Some time last week, there was some news going around that a certain tree in the West part of the island is growing new bark. That itself is nothing sensational, except the new bark was growing over the old bark, making the new bark protrude due to lack of space (I think), resulting in that particular part looking like a monkey's head.
So people, being what they are, rushed there immediately as they think it is a sign that something good will happen. Some go there to pray for winning numbers, some just to pray as they believe the spirit of the Monkey God lies hidden in the tree, and some just to take a look.
Is this superstitious or religious? That something so common, albeit a little strange in shape and structure, can trigger such a crowd? Perhaps to the people involved, they truly believe that there is some sort of a spiritual presence, especially in light of the Hungry Ghost Festival coming to an end.
Anyway everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. Just like people in Lourdes believed they actually sighted a vision of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps she did or did not appear all those years ago, but people chose to believe she did. So in the context of the tree, people also chose to believe it was a sign of the spirit of the Monkey God.
But what borders on superstition, and what borders on religion? That is a rather grey area. What borders on ridicule as well? Recently, the completion of the big temple somewhere near the middle part of the island caused an uproar, as it is named the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, yet some people said it should not be named that as no Buddha's tooth was used.
To me, it is just a name, in respect of Buddha. Does it matter that it is not a literal name? There are so many churches called Blessed Virgin or Immaculate Heart or Holy Jesus or Holy Spirit, but does that mean there is really Mary or the Holy Spirit in the church?
There are all kinds of names used for religious purposes for buildings, but that is just a name, a place for people to worship. Just like the Goddess of Mercy temple, one wonders if there is a real Goddess of Mercy in there? So must people make such a big deal of what a religious building is named?
So people, being what they are, rushed there immediately as they think it is a sign that something good will happen. Some go there to pray for winning numbers, some just to pray as they believe the spirit of the Monkey God lies hidden in the tree, and some just to take a look.
Is this superstitious or religious? That something so common, albeit a little strange in shape and structure, can trigger such a crowd? Perhaps to the people involved, they truly believe that there is some sort of a spiritual presence, especially in light of the Hungry Ghost Festival coming to an end.
Anyway everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. Just like people in Lourdes believed they actually sighted a vision of the Virgin Mary. Perhaps she did or did not appear all those years ago, but people chose to believe she did. So in the context of the tree, people also chose to believe it was a sign of the spirit of the Monkey God.
But what borders on superstition, and what borders on religion? That is a rather grey area. What borders on ridicule as well? Recently, the completion of the big temple somewhere near the middle part of the island caused an uproar, as it is named the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, yet some people said it should not be named that as no Buddha's tooth was used.
To me, it is just a name, in respect of Buddha. Does it matter that it is not a literal name? There are so many churches called Blessed Virgin or Immaculate Heart or Holy Jesus or Holy Spirit, but does that mean there is really Mary or the Holy Spirit in the church?
There are all kinds of names used for religious purposes for buildings, but that is just a name, a place for people to worship. Just like the Goddess of Mercy temple, one wonders if there is a real Goddess of Mercy in there? So must people make such a big deal of what a religious building is named?
2 comments:
I believe that every "Guan Yin" temple in the world have a "Guan Yin" statue in it to represent the persona that people worship to. So if the real relic is not there, (especially those of Buddha's) it would not be right to use it as the name. This is just how temples are named.
From what I know, there is a relic housed in that temple. As to whether it is the real Buddha's tooth or not, I do not know. You don't use a relic as building material. If you're open to it, it is good to take a look. They have a wonderful orchid garden on the roof.
The Buddhist believe that enlightened people will leave behind relics upon their death. The amount left behind depends on the goodness of that person. (These usually come in the form of beautifully colored residue that's left among the ashes after cremation.)
I've seen the temple from the outside. Very big and nice. Would want a chance to go in and take a look just to explore one of these days.
My understanding of temples is that there would be statues of the various gods, like Guan Yin or Buddha, hence the name of the temple. Correct me if I am wrong though.
Even in a church, there are statues of Jesus and Mary, which is why the church is so named as well.
Post a Comment