go to a buddhist temple

i want to go buddh’s way and how i go that way

I forgot about Nepal.

Few are those among the people
who cross to the other shore.
The rest of humanity just runs about
on the bank right here before us.
-the Dhammapada
chapter six

Well,

I guess I should clarify that I’m not really searching for a religion per se in my attraction to Buddhism, but rather a better way in which to interpret the world. As beautiful as any one branch of Christianity may be (or free from ridiculous doctrine entanglements), I am no longer attracted to the philosophy behind western religions. I, too, believe that religion is Marx’s “opiate of the masses”, and I have no interest in being controlled by it anymore.

When I say that I’m looking for a better context through which to interpret reality, I mean that I have begun to identify with the notion in eastern philosophy that nature is not separated from the divine. This is pure blasphemy certainly, by any western standard, and a major reason I won’t come back. Buddhism embraces the idea that each thing on this earth is connected to and in kinship with everything else on the earth (hence the pacifist approach). I like this. It suits my idea of the way the world should “work” a little bit better.

Let me give an example, from a popular source, albeit a valid one I think. Thich Nhat Hanh says that in holding an orange, we should see the rest of the world. He says that as you prepare to sustain nutrition and your life with that food, you should be aware of all of the factors ( both human and natural) that came together to provide you with that food. The sun, the rain, the soil, the seasons, the human labor that harvested and later handed that food over to you at the grocery store are all in that orange. A bit cheesy of an example perhaps, but it demonstrates aptly what attracts me about Buddhist philosophy. Certainly, when you approach the simple act of eating an orange in this manner, you see your kinship, and ultimately your responsibility to the earth and the humans that share your earth. You are less likely to waste that food. You are more likely to feel you should purchase food that was created fairly, and by a person who was paid a fair wage for that product. You are more likely to see that the treatment of the earth’s soil and water have a direct effect on the article you are putting in your mouth. It’s a lot to ask from an act as mundane as eating an orange, but the point is that all things are related, or inter-connected, and each action you take will ultimately come full circle. It results in a more empathetic, less judgmental, more cautious way of living. It’s the reason I don’t eat beef anymore: I can’t reconcile the act of putting a steak in my mouth, knowing that for my 1 pound steak, 5 lbs. of grain and 2400 gallons of water had to be used to cultivate that product. It seems more reckless when you think about your responsibility to other humans. Similarly, it seems somehow irresponsible to leave appliances needlessly plugged in, or not utilize energy efficient bulbs in your fixtures when you realize that you are draining the earth of shared, limited resources. Small examples, but this philosophy better reconciles me to the world I live in.

So, I guess this has been a looong-winded way of explaining that I don’t really care about the concept of heaven or reincarnation, and I certainly don’t believe in virgin births (which, incidentally buddhism shares) and resurrections. I care that the philosophy underlying Buddhism gives me a greater sense of kinship with humanity. I prefer the code of ethics it gives me to live by, because it makes more sense to me. Isn’t that what it’s really about anyway?

And…I would have chosen pacifism anyday over our current crisis in Iraq that daily threatens my husband’s security as an Air Force officer. Pacifism can be a path of frustration, as it seems slow and uncalculated, but I think the fallout from aggression or haste can be much more disastrous.

I have been to several In vietnam and to a monastery in ladakh, india. i love the architecture of the monastery.

I also went to a buddhist cave where monks go and meditate in Vietnam. You go via the Perfumed River in the north. That was worth it.

I have been toying with becoming a Buddhist for at least a year now, having read the requisite Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh books, along with philosophy textbooks here and there. After an enlightening eastern philosophy class my junior year in college, I was hooked on the peaceful, serene answer to life that is Buddhism. I found myself straying further and further away from my Catholic roots, and feeling more and more at home after steeping myself in Eastern philosophy. The one step I have yet to take, however, is actually stepping foot in a Buddhist temple. This is for two reasons: I live in the Bible belt of Oklahoma (read: this isn’t Buddhism’s neck of the woods) and also, I haven’t yet been brave enough to dip my toe in the waters. I’m getting there, though. I hope to determine if the experience of the temple can bring me the same kind of peace and clarity that my studies of Buddhism have.

Learning about a different culture of religion is good to discover and experience. If you want to experience a different culture by visiting, this is the way to do it.

When i was younger my parents took me to so many buddhist temples through out thiland that i didn’t know what to do, i remember one time a monk tied a piece of red ribbon round my neck i don’t know y, maybe i was a cute kid but i now follow the religion and am so grateful for all the places my parents took me…

I went to the festival honoring the rainy season at Wat Lao Buddhist Temple outside Burlington, IL today. It was a lot of fun, but due to going by myself and not being southeast asian, I stood out. Everyone was really friendly and nice, but it still felt weird. Not at all like the temples in New York City. Then again, I dont usually go to Therevada temples. I still had a lovely time despite the heat, though. And one of the monks was especially nice. Even though he could barely speak English, I got the chance to speak with him for a few minutes. He brought me inside the temple and showed me where the restroom was.