World Religions Field Trip: Case Studies #5
By: Matthew Tsuda
To start off I’d like to say that I really enjoyed the world religions field trip mainly because it allowed me to experience what it feels like to be in places of worship other than an ordinary Christian church (which is my own religion) and it enabled me to acquire more knowledge about the religions our class has studied. It was particularly fascinating to observe the various architecture, statues, paintings, holy structures/objects, etc. in the mix of temples/churches we visited.
Firstly, we visited a Muslim mosque. When we first entered, we were immediately asked to take our shoes off. To be honest, the mosque wasn’t anything what I expected it to be like. There were many paintings on the wall depicting Ka’bah and other Islamic holy places, and then there was one main spacious room with no pews or no chairs—just a big, empty, carpeted room of worship. As well, there were many holy Arabic/Persian inscriptions on the walls that either quoted ayats (verses) from the Qur’an or words worshipping Allah. At the east side of the room there was a large chair that was later on explained to be the chair that the imam or priest sits on when he preaches and leads prayers on Fridays. Also on the east side of the room it broke down into a smaller section (sort of like another room) where there was a sacred kneeling spot where Muslims pray while facing towards Makkah. This spot is significant because whenever a Muslim prays, they’re always supposed to face towards Makkah.
After we looked around a bit, a Muslim priest greeted us and we were able to ask him some questions about Islam and about the mosque that we were visiting. He told us that people who come into the mosque must be dressed modestly (i.e. one cannot come into the mosque wearing a t-shirt) and he thoroughly explained to us about the Islamic beliefs of Judgment Day. The priest described Judgment Day as being the day when you physically die and your soul gets judged and sent to either Paradise or Hell. The priest explained that if your soul is sent to Paradise you’ll get back your physical body, but it’ll be your body when it was at its best physical state (i.e. when you were a teenager). Hammad and Azair also taught the class a few things about Islam and they even showed us the ritual where they wash their hands, face, and feet before praying.
Secondly, we visited a Buddhist temple. I didn’t know what to expect, so when I first entered the holy temple I was surprised at just how many statues and paintings there were, both inside and outside of the temple. The statues were all mainly of the Buddha and others who have became Buddhas. Outside there was one giant statue of Buddha Tara, who was a figure in Buddha’s teachings that vowed to take rebirth as a woman until she became a Buddha. There were also enormous Chinese drums outside, as well as many statues showing significant Buddhist holy figures. As well, in the inside of the temple there were hundreds of tiny Buddha statues that helped to emphasize his sanctity.
After we explored around outside, we went back inside the temple where we were greeted by a Buddhist nun. The nun explained to us the significance to most of the statues. The one statue that I found to be extremely interesting was the Mahayana Buddha statue, and this was because it had 1000 “arms of aid” and 1000 “eyes of compassion.” I really was in awe of this statue because of its detail and extravagant sculpture. The other statue that I found to be really interesting was the overweight Laughing Buddha, and this was because I found it neat how it was considered to be auspicious for prosperity and happiness, and it was its plumpness that symbolized this. The nun also reminded us about some of the main Buddhists beliefs, such as Buddhist symbols (i.e. the swastika represents “well-being”), the Five Precepts and the Noble Eightfold-Path.
Thirdly, we visited a Jewish synagogue. I was shocked to see that it was very much like a normal Roman Catholic Church. It was very capacious and had several different rooms. We entered a small chapel-like room that had many tiny pews, and this was one of the rooms that Jewish services usually occur in. This room had really ornate and beautiful stained-glass windows and also contained the Holy Ark at the front of the room, and this consisted of the Torah scrolls held within two doors and an inner curtain. A rabbi then came in and taught us a brief history of Judaism and its beliefs. He also taught us that a synagogue is considered to be a place of prayer, gathering, and of study or learning. As well, he explained that the windows in the synagogue were to symbolize the truth that when Jews worship, they always remember to have compassion for others outside the synagogue, especially other Jews worldwide who are facing tribulation (i.e. the suicide bombings in Israel). Other than the rabbi’s criticisms of other religions, I found the synagogue to be a very captivating yet cozy place of worship.
