I attended a Meditation class at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple. After my experience, I was able to make several connections to the Comparison of Beliefs of Major Religions value theory. The class consisted of approximately 30 minutes of total silence (meditation) and followed by 30 minutes of discussion. The discussion topic was not planned and traveled through a series of subjects. However, we focused on the idea of creating balance between a loving and potentially harmful relationship. How do we know when to walk away? Is creating boundaries an act of love? Where is the balance between assistance and service to others? A? Assistance is love, service is draining. In order to further better answer these questions, we should explain the explore the key ideas of Pure Land Buddhism, which I will explain momentarily.
Just like the many denominations of Christianity, Buddhism too has many different branches, also called “sects”. When we think of Buddhism, we think of Siddhartha. Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism and his path to Enlightenment-- “Satori” or “Bodhi” in Buddhism. “Enlightenment is a state of perfect knowledge or wisdom, combined with infinite compassion.” --Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist Monk, Photographer, Author and Humanitarian However, after attending a meditation session at the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple, I grew more aware of the history and culture of this sect. The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple is a form of Pure Land Buddhism, also known as Shin Buddhism. There are 3 main classifications of Buddhism: Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Pure Land Buddhism, which is the most prominent sect practiced in East Asia and common throughout the West, is a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple is a Jodo Shinshu Temple. Jodo Shinshu is the teaching of Pure Land Buddhism. The practice of Jodo Shinshu originated in Japan and was founded by Japanese Buddhist Monk, Shinran Shonin; hence it’s second name, Shin Buddhism. Upon entering the room, you were to remove your shoes. As I did so, the smell of smoky incense filled the hallway. As I opened the door, the room was dimmed with a single yellow-orange light originating from the corner of the small space. There a man sat at the head while 11 followers, including myself, sat in a rectangle facing one another. I took my place on a padded cushion and waited silently, unsure of what was to come. Jorgen, the Danish Buddhist teacher asked why we meditate. One woman responded, “To be present.” I thought, “What does it mean to be present?” Jorgen then asked if we had trouble meditating. “What exactly does it mean to meditate?” I thought. Jorgen continued on after a woman mentioned she had trouble quieting her mind…”Meditation is not about trying to quiet our mind, but rather detaching ourselves from those thoughts.” Find yourself aware of the thoughts which have taken you away from the present and slowly breathe back to the present. Jodo Shinshu Buddhism focuses on mindfulness which is why meditation is so important. “Mindfulness is about full awareness of the present moment, the one we’re in right now, with a gentle and open mind…Mindfulness practice is about pausing and noticing what’s happening within us and around us as we go through the tasks of the day.” While mindfulness is a primary practice, I learned mindfulness all day every day is not the goal as we need our minds to wander in order to be creative. Mindfulness is also about breathing. “The breath is the anchor to the present moment.” Mindfulness Meditation is not to achieve a blissful state, but to be accepting of what is occurring around and within us. Mindfulness helps us respond to difficult situations rather than react. We learn how to communicate which in turn helps us build healthy relationships. After our Mindfulness Meditation discussion, we closed our eyes while Jorgen took us through a series of focused breathing exercises. As he tapped the Singing Bowl it rang with purpose and we attempted to slip into a meditative state. A Singing Bowl, also known as Himalayan Bowls, are a type of standing bell. “Singing bowls are made from ‘bell metal’ bronze, a combination of 77-80% copper and 20-23% tin.” The bowl is rung by using a mallet, typically consisting of a wood handle and the end coated in either felt or leather (yarn and raw wood are also used) depending on the frequency of sound you wish to produce. A few folks in the class showed their enthusiasm for singing bowls by describing their effects. It was said, their sound fills the entire room and inside