The Temples of Earth, Water and Fire - Ollantaytambo, Peru - August 17th, 2013

                                                                   The Earth Temple     
     The last place we would got that day would be to Ollantaytambo. It is here where the other 3 Elements Temples are. The most obvious one was the Earth Temple which we saw the moment we entered the area. It was made of Terraced steps where at the top were building for the rituals surrounding it.

                                                               The Fire Temple    
 Our guide Puma told us a bit about the place when we first arrived. The Fire Temple was made to hold crops and was an ancient granary. It was believed that it was a God since the Mountain was shaped like a face and on his back was where they built the granary, so it was like the Atlas figure was holding the world. We weren't able to go that area, and the ritual centers were on the Earth and Water Temple (which we entered upon arriving in Ollantaytambo).

                                                            Inside the Earth Temple   
    We were free to wander around and I tackled the Earth Temple with my family. This place sparked creativity and the best I felt was when I was away from the group. On the terraced steps it was easy to feel out of time and in full adventure mode. Suffice to say the feel of exploring that place alone will help set the stage for some Temples and environments in future stories of mine.

                                                          The Water Temple below 
   After climbing to the top we returned down to the Water Temple. The first place we visited was the Light Fountain which at certain times (especially during the cycles of the moon) would glow as the light reflected off of it. The place was calming though my mind still high off of climing the Earth Temple was not in a very reflective mood. Still found the place more amazing than I can describe though. The Temples were designed with inlets to keep them from breaking when earthquakes would occur. These holy sites were built to last.

   It was also here that a Cosmic Penis was built by the Incas. Yes, I mean that actually, a cosmic penis. The stone was carved so that when the sun hit it just right it showed the shadow of a penis. It was meant to represent the masculine to the feminine of the world. It was here our guide talked about the balance the Incas constantly sought between the two, and how he saw a loss of the feminine in our world and the need for healing for the Earth.

   I certainly agree with healing, though how to go about it is something that I think generations are constantly going to try and figure out. When a river gets polluted and there is a factory that is doing it that feeds the local economy, where is the right an

                                                                The Cosmic Pein

swer? Where is the long term planning for both the surrounding ecosystem and the livelihood of the village. I don't know, but I'd be curious to hear your answers. Sustainability is part of it, but what does that mean in this and other contexts? This is the modern dilemma I think of taking care of the Earth and the ecosystems within it, and its people.

Baoying Adventure and Return to Linggue Temple - The pros and cons of Organized Religion

[Posted late because Cameron's girlfriend couldn't remember how to sign in to Blogger while Cameron's overseas.]

What an adventure today has been! It started with going around town with Randy (the other teacher from Washington State who I've become friends with) and going to KFC (which was a nice break from the usual but of course totally unhealthy) and visiting the classic Chinese park when we walked over to Linggue Temple.

Now for the interesting part. After walking for about fifteen minutes we came upon Linggue Temple, I had remembered correctly where it was! Once there we began walking around and taking in the silence and serenity of the open spaces that made up the Temple squares and walkways around each building that housed a Buddha, Bodhisattva or all of the above.

Most of the building were locked, except for two. We entered that one where a Golden Buddha was. It was here we learned the Chinese way of prayer at the temple full bow on the ground/mat with hands open palm upwards. We did this three times for luck and than rung the lucky gong three times for luck. During this time I talked to a young monk who was a teenager or younger. He was very kind and I told him about my study Buddhism in college. After the ringing and prayers we were asked to make a donation, I made of twenty-yuan and then recieved a booklet.

After we made our way to the back to the City God Temple area. This building is made of grey stone compared to the others that are painted yellow. A man who works at the Temple opened it and showed us around as well as giving us incense to burn to the local deity. After we were asked to make a fifty yuan donation. We got blessed necklaces and another booklet for it but it was there I realized once again the negative of so many organized religions and the disadvantage of organizations in general...

How many poor would be able to make that kind of donation to the Temple and local deity? How it goes is one who is well off is already in a better position to receive many more blessings of wealth, luck and success (the big three emphasis in regards to the supernatural in China). In old Catholicism and probably still in some corrupt parishes money does talk...someone who can give more is likely to be respected more and less likely to be questioned. The only way out of this for someone who is poor is to gain power in the Temple, Church or Institution itself. This I think is one of the greatest cons of organized faith in general (obviously not all faiths are guilty of it, but it does happen).

The pros can best be described in the times of silence bowing where extreme peace experienced, or in the sound of the gong that the monk, man or I rang...the sound can make one fully present in that moment and with it a release of all the anxiety from the day or past moments. There is a space here for people to remember those they've lost, to celebrate a birth or simply to reflect. It was made for people and it clearly shows this.

I plan on returning again and will write about those future visits. But this is what it was like my second time coming where I really had to time truly take it all in and notice the pros and cons present.

The Outsider

            What does it mean to be an outsider? By default it is to be outside of an organization or group, which can be both a gift and a curse, but gives a very unique perspective.

          For much of my life since I left the Church of Latter Day Saints (I disagreed with a lot about the faith - which I will share with you when I revisit a Mormon Church) in Middle School, the Outsider has been the role I have felt most comfortable in. Even as part of me for the longest time felt I needed to be a part of a religious community. Because of this I tried on many different faiths, for a while I was Pagan, I briefly explored Buddhism (in middle school, and then later in college when I visited China) and then come high school I considered converting to Sikhism, Kabbalah (Mystic) Judaism and Unitarian Universalism. At one point I even considered converting to Catholicism for my girlfriend and her family.

    It was from the outsider's perspective that I would choose not to join the Eastshore Unitarian Church, after experiencing the politics of the faith in regards to the different leaders' interactions with one another. It was also this outsiders perspective that lead me to see the cons and what I disagreed with about all these faiths, even as I experienced the pros and positive aspects of the faiths. It was from this outsider perspective that I was a part of Youth Exploring Spirituality (YES) and  Interfaith Voices of Youth (IVY).As an outsider I have learned so much, but it's been years since I've seriously asked the questions that YES and IVY asked. I want to bring that back with this blog.

   I plan on visiting different faith communities and blogging about my perspective and experience of them here on the day I visit a community and take part in it. I'm hoping that the blog posts will be weekly. Some days may have 2 posts, if I visited 2 different communities. What the blog will be describing is: What was the service like? What the core beliefs are (and how they differ from other denominations)? What was the community like? How was I treated? and hopefully interviewing the leader/minister/priest/iman/rabbi/ect. if there is one, on their beliefs and what they believe they're faith preaches. I will also include my agreements and disagreements with the faith and what I connected to and didn't connect to about the faith and community.

   I don't think I could ever convert to any faith. The outsider is where I have the most solace, fulfillment and peace, and also have experienced the most growth. But I do think there is much to be learned and experienced both from the faith and the community that makes up the faith. I plan on writing about the pros and cons that I found first hand and bringing an honest outsider perspective to the communities that I visit. I'm hoping you'll be able to learn as much as me, and if your interested, maybe visit the places I visited yourself.