Personal Field Trip Visit of Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple

The Buddhism is always a mysterious and holy religion to me. Monks in the temple recite sutras and sit in meditation. It seems a pure spiritual land. So I took the chance to visit His Lai Buddhist Temple this year to feel the mystery and charm of Buddhism. My fist impression of His Lai Buddhist Temple is its magnificent building. The whole architecture is faithful to the Ming and Ching dynasty building style. The traditional ancient Chinese building style gives me a sense of solemnity and sanctity. This temple was built by Venerable Master Hsing Yun to nurture Buddhist missionaries through education, to propagate Buddhism, and to benefit society through charitable programs. The monks in the temple seem rather happy but self-disciplined. Tourists could light incense and pray. The solemn atmosphere of the temple seems to bring you into another world where you could forget your troubles and obtain the internal peace. Different from the busy modern life which is full of noises and pressures, the temple provides a peaceful place for you to reflect yourself and look for some spiritual comforts.

During the visit, I learned a lot about the Buddhist culture and the Chinese culture. The Buddhism believes that everyone is equal and has the potential of study Buddhism. As long as one person works hard on studying Buddhism and clarifying his/her mental world, he/she is able to become the real Buddhist after he/she dies. Also, Buddhism prohibits killing and encourages people to eat vegetables and fruits, instead of food. There should not be bullying and killing because every life in this world is equal and has the right to survive. Furthermore, Buddhism believes in the karma, which is the cycle of cause and result. If people do good deeds, their kindness will bring good luck to them. But if people have bad intentions, they will be punished in the future world. If you are a really kind person and always help others, you could be born into a wealthy family and lead a carefree life through eternity. If you commit sins or hurt others, you will suffer a poor and bad life in the future world. Everything happens for a reason, and every reason leads to a result. Meanwhile, there are a lot of stories to prove these beliefs and doctrines. For example, the creator of Buddhism Gotama Siddhartha once saved a normal pigeon’s life from an eagle by cutting off his own meat. It teaches believers to sacrifice for others and hold mercy all the time.

After this visit, I feel my life is refreshed. When people are busy pursuing fortune and fame in the current society, they tend to forget the importance of looking for the meaning of life. The Buddhist doctrine will be beneficial to me in the rest of my life. Every time I meet troubles in life and get frustrated, I will recall that Buddhism believes that everyone has the potential to be someone as long as you keep your faith and work hard. All your efforts will pay off eventually. Every time I get lost in my life, I will recall that Buddhism encourages people to insist on the kindness to help others. As long as you follow your heart with kindness, you will find the meaning of your life. And every time I get desperate or angry about this world, I will recall that Buddhism believes that everyone in the world is equal. I am as important as everybody else in this world. There are still a lot of people living a more miserable life than me. So I should be grateful and never give up a chance to do other people a favor. This visit teaches me how to find the internal peace and view the world from a new perspective. If the spirit of Buddhism could be accepted around the world, there will be no wars, no discriminations, and no conflicts.