Reflective Essay On Jodo Buddhism

I choose the Calgary Buddhist Temple to visit, which practices pure land buddhism, more specifically jodo shinshu. First of all I chose to visit a Buddhist site because I feel like I do not understand this religion as much as hinduism for example. I chose Pure land because I understand it the least, so I am hoping to further my knowledge on the subject. As for choosing jodo shinshu, I enjoy learning about japanese culture and since this particular strain of buddhism was founded by a japanese monk and is largely practiced within Japan I thought it would be a great experience. I found communicating within this site considerably easy which was a large factor when choosing where to go. They are happy to welcome students and answer questions, there …show more content…
In a physical sense I believe I remained mindful. Mentally I tried my best to accept what was going on around me and let it pass by. It is quite difficult, many thoughts came to my mind during meditation but I tried to just focus on my breathing. I managed to stay calm and not dwell on the time I was spending sitting there doing nothing, which makes me believe I achieved a greater level of mindfulness than before. I found it easiest to be mindful of my bodily sensations, how I could feel the ridges of the floor against my feet. Or how whenever I felt cold the heat would kick in returning me to a comfortable temperature. I also was aware with how the temple had a faint new wood smell, all of which I accepted as I thought of them and let them pass by as I focused on my breathing. It was particularly difficult to let the thoughts of this paper pass me by every time I experienced something that I thought needed to be written down. The temple does not make you feel a sensory overload, thought there is much to look at and take in, it is also quite simple making for a peaceful