Buddhist Temple

Today we visited the Chung Mei Buddhist Temple in Stafford, TX. We were introduced to the basics of a Buddhist lifestyle and the principles they follow. We were treated to a delicious vegetarian meal and learned that Buddhists do not advocate pain or suffering for any being, and therefore do not believe in the killing of animals for human consumption; animals are beings equal to human in life and vitality and should not be harmed, while plants and other natural sources were given to us by the earth to sustain ourselves.
Following lunch we were given an introductory presentation to Buddhism. The story begins in India with Siddhartha Gautama, a prince who was born into a life of constant abundance in wealth, food, and luxury items. However, he abandoned this lifestyle and moved to the opposite side of the spectrum and became an ascetic, meaning he lived as minimally as possible. Both experiences, one of endless abundance and one of complete minimalism, allowed him to discover that the "middle path" between the two rids of all suffering and pain in life.
After this awakening, he became the Buddha, creating, practicing, and teaching the four noble truths, the eightfold middle path, and many more principles of life. The main takeaway from both the presenter and other monks I talked to was that the Buddha is not a God and Buddhism is not a religion; it is a philosophy, a way of thinking and living that provides the least suffering to ourselves and the world that surrounds us. I was really inspired by what I learned today and hope to continue learning about the Buddhist community.

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