About The Temple

The ‘Animal Liberation Temple’ (Dōbutsu Kaihōji) 動物解放寺 is Soto Zen Buddhist Temple and Animal Sanctuary founded in 2019 in Phoenix, AZ USA.

In the spirit and practice of Bodhisattvas to Animals (Dōbutsu e no Bosatsu 動物への菩薩) and the religious tradition of Soto Zen Buddhist temples it is our aspiration of the ‘Animal Liberation Temple’ to offer the services of spiritual and physical liberation, refuge, blessing, empowerments, and funeral services to our dear animal friends. 

Here we offer teachings, trainings and practices meant to fulfill the religious and spiritual commitments of the human animal parishioners of the ‘Animal Liberation Temple’. It is with great intention that we elevate the consciousness of human animals to:

Recognize the plight of our dear animal friends and come to realize they all deserve equal consideration, compassion, and kindness. 

Bring awareness that all beings, without exception, want to be happy, safe  and free from suffering.

Believe the ultimate reality that our animal friends are Buddhas and are completely inseparable from us. 

Acknowledge that all beings, without exception, through infinite lifetimes, have been, at any given time, our parents who have shown us unconditional love and compassion. 

And when we recognize this to be true:

How could we want anything else but to free our most loved and cherished from the suffering they endure?

Through the union of compassion and wisdom may we:

Exercise the skillful means to liberate all beings from suffering. 

With this, we intend to offer teachings, trainings, and practices to fulfill the religious and spiritual commitments of the human animal parishioners of the ‘Animal Liberation Temple’.

The ‘Animal Liberation Temple’ (Dōbutsu Kaihōji) 動物解放寺 is Soto Zen Buddhist Temple and Animal Sanctuary founded in 2018 by Reverend Robert Ryugen Doshin Yamada an ordained Soto Zen Monk.

Rather than sing praises to myself I feel it is more important to speak about the two individuals who inspired us to create this physical space that recognizes the necessity of spiritual and physical liberation for our dear animal friends.

The true inspiration to build this sacred place came through our dear chicken friends Padme and Tara. 

They were both rescued from a factory farm in Colorado where they were to be used as “meat”. 

 Instead through countless blessings, and positive karma Tara and Padme were saved from this hell and brought to stay with us. 

The many many blessings both Tara and Padme bestowed upon us removed all the obstacles that might have kept us from opening our Temple.

They magnetized the support we needed in order to continue saving our dear animal friends and giving all of them permanent residence here at our temple. 

Padme passed away in 2019 and Tara passed away in 2020.

 Although their physical bodies have left us, their positive karma and aspiration to see all sentient beings be free of suffering, and achieve the physical and spiritual liberation, continues on. 

Tara and Padme are enshrined as our official founders and ordained Buddhist nuns.