When people think of Utah, the Mormon religion often comes to mind. The headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is located in Salt Lake City, and Utah has the largest Mormon population in the United States.
Utah is not typically considered very religiously diverse. However, on deeper inspection, one finds a surprising plethora of religious traditions in Utah. Eastern religions and Buddhism, in particular, have a strong presence and vibrant communities in Utah. One of the main tenets of the LDS faith is religious tolerance, and overall Utah is welcoming of other spiritual paths.
Buddhism and Buddhist Temples in Salt Lake City
There are three large Buddhist communities in the Salt Lake City area—the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, Big Mind Western Zen Center, and Wat Dhammagunaram. The first two are located in downtown Salt Lake City, and the third is in Layton, about 25 miles north of Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake Buddhist Temple
The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple adheres to the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism tradition, the most widely practiced sect of Buddhism in Japan. Immigrants from Japan brought this form of Buddhism to America in 1899.
The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple holds regular services and activities, a calendar of which can be found on its website, SLBuddhist.org. General information about Buddhism as well as temple protocol and etiquette, including the differences between Buddhist and Christian services, are also detailed on the site.
Big Mind Western Zen Center in Salt Lake City
Formerly known as the Kanzeon Zen Center, the Big Mind Western Zen Center offers Buddhism practice that is specifically tailored to modern Western individuals. The center teaches Zen Buddhism, which favors experiential as opposed to theoretical practice as a means of achieving enlightenment.
A thought and meditation practice called Big Mind Big Heart, designed and taught by the abbot and Zen master of the Big Mind Western Zen Center, Genpo Roshi, makes up the core of the center’s spiritual offerings. The teachings offer guidance on shifting from a dualistic, ego-centered to a non-dualistic, egoless perspective. Information about events, services, and classes can be found on the center’s website, BigMind.org.
Wat Dhammagunaram Temple in Layton, Utah
Immigrants from Thailand founded the Wat Dhammagunaram temple. Many Thai immigrants came to Utah in the 1970s to work at Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield. Today, members of the Wat Dhammagunaram temple include Thais, Laotians, and Cambodians.
Services incorporate Thai, Laotian, Cambodian, English, and Pali languages. The temple follows the Theravada Buddhist tradition, the oldest form of Buddhism practiced widely in Southeast Asia. Information about services and other activities can be found at Utah-Faiths.org and WatUtah.iirt.net.
Other Buddhist Places of Worship in Utah
There are several other Buddhist temples scattered throughout Utah.
In Salt Lake City and just outside of the city, there are six additional centers for Buddhism practice:
- Chua Pho Quang Vietnamese Unified Buddhist Church of Utah (Salt Lake City)
- Insight Meditation Vipassana (Salt Lake City)
- Salt Lake Sangha (Salt Lake City)
- Urgyen Samten Ling Center for Buddhist Practice (Salt Lake City)
- Wat Buddhikaram Cambodian Buddhist Temple (West Valley City)
- Wat Lao Munisriratnaram (Salt Lake City)
In Northern Utah, there are three additional Buddhist temples:
- Buddhist Church of Ogden (Ogden)
- Cache Valley Sangha (Logan)
- Honeyville Buddhist Temple (Honeyville)
In Southern Utah, there are two centers for Buddhism:
- Desert Lotus Sangha (St. George)
- Thupten Choling Tibetan Buddhist Practice Center (La Verkin)
Religious Tolerance and Religious Diversity in Utah
Though Utah is not normally considered a place of spiritual diversity, with a little digging the great range of spiritual options in Utah becomes visible, and the stereotype of Utah as religiously homogenous is revised. Buddhism is especially well represented in Utah with a substantial collection of temples throughout the state. The LDS church, which about 60 percent of Utahans belong to, is religiously tolerant of other faiths and spiritual traditions.
Aimee Larsen Stoddard - Aimee is a professional writer/editor. She has a BA in English and is currently completing an MS in Theology.
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