Wat Buddharangsi Buddhist Temple of Miami

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I was born into a family with set beliefs on Catholicism. I attended mass from a young age, was baptized in the Catholic Church and was taught the many beliefs of Catholicism. Some of the few beliefs I was taught include The Holy Trinity, teachings of the bible, and the Ten Commandments. For the Site Field Visit assignment, the class was instructed to visit a temple, church, or worship facility that must be outside of our religious background. For my Site Field Visit assignment, I decided to visit the Wat Buddharangsi Buddhist Temple located in Miami. Why did I choose to visit Buddhism instead of Hinduism, or Judaism? The reason I chose Buddhism is because I want to explore new grounds with religion. I will be stepping out of what I have been taught about believing and worshiping gods, same as Hinduism and Judaism, and I want to know about Buddhism, a religion that does not believe in any god.

Buddhism is a religion that was created after Buddha, whose real name is Siddharta Gautama. According to an introductory article on Buddhism by Stanford University, it is estimated that Buddha was born “around 490 B.C.E in the foothills of the Himalayas” (Introduction to Buddhism, 2007). Although, nobody is able to accurately pinpoint the origins of Buddhism as a religion, many believe that it originated in the Northern parts of India.

Siddharta Gautama obtained the name Buddha after he was able to reach his enlightenment since the Buddha is a name that translates to the “enlightened one”. After reaching his enlightenment, Buddha began teaching others how to reach enlightenment for themselves. One thing Buddha did not believe was necessary in order to reach enlightenment is the belief and worship of gods. Therefore, unlike most religion...

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...in, I highly respect Buddhism and may incorporate some of the beliefs I was taught into my everyday life. I arrived at the temple only in order to complete a school assignment, but I left the temple knowing I will be returning. The incredibly welcoming monks in the temple mentioned that meditation takes time and practice to master, encouraging me to return and practice meditation in their religious hall as they give me lessons on how to improve my focus while meditating. The Wat Buddharangsi Temple is a place that I would recommend anyone to visit. The feeling of relaxation and peace is one that I would love to, and will enjoy, on more than one occasion, as it is now one of my favorite places to relax in.

Works Cited

"Introduction to Buddhism." Spice Stanford. Stanford University, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014. .

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