Chua Phat To

I have come to this temple several times in the last few years, and every time I come here I never feel out of place. Everyone is very welcoming and helpful.
It’s nice to come here on a sunny day so you can enjoy the peacefulness in a busy Long Beach neighborhood. They have beautiful Buddha statues around the premises surrounded by flowers and incense.
This temple serves vegetarian meals to those who come and want to join in. I hear they heard breakfast, lunch and dinner. I have only visited during lunch time. The food is really tasty and filling! If you like Vietnamese food, you should stop by. The food is free. Donations are accepted, but not mandatory. I think one should give if it comes from the heart.
Existing members sell food to go. The profit goes to the temple. They have some really delicious season tofu and other vegetarian foods. It’s also very inexpensive.
This temple houses monks and people who want to stay overnight and participate in prayers/​chants.

I’ve been coming to this temple for about two years now. This is a Vietnamese speaking temple! Came here first for my grandmother’s altar funeral ceremony and I greatly enjoy how they run things. They do hold most if not all masses/​prayers/​etc in Vietnamese so if you do not understand, sometimes it is nice to observe and see how it is done.
The head monk here is extremely humble and nice. Unlike all other monks I’ve seen, he is the first one that I have seen to help out in the kitchen serving people food and living a very frugal life. The food here is extremely tasty for being made soup kitchen style in bulk. You usually get to pick between soup or rice and the food is all you care to eat.
DO NOT WASTE FOOD. That is the biggest no-​no to get a bowl of food, only to leave more than half to throw away. I have seen other people eat someones leftovers because for Buddhist culture and more Asian cultures, its bad to waste.

It’s a small Vietnamese Buddhist temple that my friend and I stumbled upon because we parked right next to it when we were going somewhere to eat. I’M SADDDD that we didn’t go to the temple first because they sell food! I could see the tents sent up in the back with tables and a few people eating there wahhhhhh :(…
BUT my friend and I went to the Kuan Yin statue. Took off our shoes to go onto the place mat and scavenged to find a lighter to light our incense and pray with.
There were some school kids running on the side, and inside the temple were monks walking around doing a ritual. Different things going on in different sections of this small temple, but it was very peaceful and very lovely.

Their parking is too small to accommodate its member thus creating an enormous parking headache for people who live in the area. When I brought it up to an official of the church, they did not care about the problems they were causing the community and refused to do anything to alleviate the situation. IMO they should be required to get permits to hold their events and have designated parking lots with shuttles to solve the problem of parking

I love the foods and the monks are very nice and even the main master cooks the food for the people. Please don’t forget to donate. They don’t ask but we should since we don’t want to take advantage of anyone or we will owe them and loose money and property.
They have all day service every Saturdays and Sundays. Its highly recommended.

Since I moved from San Fernando valley to northern part of Long Beach area I was told by my family about Chua Phat To and I’m glad that I did visit! I love this place! I don’t have to drive to the OC to go to a VNese temple. I have been practicing Pure Land Buddhism for the majority of my life and I am a vegetarian (almost 8 yrs) so it is not easy for me to find vegetarian in my area until I paid a visit here-​the food is amazing and everyone is so friendly. Not only i go here for prayer services I help out with the volunteer cooks :) i enjoy it very much! I find myself at peace when I go here. The food is free, but I give donations to help the temple to continue to provide their wonderful service to the local community so everyone can benefit:)

This is my favorite temple, ever. I’ve been going here with my family since I was a little girl. Parking is ample and there are street parking in the local neighborhood. When my grandparents passed away, we always had the religious ceremony here. We always visit this temple around Lunar New Year/​Tet and it is packed with people from all over So Cal.
It is the only temple that generously offers delicious vegetarian food and they have lots of tables and chairs that welcomes you to join the temple in meals. The monks and volunteers here are very welcoming. It is very convenient for Vietnamese people from Long Beach to go here for temple on Sundays instead of having to drive down to the OC for all the other temples scattered around Garden Grove, Westminster areas.

