Today (5/31) started out with class where we learned a little more about Buddhism. I thought this lecture was informative and something that we had done earlier because I gained such a deeper understanding for the religion. It was interesting and eye opening to learn about the wheels and the different realms. It is always interesting to me to see how different religions are practiced or what their main roots are because I didn’t grow up in a religious background. Gaining an understanding for what people believe in, helps me to gain a more forgiving outlook.
Once we finished class we headed to Fo Guang Shan where we got a personal tour from a nun and two volunteers. At first glance, the Buddha museum was gorgeous.
But there was more history behind this then meets the eye. One of my favorite things about visiting Fo Guang Shan was learning the history about this particular Buddha. I liked learning how this Buddha grew up and what made them decide to find “awakening”. The knowledge I had about Buddhism before this was little to none so it fascinating to learn more about the background.
Going into this visit, one thing thing I thought we were going to be exploring was the way the Monks and Nuns lived. I was super interested in how they lived, what their dormitories were like, what possessions they had, and just generally more about their lives. I asked the nun who gave us a tour some questions but I felt like she didn’t go into too much depth. I only learned more information from a classmate who had gone to a different Buddhist monestary. I liked learning about how they had to interact and how sometimes they need to be in silence.
To end our day we headed to the dragon festival. I really feel like this was a once in a lifetime experience and it was so fun to see the dragon boat races.
