FREE ESSAY ON CULTURE CLASH

CULTURE CLASH

THE CULTURE CLASH
Western civilization has generally progressed along the path of reasoning and a quest for
external truths and facts. Contrary to this, the cultures of eastern civilizations have
embarked along a more spiritual and mystical course. Eastern civilization has developed
into an almost completely different culture that relies heavily on internal explorations,
communion with nature, and mystical superstitions. I was able to observe these
differences firsthand when I visited a Buddhist temple downtown on Chinese New Year.
Buddhism is the belief in Buddha and his teachings and doctrines. The word Buddha itself
means enlightened and that is the word I would choose to describe my experience upon
entering the realm of this cradle of eastern beliefs. The temple was a pristine,
brilliant red roofed building encompassed by a high brick wall. Two heavy metal doors,
supported by gigantic wooden pillars on each side, supplied the only entrance to the
temple. Two great golden lions stood on the side of the door, glaring menacingly, as if
to frighten off unwanted intruders to the temple. Upon entering the gates, I was informed
that I was not to step onto the raised wooden footstep that ran across the entrance
through the gate. It would have been rude and disrespectful to do so because it meant you
put yourself at a level above that of the monks in the temple. As I passed the gates onto
the grounds of the temple, I was greeted by the deafening sounds of hundreds of
firecrackers being set off in unison. As the smoke from the firecrackers cleared and I
waited for my ears to stop ringing, a beautiful sight greeted me. The scene inside the
temple was a mixture of serenity and peacefulness entwined with a feeling of jubilation
and celebration. As my eyes spanned across the grand pavilion leading to the temple
itself, I was awed at the sights around me. There were beautifully arranged trees and
shrubs growing harmoniously with the surroundings. The trees and shrubs, of bonsai
fashion, looked like an intricate piece of a marvelous sculpture arranged by some
magnificent hand. Though engulfed by hundreds of people, the temple seemingly blended
into the surrounding as if to form some ideal picture of harmony. 
The people were a great marvel to see. Informed by my friends that it was a tradition to
get new clothes, new shoes, a new hair-cut, and so on, for the Chinese New Year, I had
expected people to be dressed up, but I was caught unexpected by some of the people
around me. Some girls wore delicately woven Chinese dresses, imprinted with beautiful
designs of flowers, dragons, phoenixes, birds, and other detailed figures. The men were
divided into two main categories; the younger boys wearing brand new suits and adorning
newly cut hair, while the older men wore the traditional Chinese coats and pants. The
whole scene was one of great jubilation and joy. People were cheering and dancing, with
an occasional prankster shooting off another firecracker. My friends told me to get use
to the sound of the firecrackers all night, for though the firecracker had been
originally used to scare off unwanted spirits, it had now come to symbolize a time of
great joy and prosperity for the Chinese people. 
My experience was not fully complete till I walked into the main worship hall of the
temple. The room was filled all around me with brilliant gold sculptures of Buddha and
other Chinese deities. Each was set on a lavishly decorated table, garnished with an
assortment of appealing foods. The aroma of the food was offset by what seemed liked
millions of incense in a rice filled pot located at each table. The incense let off an
aura of calmness and tranquillity that I had never felt before. I was told that the food
and incense were an offering to the gods as well as a tribute to dead ancestors. Also
found in head of the room was a large, bronze sculpture of Buddha lying down under a
bodhi tree. Directly in front of the sculpture was an old, bald monk that was chanting
some strange words to the beat of a drum-like instrument (I later found out it was
Buddhist sutras or doctrines that he was chanting). The image of Buddha's calm, peaceful
face, mixed with the strangely alluring chants of the old monk, brought a feeling of
serenity that engulfed me. 
After leaving the temple, I looked back at the ornately shingled roof of the temple in
the background, and felt a sense of respect and admiration for the strange culture that I
had just had the pleasure of being introduced too. Though I had been in a seemingly
different environment in which I felt I didn't belong to, the temple had somehow been
able to reach out to me and leave me with the sense of fulfillment.