of you; long after they stop ringing you can still feel the vibrations linger. Unfortunately, Jorgen couldn’t get the bowl to truly “sing”, but I can imagine such a beautiful sound. Later when I returned home, I watched some YouTube videos just to get a better idea. Buddhists believe sound is a healing property, which is why Singing Bowls are used for healing and meditation. This is where the phrase, “Heal the Mind. Heal the Body.” comes to play. This is why you see many Buddhists chanting. Chanting creates vibrational tones which can be used to heal. As we feel the vibration rather than solely hear them, the vibrations are able to reach every part of our bodies. Dr. Mitchell Gaynor, director of Medical Oncology and Integrative Medicine, at the Cornell Cancer Prevention Center in New York says it best… “If we accept that sound is vibration and we know that vibration touches every part of our physical being, then we understand that sound is heard not only through our ears but through every cell in our bodies. One reason sound heals on a physical level is because it so deeply touches and transforms us on the emotional and spiritual planes. Sound can redress imbalances on every level of physiologic functioning and can play a positive role in the treatment of virtually any medical disorder.” As I was sitting silently, legs crossed, I tried to take Jorgen’s earlier advice, “Some Buddhists count to 10, but if you have a thought between 1 and 10, you have to start over. The process continues until you make it all the way to 10.” I started counting and it helped clear my mind’s thoughts. However, instead of focusing on breathing, the deathly silence in the room caused my hearing to grow sharp. The clock ticked and tocked. Then, a few males gathered in the alley besides the building and loudly cursed at each other multiple times. Their volume soon subsided and I refocused on my breathing. Just then, the breathing of the gentlemen adjacent to me was just as distracting as the cursing men outside. With these dilemmas, I also spent a great deal of time contemplating how long we would sit here for. “Would it be the entire hour?” Although I discovered a peacefulness by the end, it took many insatiable thoughts to achieve meditation. Love and Kindness Meditation, is a form of Meditation Ccommon within Pure Land Buddhism, Love and Kindness Meditation is a key form of meditation and practices compassion, love and acceptance. One of the goals ofA sutra, rule or teaching within Buddhism, of Love and Kindness Meditation is, “I speak pure and beautiful thingswords. I do pure and beautiful deeds.” This quote by our teacher, Jorgen, connects with Amida Buddhaplays into Amida.. As their the primary Buddha for Pure Land Buddhists, Amida is known for her good deeds throughout all of her past lives. She represents longevity and is also called “The Buddha of Infinite Life and Light”. After doing some more research on Love and Kindness meditation, I came across a fantastic description: “The practice always begins with developing a loving acceptance of yourself. If resistance is experienced then it indicates that feelings of unworthiness are present. No matter, this means there is work to be done, as the practice itself is designed to overcome any feelings of self-doubt or negativity. Then you are ready to systematically develop loving-kindness towards others.” Post our 30 minute meditation, the discussion commenced. Much of what I learned was insight to the Belief Comparisons of the World's Major Religions value theory. This value theory is a way to visually see similarities and differences between the world’s most dominant religions. These comparisons are based on when religions were founded, key values, explanation for evil or sin, how to achieve salvation, and beliefs on afterlife. The theory goes on to also compare scriptures followed, founders of the religion and the existence of a God. After class, I spoke with Jorgen for a bit and he told me why he like Buddhism. Buddhism does not believe there are wrong choices. There are different paths and there are repercussions for the decisions we make, but ultimately there are not good choices and bad choices. We are empowered to choose which path we take. Jorgen grew up LDS here in Salt Lake and said how the LDS community is strongly based on right or wrong decisions. Although, LDS is not on the list of Major Religion’s this was a great example. I grew up with a difficult childhood, and as Jorgen and I continued to bounce ideas off one another, the conversation led to my family’s motto. “If this (bad thing) never happened, it may not have led to (good thing).” Jorgen really loved this idea. He said