What you want to avoid are temples, churches, and missions.
Note: The Zen practice center I go to is officially listed on Google Maps as a “temple” even though it’s not really a temple (the way Gordon is using the word “temple”).
Thank you! This is an annoying thing about how things are named. Many groups choose to call themselves “centers” because people are put off by religious words, but others don’t, and there’s no clear standardization of terms for what it is that you want because in the West we’ve created a category of thing that didn’t exist before: a place where lay people engage in what were traditionally monastic practices. So a “center” is not a monastery, and it’s not a temple, but it’s also not exactly not either of those things, either.
Realistically, you’re probably just going to have to go and see how it is.
Note: The Zen practice center I go to is officially listed on Google Maps as a “temple” even though it’s not really a temple (the way Gordon is using the word “temple”).
Thank you! This is an annoying thing about how things are named. Many groups choose to call themselves “centers” because people are put off by religious words, but others don’t, and there’s no clear standardization of terms for what it is that you want because in the West we’ve created a category of thing that didn’t exist before: a place where lay people engage in what were traditionally monastic practices. So a “center” is not a monastery, and it’s not a temple, but it’s also not exactly not either of those things, either.
Realistically, you’re probably just going to have to go and see how it is.