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My Time In A Buddhist Temple

A Midwestern Christian in a Buddhist Temple in the Middle of Indiana?

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My Time In A Buddhist Temple
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College is a time to try new things, meet new people and really just rediscover yourself from what you were in high school. At college I'm taking a class on religions of the world, which has to be one of my favorite classes of all times. I've always loved learning about other cultures, religions, and the world outside of my Midwest Christian American Views. For the class, we have to go to two different places of worship that isn't apart of the Christian Faith. So I deiced with a friend that I was going to a Buddhist temple. I was feeling very sick that day that I went, I was unable to go to any classes that moment, but this was the only time that worked for me to make it the visit work. So I drove about half an hour into almost the middle of nowhere, where we found a house, not a temple like my mind pictured.

There were a couple of statues Buddha in the yard along with some elephants. However once inside I felt a calming feeling come over me, something that I didn't really feel that much at any of the churches I've been to. Everyone was very welcoming and wanted to make sure that we knew what was going on before we got ready to meditate, and from 6:30 until 7:40 we sat in the quiet of the room and meditated until the monks told us that we could open our eyes. Whiling I didn't join in the chants that most of the followers of the religion who attended the weekly Thursday's meditation, I did spend in it prayer to the Christian God and I felt like I could hear him more in there then I have in any church. I felt like I wasn't being judged for my faith for it not being strong enough or even on the same level as some people. It was just me and God only not in his usual house. I prayed for God to take away the stress that I was dealing with and he did, my stomach with had been aching for the past two days was fine, I felt like I could run a thousand miles, I felt amazing.

Now I didn't go into this temple to spend the word of the Lord and bring everyone to Christ, I went there as a guest to learn about their views of faith and not bring them to my faith. I do want to journey to other houses of religion to learn about what other religions, I maybe welcomed at times and other times turned away but I do know that if you are going in as a guest into someone's house, it's best to respect them until both sides think it best to talk about the different views.

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