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Organized "worship"?
Linc
Site ownerDetroit Moderator
I'm interested in finding a nearby.... um, temple? I think I found one about 40 minutes from here, but I don't really know what I'd be getting myself into if I went there. Is Sunday the day Buddhists get together? What do they (er, I suppose I should start using "we" now... :P ) do at "gatherings"? Do we gather at all? Do you just walk in whenever? Ok, that's enough questions for one thread 
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It was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do, was to go there, by myself, one morning at 6:00 AM.
I left a new person.
Let me tell you one thing that Americans have a hard thing relating to: Buddhists are the most easygoing, happiest, flexible people you will ever meet. There are no hard-and-fast "rules" for attending most temples. There is no set gathering day, although certain temples have "open house" days, or something of the sort. But in most cases, you can just show up, sit, and start breathing.
There are a few general rules that you should follow, out of respect, at any buddhist temple:
Don't touch the monks, unless they initiate it (Some monks are americanized and will reach out to shake your hand, etc.)
Don't point your feet at the monks or at the buddha statues
Be polite and respectful.
It's really pretty simple. What I would do is call ahead, tell them you are new to buddhism, and when would be a good time to come to talk to a monk. You should find out if they offer meditation lessons or dhamma talks. Those are the kinds of things that are perfect for beginners.
One other thing is that you don't have to be a "buddhist" to go to a buddhist temple. They appreciate and welcome people of all faiths, since meditation and buddhist wisdom has no conflicts whatsoever with any religious practice. Meditation can teach people many, many things.
Well... maybe the best way to do it is to jump in cold. I found a place in Altoona, so maybe I'll try to get up there on Sunday. :unsure:
Can you give me any more details about what you actually do there? And... the difference between if I go at some random time or show up for a group thing...
With that said, temples are a great place to learn, and a great place to go to "get away". Many offer short or long retreats as a way to get deeper into your spiritual practice.
Now, on to the meat of the matter:
When I go to my temple (The temple that this site is based on, the Midwest Buddhist Meditation Center), I usually just talk with the monks. Of course, as a "full-fledged Buddhist", I pay homage to Buddha and his wisdom by prostrating when I first arrive. So, it goes something like this:
1: Remove shoes
2: Enter the temple
3: Greet the monks with a "wai" - a traditional Thai greeting. Of course, if you don't go to a Thai temple, this won't apply
4: Prostrate three times in front of the Buddha statue; The first prostration pays homage to the Buddha himself, paying respect to the fact that he acheived enlightenment and has given us a path to reach the same. The second pays homage to the Dhamma, his teachings themselves, and the fact that the teachings are what allow us to find enlightenment. The third pays homage to the Sangha, which are the system of monks and temples and other Buddhists that allow the teachings to continue on through the ages.
5: I usually start talking to the monks, or if I am there for group meditation, I go upstairs into the meditation room.
The group meditation goes something like this:
1: Get a cushion
2: Get a chanting guide (most laypeople don't have the chanting memorized, since it's in Pali)
3: Wait for the chanting leader to start
4: Follow along with the chanting
5: After the chanting ends, group meditation for 10-30 minutes
6: Talk with the monks
What's the purpose of chanting? Especially if it's in Pali and I don't know what I'm saying...
Is there likely going to be a collection box somewhere that I might want to drop a few pesos in? I assume they're non-profit and survive off donations like every other place of... uh... religious/philosophical gathering.
If you lived any closer I'd come up and go with you sometime because this is not gonna be easy to do. :unsure:
No, not at all. You don't have to do this to be a buddhist, and if you never do it in your entire life, it will make not one whit of difference.
I'm sure everybody has their own interpretation of this, but personally, I feel that the purpose is to help clear your mind and learn how to focus. Obviously, if I spoke or understood Pali, it might be different, but for some reason, chanting sounds and words that mean very little to you, in a way is a form of meditation. Since you don't have to "think", your focus goes to the present moment, and each individual sound that is coming out of your mouth.. And when you are chanting, you are _only_ chanting. That's a major part of practice: Doing what you are doing at that present moment.
Yes, there will definitely be a way for you to donate money. Temples are just like any church in that they survive solely off of donations of the layfolk. In addition, monks only eat food that is donated, so at most buddhist temples, it is very acceptable to bring food and other necessary items (toiletries, etc.) for the monks, although I'd wait to get a feel for the "lay of the land" so to speak before you show up with a box of toilet paper and a bag of apples
It would be a lot easier for you if you could come with somebody, that's for sure..
There's got to be something closer to you.... Don't give up hope.
Remember too, that this is a personal system at its core. Maybe you should delve right in to the actual teachings, and pick up the Middle Length Discourses. It runs about $50, so it's not cheap, but it is, for all intents and purposes, the "Buddhist Bible"... It's a fairly well-received translation of the actual words of the Buddha. Going to a monastery is nice, you can learn from a master, you can learn to meditate, you can learn the physical aspects of meditation, but if you read the middle-length discourses, you will learn all you need to know about the eightfold path.
I put in an order for that book, just gotta send 'em a check now.
Matt, I feel your pain. I live in Northern South Carolina. Ever hear of Bob Jones University? It's about 40 minutes away from my house. I've actually met people who honestly think that the King James version of the Bible is the _original_ text in the _original_ language. It's scary.
-Q
the programme is light-hearted and funny, but all questions have statistics as answers... and they are purportedly accurate and researched... for example:
16% of people asked think it would be perfectly acceptable to steal a child's bike, if they had come out of the pub (bar to our FATP) blind drunk and with no transport, to get home....
Or that according to 38% of people asked in a poll, the worst time to come down with a persistent cough is whilst making love.....
Do you know who 62% of Americans voted for, in a recent Poll, as their most favourite American of all time....?
Abe Lincoln? Nope.
John Kennedy? Guess again.........
James Stewart? Good try........
It was.......
Jesus Christ.
Truly.
I kid you not.
Christian Slater was on the programme as a special guest.
When the compère read it out, he slid off his chair and under the table.
He refused to come out for three minutes.
Now, THAT was funny........
I don't think this is him though....!!
Martin.
I know what you mean, Querist. I grew up in Bob Jones country - Northern Illinois (not where Bob Jones is, I know, but the attitude is everywhere). I knew several people who actually went to Bob Jones, and I was forced to attend a very conservative "Christian" church until I was old enough to refuse to go anymore. Actually it was a good lesson and probably contributed greatly to my becoming a Buddhist!
Palzang
I am not familiar with Bob Jones...can someone please tell me what that is about?
Not to 'diss' Palzang, but it goes _way_ beyond "basic garden variety hate mongering "Christian" university".
No interracial dating.
No unsupervised 'dating'.
Females are not permitted to wear slacks/trousers.
No long hair on men (long hair = touching your ears or collar).
Needless to say, no earrings on men, etc.
No "unusual" piercings.
They have a list of "approved" churches that students are allowed to attend. Attending a non-approved church can lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion.
They honestly believe that the Catholic church is evil. I don't mean evil as in "bad, not good." I mean "evil" as in the very antithesis of good.
All that said, they have the best nursing school in the state and consistently produce the best nurses.
It's pretty scary, actually. BJU is a strange place. You wonder if you are still in the USA sometimes when there.
-Q
Palzang
The worst this is that it is not even accredited. Most other universities will not accept credits from it, you can't get federal financial aid, and most universities will not accept you for grad school if you graduated from there because it is not accredited.
Essentially, people go there for one of two reasons: they want to stay away from the rest of the world, or their parents told them that is where they are going.