Buddhist Vihara, Washington DC, 2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/neEH1kKvq9qBhtqn6

Thai Buddhist Centers —————————

Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, Thai Forest Tradition, Redwood Valley CA, 2013

I really admire the monks and practitioners of this Thai Forest Tradition following Ajahn Chah

https://photos.app.goo.gl/QsKChaDuvTmmJFje7

This rural monastery is on land that was a gift from the nearby City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, actually.
https://www.abhayagiri.org/

Dhammakaya Meditation Center of Tennessee, Murfreesboro TN, 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EP7krGCe45TYzvmh7

Georgia Meditation Center / Dhammakaya Center of Georgia, Thai Dhammakaya, Atlanta GA, 2013

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oNPhiAz5N3BZmvwG9

Wat Amphawan, Murfreesboro TN (Nashville area Thai temple), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z3ccUUeiqCq8KfZh9

Wat Buddha Bucha, Decatur GA (Atlanta area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Txczedx7xcEwKQy39

More on Atlanta’s Thai Buddhist temples here:

https://georgiameditation.org/thai-buddhism-georgia.html

Wat BuddhaRaleigh , Knightdale NC, 2014

The main Thai group in the Raleigh area

https://photos.app.goo.gl/19m54U58SW9q9H4F8

Wat Thai Washington DC, Thai Theravada, Silver Spring MD, 2011-2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7otbyihLykZU8X7w8

2022 update: A monk from here represented Theravada Buddhism (with Mahayana and Vajrayana the other representatives, naturally) at a small Vesak ceremony at the White House attended by Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff!

Wat Phramahajanaka, Griffin GA (Atlanta area), 2014

https://photos.app.goo.gl/xcRseDHv7uw2CqZv7

Wat Prazanimit, Charlotte NC, 2014 (New Temple planned)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/b6Y8UFqXovWbVs4z9

Wat Yarn Rangsee, Thai Theravada, Sterling VA, 2012

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uRkK8H7XVgWR7TjLA

Overall, categorically I think the Thai Buddhist temples associated with the Royal Thai ~~government~~ family are the nicest Buddhist temple facilities (when comparing to Burmese, Sri Lankan, Lao, Korean, etc), probably because the ~~government~~ Royal Family donates much of the construction costs to enable them to be quite ornate. Unfortunately, lost in translation, the monks sent to the US from Thailand (because there are almost zero Americans who ordain, of course) are called “missionary” but they don’t do any “missionary” activities, at least in the normal Christian sense of that word.

Wat Buddhapradeep, San Bruno (South San Francisco) CA, 2015