San Francisco - Buddha's Universal Church

Buddha's Universal Church, the largest Buddhist temple in America, was built in 1961 on the corner of Washington Street and Kearny Street in San Francisco by members of the Pristine Orthodox Dharma, a strongly Americanized modern offshoot of Buddhism. On the roof may be seen, in addition to a lotus pool, a Bodhi tree, said to be a shoot from the tree under which more than 2,500 years ago the Buddha arrived at enlightenment (Bodhi). Visits are allowed only if notified in advance by telephone.