Staten Island Buddhist Vihara
This private garden welcomes everyone as a guest.
Street Address: 115 John St
Hours: 11a–6p, daily
Website: www.sibv.org
Getting there: S46 or S96 bus to Innis St–John St, once you take the free public ferry to Staten Island
Once you arrive at 115 John St: walk down the driveway to the left of the door. You will be walking towards the back of the house.
Your key will unlock: the gate to the garden maintained by the monks.
Located at the end of a suburban block, the key grants you access to a backyard. We saw someone moving about inside, but they did not come out. Ah well. Next location!
I walk around the yard and stop in spot and did the humaniod scan (how to do scan http://sandra.stahlman.com/mindful1.html)
Then rang the front bell and sat and chat over tea
Quite an adventure! Not sure if this is a monastery or a standard house? Regardless, it was fun to sneak into the backyard. In addition to a few flowers, the garden was plentiful in rocks and gravel.
Note: Walking from the ferry is probably a bad idea…it’s rather far. Staten Island’s best cabbie Joe Kramer took pity on us.
in the infamous words of one of my friends, “this is a bigger tease than winnie cooper.”
where to begin? it’s more house than temple. it’s more rock patch than garden. it’s more blah, than ahhh.
don’t try walking from the ferry, lest you have your hiking boots on. but don’t count on the buses to come, either. hitchhiking works, though.
had tea with a monk; wonderful chat on enlightenment and travels in relation to the key project. gave us great recommendations on where to catch some delicious sri lanken food, which was conveniently along the same bus route we took from the ferry terminal! all in all, wonderful trip! xx
Wished I had brought the monks a wee plant or some incense to thank them for the tea.
Denino’s pizza (since 1937) is an 11 min walk away. Go S. on John st towards EEaton Pl. L on Innis street. R on Nicholas ave. L on Hooker Pl. R on Port Richmond.
Had the most amazing experience here. Was able to sit in on a Buddhist ceremony, chant with the monks, and then was given a traditional Sri Lankan meal. Everyone there was wonderful and it was truly an amazing experience.
Will leave you saying “why am I here” – only to see all the spots I guess. The “monks” have left a key in the lock… It was 98 degrees in the shade so passed on tea…
By far the calmest spot so far, everyone is kind and warm and welcoming and lovely.
http://key2thecitykey2myheart.blogspot.com/2010/06/third-date.html
holy ~~~~!
i saw 1 of them monks air bending like in the movie (the last air bender)and i got a free lesson….now i can blow dry my hair without my hair drier…umm..anyone wanna used hair drier?
The garden was not what we had expected but the temple was far more interesting
The best part of this site wasn’t the garden – it was definitely the temple and the conversation we had with Bhante Sumana. Be sure to read the sign on the gate to the garden and take its advice!
As a Staten Islander who lives in the next town, I visited this place when it first opened about 10 years ago. They actually had a different Buddha in the main area of the temple then, a giant reclining one. (He was at the other end of the space, no less.)I was surprised at how much it had changed…they did some remodeling/re-arranging inside, perhaps to provide more interior space and a Buddhist library. The garden and the Bodhi tree are new (at least to me) too. When I went into the garden, they had robes (and other things) out on the clothesline to dry. This visit also answered the question of what Buddhist monks wear under their robes: apparently boxer briefs seem to be favored. How very Zen!