he was trying to portray this very concept to the class, which comes back to the previous concept of there being different paths, and yet none of them are wrong or right. Each are their own journey with greatness and hardships. I had mentioned I grew up Quaker, Jorgen was, as most people are, curious to what Quakers believe. For one example, Quakers, being a denomination of Christianity, don’t believe in baptisms because they don’t believe in symbolism. Quakers believe if you want to show God how much you love him, then show him with your actions; a perfect example of the saying, “Walk the walk. Don’t talk the talk.” Jorgen agreed and explained the gears of Buddhism worked similarly. Very much like Hinduism, Buddhism believes in karma and reincarnation through spiritual growth. Both also believe in Nirvana as an afterlife. Nirvana is a state of ultimate bliss where the humanity within us goes extinct. Their uncanny similarities are the result of the origins of these religions; both originating in India. Although, in this presentation I have described Pure Land Buddhism which was founded in Japan, Buddhism itself originated in India. Similar to Taoism, Buddhism does not have a single, all-mighty God, but has many deities in the form of Buddhas. Taoism has copious amounts of deities as well, which depend on sects and region, but Taoism believes in Tao. While Tao is not a specific being, it is rather “primordial ‘stuff’ from which all matter emerges.” I have participated in many yoga classes before, and enjoy its similar gift of peace. Although meditation is a similar practice, unlike yoga, meditation uses stillness of the body while yoga uses slow movement, but both use breathing as a way to create peace and focus. Breathing is a large part of Hindu meditation as well. After further research regarding meditation practiced in other religions, I was surprised at the information I discovered. “The five major religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all practice forms of meditation.” Unlike, Buddhism and Hinduism, meditation in Judaism, Christianity and Islam are practiced in other forms. “Qabalah” in Hebrew means to receive and to reveal. Within a tradition of Qabalah is the notion to further spiritual development. “Students of the Qabalah transform their essential inner natures with the essential external Nature, by internalizing symbols and gradually absorbing their characteristics through meditation.” Many denominations in Christianity do not accept all forms of meditation. Early Christian monks called, The Desert Fathers, named for living in the Scetes desert of Egypt “used repeated prayer, either spoken or sung, with synchronized breathing to internalize the spiritual truths contained within them.”Upon entering the room, you were to remove your shoes. As I did so, the smell of smoky incense filled the hallway. As I opened the door, the room was dimmed with a single yellow-orange light originating from the corner of the small room. There a man sat alone at the front while the 11 followers, including myself sat in a rectangle facing one another. Jorgen, the Danish Buddhist teacher asked why we meditate. One woman responded, “to be present”. I said, “to find peace”. I thought, “What does it mean to be present?”. Jorgen then asked if we had trouble meditating. “What does it mean exactly to meditate?” I thought. Picturing monks chanting was all that came to mind. Jorgen continued on after a woman mentioned she had trouble quieting her mind…”Meditation is not about trying to quiet our mind, but rather detaching ourselves from those thoughts.” Find yourself aware of the thoughts which have taken you away from the present and slowly breathe back to the present. Jodo Shinshu Buddhists look to Amida Buddha as their primary Buddha. Amida is known for her good deeds throughout all of her past lives. Amida represents longevity and is also called “The Buddha of Infinite Life and Light”. Sufis is a practice of Islam. Sufism is “supplemented by a rich literary tradition that emphasizes poetry, allegory, and symbolic story. The arts reveal universal principles and everyday activities become vehicles for meditation – writing, calligraphy, geometry, architecture, dance, weaving, etc.” The Comparisons of Beliefs of Major Religions value theory (Pgs. 90-91, Reading Packet), opened my eyes to the ways which I am related to others of difficult religious backgrounds. Making these connections helps me feel closer to those whom seem so different around me. I have cracked the ice which holds fear of the unknown. The more we make connections, the closer we get to breaking down the walls. By also using the Differences-Similarities