Download - Photo Inventory (Vietnamese Buddhist Temple)
Vietnamese Buddhist Temple
McKaycee Abrenica
Rominna De Torres
Anthropology 121
November 8, 2014
This is one of the altars in the temple. Each altar has its own Buddha. A Buddha is simply one who has reached enlightenment. Meaning, anyone can be a Buddha. The fat jolly guy of which we usually see is actually the Chinese
god of luck and fortune -- who was once a man but reached enlightenment through the folly of his luck and fortune. Thus, he was a Buddha, and
enlightened. The skinny guy is Gautama Siddhartha, who reached enlightenment meditating under the Bodhi tree, after a life of wealth and then severe self-discipline and avoidance of all forms of indulgence, then
realizing the truth of the middle path. Thus, he was a Buddha, and enlightened. Buddha statues meditating can be visual symbols and
reminders of inner peace, good fortune, healing, calm and can be a powerful motivational reminder that each and every one of us has Buddha nature
within us.
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is an
enlightenment being. Traditionally, a
bodhisattva is anyone who, motivated by great
compassion, has generated bodhicitta,
which is a spontaneous wish to attain
Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient
beings. A bodhisattva is one who has a
determination to free sentient beings from
samsara and its cycle of death, rebirth and
suffering. This type of mind is known as the
mind of awakening (bodhicitta).
Bodhisattvas take bodhisattva vows in
order to progress on the spiritual path towards
Buddhahood.
They had a sound system that plays Buddhist Music continuously. The reason for it is to help purify the hearts of listeners nonstop while in the temple after the ceremony is over. The lifestyle common to most people today is busy and quite stressful. With many people seeming to have no place to take any kind of spiritual refuge it can often become quite easy for them to become lost in themselves. The pure and clear sounding melodies of Buddhist Music aim to provide a way to communicate the higher spiritual states of mind that are advocated by the Dharma, and can serve to enrich and re-energize the hearts of people.
The Buddhist monastic order is divided into two assemblies, the male bhikkhu, and the female bhikkhuni assembly. Monks and nuns are considered to be responsible for the preservation and dissemination of the Buddha's teaching and the guidance of Buddhist lay people. An abbess or abbot, typically a senior monastic still young enough to be active, is usually responsible for the day-to-day administration of the monastery, and may appoint others to assist with the work. In some traditions, the abbess/abbot is chosen by a vote of the monastics in a monastery. Monks and nuns are expected to fulfill a variety of roles in the Buddhist community. First and foremost, they are expected to preserve the doctrine and discipline now known as Buddhism.
This woman made origami of a lotus flower. The most often flower in Buddhist shrines, or
on the base of statues, are lotuses, as they represent the
potential or actuality of Enlightenment. The Buddha is
likened to the lotus. Like a lotus that rises out of a
muddy pond, the Buddha rose above the defilements
and sufferings of life. We are right now surrounded by
defilements and sufferings, just as the lotus seed is
surrounded by dirt, mud and filth. We should rise above
our defilements and sufferings, just like the lotus
flower arising above the muddy water. This serves to
remind us of our own potential Buddhahood. We
may have defilements today, but we all have the potential
of growing out of defilements and achieving wisdom like
the Buddha.
This is called morning gong. In the morning, the gong is set to create a
stream of intense sounds followed by a slow pace. This is to remind the mass that they are have come to the
end of a long night and do not indulge oneself in deep
unconsciousness; in the evening, the gong is sounded in the reverse
order, that is, slow then a faster pace, this is to remind everyone that they should be aware of illusions and
unconsciousness; also that they must help relieve all beings in the
nether world from suffering. According to one of the monks, n today's society, many suffer from
stress that occur within our lives and spiritual lives that are drying up.
When they hear sounds of the gong from temples occasionally, they will be able to get away from all worries
and bathe in the environment of tranquility and peace away from this
mundane world.
This is called an evening drum. It is also a drum used for ceremonies.
According to a woman in the temple, the sound of
this drum helps them focus on the ceremony. The drum can awaken
those who have lost themselves in the chase
of fame and fortune. The drum is hit steadily in a combination of fast and
slow paces creating a roaring sound of thunder. If you listen very carefully
you will be able to recognize sounds of the wind, rain, and thunder;
these sounds signify timely wind and rain (good weather) and national prosperity.
