THE LAKE SHRINE

Having lived in LA all my life, I had heard of the Lake Shrine but until I moved relatively close to it, I'd never been there. That was remedied about three years ago, and I enjoyed it so much that I've been back several times since then. It is the property of the Self-Realization Fellowship, a worldwide philosophical organization. I hesitate to say 'religion', because its credo/dogma fits within almost any religion and they welcome anyone to their facilities. That said, don't be afraid that if you come to the Lake Shrine, you will be immersed in any kind of regimented spirituality.

There is an actual Self-Realization Temple on the hill above the Lake Shrine, and if you happen to be there on a Sunday morning, any and all are welcome to attend the services, which are totally non-denominational and not Christian-centric either.

The Lake Shrine itself is a large garden/park with a small lake, smack in the middle of a very busy part of the city. Its purpose is simply to exude beauty, peace and quiet. The grounds are full of winding paths, little buildings, shrines and/or statues honoring every religion, and many places to sit in quiet contemplation. Although one can certainly carry on brief conversations, there are signs about which remind people to be 'polite in their noise', so to speak, and that many people use the grounds for meditation. It is the only place outside of India which holds a shrine to Mahatma Gandhi and some of his ashes; a peace shrine.

I love that you can stop almost anywhere and find a cozy, shady place to just sit by yourself and NOT hear the sounds of traffic and big city noise. The first time I went was in the Spring, and the flowers were in full bloom and gorgeous.

This is the perfect spot for those who believe that LA is all hustle and bustle and noise, and has no soul.

There is no admission fee, although there are donation boxes scattered about; no one will ask you for any money. This is a popular place, especially on weekends. There's one close smallish parking lot and another overflow lot a little farther down the hill. They usually have shuttles that will take you from the overflow lot to the entrance, but it's not a long walk in any case. It's a beautiful, peaceful way to spend a couple of hours and recharge your batteries.