Our motto expresses the vision of living the transformative teachings of the Buddha in a contemporary context. At Urban Dharma, we strive to integrate rather than compartmentalize, engage rather than retreat, commune rather than isolate.
We believe that Buddhist teachings have much to offer—not only to those who self-identify as Buddhist, but more fundamentally to all who seek to live intentional, compassionate, and balanced lives. And we believe that we can do this best when we have a community that is welcoming, open, and supportive.
Visit the temple at 697 C Haywood Rd., Asheville, NC. Open Monday-Friday from 2:00-5:00 pm.
Our Spiritual Director’s Teachings
Teachings, classes, commentary, and events are streamed live over Zoom and recorded for community members who are unable to attend in person. These recordings are freely available for all. For those who are interested in learning more about the roots of Buddhism, we recommend beginning with the Introduction to Buddhism Series. See all of our recordings on our YouTube channel.
Our Programs
Urban Dharma offers regularly scheduled and special programs throughout the year. Our temple is generally open Monday to Friday from 2:00 to 5:00pm. You can come in for a short visit, make an offering to the buddhas, use the library space for personal work, or personal meditation. We routinely host visiting teachers, offer short multi-week courses on special topics, celebrate Buddhist holy days, and organize educational, artistic, and cultural programs that resonate with our vision and mission. The best way to keep abreast of Urban Dharma events is to visit our Facebook page.
Upcoming Events
The full monthly calendar of events is available at udharmanc.com/events. If you have general questions about the temple, see if they are answered in our FAQ and temple information pages. Otherwise, you can email us at info@udharmanc.com.
To get UD event announcements, follow our Facebook page or subscribe to our mailing list.
How we serve the community
Learn & Practice
Urban Dharma is focused on providing educational and spiritual support and training for those interested in the teachings of the Buddha. Although our spiritual director is grounded in the Tibetan tradition, Urban Dharma is home to several different practice groups and we host teachers and programs from various Buddhist traditions. We believe that Buddhist teachings have much to offer—not only to those who self-identify as Buddhist, but more fundamentally to all who seek to live intentional, compassionate, and balanced lives.
Temple & Sanctuary
Conveniently located in the heart of West Asheville, our temple is a sanctuary and sacred space for all those seeking silence, inspiration, or solace. We offer a meditation space to rest the body and mind, a consecrated Buddhist shrine to experience the sacred and be blessed, and an extensive library (in the back) for studying Dharma.
Gifts, Books & Art
Our temple doesn’t have a shop, but if you are interested in small quality gifts with hints of the exotic East, meditation-related items, sacred art and decor and a selection of books on Buddhism, spirituality and holistic living, and a much larger range of items, please visit the online store Tibetan Spirit. Tibetan Spirit is a popular, online Buddhist practice supplies store, offering high-quality, yet affordable, Dharma supplies to practitioners and communities that do not have easy access to such items.