Tôi toi chùa Phat To (PT) không phai là ngau nhiên, mà là do sau khi doc các bài giang pháp cua hòa thuong (H.T) Thích Thanh Tu, HT. Thích Thien Tâm, HT. Quang Khâm, HT Tuyên Hóa và nhieu HT khác nua. Sau khi doc và ngam nghi loi pháp các ngài giang day tu giáo pháp cua duc Bön Su Thích Ca tôi quyet dinh di tìm ngôi chùa de tu tap! Tôi chang biet hoi ai dành lieu viet email toi Thu Vien Hoa Sen (TVHS)hoi xem… có mot ngôi chùa nào dó o mien Nam Cali de thuc hành tu tap pháp môn tinh do? The là nho có duyên lành nên TVHS gioi thieu tôi toi chùa PT! Và xin cám on TVHS gioi thieu cho tôi mot ngôi chùa that de thuong de tôi có cho nuong tua tâm linh!
Ngôi chùa de thuong vì nho vào công hanh cua quý thay, quý cô het lòng dìu dat huong dan các Phat tu! Các thay, cô lo tung món an, thoi khóa tu hoc de hop voi moi nguoi! Thay Tinh, thay Tài cham lo bep chu toàn, nau voi tâm tinh, lúc nào cung muon dem lai nhung thuc an nóng, ngon, bo duong cho tat ca! Còn thay Tín, thay Chon, thay Lac, thay Gioi, thay Giác, chú Minh Dang thì thay phiên nhau dan chúng! Tieng tung kinh, niem Phat cua các thay that là hay! Trong van phòng, thì cô Hue Trân, cô Nhu Phuoc, co Nhu Thanh huong dan các Phat tu moi thac mac ve viec tu hoc, hoac ve van e ma chay, cau siêu, cau an… vân vân
Tôi còn muon viet nhieu lam, that nhieu ve ngôi chùa de thuong này…nhung so các ban doc chán nên tôi xin dung noi ây ;-)
Ps. Please come to visit ngôi chùa de thuong này neu ban có co hoi! Các ban phai nho thu các món an do chùa nau nha… neu không thì uong lam ;-)

I can honestly say that I am one of many that have visited Chua Phat To and end up coming every Sunday and at times even Saturday since 2009. I have visited many many temples in the past in an attempt to find a good place to mediate and further practice Buddhism, but to my surprise I was not able to find at temple that my family and I can associate with.
We found Chua Phat To by accident just like most people and we are so grateful that we did. Chua Phat To is like one big family, everybody work cohesively as one under the direction of Thay Tinh. Chua Phat To has been known for great and delicious vegetarian food cook from scratch. I know because I am one of the many people that help prepare food every Sunday. Chua Phat To has all kinds of festivities all year long. When you do come, make sure you arrive early because the parking lot although plenty fills up very quickly.
Since going to Chua Phat To my family and I are full pledge vegetarian, even our daughter of 8 years old.
Hopefully one day you can visit Chua Phat To and experience what we have and hope you end up coming each week like we have been.
Just sharing the wonderful find I have found with everybody.

I am a non practicing Buddhist until August 2012 when I encountered Chua Phat To by accident. Within the last 3 months, I have found some profound self-​discoveries and peace both at home and at work. I have been coming to temple every week end to do volunteer work (help preparing food to feed about 150 people who came to pray and some local homeless people) and they have been the most wonderful experienced I ever had. The more I am there, the more peaceful my mind became, and I am not a Buddhist fanatic by any imagination. Just a little praying, chanting, listen to live lectures and CDs, as well as practicing what I learned by observing people around me were just incredible. I want to mention that most people who come to temple/​church because they have some personal issues like job, family, health, legal, etc. I dont. I am very happy with my life. The temple serve food and pray 3 times on Saturday (8AM, 2PM and 6PM) and two times on Sunday (8AM and 2AM). Their food is famous and well know within the Vietnamese community as the cook is one of the senior monk there. There is no fee to eat, to pray, or to visit. The temple survive purely on charity but they never ask you for money. You may not believe me… yet, but so many people include me are willingly to give what we have because of the love of what we have learned, the wonderful people around us, and what these monks are teaching us. I just cant describe it here, it something you should come and see for yourself. It is a Vietnamese temple, it open for all ages and there are lot of young people here. If anyone need more information please contact the temple or let me know. A Mi Tuo Fou, A Di Da Phat.

They are the nicest people ever.