Fourthly, we visited a Hindu temple. It was called the Vishnu Mandir temple, and its architecture reflected both traditional northern Indian influences, as well as modern elegance. Like the Islam mosque, as soon as we entered the temple we were asked to take off our shoes. Then immediately we started to smell the strong scent of incense (this smell was also in the Buddhist temple). Like the mosque, in the main room of this temple there were no chairs or pews, just an open room. At the front of the room, there were numerous elegantly designed statues of the various Hindu deities, such as Shri Ganesha (Lord remover of all obstacles), Vishnu (the preserver of the universe), Shiva (the destroyer and restorer of the universe), Brahma (the creator of the universe), etc. As we previously learned, all these deities were merely manifestations of the one God, called Brahman. At the back of the room, I noticed there were some baskets filled with fruits, flowers, and other gifts that one can take with him/her to offer them to the Gods. I also noticed that inscribed on the wall was the Hindu holy symbol “Om”, and Hindus believe that this symbol represents the supremacy of Brahman (this syllable is also said to invoke the essence of Brahman when chanted). After we settled down in the temple, a Hindu priest came in and talked about Hindu beliefs and the Hindu temple we were visiting. He reminded us that Hinduism is the third largest and oldest religion in the world. He also explained why there were huge beautiful paintings of nature, waterfalls, and lush trees on the walls, and he said that it was to remind Hindus of Brahman’s magnificent creations and wonders. The priest made it very clear that despite what others say, Hinduism is a monotheistic religion because the statues of the deities are just representations of the many manifestations of Brahman. One interesting fact that I learned was the fact that Hindus do believe in Jesus, and that although they don’t believe he’s the son of God, they still believe that he existed as a respected prophet. I also found it interesting that the priest explained to us that the Lord Ganesha in this temple performed the “milk miracle” where it miraculously began to absorb milk through its tusks and trunk in 1995.
The fifth and final holy house that we visited was an ordinary Christian church, and it was the Unionville Alliance Church. Since I’ve been in there before, it was nothing new to me, but it really made me feel like I was “at home”. Even though I enjoyed experiencing what it feels like to be in other holy houses of other religions, I found it so much more comfortable to be in the type of house of worship that I am used to, which is an ordinary church. A youth pastor of the church greeted us, and I really liked his welcoming approach because it allowed everybody to feel more laid-back and relaxed. I noticed that he was the only religious leader that we encountered that day that was dressed casually (in shorts and a t-shirt). For me, personally, I realized that the environment of the church was a lot more hospitable and friendly than the other houses of worship we visited. Also, I thought the pastor treated us with a lot more sociability and warmth than the other religious leaders. He was very welcoming and gave us a tour around the church. We started off in the main congregational service room, and it had plenty of rows of pews, as well as many instruments (drums, piano, etc.) on the stage that are used for times of praise and worship. Then we went to the children’s room, and it was full of many toys and games that help the children’s pastor to teach her lessons. Next we went to a storage room where the church keeps boxes of food and clothes that at certain times they use to give to the needy/less-fortunate people. And lastly we went to a unique youth room, which included couches, televisions, and a stage with instruments used to praise the Lord.
All in all, this trip was tiring but very interesting. It allowed us all to gain further understanding of all the religions we learned about in class, as well as grasp what exactly what it feels like to go into other houses of worship (other than our own religion). The temple that I felt was most intriguing, though, would definitely have to be the Buddhist temple because of its skillfully carved statues, both inside and outside of the temple. I especially enjoyed walking around the outside of the temple, because I found it fascinating to see the beautiful Asian styled gardens, monuments, and structures. One main thing I gained from this trip was the fact that it enabled me to gain appreciation for my own house of worship and it made me realize that for me, I definitely feel most comfortable in a regular church.