For this assignment, I had the awesome opportunity to visit a local Buddhist temple for their weekly service. As this is not my typical religious affiliation, it was an incredibly interesting experience. In this essay response, we will examine how welcoming the adherents of this religion were to me, as well as note some specific things that I found to be particularly interesting. Finally, I will conclude with some personal notes.
One of the most interesting things about this entire experience is how welcoming the Buddhists were. I was initially very nervous about approaching them to watch their service. However, as soon as I entered, the individuals were more than happy to speak with me about their religion. In fact, they even invited me to participate in their ceremony. One of the reasons that was given was that they don’t often get individuals coming to their worship services that are Buddhist. Thus, they are always excited because they get to teach someone new something about their religion that the individual would not otherwise learn. They stated that this helps them break down stereotypes and barriers between people, religions, and cultures. Looking at the texts, I believe that this is an example of Emile Durkheim’s Social Integration in that we are often tied to one specific group or set of groups and we do not like to venture out of that comfort zone (Henslin, 15, 2014).
At the ceremony, there was a statue of the Buddha, candles, and an incense burner. I found that this was very similar to Christian services in that there are often photographs or paintings of Jesus, the main religious figure in the Christian religion, in public places for the adherents to see. Further, candles are often lit to commemorate religions practices. In the services, there was a monk that would say prayers or lead the temple congregation in chants (“Buddhist Worship,” 2014. This was very similar to what I have seen in Christian services where the pastor or religious leader would sing hymns or recite specific Bible passages.
One interesting aspect of the service was the attire that everyone was wearing. Rather than wearing suits, ties, dresses, or business-like clothing, everyone was both barefoot and wearing robes. This was very different than what I have seen in Christian services. I actually asked about this, and was told that it was a traditional way of feeling more connected. Further, everyone was equal with one another. Often, what someone wears can tell a lot about their socio-economic status, and those feelings of superiority or inadequacy have no place in the temple. I actually really appreciated this idea because they are right – religious services should be a place where it doesn’t matter how much money one makes or what their status in the community is. Everyone should be seen as an equal with one another as their goal at that time is the same – worship.
One of the most striking lessons that I am taking away from this experience is that it seems that Christianity and Buddhism are not that different. Each group is looking to connect with a higher power through their religion. Each group is looking to make themselves a better person and, in turn, the world a better place through their religion. Sociologically speaking, it seems as if the religions are so similar that the only true differences, besides a number of theological discussions, are the location that each religion started at. I very much enjoyed my experience into a new culture and society and look forward to continuing to broaden my sociological horizons.
Works Cited
British Broadcasting Group. Buddhist Worship: Home and Temple. British Broadcasting Group.
2014. Web. 05/31/2016. Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/customs/worship_1.shtml
Henslin, James. Essentials of Sociology. New York: Pearson, 2014. Print.
