This paper combines a first-person reflection on attending a meditation class at a Buddhist temple with a thematic essay on Buddhism's core beliefs and practices. The reflection describes the author's visit to Buddha Gate Monastery in Lafayette, California, covering temple customs, the meditation experience, and personal takeaways. The thematic section traces the origins of Buddhism through Siddhartha Gautama, explains the concepts of karma, samsara, and nirvana, and details two primary forms of meditation — samatha and vipassana — alongside the Noble Eightfold Path. The paper concludes by examining how Buddhism is spreading in Western culture and why its flexibility allows it to adapt across diverse societies.
I have admittedly led a pretty sheltered life in terms of interactions with people from other cultures. I am not a Buddhist, and so I do not have any first-hand experience with the religious practices associated with Buddhism. Before this course and before my experience at a Buddhist temple, I knew some things about Buddhism, but only as much as most people know. For example, I knew that Buddhism is primarily associated with Asian culture, that Buddhists tend toward nonviolence, and that they hope to achieve inner peace through positive actions. Buddhists are stereotyped as monks in robes with shaved heads, but that is only a very small faction of the people who believe in Buddhism. I also knew beforehand that Buddhists were associated with nature and that they observed many customs specific to their religion. Now that I have attended a religious event and had this experience, I understand far more about Buddhism and actually intend to incorporate some of what I learned into my own life.
For my religious event, I went to a meditation class at a Buddhist temple — Buddha Gate Monastery in Lafayette, California, approximately a 45-minute drive from my home. From doing a bit of research beforehand, I learned that this temple offers weekly classes focused on teaching people to relax and to meditate. People are welcome to attend even if they are not Buddhists themselves. All are welcome so long as they come eager to learn, to participate, and to respect the practices and culture of those at the temple. Buddhists observe many different traditions, and I was exposed to several of them during my visit.
What I learned was that Buddhists take meditation very seriously. It is not simply about relaxing and stretching, as many people associate with yoga. Rather, it is about using silence, peace, and relaxation to understand something more about yourself and the larger world around you.
At the temple, I immediately noticed the difference between my daily routine and the traditions and customs of the Buddhists. There were many rules — for instance, I was not allowed to wear shoes. This, I know, is common in Asian cultures, and Buddhism is practiced in large numbers in Asian countries. Taking off one's shoes is a sign of respect, so I happily complied. There were other rules to follow as well. I was not allowed to have a drink with me, not even water. This felt unusual because most people today are permitted to carry water even in a school classroom, but such a thing is not allowed in the temple.
No paper or pens were permitted either, which made it difficult to remember the details of my experience. I would have liked to take notes and am accustomed to doing so on paper or on my phone, but phones were also not allowed. They had to be silenced or turned off completely out of respect for the Buddhist monks and their practices. One person in the class failed to do so, and his phone started ringing. The monk was not angry; he calmly told the gentleman that since he did not wish to comply with the request, would he please leave so that the rest of the group could meditate in silence. The monk's composure impressed me greatly. I have been in churches and classrooms where phones have gone off and the person in charge became visibly angry, even in settings where silence was not strictly required. In the temple, where silence was genuinely necessary, the monk simply asked the disruptive person to leave the rest of us in peace.
There was one negative aspect to my experience, though it stemmed from a personal reaction. During the meditation class, the monks lit incense and the scent wafted throughout the room. The incense was particularly powerful and somewhat overpowering for me. I tend to be sensitive to strong scents — candles, perfume — and the incense made my eyes water. This made me feel uncomfortable, as did the seating. Each chair in the class was an old, steel folding chair that was quite uncomfortable. More comfortable floor seats with blankets and pillows were available, but those were reserved for people who had called the temple ahead of time. Everyone else, including me, had to sit on the steel chairs. The room was also hot and stuffy because it was a warm day and there was no air conditioning. The monks themselves noted that there were more participants than usual, which added to the discomfort.
Due to the heat and perhaps the peacefulness of the meditation, I actually fell asleep during the class and very nearly fell out of my chair. I was glad I did not, because that would have been highly embarrassing and would have disrupted the rest of the class.
Falling nearly asleep was interesting in retrospect, because it showed me how deeply relaxed I had become. Although I felt self-conscious at first, I realized it meant I had genuinely engaged with the meditation. I felt no stress and was truly able to think and reflect on myself. I am generally a fairly stressed person and tend to react strongly to pressures in my life. For the first time in a long time, I felt completely relaxed and free of stress. The experience clearly did me a great deal of good, and I believe I will consider incorporating meditation into my regular, everyday life.
There are many religions throughout the world, each with its own meaning and history. Each has unique beliefs and practices that characterize both the religion and its followers. Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who lived approximately 25 centuries ago in what is now Nepal and parts of northeastern India (Gethin 1998, p. 73). Originally a prince, Siddhartha gave up his title, wealth, and position to seek truth. During his quest he sat beneath a tree and meditated until he eventually found inner peace — nirvana, as it is called by Buddhists (Dhammananda 2002). He came to be called "the Buddha," meaning the awakened one, after establishing what many argue is more a philosophy of life than a formal religious order.
