blog




  • Essay / Discovering Buddhism through my visit to a religious site

    While I grew up in Turkey, a country whose most widespread religion is Islam, I did not have the opportunity to see people who believe in different religions and beliefs. Comparing Islam and Buddhism helped me realize that there are a wide variety of religions with different beliefs and religious practices. The approach to the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, very different from Islam, fascinates me. That being said, the opportunity to explore this whole new system of religious beliefs and practices is why I decided to focus on Buddhism for my site tour essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay After choosing which religion to do my tour on, I started looking for different Buddhist services and found a temple in Brooklyn which is relatively close. . The Brooklyn Zen Center located in Unit 2A at 505 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, New York, 11215 seemed like a good option to me. I decided to attend the service called “Friday Night Zen” which took place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on December 6, 2019. Although I did not have the opportunity to experience different religions before my arrival in the United States United, I have always been open. -spirited and respectful of other religions which helped me with his particular experience. In general, mosques are truly stunning both outside and inside, however, the Brooklyn Zen Center had a simple look. As I walked up the stairs, I began to feel nervous, mainly because I was afraid of being judged due to my lack of knowledge of Buddhist beliefs and practices compared to the other people who would be attending the service . After walking through the metal gate that had Buddhist symbols printed on it, I was greeted by an elderly woman, completely bold and dressed in a black dress. I felt welcomed by her as she pointed me in the right direction, where I took off my shoes and placed them on a shelf with other shoes. After walking past the kitchen and dining room, I came to this large room where other people were waiting. The majority of people attending the service were relatively young. Even though I was 10 minutes early, the attendance was higher than I initially expected. As I walked over to one of the rugs on the floor, I glanced around the room. I couldn't help but notice the beauty of the room's simplicity. The walls of the room were made of white bricks and the floor was made of wood. There were several stands around the room with Buddhist symbols on them and flowers placed not only on the stands but also between several black mats topped with round pillows. All the mats were placed around the room with a clear view of the middle of the room, where I thought the instructor's mat was placed. On the instructor's mat, there was a golden gong and a waterfall made of black stones. The design of the room and seeing other people willing to meditate made me feel relaxed as I was asked to recline before sitting cross-legged on one of the mats. Two other people arrived right after me and once they took a seat on their mat, the meditation was about to begin. At first, I realized that I was unconsciously thinking about the difference between this religious experience and the Islamic experience. religious experiences even if it was just beginning. One of the first things I realized was the lack of movement during meditation.