Why did I come here? 1. I was with two other men from my youth hostel 2. I wanted to see various historical sites, and 3. I visited this place as a Christian to try and get some understanding of what makes up Buddhism so I am in a better place to tell explain the gospel of Jesus with people from other faiths. I’m not a liberal.
The tall vase thing on the right is there for people to throw coins up in the air and if it lands in the centre section that I think you get good luck.
All faith systems prosletyze, usually through people visiting a religious building jsut for curiosity, and therefore information on that belief is available for visitors to take away.
This wooden structure contains incense sticks which visitors are encouraged to burn. So of course, foreigners and non-practising Buddhists take part in this, including two men I was visiting with. I preferred to just observe what was going on.
So the big rooms in the temple have these very large deity statues in them. People offer fruit and flowers. I’m not sure if people are discouraged when the offerings just rot when the people that oversee the site do the cleaning up every so often.
The temple is a nice design with attractive wooden balcony all the way around it.
This 7 tonne bell continues to ring for 3 minutes!
It was during my time here, one night I had this really dreadful dream. Something demonic, a picture or face of a ‘thing’ that had a representation of death and torture.I am a Christian of 40 years old, I am still trying to get better at responding to prompting by the Holy Spirit, and it would seem that visiting this place was unwise on my part, and I think setting foot in a temple of a foreign god isn’t recommended for followers of Jesus. Talking to friends back in the UK who are Chinese and missionaries to China have confirmed this.
This verse came to mind today. Psalm 135 : 13 Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations. 14For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants. 15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by human hands. 16They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. 17They have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths. 18Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
Brit In Jerusalem 
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All those people bowing and praying to a golden statue sure is reminiscent of scenes depicted in the Bible. They are practicing idolatry to be sure. This is interesting, because I’ve often been told Buddhists don’t actually worship Siddhartha Gautama. When I look at the scenes above, it’s pretty clear they are worshiping that guy.
Interesting post, Jon. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Judah! interesting, upto this trip I know nothing about Buddhism. In fact I treated a friend to a meal out who I picked up from Gatwick airport who had finished doing volunteer work in Jerusalem and went for dinner at a Thai restaurant, and when we finished saw little plates of food next to statues!
I guess they deny they worship this thing, in the same way some Chabadniks deny worshiping Schneerson at his grave in Jew York. Its strange….
It is the same as many Catholics denying they worship their gods (Jesus, Mary and others) though in several Southern countries we find people also putting food at little chapels for those venerated people.
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