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The International Buddhist Meditation Center, Los
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The International Buddhist Meditation
Center (IBMC) in Los Angeles was founded in
1970 by the Vietnamese scholar and Zen Master, Ven. Dr.
Thich Thien-An. Located in the Koreatown neighborhood.
The IBMC is historically significant as one of the first
four Zen centers established in the United States to teach
Buddhism and meditation entirely in the English language to
Westerners.
Founding and Early Years (1970–1975) UCLA
A Origins: Ven. Dr. Thich Thien-An originally came to Los
Angeles in 1966 as a visiting professor at UCLA.
Student Request: At the strong urging of his American
students who wished to practice Zen, he decided to stay and
open a dedicated practice space.
English Dharma: The center broke traditional barriers by
presenting Buddhist teachings, chanting, and meditation
primarily in English to make it accessible to Western-born
Americans.
Educational Growth: To support spiritual and academic
training, Thien-An also established the associated College
of Oriental Studies (later the College of Buddhist Studies).
Refugee Crisis and Adaptation (1975–1980)
Resettlement
Hub: Following the fall of Saigon in 1975, the center
temporarily shifted its focus to humanitarian aid.
Community Aid: Dr. Thien-An and IBMC staff helped thousands
of incoming Vietnamese refugees adjust to life in the United
States.
Syncretic Practice: The center integrated various Buddhist
traditions, blending Zen practice with educational
frameworks to develop well-rounded practitioners.
Leadership Transition and Expansion
(1980–Present)
A New Matriarch: After Dr. Thien-An passed away from cancer
in 1980, Ven. Dr. Karuna Dharma—one of the center's
co-founders—took over as Abbess.
Feminine Voice: As Abbess, Karuna Dharma brought a strong
feminine perspective to American Zen and heavily promoted
the ordination of women.
Western Ordinations: IBMC established a long-standing legacy
of ordaining Westerners as monastics (bhikshus) and Dharma
teachers.
Spreading Roots: The center acted as an incubator for
American Buddhism, with more than ten other temples and
centers branching out from the original IBMC community.
Today, the International Buddhist Meditation Center operates
as an independent, non-profit organization, serving the
greater Los Angeles community.
International Buddhist Meditation Center 928 S. New Hampshire Ave., Los Angeles, California 90006 IBMC Office - 213.384.0850
The International Buddhist Meditation Center in
Los Angeles was founded in 1970 by Ven. Dr. Thich
Thien-An, a scholar and Zen Master from Vietnam.
He came to the United States as a visiting
professor at UCLA, and with the urging of his
students, founded the Center to provide a place
to practice meditation and Buddhism in
Los Angeles. / Booklet - Zen
Buddhism:
Awareness in Action /
Book -
Zen
Philosophy, Zen Practice - Ven. Thich Thien-An //
IBMC Monthly Guide -
Ven.
Thich Thien An, 1926 - 1980 Tribute /// The Dharma
Family -
Ven.
Thich Thien An
When Dr. Thien-An died in 1980, Ven. Dr. Karuna
Dharma, one of the founders of the Center, became the
Abbess. She added a strong feminine voice to the
center and under her direction, the IBMC Monks and Dharma
Teachers continued the Center's activities. IBMC was
one of four original Zen centers founded in the United
States to cater specifically to the needs of
Western-born Americans. An American style of Buddhism
may have taken root at the International Buddhist
Meditation Center thanks to Ven. Dr. Thich
Thien-An and Ven. Karuna Dharma. Over ten other temples have
sprung from IBMC, with monks training at the Center
until they became qualified to establish their own
centers. /
The IBMC Chant Book
IBMC was one of the first
American Centers to ordain Westerners as bhikkus and
bhikkunis. / The first Grand Ordination held in
December, 1994, the Center was the first to have a
full ordination ceremony
presided over by a woman and the first to have Western
disciples of Asian masters fully ordain their own
disciples. The 1994
Grand Ordination Booklet.
The masters
Photo were from many countries, all with
temples in the U.S.: Vietnam, China, Korea, Japan, Sri
Lanka, Thailand, Tibet and America. Thirty-seven
people took ordination at different levelsPhoto.
Seven Western nuns in the Tibetan tradition took
bhikkuni ordination with the permission and
participation of their masters.
23:21 - Ven. Thich Thien-An and IBMC - The Early Years. -
1970's
L to R - Bhikkhu
Bodhi, Shinzen Young, Ven. Thich Thien-An and Dr.
David P. Nowlis
In 1973, Dr. David P. Nowlis. was a key figure at the
International Buddhist Meditation Center in Los
Angeles, working alongside major spiritual pioneers
like Thich Thien-An and Shinzen Young to study how
self-regulation tools could mimic or accelerate the
states achieved by seasoned
meditators.
