I have heard it said from many participants at a Chinese temple stay whether Buddhist or not, that "something special" happens in temple and people return constantly in their daily life changed or healed in some small way. The Chinese temple is the variety of sound which somehow provides inner and spiritual healing.

Regarding popular writers, many people are aware of various doctrines, traditions, rituals and wisdom sayings that are similar within both Christianity and buddhism. These commonly emphasized parallels include a focus on love and peace, as well as doing good for others, charity, tolerance and so on. These shared characteristics extend to the personal qualities of the purported founders of these two religions, Jesus and Buddha.

The Tibetans create their beautiful Mandalas from colored sand and if you'll take a metal plate and cover it with sand create it vibrate with different sounds, you will be able discover different structures that are formed in the sand, that are really similar to the sand Mandalas. In the end, soon after weeks when the Mandalas is finished, they simply wipe the sand off Mandalas to show the non-attachment to the illusion of the external, and along with show the constant change and also the process of life and death that takes place in the external world of illusion.

The fish's first known use like a Christian religious symbol was sometime within the first three centuries AD. Christians began utilizing the Greek word for "fish" for acronym for "Jesus Christ God's Son, Savior". Followers of Christianity were called Pisciculi; the key of this Latin word is "fish".

Next the monks begins to strike a hefty wooden fish called a muyu' in time with the chanting of the sutras. The wooden striking sound seems to punctuate and implant the sutras deep within the mind; each sound plays its spiritual healing role. Indeed, we all felt that this was about inner spiritual healing. In Tibetan Buddhism as in Chinese Buddhism sound plays a central role in spiritual healing. As the sutra chanting gave way to mantra chanting the monks seemed to be in semi-hypnotic trance. Words and tones are ancient and also the magic and mystery ignites the soul.

A dance by a troupe from China, based on the compassion of Quan Yin with her thousand arms, can be seen in several videos on YouTube. My favorite is here. Watching the amazing coordination with the dancers, portraying Quan Yin, who hears the cries of the world, remember that they are deaf.

Participants in the temple stay have wobbled out of bed as well a somnambulant state enter the temple to take their stores. A monk lights the taper towards altar lamp, incense is lit and woody and amber tones of perfume fill the crisp air. Small sounds are being born. The shuffle with the monk's feet, the striking of this match and now the gentle humming tone as the monk chants softly stopping in front of each statue to pay homage with the incense.



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