Kuan Yin Temple

This quaint little temple is right beside the Foster Botanical Garden. The entryway is quite inviting and it is easy to be drawn in to the vibrant colors of the flowers or the building itself.
The temple consists of one large room that is dominated by a large female statue. The golden Buddha is much smaller and is not the focal point of the temple.
As a tourist, I felt neither welcomed nor completely out of place. There was a woman spreading incense around the temple as we entered and so the aroma was very pleasant but reminded me of the 60’s. If you are a practicing Buddhist you will be well aware of the significance of everything that is happening here, if you are not, enjoy the experience.
If you in the area this is a place well worth a visit.

I found the temple when I came to the Foster Botanical Garden. Since I parked next door, I just walked over. It is an interesting temple, and I hadn’t read up on it, so I did feel bad that I didn’t have anything to offer except money. I asked a woman inside if I could take photos. Either she didn’t know or didn’t know how to speak English, and since I don’t speak Chinese, I just took indiscreet photos inside, and a few outside. Lots of incense burning. There were a few people praying. I will definitely be back after I do a little research. I would like to know about the goddess and the other gods within.
Worth a visit and it’s free. Just remember to bring either some fruit or flowers, but monetary offerings are accepted too.

Easy to visit. Calm nd clean environment. Open til 2 p.m. Next to Foster Botanical Garden.

The grounds of the temple are near the Foster Botanical Garden so it was an easy walk across the parking lot to see the temple grounds. The temple is a small open air temple and very ornately decorated. They had some «How-​Tos» posted on the door, which was helpful because I wanted to admire the beauty of the grounds and since I’m not Buddhist, was a bit unsure of how to behave. There was a caretaker there that went about his business quietly. The smell of the incense was lovely. The flowers and fruit offerings were interesting to see. It was a good time.
I had my reason for 1 star…

After going to the Mu-​Ryang-​Sa Buddhist Temple, others have not really matched up in impressiveness, but the Kuan Yin Temple is still a wonderful sight to see to understand the Chinese impact on Hawaii.
I quickly stopped here for a look-​in after walking around Foster Botanical Garden. It was going to close soon, too, so I didn’t have much time to appreciate the details, but I could still feel the change of pace of the temple compared to the busy Vineyard Boulevard right outside.
There’s street parking if you’re lucky, and you might be able to park in the Foster Botanical Garden parking lot because I don’t think anyone is really watching.

I decided to come see Kuan Yin mother at this temple to ask for blessing for the up coming year. I came here early so it won’t get crowed. There’re several elder Chinese who are already here and brought fruits and golden paper. The nun instructed me to use 8 incense total. The temple is next to the botanical garden, so you can park in there and walk to the temple. This temple is very peaceful

As a 2^nd-​generation Chinese-​American born and raised in Chinatown Honolulu, my paternal grandmother dragged me here as a child and I would cry due to the mass of people, smoke and noise. I was confused and scared, therefore my visits here were not so memorable.
However, I have recently come back here to seek inner peace within myself. I first go to make prayers and then make an offering to the Kuan Yin Goddess. On both sides of the entrance are buckets of sandalwood incense. I burn a whole bunch to make prayers and offerings to the different deities on premise.
I adore the water lilies in the ponds and often take photos of them with my cell phone. On difficult days I will sit down on the benches to enjoy the trade winds and inhale the incense aroma that permeates the whole temple.
There is no admission fee for this temple. However, you are most welcome to make an offering/​donation in the box in front of the Goddess.
This has helped me immensely during difficult times. If you are in the neighborhood you should stop by for this experience. May the Goddess help you as well.
I still hold on to the memories where my grandmother held my hand as well as the visit there earlier today.

Nice mostly quiet and peaceful place to provide offering and say your thanks

Absolutely amazing day at Kuan Yin temple. There was hundreds and hundreds of dandelions in the air. Sooo amazing and beautiful.
Thank you Kuan Yin, Puna & Genevieve for guiding Jennifer & My friend. Olé tao fa, qin joi, qin joi
I ask the priestess, you always ask how my friend is doing, you’ve never asked how I am doing. Priestess says you walk in Buddhas footsteps
Week 4
A real spiritual and peaceful place to reflect and open yourself.
I love this temple.

The Kuan Yin Temple was the starting point to our meetup a couple of Saturdays ago. We were very lucky to get a private tour from Dr. Jim, a professor at HPU.
Growing up in a Buddhist family, I am somewhat familiar with Kuan Yin, the popular Goddess of Mercy. What I learned from Dr. Jim, is that the technical term for Kuan Yin is a Bodhisattva (a Buddha in waiting).
And because it has been forever since I learned about world religions, I was reminded by Dr. Jim’s lecture that Buddhists believe that all life is suffering which is caused by desire (and way out of suffering is to practice the 8-​fold path).
During our visit, we witnessed a festival worship, in which devout followers were going through sutra (chants). Dr. Jim explained that Buddhists pray to the spirit, not actual statue of Kuan Yin. He also pointed out that while the chants were being recited in Chinese, many of the sounds have an Indian origin… no wonder why I can never really understand them: p
Here are some more points I learned from Dr. Jim regarding the temple:
–The purpose for the great gate in front of the temple is so that you leave all your worldly problems behind and enter the spiritual realm.
–Temple lions protect the grounds against evil spirits (many people rub the nose for luck).
–The main alter is carved out of teak wood.
–If you look carefully there are little animals carved on the roof top.
–The sharp edges on the roof top are meant to ward off evil.
–The pastel colors and clouds are influenced by Tibet.
— The smaller temple is used for solitary worship.
A few notes regarding the fung shui:
–As you leave the temple, you head West, which is the way towards China (in China temples face South).
–The nearby botanical garden houses a sacred Bohdi tree (which is believed to be a descendant of the original tree of enlightenment in China/​India).
Visitors are asked to refrain from taking pictures of the inside of the temple.

