• Also check the phone book, Web, or any other sources for other places to visit
• Call first to find out the schedule of what the group does and when is a good time to visit
• You may "buddy up" with a classmate (but each of you should write your own report)

Ekoji Buddhist Temple (Japanese Pure Land) www.ekoji.org/
10301 Burke Lake Rd., Fairfax Station, VA (703) 239-1200
(worship: 11 AM Sun., meditation: 8 PM Wed.)

Zen Center of Washington (Japanese)
Chevy Chase, MD (202) 829-1966

Hoa Nghiem Pagoda (Vietnamese Zen) http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/9169/info.htm
9105 Backlick Rd., Fort Belvoir, VA (703) 799-0441

Avatamsaka Vihara (Chinese Pure Land)
9601 Seven Locks Rd., Bethesda, MD (301) 469-8300

The Shambhala Center (Tibetan - Vajrayana) 
3520 Connecticut Ave NW (rear/side entrance)
Washington, DC 20008
202.787.1526

Cambodian Buddhist Temple
13800 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD (301) 622-6544

Wat Yarnna Rangseei Buddhist Monastery (Thai) www.watyarn.com
22437 Ceder Green Rd., Sterling, VA (703) 406-8290

Wat Lao Buddhavong (Laotian) 
3043 Catlett Rd., Catlett, VA (540) 788-4968

Wat Tummaprateip (Thai) www.tummaprateip.iirt.net (not in English)
36 Farmington Rd., Accokeek, MD (301) 203-9500

Washington Mindfulness Community www.mindfulnessdc.org
(based on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn)
call (301) 681-1036 for information

Chua Giac Hoang Buddhist Temple http://www.oocities.com/vulongdinh22003/frame2.htm
(Vietnamese Zen & Pure Land)
5401 16th St. NW, DC (202) 829-2423

Soka Gakkai International (SGI)  
7400 Fullerton Rd., Springfield, VA (703) 451-0441

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) DC Buddhist Culture Center
3417 Massachusetts Ave. NW, DC 202-338-5491

Washington Buddhist Vihara (Sri Lankan/Theravada)
5017 16th St. NW, DC (202) 723-0773

KPC (Kunzang Palyul Choling) American-Tibetan Temple (http://www.tara.org/kpcmaryland.htm)
18400 River Road, Poolesville, MD 1(301) 972-7662, (301) 428-8116
(Don’t miss their very interesting wooded trail across the road for self guided walking meditation)

Bo Rim Sa (Korean)
5300 Ox Rd., Fairfax, VA (703) 352-0380

Bodhi Path (Tibetan) (http://www.bodhipath.org/centers_dc.html)
12540 Falls Rd., Potomac, MD (240) 453-9200

 

Wat Pa Tesarangsee

24430 Railroad Lane, Fredericksburg, VA (540) 368-2272

Also: Mr. Wilson Hurley, (703) 503-5487 holds meditation sessions at his home

Other locations are listed on the Web at: 

• www.Blissis.org
• http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/Virginia (for other states: http://www.dharmaweb.org/index.php/North_America)

Hindu

Sri Shiva-Vishnu Temple www.ssvt.org (watch an on-line video clip about this temple [requires RealPlayer])
6905 Cipriano Rd., Lanham, MD (301) 552-3335 (weekend visits are best)
(also call Dr. Rao, Bala Vikas, below)

Murugan Temple of North America www.murugantemple.org/
6300 Princess Garden Pkwy, Lanham, MD (301)552-4889

Durga Mandir (Temple) www.durgatemple.org
8400 Durga Place, Fairfax Station, VA (at Hooes and Silverbrook roads) (703) 690-9355

Rajdhani Mandir  www.rajdhanimandir.org/
4525 Pleasant Valley Rd, Chantilly VA, (703)378-8401
(houses Jain as well as Hindu shines)

ISKCON Temple (Hare Krishna) (no, it’s not a cult) 
10310 Oaklyn Dr., Potomac, MD (301) 890-0318

Hindu Temple of Metropolitan Washington 
10001 Riggs Rd., Adelphi, MD  301-445-2165, 301-434-1000

Bala Vikas of Fairfax (Sunday school for Hindu children) (www.balavikas.org)
Dr. GVV Rao (703) 425-7866, P. Srinivasan at 703-251-0900

Vedanta Center of Greater Washington DC
3001 BelPre Rd., Silver Spring, MD (301) 603-1772 (http://www.vedanta-dc.org/)
(open Tues. - Sun. 4 - 8 PM, worship and meditation begins at 6:30 PM)

Satchidananda Ashram www.yogaville.org (a day trip or overnight visit)
Yogaville, Buckingham, VA 23921 (804) 969-3121

Gayatri Pariwar
11121 Glade Dr., Reston, VA (703) 758-0232

Maryland Hindu Milan Mandir (mdmilanmandir@gmail.com)
16921 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD

For additional info and other locations go to Association of United Hindu & Jain Temples of Metropolitan Washington, DC (http://www.dcunitedtemples.org/)

Jain

Jain Society of Metropolitan Washington http://www.jainsocietydc.org/
1021 Briggs Chaney Rd., Silver Spring, MD (301) 236-4466

Other Jain temples in North America can be located at: www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/jainsoc.html

Sikh

Sikh Foundation of Virginia (Sunday mornings, Thursday evenings)
7250 Ox Rd., Fairfax Station, VA (703) 323-8849

Singh Sabha Gurdwara
12001, Braddock Rd , Fairfax, VA 

Guru Ram Das Ashram (Western Sikhs)
1739 Whitewood Ln., Herndon, VA (703) 435-7454

Sikh Dharma Brotherhood Of Washington DC
Po Box 821 , Sterling, VA

Sikh Gurdwara Of Greater Washington
13681 Heritage Valley Way , Gainesville, VA

Guru Gobind Singh Foundation
13814 Travillah Rd., Rockville, MD (301) 309-9528

Other Sikh Gurdwaras (in America, Canada and the UK) can be found at: http://www.worldgurudwara.com/V2/default.asp 

Taoist: 

Tao Practice http://www.taopractice.org/
8225 Idylwood Road, Vienna, VA 22182 (monthly lecture)
Qi-Gong practice every Friday evening (see website for address and details on this and various other activities)

Other Hindu, Jain, Sikh and Buddhist temples can be located at: www.mandirnet.org/usa_list.html (contains limited listings)
and at The Pluralism Project Directory of Religious Centers: http://www.pluralism.org/directory/index.php

Also: on reserve in the Woodbridge campus library you will find a book: Stopping By: Field Visits to Selected Temples, Gurdwaras, and Centers by John C. O’Conor. This book lists over forty possible places to visit in our area with detailed information concerning what to expect.

During your visit:

• Observe what the physical setting is like: the architecture and furnishings, the layout, art work (if any), hymnals, reading material, etc. Are there special objects or symbols? Is there a setting that seems to be the center of attention (e.g. a shrine or alter)? Is the place ornate or simple?
• Note what the people do: is there reading, reciting, singing, movement, silence or meditation, manipulation of physical objects (ritual), use of foreign language, sermon or lesson? Is there a special person as leader? Do the people face a certain direction? Do the people wear anything special? Are there children present?
• What is the atmosphere like: solemn, reverent, exciting, relaxed, peaceful, etc.?
• What struck you as the most important element of the setting and activity?
• Try to talk to someone from the group. Ask them questions, ask them to explain what you saw and heard.

Guidelines for conducting field research at religious centers (from the Pluralism Project)

Tips for interviewing (from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly)