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Introduction
Different religions help people to achieve similar goals: come to terms with their grief and pain, find solace, sense of meaning, and sense of community. At the same time, they also illustrate the diversity of philosophies, customs, and values, and there is immense beauty in understanding and accepting that there are so many different communities in the world. World religions are inspired by similar truths and purposes, and, yet, they employ various ways to embody them.
Introducing Buddhism
For this research, I decided to visit a Buddhist temple, since I have always been curious about this religion and wanted to explore its main concepts. I looked for places in Miami to get the full experience of an actual service. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most places do not operate as they used to: all face-to-face meetings are suspended, and services are typically performed in Zoom. I participated in a Tuesday Practice of the Open Awareness Buddhist Center. It belongs to a Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. I decided to participate alone so as to ensure that I can fully concentrate on the experience.
Before the meeting, I focused on researching the religion, exploring its history and main ideas. Buddhism was founded more than 2500 years ago in India by Siddhartha Gautama ( Buddhism ). According to the legend, he was a prince living in luxury and comfort of his fathers palace, protected from not only experiencing but also witnessing poverty and suffering. However, one day he left his palace and finally saw the appalling conditions common people lived in. He decided to leave the palace and live in poverty, but this also did not fulfill him, so he pursued the Middle Path between self-indulgence and self-deprivation that he later advised others to follow ( Buddhism ).
One day, meditating under a Bodhi tree, he reached enlightenment nirvana. It came to him in the form of Four Noble Truths ( Buddhism ). He realized that existence is suffering that is caused by our cravings and attachments, but he also learned that there is a cessation to it, which is enlightenment (nirvana) (Anderson 296). It can be achieved through the Eightfold Path that combines eight concepts one should follow, including right view and right speech, right effort and right action, right mindfulness and right concentration (Anderson 296). Therefore, Buddha is not a god, but just an extraordinary man who achieved enlightenment and showed others the path to it.
Nonetheless, some Buddhists believe in certain deities, mostly from the Hindu pantheon. They even pray to them, the way they can pray to Buddha (Cabezon 671-672). Many of them embrace the Hindu idea of reincarnation and believe that it is determined by karma (meaning the law of cause and effect) ( Buddhism ). However, it should be noted that Buddhism is not a rigid and stable religious movement some researchers even do not consider it to be a religion at all, but rather a spiritual tradition ( Buddhism ). Founded in India, Buddhism traveled around the world, taking different forms, evolving and embracing new concepts and customs. There are several ways of classifying Buddhist teachings, but the main branches are considered to be Mahayana (practiced mainly in China, Korea, and Japan), Theravada (practiced in Shri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos), and the Tibetan branch, also called Vajrayana ( Buddhism ). Hence, Buddhist ceremonies may vary depending on the type of Buddhism and the country it is being professed in.
The teacher
However, there are several common elements, some of which I was able to witness. The service I attended was conducted by Lama Karma Chotso on a Tuesday evening and lasted for an hour. Lama is the Tibetan word for a Dharma teacher (Gardner 450). Dharma can be understood as a universal moral order, though its interpretation may depend on a particular Buddhist school (Willemen 217-224). The Lamas head was shaven, and she was wearing a red garment.
Buddhist robes originally reflected the idea of poverty and simplicity. Vinaya (monastic codes) permitted having only three pieces of clothing (Tanabe 731). It is specified that they should not be tailored, just wrapped around ones body, and the materials should possess no particular value to others (Tanabe 731). The robes are dyed, and although the colors are not determined, they should be impure (mixed) (Tanabe 732). Also, assuming ordination, Buddhist monks are required to shave their heads. They follow Buddhas steps, who shaved his head after leaving the palace as a symbol of his decision to abandon all material pursuits and live in poverty (Brown 79). Shaving is meant to emphasize their separation from society and uprooting of sexual desire (Olivelle 313). In general, it symbolizes monks promise to maintain asceticism (for instance, in their diet and clothing) for the rest of their lives, possessing no desire for material things and other worldly attachments.
The service
The service consisted of discussing the foundations of Buddhism (a Dharma talk) and Mediation. A Dharma talk is a lecture given by a Buddhist teacher that addresses Buddhist concepts and interpretations. The meeting was aimed at both beginners and seasoned practitioners. Therefore, it started with discussing the basic principles and ideas of Buddhism, such as the Eightfold Path. The Lama also mentioned how these principles could be applied in the modern world, particularly during the current COVID-19 crisis. She seemed inspired to provide support both for the experienced believers and for the newcomers.
Meditation
The discussion was followed by meditation. It is one of the main Buddhist practices that has spread far beyond Buddhism itself and has the reputation of a powerful tool applicable not only in spiritual settings. Researchers claim that it can be used to improve emotional well-being, treat PTSD and depression symptoms, and even enhance work engagement (Fredrickson et al. 1623; Hilton et al. 459; Petchsawang and McLean 236). There are many different ways to meditate, but the main idea behind this practice is shifting ones awareness to achieve perfect calm and concentration (Gomez 520). In Buddhism, the ultimate goal of meditation is nirvana, but common practitioners typically perform it with other purposes. For instance, it can be used to achieve a sense of peace and tranquility or, on the contrary, help a person to enhance their focus and concentration.