I discovered this Chinese temple, located on busy Vineyard Boulevard, from a friend who drove me to the Kuan Yin Temple to show me this spiritual place which is great for meditating… a place of serenity and inner peace.
Surrounded by lots of trees and greenery, this temple is located near the entrance to the Foster Botanical Gardens, a perfect setting for a temple. With its green ceramic tile roof, this bright red Buddhist temple has been around since the 1800’s.
Upon arrival it is like you are taken to a different part of the world. You no longer hear the noise of the traffic or notice the busy life outside this temple. It is not only very peaceful and quiet but also nice place to relax and unwind.
As a place of worship the interior of the temple is rich and beautiful with a golden statute of Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, and filled with the smell of burning incense. Offerings of fresh flowers and fruit are placed at the altar inside the main room. At the foot of the statute is a wooden box where prayers and monetary donations can be made.

The only reason I visited this place today was for my Intercultural class.
It is quite hidden and next to a botanical garden. They either share the parking, park on the streets or find parking somewhere and walk the rest of the way.
So it’s a Chinese temple and we basically did some observations:
– There was a lot of smoke, they were burning papers and such which I think is part of their rituals.
– The prayer is more of an offering and it’s kind of a fortune teller with sticks that have numbers and a book with what the number means.
It was difficult to participate because there wasn’t a translation sort of book for non-​Chinese visitors to look at.
There were monks that tried to explain though their English weren’t so good.
They have little booklets they were giving away for free and a print-​out to explain the religion more.
Lastly, if you want to take a picture in the temple, you have only one shot, so make it count! They do sell post cards for fifty cents and bracelets which I thought were pretty.

This temple is kind of hidden, if you just simply drive up and down Vineyard Blvd everyday for work, play, or whatever. One day, I walked from my work to the downtown area, which was mile or so, and I stopped by this temple and just fell in love with it. Once I stepped into this place, I felt immersed in my own culture and was drawn back to the old country. This place really gives you pause and makes you think about what’s more important in life, than just the hustle and bustle of everyday life. This place is very much like a park or the beach! Great stress relief and it gives you a sense of peace that many people need in their daily lives.
The temple itself is clean and immaculate, as well as the grounds. There is incense for free to offer, but it helps to bring some offerings to help defray some costs. I’m sure they offer other services, but I didn’t really ask. For me, it was more about cleansing myself spiritually and mentally. I know I could have done this more and more, especially when life throws us all a curveball or two. When the beach or the park won’t do, coming to buddhist temples just like Kuan Yin can really help refocus your mind on the simple things in life.
A+++

a powerful place, lots of inceanse and kind practisioners, great for new and devoted buddhists alike!

I think that the Kuan Yin Temple is a must-​see if you are in Honolulu. It’s a lovely temple and a place to get a more authentic experience.
I have been praying to Kuan Yin for years and she has always been a guiding light to me, bringing me closer to what I would call — my better self. Her compassionate nature and archetype would be helpful to anyone and I would suggest anyone pray to her while in this special place.
There are booklets and monks to answer questions. You can buy a few things — I bought prayer beads and a pendant. Donate to the temple to keep this great place going.

This is one of the more smaller temples I have gone too nonetheless great to visit. Thank goodness there are English translations of how to go about respecting the temple.
Usually practices differ withing Buddhists as well. Taking off shoes vs. not taking off shoes. How to cleanse your mind and body before you step in. How much to donate. If you put your donation in a red envelope or not. Whether to bring your own incense. How many incense. If you need to bring offerings of fruit. How to hold your hands when you pray. Even which hand to put the incense in the holder.
So it is very nice that they have an English speaking monk to prep you before you go inside.

I’m Buddhist so visiting temples is a must when I go vacationing. Its nice seeing how temples differ. This temple was small but very humble.
I did my usual prayers for family and friend’s health and well-​being. Paid my respects and went on my way.
I’m not sure about how «accurate» it is in answering specific prayers because I don’t go to temples for that. Things you are in control of, should not be things you’re bothering Buddha for… its selfish to ask of trivial things.

I am surprised that no one wrote an review for this Kuan Yin Temple. Two years ago, I was here on vacation with my girlfriend and one of my local guy friend brought us here to pray. What do two single female and one male pray for at the temple? Well my girlfriend and I of course pray and seek answers on when we will find our other half. Back then I was really into this guy and he would called me and we talked for hours while I was on vacation. We had so much in common and talk for hours until one of us literally passed out from exhausation by in the back of my head I felt that something was just not right. My local guy friend told us about this temple and how accurate it was so I went and pray for answers. After lighting a lot of incense and bowing down I got my answered: nothing will come out of this relationship. Of course I was sceptical I mean things were going great and he was very attentive – cutting up my food into tiny pieces, listening to me and chatting with me for hours and helping me take shots when my friends are trying to get me drunk. Gradually, I started noticing that he was acting funny and distance so I started to get suspicious and remembering my experience at the Kuan Yin Temple. My suspicions were correct, he was dating another girl on the side and went to Vegas with her. Also, told me that he is sorry that I got the wrong idea and that we could still be friends which is fine by me. I stopped liking him when he told me about this other girl and when I asked him if he likes her or not his replied, «I don’t know.» Undecisiveness in a male is a total turnoff. By having someone relay Kuan Yin’s message to me lessened the rejection and healed faster. Call me supersitious but somethings in life are unexplainable and works in a mysterious way. I will definitely come back the next time I am here for vacation again. If you are wondering what my guy friend prayed for, it is career.