During his lifetime, the Buddha gave up all his possessions and wealth and traveled across the eastern continent to help people in need. He demonstrated that physical existence is impermanent and that material goods are fleeting — people should not focus their lives on acquiring things. He had the power to encourage people to overcome feelings of sadness and pain, and he helped them find deeper meaning in existence by empowering them to determine their own path.
Buddhism is very popular in modern society and is one of the most widely practiced religions in the world. Unlike most religions, which expect acceptance of dogma without question, practitioners of Buddhism are encouraged to "think freely and wisely and work out their own salvation" (Dhammananda 2002, p. 36). Today, Buddhism has spread from an initially very small group to large populations, with followers continuing to build temples and schools to teach the Buddha's lessons. It currently has over 36 million followers worldwide. As religious scholar Gary Gach (2010) noted, "Millions today are learning Buddhist practice without reference to any religious tradition. We hear, instead, 'relaxation response' … 'emotional intelligence' … 'mindfulness.'" It is perhaps the fastest-growing religion in the world today, drawing converts from other faiths including Christianity and Islam.
In many historical periods, people lived unhappily because of their low social class, and Buddhism offered a way for those who felt stuck in their circumstances to escape suffering. One of the beliefs associated with Buddhism that made people more inclined to take part in it was the belief that humans are reborn after dying. Karma is the force which determines samsara, the cycle of rebirth (Harvey 1990, p. 40). In this life, a person should do good things so that they may have a better life after being reborn — a process called sila. Those who do bad things are reborn as lower beings, while those who do good deeds are reborn as higher life forms (Manishini 2013).
In countries like India and Vietnam, where large numbers of people live in poverty, the idea of reincarnation determined by virtue was particularly appealing. By living a good life and concentrating on enlightenment and good works, a person could ensure that their next life would hold far less hardship. Conversely, for people who were already wealthy, Buddhist culture showed them that if they continued on the wrong path — focusing on greed, avarice for power, or the accumulation of property — they would be reborn as lower beings. This belief could then lead them toward better choices. Buddhism encourages a peaceful life centered on meditation and inner peace, and it offers the promise that one's mind and choices can be transformed for the better.
"Karma, samsara, and reincarnation in Buddhist doctrine"
Vipassana meditation is aimed at realizing great truths and attaining insight. One of its goals is to fully understand the impermanence of existence and thereby stop placing excessive focus on the present moment. If existence is transient and the body is only temporary, it becomes easier to forgo the desire for material possessions or wealth — since those things cannot be carried into the next stage of existence, they are not worth suffering over.
Meditation serves two explicitly stated purposes in Buddhist practice. The first is transforming the mind: each person looks inward to identify the causes of their unhappiness and understands that it is through their own action that they can make their lives happier. The second purpose is to explore the mind and, through this exploration, seek understanding of the mysteries of the universe (Wallace 2007, p. 81). To meditate properly, a person goes to a quiet, restful environment — preferably in nature — and assumes a specific posture designed to relax the body as fully as possible. This allows the mind to move beyond the confines of the physical form and reach a higher plane of consciousness.
Other intentions for meditation include developing mindfulness, improving concentration, obtaining higher knowledge, feeling tranquility and peace, and gaining insight (Thanissaro 1994). Mindfulness means that the person is aware of themselves — including their body, their inner feelings, and their state of mind — as well as the physical world around them (Goldstein 2003, p. 92).
Walking mindfulness is one form of meditation practiced by Buddhist monks. The person finds a quiet place to walk and attempts to focus the mind entirely on the sensations of walking — the feeling of the foot against the ground, the sound of breathing. The aim is to lose oneself in the act of walking; if the mind wanders to anything besides the movements, the walker is to stop, breathe, and start again (Buddhist 2013). The more commonly practiced form is sitting meditation, in which the mind's focus is given solely to the act of breathing — the muscles used to inhale and exhale, and the rise and fall of the abdomen. If other thoughts arise, they are to be recognized and then set aside, and the meditator is to refocus on breathing.
Finally, there is mindfulness in everyday activities, wherein the practitioner applies the skills developed in walking and sitting meditation to live more fully in the present moment and experience life in a more complete and attentive way. Being aware of the body means focusing on breathing, using specific postures, and reflecting even on the parts of the body one dislikes. Only by recognizing these aspects can the person realize that bodily imperfections do not define them — and then let them go. Negative attitudes toward the self are a major obstacle to ever achieving nirvana. According to the teachings of the Buddha, only through deep and regular meditation — often accompanied by physical practice such as yoga — can these barriers be overcome.
"Eight components of Buddhist ethical and mental conduct"
"Buddhism's growth and adaptation in Western cultures"
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