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On Sunday, September 29, 2002, I visited the Buddhist Vihara in Northwest Washington, D.C. I found out about this Buddhist Temple by talking to my co-worker Shan in my office about my college courses this semester. Shan and his family are originally from Sri Lanka. When I mentioned my course assignment to him he was more that happy to invite me to attend a Sunday ceremony. We agreed that I would arrive around 9:30 am EST to meet up with Shan and his family, who would likely arrive sooner because this particular Sunday marked the start of their "Sunday school". The fact that a Buddhist temple would offer Sunday school came as a surprise to me - I decided to wait until I got to the Vihara Temple before asking for details. When Shan gave me directions to the Temple he was quick to point out that his temple was not a very big or ornate place of worship. He emphasized that the building "looked like a regular home" from the outside, similar to other family dwellings along 16th Street. I wondered if Shan's insistence and emphasis was due to a misconception or disappointment that might have been expressed to him in the past by other non-Buddhists visiting his temple. I made a mental note to ask about this. Sunday morning dawned as a very pleasant and sunny day. While I dreaded driving downtown, especially since the World Banks protests were still in progress, I decided to take the Beltway into Maryland and follow River Road to Military Road in order to get to 16th Street. I enjoyed the drive through the quiet, tree lined residential streets. It turns out that the Vihara Temple is close to Rock Creek Park. The homes and official buildings I saw along 16th Street pleasantly surprised me. I found the temple without difficulty, as I happened to see some monks in red/orange robes walking up to a house as I passed. Luckily, parking proved easy on a side street and I walked up to the temple in anticipation. The temple is almost indistinguishable from the neighboring houses, except for a multicolored garland spanning the walkway and a sign in the front yard announcing this site as the Vihara Temple. As I walked up to the front door, a man dressed in white shirt and pants opened it. Then I noticed my co-worker standing in the foyer. In the background I could hear someone talking. Except for the many different types and sizes of shoes in the hallway, this so far looked like a regular home, if somewhat empty. Shan briefly explained that one of the monks was giving a speech about karma and that I should find an empty seat in the meeting room after removing my shoes in the entryway. Through a set of French doors I then entered what surely must have been the living room of this house at one point.
Then a guest speaker addressed the room by narrating the story of Lord Buddha's life and specifically how he attained enlightenment. He pointed out that when Buddha was still a prince, he had a family, including a son. This son was encouraged by his mother to ask his father for his inheritance when Lord Buddha returned to his family's castle. But instead of bestowing material riches on his son, the Buddha told his son that devotion and the study of Buddhism were his true heritage. So the son studied to become a monk. Again, I thought it was very interesting how this story was woven into the speaker's speech to coincide with the previous lesson and the obvious goals of their Sunday school. When the speaker finished, the children were divided into groups based on their age and current knowledge of Lord Buddha. Shan took me into the 'library' section of the temple where there were many pamphlets and booklets on Buddhism, as well as some prints, postcards and other documentation. He generously offered me to take whatever samples I wished. I took a postcard, a small print and a small pocket-sized booklet. The print was interesting because it is apparently used to illustrate the thirty (?) distinct marks that differentiate Lord Buddha (elongated earlobes, headdress, etc. Shan laughed and said he couldn't recite them all for me. We then spoke to another parishioner who explained about the temple's heritage (I was very surprised to hear that this monastic community has been in existence since 1965), specifically that it was the first Theravada Buddhist community in the United States. He pointed out a wooden étagère to one side of the Buddha statue that contained smaller Buddha statues, a small gemstone tree and other items. These were all items that had been donated by members of the temple; the significance was that they were in some way considered special or 'holy' by their previous owners. At this point I also learned that the reason the temple wasn't very big or ornate is because the Buddhist do not believe in constantly begging for [monetary] donations. People are to give what and when they can. Material ostentation is not considered desirable or necessary. So Shan said it sometimes takes a long time to build up a congregation's temple. Another item shown to me was a statue of an elephant carrying a decorated box on it's back. This supposedly contains a relic of Lord Buddha and is very sacred. The gentleman speaking to me also pointed out the offerings in front of Buddha. They consisted of juices, lit candles and flowers. The potted plant I had noticed earlier was a live Bodhi (or Bo) tree. This is a type of fig tree and it represents the tree under which the Buddha supposedly attained enlightenment. He concluded our little talk by pointing out some pictures on the wall. One was of a giant stupa in Sri Lanka. It reminded me of a picture I had seen of Borobudur, a temple ruin in Java. Upon closer inspection, I also noticed a lot of depictions of the Lotus flower in the room, be it in the form of a lamp or a wall decoration. While the children were still in another part of the building, the adults all gathered in the kitchen for some food and socializing. I met up with Shan's wife, who had made some candies and a type of fried dough confection, as well as milk rice cakes that were eaten with a very spicy chili pepper sauce. The candy was similar to toffee and very delicious. I also enjoyed the rice cakes, which were made with coconut milk. However, I could only eat a little of the spicy dressing, as it was VERY hot. (I was grateful that the ladies had warned me in advance.) There were a lot of other foods that I couldn't even begin to sample. When I asked Shan's wife if these foods were prepared on a regular or daily basis, she said that they were considered more "special" or in honor of a special occasion. I was very overwhelmed by everyone's graciousness and friendly openness. Some parishioners pointed out some photos of Sri Lanka that were taken when the monks went on a pilgrimage. Shan pointed out that it was very expensive and lengthy to travel to Sri Lanka, and when he and his family go to visit they usually stay for at least a month. Before I left to go back home, Shan pointed out that there was also a Thai temple a bit further up the road and he offered to walk there with me. I decided to take him up on this offer as I was truly curious how it might differ. I then decided that I would use that visit for my second encounter report. When I finally took my leave from Shan and his family, his wife walked me out the door and all the way to my car. I explained that this wasn't necessary, but she insisted, saying that it was their native custom to escort a guest. One of the best aspects of this visit was the acceptance I felt by the people there and the fact that I had a sufficient understanding of some basic Buddhists beliefs to not sound completely ignorant when talking with the parishioners. Everyone seemed happy to share some knowledge or explanation with me, but not once did I ever feel as if anyone was trying to "convert" me. |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: November 2002
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