Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #5: Bongwonsa Temple and Nature Walk

            Although there are many questions we can answer through science, there are some that we can not answer right now. For example, How were we, humans, created? Who created us humans and everything around us? What happens when we die? These are questions that we cannot prove yet, but as we are curious beings, we want answers. Therefore, humans seek out religion as their answer for these questions. As people learn more about the religion, they will spend more time on it, eventually spending their lives seeking out religious truth, nurturing faith and worshipping creation. A buddhist would try to seek religious truth through the 4 noble truths inorder to reach Nirvana. A Taoist can nurture faith, as Tao is the way life is (a philosophy) and one of its main principle (wu wei) is that natural things work harmoniously together. One would worship creation because the creator must be someone or something that is more superior to what we are. So it is most likely that we fear the creator, but at the same time thank them for their great work and at the end of our lives be with them (for example heaven). At the end of the day, religion is very important to people and can help them throughout their ups and downs of life.

Modern Religious Experience: Reflection #4: Buddhist Meditation

           As I sat down near my "fig tree" the first thing that came to my mind was how cold it was with the window open. When I sat down with good posture and started to breath steadily, I slowly started to clear my mind. All the thoughts I had in my head disappeared and there was only peace. However, when I finally had peace all the sounds that I wouldn't usual hear would sound so loud and I would even be able to hear people under my floor. Although I sat quietly for 20 minutes, I had trouble finding life's truth and inspriation. In my opinion when I empty my mind, I literally do and have no thoughts at all. Also all the sounds around distracted me from finding life's truths. However, sitting there just for 20 minutes was a great experience and I think I might try that again some other time.