Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk: "After visiting the Zen Buddhist Temple, Bongwonsa and attempting to see nature as a Taoist, answer this question: What is it about creation,..."

The purpose of religion is to lead people to the right way and to teach how people should behave. Buddhism is all about reducing the suffering in life, but overcoming such suffering depends on people’s behavior and attitude in confronting their difficulties. Whether to reach Nirvana and get enlightened is people’s choice in how they react to their suffering. People tend to be very desperate when they are in a difficult situation. Hoping to go to paradise or reach nirvana even after death for a better future, some people believe in Buddhism and try to act according to its teachings. On the field trip, one of the Bongwonsa monks explained about the several types of Buddha who are responsible for people after death, responsible for the spirits, and people’s wishes as well. He explained about Buddha, which grants one wish to people if they bow three times. I think the reason why people try to bow to Buddha is not merely to be granted a wish but to endure their suffering. Getting what one hopes for, people think, will make them happy. Buddhism, however, ultimately teaches to reduce wants, or even greed in the more severe case, and to accept the world as it is. Self control is a way to reduce suffering, it teaches.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation: "Spend 20 mintues in a silent meditation; a place you won't be disturbed, your own 'fig tree' as was Buddha's inspiration. In those 20 mintue..."

During the twenty minutes, I meditated sitting down silently under my quiet “fig tree.” For the first few minutes, I focused only on my breathing. It was quite hard to breathe using my stomach muscles instead of my chest ones. While I was breathing in and out slowly, I found myself calming down and relieved from the stress of trying to do my school work everyday. I had time to feel the good weather with a breeze blowing past and hear some boys playing soccer below in the apartment grounds. After a few minutes, I started to think about my future and college. Some of the upper classmen friends I know were worried about entrance tests and college applications. Talking to them made me worry too. I was setting out my goals and deciding what to do at university and in my career. That was one of my greatest concerns these days, strangely, even though a career seems such a long way off. My concentration, trying to feel nature and the peace in mind, began to break. Focusing just on emptying my mind for twenty minutes was difficult. Since I usually don’t meditate for such a long time, I am not yet trained to focus for that long. However, through the meditation, at least for a few minutes, I could calm my mind and reach a strange and unfamiliar mental state. I was trying hard not to think of anything for a change.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #3- Gandhi: Hindu and Activist

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #3- Gandhi: Hindu and Activist: "In class, your small groups went over movie questions about the content in Gandhi. You should know who each of the main characters are and t..."

Gandhi’s idea of Hinduism was peace. He emphasized equality for all people regardless of race, gender, or class, or caste. It was to create peace between all people so no one would fight another because of unequal privileges. He used his belief in non-violence in war, fights, or in any conflict to support his idea of peace. The best example of his idea of peace is the March to the Sea Salt Mine protest and the separation of India into two countries: India and Pakistan. Since many Hindus view him as a protector or a leader, there were a huge number of his followers. In the Sea Salt Mine protest, they lined up in four or five lines and just marched to the soldiers who were holding weapons. Even though Gandhi was not there because he was arrested, his teachings encouraged them to march toward the soldiers and sacrifice themselves being hurt and beaten very badly for unity and peace in India. Also, India was in danger to be broken up into two countries because of religious differences. His white friend asked Gandhi whether their group should have Civil War against Muslims, or to separate India into two countries. Then, Gandhi responded rather to make his people migrate to India and Muslims to Pakistan. War might take less time than this. However, since the faith he believed in for his whole life was peace and non-violence, he did not fight back.

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind,” said Mahatma Gandhi. This thought means that a continuous revenge on others will cause them to fight for no memorable reason later. This well exemplifies the way Gandhi lived out his faith. He and his country took more than 50 years to end the war against Muslims. Revenge would cause enemies to fight back again. When both sides keep fighting back on each other in revenge, they would not recognize the reason they fought in the first place. Every time Hindus were beaten or killed, people who followed and trusted in Gandhi did not rebel against Muslims and took "an eye for an eye." Their independence might be gained more easily in a shorter time, but they gained what they wanted later by a continuous silent resistance. Through this movie, we learned that the resolution for all the conflicts is not violence. Sometimes violence is needed, but avoiding such violence and revenge against enemies is more effective and lawful at times.

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry

Modern Religious Experience: Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry: "Assignment #3- Sacred Poetry • Add a picture of an ancient religious symbol to your Online Portfolio (it can be one of those from the notes..."

A Prayer of Hands

Veronica Huh

Building a mound of stones

Youths pray with two hands together

For eternity and good health

Bowing under the sun

With various colors of fruits and rice cake

Farmers wish for a bountiful year

Looking at the moon in the sky

With a bowl of water in praying hands

Mothers hope a better future

For their descendants

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #1

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection Question #1: "According to Mircea Eliade religion has 'not vanished without a trace; [it] has contributed toward making us what we are today and so, after..."

Religion has influenced my life much since it is everywhere around me. In Korea, it seems this is especially true. It's because there are many small churches in every where, and many fortune tellers exist. My parents believe in different religions. My dad is Christian, and my mom is Buddhist. When I say to my friends that my mom is Buddhist, they view my mom’s religion as very interesting, but not in a positive way. The Buddhist religious system is not that strange and unusual, as many think. Even though their major beliefs have different religious formulas in their ceremonies, they respect each other’s choice and beliefs. Actually, I found that growing up with both religions is not a problem. I thought that was not very unusual and I thought everybody was like me. I realized everyone is not same as me when I learned religious conflicts in my history classes. I may be religiously infantile and maybe my parents are too.

For now, I have decided to believe in myself, letting things happen. However, I really don’t know, and our family doesn’t have many religious discussions. I think of many religious questions in my life, such as why are some people born into misery, like when I visited Philippines last year for Discovery Week. Just last night, my dad and I had discussed about this and my experiences during DW, but he listened and asked me questions about what happened, rather than religious questions. I am still learning a lot about my beliefs in SFS. I am keeping an open mind, as best as I can, but it is not very easy since religion is everywhere around me.