Buddhism

One reason that I was very excited to go to China was to experience different religions. There are three main religions in China, Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. We were able to witness a little Confucianism in Beijing when our tour guide Zoey discussed what expectations Chinese children learned in school that were set by Confucius. For example, Confucius teaches that everyone in a traditional Chinese society should be impartial and calm. We didn't really witness Taoism, but with Buddhism, we were not disappointed. Visiting the giant Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island in Hong Kong most likely gave us a warped sense of what Buddhism really looks like because this temple is supposedly one of the richest in Hong Kong and probably the surrounding area. The temple even had life-size Buddhas inside made of 24 karat gold. 

What I really enjoyed about this experience however was how beautiful the rituals of Buddhism were to witness. It was foggy that day so the whole temple had a mystical look that added to the mood. 

I loved seeing devout Buddhists praying or meditating to the giant Buddha statue. I felt peaceful just witnessing their powerful faith. One thing I noticed that was very different from western religions was that the Buddhist visitors to the temple and the monks themselves all looked very happy. Rather than an obligation, their religion was something they wanted to participate in and they enjoyed it. I also loved walking through the temple and seeing (and smelling) the hundreds of incense that were lit.

 It is amazing to think that so many people have such a strong faith and were able to leave behind evidence of their faith. The Buddhist temple was probably the most peaceful place I have ever been.

 I could have stayed there all day witnessing the the fascinating combination of power and peace unite to form Buddhism. It gave me a new found respect for a religion and a whole culture that I knew very little about before.