The Buddhist Traveler in Asheville

Asheville, North Carolina, is the poster child for Southern Appalachia’s eclectic charm. It is home to an array of artists, musicians, and crafters, whose long-standing presence has fostered a vibrant creative community and helped to “Keep Asheville Weird.” Situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Asheville is surrounded by vast forests and winding rivers, making it a hot spot for outdoor enthusiasts as well. The city’s religious terrain is equally varied. Though the majority of the population is Protestant Christian, Asheville has the second-highest concentration of Buddhist centers in the state after the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill). When Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina in late September of 2024, the Buddhist community faced incredible losses and mobilized for mutual aid. Nearly a year out from the storm, we’re shining a spotlight on Buddhist Asheville as it reopens for locals and travelers alike.

1| Urban Dharma

Since its founding in 2011, Urban Dharma has been something of a catchall city temple. Fittingly situated in the center of West Asheville, Urban Dharma is a community-oriented space for meditation, dharma talks, and events. Though founder and spiritual director Hun Lye is a vajra master in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, the temple is nonsectarian. Visitors can stop in for any of the temple’s offerings Monday through Friday. Urban Dharma’s motto, “Changing Minds, Transforming Cities,” was operative in its post-Helene relief efforts. The temple became a mutual aid hub, with sangha members gathering and delivering emergency supplies across western North Carolina.

2| Kalyana-Mitta Meditation Center

This unassuming Thai forest meditation center is tucked away from the bustle of downtown Asheville in the nearby Charlotte Street neighborhood. Kalyana-Mitta houses one monastic: Ajahn Kumaro Bhikkhu, a Theravada monk in the Ajahn Chah lineage. Ajahn Kumaro holds group meditation twice a day Monday through Friday, and a two-hour meditation on Saturday and Sunday. After meditation, he is available to answer personal questions and discuss the dharma. Visitors wishing to deepen their practice can take refuge via the eight precepts on the Uposatha—days of the full moon and new moon.

3| Anattasati Magga

Anattasati Magga, a Soto Zen sangha, is nestled within seven serene acres of woods in west Asheville. The sangha offers dharma study classes, weekly meditation sessions, and dokusan (one-on-one spiritual guidance) with its founding teacher, Nancy Spence. Anattasati Magga’s resident monastic, Caroline Yongue, also founded the nearby Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, a conservation-oriented cemetery providing green burials. Both Anattasati Magga and Carolina Memorial Sanctuary suffered extensive damage during Hurricane Helene, with one tree crashing through the ceiling of the main sangha house with Yongue inside (she was unscathed). Thanks to the help of neighbors and local Buddhist centers, including the Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple, Anattasati Magga and Carolina Memorial Sanctuary were repaired and are now back to prestorm scheduling.

4| Mountain Mindfulness Sangha at Asheville Friends Meeting House

Right next door to the University of North Carolina Asheville sits the Asheville Friends Meeting House, a long-running space for the meetings of local Quakers and a handful of Buddhist groups. One such group is the Mountain Mindfulness Sangha, led by Anh-Huong Nguyen, one of the first students ordained as a meditation teacher in the Plum Village tradition, and her husband, Thu. Following the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, the sangha gathers weekly for a variety of engaged practice, such as sitting and walking meditation, chanting and studying the Heart Sutra, and recitations of the five mindfulness trainings.

5| Serenity Insight Meditation Center

For those interested in traditional Theravada Buddhist practice, look no further than Serenity Insight Meditation Center. Under the guidance of the Burmese monk UJotika Bhivamsa, programming at the center includes twice-weekly insight and metta meditation sessions, Pali chanting, and celebrations for Buddhist holidays. Bhante UJotika is also available for one-on-one meetings with students seeking to learn more about Theravada practice. The center is situated on a ridge in southeast Asheville, close to historic Biltmore Forest, and boasts striking views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains.

6| River Arts District

Asheville’s River Arts District encompasses a large chunk of the city along the east side of the French Broad River. More than 300 artists live or work in this vibrant locale, and many more have work on display in the area’s galleries and museums. The Buddhist traveler in the River Arts District might seek out the studios of Daniel Coffey, an avant-garde bonsai artist and teacher, or Reiko Miyagi, a Japanese American potter who creates animism-inspired stoneware. Due to its proximity to the river, the River Arts District was one of Asheville’s hardest-hit regions. Akira Satake, a world-renowned ceramic artist, lost half of his pottery and all of his equipment to flooding. Many nearby artists suffered similar losses. Now, the district is making a comeback, and opening blocks to the public while rebuilding others.