As a child, I had a friend who was a Thai Buddhist. I went with her to temple a few times, my most vivid memory being the Thai New Years celebration, which occurred during the spring. Most of the time we were indoors, preparing for her "goddess dance" by playing Magic the Gather (a trading card game) or outside at the food vendors or praying, giving incense to, or placing gold leaf on the multitude of Buddhas, gold and stone. The image above is the outside of the main temple and to its left is the school building. Yes, just like Christian churches, Sunday school and school in general is held at the temple.
The moment that I hold with me the most is meditating with my friend inside the main temple. We were the only ones inside and we sat on our calves, sideways, to pray. We chanted what she had taught me aloud, in the direction of the golden Buddha ahead.
For some silly reason the photos won't load any larger.
Anyway, the golden Buddha was quite large and had a monk's orange/gold robe draped across his shoulder. There was a smaller golden Buddha seated underneath him, with the almost Christ-like blessing hand position. Even smaller versions sit to his left and right, some golden, some black, some even other Boddhisatvas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTSTKdXExsk
This video shows the interior during worship hours.
The image of the Buddha has always been an intriguing one to me. I was quite young when I was first exposed to it, I'd say 6 years old. (Personally, I find Buddhist imagery much more approachable and serene than a lot of old Christian imagery. Funny, considering that Buddhists believe life IS suffering.) The elongated ear lobes to show intelligence. The third brain, or braided bun atop his head. The closed lidded expression and subtle smile. Truly, this man is at peace. Underneath the robe, Buddha sits in the Lotus position (and is actually on a lotus flower), that of Enlightened state and his hands rest over each other, folded up and opened, as to receive holy light and truth. A golden chandelier of sorts hangs overhead and flowers sit around him. He sits upon a throne that resembles a chest on places belongings within, which golden knockers on the side.
The temple space did not feel foreign or strange to me. It looked modern and clean, and this makes sense considering it was built and founded in the 70s. The outside does not really illuminate what is inside and the inside does not really either, save for the Buddhas, portraits of monks and abbots, bookshelves full of sutras, and other assorted bits of iconography. The space was open, the ceilings were high, and I felt invited. Which sort of explains my short term conversion to Buddhism and my complicated religious beliefs in general.
The funny thing about meditation in Buddhism is that the pursuit of meditation is to achieve the sense and realization of pure nothing. My friend told me to think of darkness, emptiness, and silence, and told me I'd be okay then. I could see the nothingness but once I reached it, the Golden Buddha would come to me in my meditation and sit still in my mind. Perhaps my issue was my upbringing surrounded by iconography and potent imagery, that caused me to see Jesus or the Cross everywhere. I could not escape that tendency and failed to become Enlightened.
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