Dialectic Approach (Pg. 77, textbook), we can begin to see how Buddhism is similar and different to other religions. Moving on from meditation to discussion, we used discussion to bounce ideas and values off one another to help create a more well-rounded understanding of daily difficulties and suffering, as most if not all religions do. Growing up Quaker, like the majority of other forms of Christianity, we took part in discussion groups; whether it be youth group, adult study and support classes or even in Sunday school. The Salt Lake Buddhist Temple also offers weekly adult study classes. Meditation calms the mind, while discussion excites it. In Christianity, we sing hymns then discuss. Some Buddhists traditions include chanting, and they discuss. I learned we need balance to keep our minds strong and our thoughts clear so we don’t grow overwhelmed and defeated. Before I attended the meditation class, I had some knowledge of Buddhism from high school World History class. Being many years since then, the knowledge I had was mainly ideas of what I thought Buddhism was. I knew Buddhists meditated because as many of us picture them, we envision monks walking around in orange robes with shaved heads either chanting or in silence. This was the extent of my knowledge, but there has always been a draw for me. When I was 18, I went to get my first tattoo. Think of a doll with the words, “Made in China” printed down the bottom of her foot. For many years, God felt like my only friend. He was the one that made me the strong individual I am today. He has graced me with furthering my ability of understanding, patience, compassion, open-mindedness and self-love. As the tattoo artist was about to etch the words, “Made in Him” on my back, she asked, “What does being a Christian mean to you?” I had no idea how to answer. No one had ever asked me that before. I felt like an idiot for not having a worthy response and quickly made something up. Later as I thought about it, I came to a conclusion. Being Christian is being the best possible version of myself. Always working towards being a better person. I still get angry and frustrated, but instead of flying off the handle, my faith has given me time. Pause. Think. Determine my feelings. Determine how my initial feelings could affect others. Come to a more peaceful yet honest solution. And go. Buddhism is ultimately about self-improvement. My faith is not about studying every scripture in the bible. My faith follows closely to the lines of basic Buddhism. And that draws me towards it. This is why I choose a Buddhist event. Within one short hour, I learned about the healing power of sound, the possibilities of loving someone enough to walk away, how to deeply connect and disconnect to my thoughts. I even invited a friend to go with me next week! I hope to continue and learn more. Now that I feel more comfortable jumping into similar situations, more opportunities have been revealed. For example, I work with a number of Jehovah’s Witnesses. All I really know, after asking them, is that they don’t celebrate major holidays. In order to be able to communicate better I will be attending a Jehovah’s Witness event in April. They get together once a year for a massive event and I have been invited to attend, which I have accepted. And just a few months ago, I toured a new LDS temple in Provo with one of my LDS friends. She explained each room as we walked through. The architecture was stunning; my favorite being the Celestial Room. A room designed to resemble heaven. As a vision of white it was almost blinding, especially since the rest of the temple compromised of a dark wood interior. It was a wonderful experience and one I appreciate greatly for my friend took the time out of her day to offer her insight. Thank you to those willing to share.
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A thin nylon fabric was the only defense I had, when 3 am came around and the grunting began. I could not make out the source of the noise. At first, I believed it to be a snoring neighbor. I knew this was not so, when the scuffling and sniffing of a wild animal was apparent. It was loud and intimidating, and causing my mind to spiral with fear. It was coming closer. They were coming closer. There were multiple, and I could hear their hostility towards one another. Their immense growl concealed their size and the species to which they belonged. That is, if they were even creatures of this world. I had stored my food just outside the door and thought it a poor decision to face the bandits at such close proximity. They could no longer hide their identity. Even the darkness could not mask their demeanor.
