I am a Buddhist and this is the first time when I am going to visit a church, and experience its facility, people, culture and several other aspects. The church, I decided to visit is a catholic church which is very near to my place. While entering into the church, I realized its difference from our temples. It was entirely different in terms of building, furniture, sitting arrangement, pictures of gods and dressing style of people. But one thing I found similar in my temple and church is peace and relaxing environment; an environment in which one gets attached with the god.
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People visit their religious places for a number of reasons. Some people visit because they need help of god in order to solve any problem while a number of people visit their gods to thank gods for what they are given and also for their smooth life. Some consider it one of their traditional duties while others visit their gods in search of peace, blessings, and several other reasons.
While entering into the church, I saw that the building was easily recognizable from surrounding buildings, a huge structure and a separate place of god where large number of people assembles. At the entry gate people are supposed to pass through ‘narthex’ which means they are entering into peace zone, leaving the noisy world behind. It also means that people are entering into church to get connected with the god and leaving everything else behind. After entering into ‘narthex’ there was small vessel inbuilt in the wall filed with holy water. People are supposed to sprinkle it on themselves (Breugelmans et al., 2011).
It was observed that people sprinkle it in a different manner in the form of cross, head to chest, then left and right by saying “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen!”. People ask god to forgive their sinfulness and allow them to enter in his place. This holy water is believed to be cleaning our souls. It reminded me how devotees in Buddhist and Hindu’s temple, wash their hands and feet before entering into the temple to ensure that they are not carrying external impurity into the temple and approaching the sacred place with pure body, mind and soul.
After entering inside the church, I observed that visitors are supposed to follow manners and customs of the church. People can find chair to sit as per their wish. In church, people do not only worship god with their body but also use their mind and soul. While prayer few people were standing, few were sitting and few were on their knees. These three positions reflect three different meanings: standing shows respect for God, kneel shows admiration and sitting shows respectful attention. However one can sit during his entire stay at the church as per his or her own wish as preferred by visitors.
In Buddhist and Hindu temples, it is difficult to find any chair and people are expected to perform prayer either standing position or by sitting on the ground. Standing position shows the honor to the god and sitting on ground shows god is above all and giving its blessings. During my trip, I realized that different religions perform different rituals but the purpose of almost all religions seems to be same i.e. to reach to god, ask for his forgiveness, and blessings along with love, care, peace, happiness and satisfaction in our lives.
Inside the church one can find fourteen crosses placed on equal distance and between two crosses some pictures of god. These crosses represent by the name of ‘stations of the cross’ that shows event from god’s life, from his birth to burial. Being a Buddhist, I was not aware with this concept but pictures were a great help in understanding things and establishing a connection with the god.
People inside the church were in their traditional attires like in other religions people wear specific clothing during worship. Priests were also in their special dress. I observed that people were calm, moving slowly and singing prayer with deep belief in their eyes. Everybody was looking different from how they appear on streets or I their daily life. I imagined if people show such decency, peace and behavior everywhere, all the problems of society will be vanished.
I took blessings and came out of the prayer along with others when it was completed. I found some people waiting in the lobby with their family and friends, perhaps they wanted to attend any special function. I was delighted by the divine experience and decided to visit the church again and again.
Visiting religious places always gives me a pleasure, satisfaction and thoughtfulness. After visiting this holy church, I realized that every religion on this earth educates people to live with peace and love with others but people have their different interpretations of things and indulge in unnecessary hatred and violence against others.
Reference
S. M. Breugelmans, Y. H. Poortinga, A. Chasiotis and D. L. Sam. (2011). Cross-Cultural Psychology: Research and Applications. New York: Cambridge University Press.
