For my religious/spiritual encounter, I visited a Buddhist temple by the name of Hsi Lai located in the city of Hacienda Heights. The Hsi Lai Temple, built in 1988, spans across 15 acres of land, with architecture like those of the ancient Chinese monasteries from Ming and Qing dynasty (International Buddhist Progress Society, n.d.). The name Hsi Lai translated into Chinese means “coming west”, representing the propagation of Buddhism into the Western Hemisphere. Today the temple spreads the teaching of Buddhism through cultural activities, education and charitable programs held at the temple (International Buddhist Progress Society, n.d.).
Arriving at the temple, I immediately felt the change in the atmosphere with that of being humble and peaceful, a kind of atmosphere where material possessions, careers, and the everyday rush against time did not matter. I was surprised to find lots of visitors, with many of them from different age groups and ethnicities. Most were scattered throughout the temple with some taking …show more content…
Growing up, my family observed Buddhist practices, but the beliefs of Buddhism and that of needing to follow religion was never emphasized. As a child, I participated along side my family in many religious practices. Most of the religious practices were done for the passing of a family member or our ancestors. I recall we would burn, Joss paper or money for the deceased. I remember laying out various fruits and food on a table dedicated to our ancestors along with lighted incense. I recall yearly visits to the temple and receiving blessed Guanyin figures to hang in our cars or rooms for safety. Additionally, I remember when a relative passed away my parents, aunts, and uncles would take turns guarding the body of the deceased, and all the kids would be happy, because it meant we could stay up all
Arriving at the temple, I immediately felt the change in the atmosphere with that of being humble and peaceful, a kind of atmosphere where material possessions, careers, and the everyday rush against time did not matter. I was surprised to find lots of visitors, with many of them from different age groups and ethnicities. Most were scattered throughout the temple with some taking …show more content…
Growing up, my family observed Buddhist practices, but the beliefs of Buddhism and that of needing to follow religion was never emphasized. As a child, I participated along side my family in many religious practices. Most of the religious practices were done for the passing of a family member or our ancestors. I recall we would burn, Joss paper or money for the deceased. I remember laying out various fruits and food on a table dedicated to our ancestors along with lighted incense. I recall yearly visits to the temple and receiving blessed Guanyin figures to hang in our cars or rooms for safety. Additionally, I remember when a relative passed away my parents, aunts, and uncles would take turns guarding the body of the deceased, and all the kids would be happy, because it meant we could stay up all