ethnography of religion- Buddhism (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date Mid-Autumn Festival in Thien Hau Temple Introduction During my research, I have attended a festival in the Los Angeles’s downtown Thien Hau Temple. I have discovered great atmosphere as well as the amazing people in the community and their traditions. Research methods: observation, participation, conversation, informal interview. I have decided to visit the Thien Hau Temple as a part of my research and discover the authentic Buddhist rituals. This temple is located in the Chinatown of Los Angeles, the busy, crowded place full of tourists who are seeking for the great atmosphere of Chinese culture. Back in the 1980s, it used to be a small Italian Christian church, but with the help of strong Chinese community, outside and inside the USA, they have purchased the building and were able to raise the right amount of donated money to construct the Buddhist temple that we see today. The construction was finished in September 2005, and it opened the doors for anyone who wanted to pray or discover the place ("Thien Hau Temple" n.p.). This temple is dedicated to the Mazu, the native goddess of the sea. Among other gods that this temple warships are Guan Yu and Fu De. Guan Yu was a significant figure in the civil war; sometimes he is called the god of war. Fu De is known to be a local earth god that is worshiped in China. It was incredible to find that the Chinese and Vietnamese people are celebrating the mid-autumn festival in September, some call it the Moon Cake Day, and the temple will gather many people to celebrate the event. Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated all over China and Vietnam. People make sacrifices to the moon, as it is believed, that moon changes the season as well as the harvest (Kelly n.p.). I brought my friend along, who is very interested in Buddhism and was glad to keep me a company. We have arrived at the temple early, though there were quite many people it was surprising quiet outside, unlike in any part of the Chinatown. The temple itself was remarkable; it was smaller than I have expected and as the pictures would show, however, the exterior had a significant effect on both of us. This was the first time I have seen something like this; the architecture does not resemble any of the saint places I have been to before. It is humble unlike some of the Christian temples, which I guess resemble the great sublimity of one God. The artwork outside of the temple is beautiful, and the front façade is furnished with red oval-shaped lanterns. Lanterns are one of those acknowledged symbols of China that nowadays only serve as means of expression regarding design and functionality. That is what we have discovered during our conversation with a community member. On the porch, there were statues of dragons and pictures of two men dressed in festive gowns covered in gold on the doors. The temple has many gold features, but they do not look vulgar or inappropriate, in fact, they just add to the feeling of the divine origin of the place. When we entered the temple, there were many Chinese and Vietnamese people and it was loud as they were speaking in their language. They were very aroused and spoke loud and quickly. Most of the people were dressed casually without any traditional clothing involved. The people brought families with them, as we later discovered, this was a part of the tradition of this particular event. There were a lot of professional photographers and tourists with cameras walking around. As we entered, we saw the sign that said to take eleven incense. They were in bundles beneath and above was a map of all the sacred spots in the temple to pray to. The candles burn all around the place for people to light the incense and take them to the gods for worshipping and praying. Some of the statues had altars for incense and, as we have noticed, some only accepted fruit. The altars have flowers around statues and shining lamps. There were also people who wrote notes of good wishes and luck and pinned them. The interior looks cosmic; large chandeliers hang from the patterned sealing where the lotus flower is painted. Also, little old-fashioned flashlights dropped from the sides with little red pieces of cloth that had symbols on them. The environment was very comforting; people are polite and welcoming to any stranger that eagers to explore the culture. We were lucky to find a person who would speak to us openly about the event and the community itself. Gloria is one of those many people who came with her family to celebrate the mid-autumn festival. Gloria told us that the family members gather on this day together to offer a sacrifice to the moon, eat the moon cakes together, and express an intense longing for the family members and friends who live afar by prayers. It is the second most important event after the New Year for Chinese people. She said that in China children tend to sing and dance with their masks and drums on this festival, however, it is not the same here. Though the tradition is similar, people restrain from the essential rituals here. There is no specific dress code for this event, however, in China, some women wear traditional chongsman during the day. We have followed Gloria to the side area where the community has a kitchen. Almost all tables were full with people and food. One major tradition of all families is to eat moon cakes. They are round-shaped muffins stuffed with beans, however, some of the recipes may vary. We have also seen strange animal-shaped cakes presumably made for children. There was an aura of reverence and calm in the room. Everyone shared the cakes with family members; some were drinking ...