For the record I never went as a kid, and I don't consider myself a religious person. I am however a superstitious person and there's something about this place just makes things make sense. So I go on the holidays. And as the one guy (aka monk, but really just a guy because you'd never know he was a monk especially given his totally sweet airbrushed dragon shirt) said, we don't care if you bring money or offerings just bring yourself and we'll try to help your soul.
That makes it sound churchy. It's not. No sermons, no preaching, no talking to anyone if you don't want to. Just show up, do your thing in your head, play the fortune telling stick toss, be at peace, and be on your merry way. Any real Buddhist would be totally appalled by my practice and lack of understanding. I don't know the stories or the practices or the why. I've never read any religious tomes or practiced any sort of way of being. I just know that this particular place feels cozy and nice and so I go (I haven't found another that feels this way, although I haven't really looked). Does this make me a religious person? I don't think so. Spiritual perhaps but not religious. Like i said, I am pretty ignorant. Like a Christian who doesn't know who Jesus is. I've thought about learning more, but to be honest I like the unnamed thing I've got going and am not sure I want to ruin it by trying to force legitimacy on to it.
In other news morm put me to work appropriately harvesting items from her garden (including an entire basket full of chives whose smell I can't remove from hands hours later). The dinner feast she made (including a so good pork leg dish and a stir fried chive and fishcake dish) was so worth it though. Uncle Ben and annie aiyi joined us and afterwards we pigged out with cheesecake. There was too much though so I brought some to sena on my way out of town. Her mom gave me mooncakes and other treats in exchange.
Man I love pig family.
