The Path to Tranquility Goes Through Pomona

A Buddhist Monastery Just Off the 10 Freeway Is My Place to Reflect, Meditate, and Just Breathe

A stone lion, a protector from negativity and a talisman against evil spirits, sits in front of the Middle Land Chan Monastery in Pomona, about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Surrounded by small, single-family, cookie-cutter homes and a stone’s throw away from the 10 Freeway, Middle Land feels far away from the busyness of the city.

Beyond hearing birds chirp among a grove of trees or wind rustling the leaves, it’s quiet at the monastery. It’s a place for seekers of peace and tranquility and where I go to …