The majority of the attendees were meditating in a cross-legged position. This is meant to reflect the pose of Buddha himself (Gomez 520). Some of the practitioners were sitting on the floor or the cushions the way they would sit during an actual service. They were sitting with their eyes closed and followed the instructions of the Lama, who was guiding the meditation. One of the critical elements of the practice were breathing exercises. Traditional instructions require that practitioners breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth slowly so as to fully concentrate on their experiences in the present moment (Gomez 521). The goal of the meditation I witnessed was to find love, solace, and togetherness in these disturbing times. Therefore, during the meditation, the Lama suggested people express gratitude towards the positive aspects of their lives.
Prayer
Practitioners were also encouraged to pray if they wanted to. Traditionally, they could be bowing to an altar (to Buddha), but, due to the circumstances, they could do it during the meditation session. Sometimes Buddhists pray using only their body (by bowing to an altar), sometimes they use words (verbal prayer, the recitation) or pray in their minds as a part of meditation (Cabezon 671). They can address their prayers to Buddha or Bodhisattvas (enlightened beings who decided to help other people instead of entirely going to the state of nirvana) (Kawamura 58). Some pray for more worldly goals such as promotion while others for profound ones (enlightenment or better rebirth) (Cabezon 672). Buddhists believe in the efficiency of praying for others both living and dead.
Chanting
The meditation also included chanting. Chants are repeated words or phrases, but their function is not in textual messages but the rhythms they create inviting practitioners to be fully absorbed into their practice (Poceski 137). They can be performed by individuals or during temple ceremonies by large groups and applicable both for ascetics seeking enlightenment and casual believers (137). It is considered that chanting the title of a secret text can summon the power of the script itself, and chanting the name of a deity evokes its power (138). Therefore, it is an instrument of summarizing, compressing very powerful ideas and meanings of Buddhist doctrine.
The atmosphere
The attendees were wearing their regular clothing while there are strict rules for monks, there are no such requirements for laypeople. The services audience represented the idea of diversity there were people of different origins and backgrounds: men and women, Asian, European, and African-American. The overall experience could have been fuller if I was able to visit the actual Temple and view the reliquary, Buddha images, and musical instruments it is decorated with. For instance, during chanting, different musical instruments are usually used to maintain the rhythm such as bells, gongs, and drums (139). However, due to the online format, only meditation bells were utilized to indicate the beginning and the end of the meditation session.
Moreover, in Buddhist temples, there are typically many images and statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, as well as some representing Hindu deities. Buddhist temples usually combine very colorful elements that, according to the pictures available, also seems to be the case for the Open Awareness Buddhist Center. However, even in these circumstances, not being able to visit the actual place, I experienced the atmosphere of a Buddhist service due to the efforts of a knowledgeable teacher and the devotion of other attendees.
Personal Experience
As an observer, I was welcomed and respected. Though both the teacher and parishioners were open and ready to share their practice with me, I felt no pressure one could sometimes feel from a deeply religious people who make their efforts to convert a newcomer obvious and intrusive. Presumably, the reason lies in the fact that Buddhism itself is a flexible, tolerant, and inclusive religion. During my research, I have already formed an opinion about Buddhism not being entirely structured and rigid since it accepts and encompasses different practices and approaches. Indeed, the service did not feel like an event a person without prior knowledge and firm believes cannot participate in. The practice itself was new to me and, at times, unusual, but it did not feel entirely foreign and beyond understanding.
Before visiting the service, I had never tried to meditate, though I read about it while conducting my research. At some point, during the practice, I decided to participate following the Lamas guidance. At first, I felt tense, sitting with my eyes closed and listening to the voice of an unfamiliar person while other unknown people were doing the same, but, by the end of the meditation, I started to feel more relaxed and even enjoyed some sense of community.
Conclusion
Overall, I consider this experience beneficial both as educational and as a spiritual one. First, it allowed me to see that while people may employ various methods and rely on various notions, different religions help them to achieve similar goals. It was especially noticeable in how, during the Dharma talk, fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic were addressed. The fact that the service was conducted online might have proved to be helpful in a way, allowing me to be more comfortable with the situation and to realize that, though rituals and decorations may vary, people pursue similar truths and values. In addition, the experience was helpful in an educational way, allowing me to broaden my horizons. After the pandemic is over, I might even like to visit an actual service to learn more about Buddhist practices.
Works Cited
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Fredrickson, Barbara L., et al. Positive emotion correlates of meditation practice: A comparison of mindfulness meditation and loving-kindness meditation. Mindfulness, vol. 8, no. 6, 2017, pp. 16231633.
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