A wooden fish, also known as a Chinese temple block, is a
wooden percussion instrument. It is often used
during rituals usually involving the recitation of sutras,
mantras, or other Buddhist texts. The wooden fish is often
used for rites of death and resurrection. During funerals,
people may walk in processions while sounding
wooden fishes in a slow and unison rhythm. Other
purposes may include prayers for rain. In Confucianism, the
wooden fish is struck at specific intervals to signify
certain stages of ceremonies at temple. In Buddhism, it is
struck during chants of Buddha's name. The wooden
fish symbolizes wakeful attention. It can also
symbolize wealth and abundance.
This is a bell bowl (Da Quing), and it has different functions. chanting sessions or Dharma
functions in a temple, it will enable all participants to
regulate their thoughts and calm their minds. By doing this, people will be able to
achieve better interactions with Buddha and Bodhisattvas through deeper sincerity. They
may be made from stone or jade, but the majority are
made from metals such as bronze or steel. Other than
chanting sessions and Dharma functions, whenever the
Abbott of a temple is visiting another temple, as they enter
the shrine to pay respect to the Buddha, the Da-Qing must
be sounded three times as they make prostrations,
following that, the Abbott of that temple will come to greet
the guests.
The bell symbolizes Buddha's voice. It calls for the protection of heavenly
deities. The sound of the bell equals the sound of the
Dharma, or the entity or law, which sustains the order of
things in the universe. These protective deities are more
like minor gods, or those represent a function of the
higher self, called Buddhahood (Bodhisattvas). Buddhism calls for people to
pay attention to the now. This focus is also called
mindfulness. The gentle ring of the bell serves to focus a
follower's attention, bringing it out of future worries or pulling it away from past
concerns.
These are real fruits offered to the Buddha for prosperity. Buddhists don't pray to god, so one way of cultivating and practicing positive thoughts is to place the fruit there as a symbolic act and reminder of giving. The fruit isn't sacred but shows the person has loving and positive thoughts. The fruit is later eaten: in temples, it's given free to whoever's hungry. If you were invited to have a meal with them, you'd be the first one offered the fruit as it again becomes part of the act of giving and generosity. It represents the nourishment in spiritual cultivation and helps us be mindful of the law of cause and effect (KARMA)
Incense stands for ethics and morality. It represents a person. Imagine that you are a stick of
incense. Someone comes along and lights up a matchstick. The
person then uses the lighted matchstick and lit you up.
Immediately, you are burning away. As you are burning, your body gives off a lovely fragrant
smell. This fragrance spreads through the air and brings joy
and happiness to people's heart. The person then offers you to
the Buddha. You are being put into an incense pot. You stand
happily in the incense pot because you know that you have
an important role to play. Your fragrance symbolizes the
fragrance of pure moral conduct. And this reminds people to
cultivate good conduct. Also, It creates a feeling of serenity.
Buddhists believe that the flame on the candles represents the light of Buddha’s teachings. Candles are placed in front of shrines as a mark of respect. Buddha and Bodhisattvas are the Light that guides all sentient beings in darkness. When a candle is lit up, it can light up other candles. That means when we put others first, then other people probably will follow our examples, thus creating a bright wonderful world. Buddhists also use candles to further their faith. They isolate themselves in a quiet room and stare into the flame of the candle, focusing all of their attention on it. They believe that as they stare at the flame their minds will become enlightened as the worries of everyday begin to drift away. They hope to receive visions, images, and thoughts to guide them.
This is a Vietnamese Buddhist ancestor altar. There are pictures of the members who died a long time ago, and recently. Flowers are dedicated which symbolize
the shortness of life and the constant change fundamental in existence. Vietnamese believes
in the life after death. They believe the deceased has a power that can bring good
fortune to the living people. Living members in family can be
protected from accident by the ancestors. In return, ancestors
will be commemorated and worshiped by their present
generations. For the Vietnamese, each person has two parts: one
for body – tangible part and one for soul – intangible part. After
the death, the spirits exist in another realm for further three
or four generations.
After interviewing them, we were asked to have lunch in the temple. They don’t eat any kinds of meat for they believe that
every creature that breathes needs to be respected. Also, if one pursues the path of the Bodhisattva for enlightenment, one should avoid meat eating to cultivate compassion for all living beings. The act of eating meat is not always prohibited. One if the ladies there said that they can eat meat outside of the temple grounds. They
recommend a vegetarian diet, for Buddha insisted that his followers should not eat the flesh of any sentient being. The monks, most
especially, should abstain from any meat.