Reflection
Few people have been asking me what I've learnt about Buddhism through my experience of living in a temple and the answer is not heaps! And there's a couple of reasons for this.
1. Trying to talk with the nun/ Buddhists even through a translator (Buddhist translator) was really hard. Think it is quite difficult to explain a lot of religious concepts in a different language and culture which may not have any words or concepts to properly explain the idea. The temple we were staying was apparently a slightly different 'variety' of Buddhism than the more main stream type, so some of their ideas or 'Gods' prob don't have names in our language or in my understandings.
Look at the issues and debates we have with the bible and the translations used and looking at the original Hebrew language and often finding that there is no English equivalent or concept to properly explain a lot of the ideas.
Maybe thats one of the reasons that Jesus talked a lot in parables- most cultures would have words and concepts about farming or actual physical things more than say more abstract ideas and even today we understand and have language for seeds etc- prob less likely to get lost in translation- just look at the idea of 'love' in the last post!
2. While working on the building site some of the group were asking questions and the idea that the nun, like her catholic equivalents, was 'married to Buddha'. People got offended and the whole group later got a lecture about being careful talking about -the war, -religion and other sensitive topics.
So from then on it was a bit of an off limits topic.
Honestly I struggle to really understand why thats offensive- if you consider the true and best basis for marriage then I think its a nice way of looking at it- open for debate on that one though.
That whole idea of not talking about something just in case you might offend someone just annoys me- stupid way of doing things- tell us your offended and why but don't not talk about it!!!
Did see and experience a lot and I'm sure the nuns would have been happy to share if there wasn't such a language barrier. And I have a lot of respect for them as people and how they live their lives- just no understanding of their beliefs.
1. Trying to talk with the nun/ Buddhists even through a translator (Buddhist translator) was really hard. Think it is quite difficult to explain a lot of religious concepts in a different language and culture which may not have any words or concepts to properly explain the idea. The temple we were staying was apparently a slightly different 'variety' of Buddhism than the more main stream type, so some of their ideas or 'Gods' prob don't have names in our language or in my understandings.
Look at the issues and debates we have with the bible and the translations used and looking at the original Hebrew language and often finding that there is no English equivalent or concept to properly explain a lot of the ideas.
Maybe thats one of the reasons that Jesus talked a lot in parables- most cultures would have words and concepts about farming or actual physical things more than say more abstract ideas and even today we understand and have language for seeds etc- prob less likely to get lost in translation- just look at the idea of 'love' in the last post!
2. While working on the building site some of the group were asking questions and the idea that the nun, like her catholic equivalents, was 'married to Buddha'. People got offended and the whole group later got a lecture about being careful talking about -the war, -religion and other sensitive topics.
So from then on it was a bit of an off limits topic.
Honestly I struggle to really understand why thats offensive- if you consider the true and best basis for marriage then I think its a nice way of looking at it- open for debate on that one though.
That whole idea of not talking about something just in case you might offend someone just annoys me- stupid way of doing things- tell us your offended and why but don't not talk about it!!!
Did see and experience a lot and I'm sure the nuns would have been happy to share if there wasn't such a language barrier. And I have a lot of respect for them as people and how they live their lives- just no understanding of their beliefs.
posted by Mim @ 7:49 PM
2 comments
