Las Vegas

An ad in Vegas using Buddha image and words to lure new customers, "Religious Nightlife" and "Your prayers have been answered"

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Las Vegas is the largest city in the State of Nevada, USA. It has a 2008 population of about 2.1 million residents. Approximately 30 to 40 millions tourists visit Las Vegas annually.

Las Vegas Buddhist facts and trivia

• A large percentage of international tourists are from Asia and predominantly Buddhist.

• There is a non-stop daily flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas due to demand.

• The mega-casino Mandalay Bay has a Buddhist theme and is filled with Buddhist statues and Asian gardens and decorations.

• The restaurant at the top of the Palms Hotel & Casino is called Little Buddha.

• MGM Grand paid $10 million to change their entrance from a walkway entering a Lion's mouth to a different Lion away from the entrance to please the Asian market.

• The Tao nightclub at the Venetian features several Buddha statues, one very large 20 foot Buddha statue floating over a pond and their billboard advertising features a Buddha with the words, Religious Nightlife, Spiritual Dining, and Your prayers have been answered.

• Steve Wynn, owner of Wynn Hotel and Casino has been involved with most of the mega-casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, either in development, ownership, or management. He was born Jewish but states that he is a Buddhist and that the Dalai Lama is his teacher.

• Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino has a large shrine to the Buddhist god, Brahma who like other gods in the Buddhist cosmology is impermanent and subject to rebirth like the rest of us until one attains nibbana (nirvana). The statue has four heads which is just symbolic for the four brahma viharas.

Las Vegas Dhamma / Dharma Groups

Vulture Peak Dhamma Center

• (Vipassana Foundation)
• Non sectarian Buddhist and vipassana
• Meditation, talk, discussion, and tea
• One meeting per month, e-mail for schedule
• Located at 3111 Bel Air Dr. #28B (Penthouse B)
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89109

Nevada Buddhist Vihara

• 2040 Abels Lane
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89115
• Contact Bhante Subuthi (702) 457 7938
• Bhante Subuthi and Nevada Buddhist Vihara maintain a close spiritual and friendly alliance with *Vipassana Foundation. Bhante Subuthi is one of the members of the board of directors for
• Vipassana Foundation.

Lotus in the Desert Sangha

• Sundays in the afternoons
• Check their website below for current meeting place.
• Contact (702) 571 1820
• e-mail at [email protected]
• web site: lotusinthedesert.org

Great Brightness Zen Center

• Intro. to Zen, check their website for dates and times.
• Meditation and service Sundays 8:40 am
• Meditation and service Tues. to Thurs. 5:30 p.m.
• 5115 S. Dean Martin Dr., Suite 903, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Contact Karen at (702) 232 6317
• web site: greatbrightness.org

Boulder City Tibetan Buddhist Center

• Meditation and service Sundays 9:30 am
• 515 Cayuga Ct., Boulder City, Nevada 89005
• (702) 294 5108 & (702) 293 1685
• web site: www.tibetanbuddhistcenter.org

The Five Buddha Shrine

• 3043 Garnet Ct., Las Vegas, Nevada
• (702) 641 0522
• web site: www.five-buddha.org

The Red Rock Vipassana Sangha

• Meditation Thursdays 7:30 pm
• 10311 Birch Bluff Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada 89145
• Contact Ed Coppola (702) 228 3873

Las Vegas Mindfulness Meditation Group

• Meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh
• Tuesday evenings meditation
• Contact Brian Kimmel (702) 461 8422
• web site: www.lvmindful.blogspot.com/

True Dharma Assembly Las Vegas

• Meditation and study groups in Chinese and English
• Second Saturday of each month
• and last Sunday of each month
• Contact Katie (702) 292 4341
• Lin Zhang (for Chinese speakers) (702) 835 2832

Vajrarupini Buddhist Center

• Ven. Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
• Kadampa (Vajrayana Tibetan) Buddhism
• web site: meditateinlasvegas.com

Thai Wat, Las Vegas (temple)

• 2920 McLeod Dr., Las Vegas, Nevada
• more info coming soon

Vast Awakenings

• Sundays in the afternoons
• 2220 E. WigWam, Las Vegas, NV 89123
• Check their website below for all their programs.
• Contact Jon Spiel at (702) 616 0690

Las Vegas Shambhala Meditation Group

• Wednesdays, 7 pm
• 2nd Sunday of each month, 9 am
• 221 View Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Contact: Carol Colmus (702) 877 9336

Las Vegas Diamond Way Center

• Thursdays 7:45 pm and Saturdays 10:30 am
• 2715 Duck Pond Court
• Henderson, Nevada 89074
• Contact: Sara Finnerty (702) 260 4426
• web site: diamondway.org

Tibetan Buddhist Sangha of America

• 4350 W. Spring Mountain Rd.
• Ste. 111 113
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
• Contact: Mark Chen (702) 321 0917

Buddhaya Nandharam Temple

• 5320 Kell Lane, Las Vegas, Nevada 89156
• (702) 437 3320

Nevada Buddhist Association

• (Mahayana, Pure Land)
• 4189 S. Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada 89103 (702) 252 7339
• Instruction in English including meditation, Sundays at 1 pm
• web site: www.buddhism.meetup.com/541/

Wat Bodhiyana

• 1221 N. Mallard St., Las Vegas, Nevada 89108
• Contact: Ajahn Mai (702) 646 7590

Wat Buddhaphavana

• 2959 W. Gowan Rd., N. Las Vegas, Nevada 89030 (702) 648 9975

Thai Temple of Nevada

• 3604 N. Torrey Pines Dr.,Las Vegas, Nevada 89148 (702) 395 7596

SGI, USA

• (Nichiren) Las Vegas Community Center, 1201 S. Jones Blvd., Ste. A
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89102 (702) 258 6489

Wat Lao Buddhamixay Association of Las Vegas

• 360 N. 14th St., Las Vegas, Nevada 89101 (702) 598 0903

Wat Lao, Las Vegas

• Another Lao temple in NE Las Vegas, contact (702) 598 0903

Wat Thai Las Vegas

• 2117 Alta Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada 89106 (702) 384 2264

Lohan School of Shaolin

• 3844-3850 Schiff Dr.
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• (702) 364 5875
• web site: lvlohans.com

Dzogchen Shri Singha of Las Vegas

• Spiritual Head: H. E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche
• meets at Lohan Temple, Wednesdays 8 pm, Sundays 1:30 pm
• contact Betsi Drayman 219-1191, Justin Armour 610-2016
• or Edgar 204 1331
• [email protected]
• web site: groups.yahoo.com/group/dzogchenlasvegas/

Quan Am Buddhist Temple

• 2611 S. Buffalo Ave.
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89117
• (702) 220 3463

Amitabha Society of Las Vegas

• 3375 S. Decatur
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• (702) 252 3042

Chaiya Meditation Monastery

• Address: 7925 Virtue Court, Las Vegas, Nevada 89113
• Web site: http://www.chaiyaccm.org/
• Contact: (702) 456 3838, Cell: (702) 219 0377
• Tradition: Theravada

Korean Buddhist Un Joo SA

• 5586 W. Viking Rd.
• Las Vegas, Nevada 89103
• (702) 873 1894

Online Dharma Groups based out of Las Vegas

Blue Lotus Insight Meditation Group, occasional weekend retreats

buddhism.meetup.com/423/

groups.yahoo.com/group/VegasBuddha

groups.yahoo.com/group/bcDharma/

groups.yahoo.com/group/lvmeditation/

35 Dharma Groups in Las Vegas.

References

• http://www.thedhamma.com/