Deemed as clever yet endearing, they moved from each campsite terrorizing families. They huddled before dusk, planned their attack, and once the sun dropped and the moon rose they moved out. Soldiers in formation dressed in the pride’s colors: grey, white and black. Their claws perfectly adapt for ripping, tearing, scratching, lacerating and a slew of other frightening adjectives. I laid awake listening to their hunger. They bickered and fought amongst each other, all the while selfishly scarfing down what they unearthed in my treasure chest. Like pirates, they raided my loot. Not a single gem or gold coin was to remain. Finally, silence returned as they moved on to their next victim. As my heart slowly returned to its steady pace, I pondered the damage, but too cold and too tired, I fell back asleep. Daylight came all too quickly. The early ocean air added weight to my eye lids, making them rather difficult to open. Unwillingly, I mustered enough effort to heave my arm up and out to unzip the warmth of my sack. Exhausted from the night’s intimidating events, I arose to find mutilation and total destruction. My brand new ice blue bicycle and all of its contents: coated with oatmeal, glued by drool. The devastation to my kiwis, dragon fruit and plums was impressive; slaughtered, butchered with disdain. The kiwis and plums were not salvageable as they laid slain. However, the dragon fruit had only some minor puncture wounds. With the inside untouched, it seemed sufficient and fed me for the morning. Of course, consuming the dragon fruit and Rabies were a bogo deal, but my stomach needed fuel for the day’s ride and my brain was already rather, well…zany. As disturbing as the tragedy was, I felt the next night’s campers were in for a true natural disaster, as the animals had also consumed approximately fifteen nights of individually bagged protein powder. Limb by limb, their muscles would grow. The next evening, the ground would tremble with every step they took. Their grunting now a roar. Their teeth now fangs. Their claws now crooked barbs. Eyes red, fur matted. Now unidentified creatures. At least, that’s what I imagine. Environmentalists know them as Procyon Lotor; the public knows them by their common name—raccoon. But their constant harassment bestows the title, Barbarians of the Night. "...learn how to better control the mechanics of my writing so my words may stand with audacity even when criticized." My mother. She was the person whom taught me to read—in one hundred days to be exact. Being home schooled had its benefits for sure. For example, no homework because let’s face it…all work was homework. We had a sticker chart and for each day I completed the reading lesson, I proudly and meticulously stamped a sticker on the date. Branded with accomplishment. Once the chart was full, we drove to a local old timey ice cream parlor which sat tucked in the back corner of a strip mall adjacent to Albertsons’s Grocery and Yard Birds, the hardware store. On this day, I held the power to truly sicken myself. Every kids dream come true and a banana split it would be! Throughout the years, I never bonded with reading. Reading was like an old toy. It was nice to keep around in case I ever wanted it, but it didn’t attract me on a daily basis. How could silence and a numb bum be more alluring and entertaining than climbing trees or attempting to catch the blue bellied lizards which zipped across the baseboards of our backyard fence? The world was calling and my heart followed its voice.
Within a few years, I was bound to the public school system. English class consisted of a few memorable works such as Gary Paulsen’s The Hatchet and the unmatchable To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. These were among the few I appreciated. But each time, the next book on the syllabus was handed out I felt weighed down. The same childhood impressions lingered. A lack of appeal. Writing on the other hand, don’t ask me why, but it separated itself somehow from reading. One might be lead to believe writing, being the preamble of reading, wouldn’t interest me. However, writing held an inclination of beautiful fire, soft yet passionate. Words were easy to twist as if living in another era. A time which could not crush spirits and made me feel mature beyond my years. In 1985, CBC, the Canadian television network sponsored a movie called Anne of Green Gables. Anne with an “e”, just like me. Story goes, an elderly brother and sister living together on a small farm on Prince Edward Island requested to adopt an orphan boy to help them work the farm as they aged. Unfortunately, their request was misinterpreted and Anne Shirley arrived in the boy’s place. Anne had beautiful strawberry red hair, a color which she utterly despised, but it was her knack for describing everything in life with such dramatic poise that enthralled me. I didn’t want to be like her. I wanted to be her. She was a modern Shakespeare. Every word that left her lips fluttered like the wings of the most exquisite butterfly, soared with the ocean breeze or swooped down navigating the tall beach grass contouring the island. Everything she spoke of could calm even the most belligerent and testy disposition. Anne was convincing. And that was her power, what set her apart. Sometimes, when I write, I picture Anne and attempt to embody her persona. Writing itself isn’t the temptation. It is the power of words. Word choice, description, and arrangement are the building blocks of life itself. Our Founding Fathers used words to keep our freedoms strong. We used words to declare our independence from England. Tyrants have used words to abuse their own people. Words have the power to start and end war, to educate fellow man for centuries to come, to bring peace among conflict. Words can change opinion, morals, beliefs, outlook. They can both encourage and tear people down. When comforting a friend, the speech you choose could console or offend. The influence of words is divine. My goal-- to learn how to better control the mechanics of my writing so my words may stand with audacity even when criticized. |
AuthorAnne is 25 years old and originally from the Bay Area, California, but grew up in the small charming town of Horseheads, just south of the Finger Lakes Wine Country in Upstate New York. Archives
April 2019
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