Peek-a-Buddha

You don't have to go far here to find a Buddhist temple or to find a statue of Buddha himself. When I was on our trip this April break I learned more about Buddha then I knew before. There are 7 positions of Buddha. I learned the difference between resting Buddha and dead Buddha as well as many other things. In Kandy (which was our last city on our journey) we visited the Temple of the Tooth. This is a very important Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka. It holds a relic of Buddha's tooth (hence the title).

While I was inside the temple I felt really off. By this time in our trip I must admit that I was sick of looking at Buddhas. I mean they are all the same...well except for maybe the way they are decorated or the materials they are made from.

As we walked around the temple I started looking at it not just as something interesting to look at but thought about what people were doing there. There were a lot of people there...most were not tourists. People were there to worship Buddha. II was feeling very uncomfortable, like I was an intruder, like I was witnessing something that should be private and not on display. To me worship is between God and HIS people not God, his people and a few tourists! But I guess that I have a very different view of what worship is then the buddhists do.

When we went to the upper level everyone was getting in line so I followed. I couldn't see where the line went but when I realized what the line was for I wasn't sure what to do. The line was to give offerings to the priest. I had no intention of giving any sort of offering. I don't worship Buddha. I had to fight my very ingrained Canadian habit of being polite and doing it anyway just to be nice. The whole place was really creeping me out.

I felt like I was really out of place, like I didn't belong. I thought about getting out of the line but at that time I wasn't sure what it was that I was feeling so I just stayed in. The priest didn't look very impressed that I didn't offer anything...oh well, what to do?

I'm sure that it was partly a spiritual thing that I was experiencing as well. I found it oppressive and heavy. I had no peace while I was in there. I was actually feeling sick. When we were outside for everyone to come out I told them that I had to leave. I think that it was partly all the sun that I had over the last four days but I was steadily feeling worse. Once we had left the temple grounds I felt fine.

Later, I was thinking about my experience there and I started thinking about my church back home and what it would be like to have people come through the church during a worship service, parade across the platform, maybe stop and watch the band for awhile, take pictures and then move on to tour the rest of the church. If they came through during the offering would they feel obligated to put money in the plate? Would they feel like they had to join in the singing and prayer?

In Canada we have some beautiful churches that people visit but I have never heard of ministers or priests allowing tourists in during a service or mass. I felt like I was trespassing. I think the Holy Spirit was telling me that I shouldn't be there, that I shouldn't be participating.

I realize that here in Sri Lanka religion is very much a part of their culture and to experience their culture that includes the temples. Now that I know what the temples are like I don't think that I will ever go to one again. I understand that their worship is important to them and for most is a regular thing but I don't want any part of that. I'm not here to be a tourist. Being a student of their culture doesn't require me to participate in every aspect.

So does our faith mesh so closely with our culture that in order for visitors to fully grasp our culture, how we live that they feel that they have to visit our places of worship? Or do they already?...the mall.