Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Photo By Kori Robins

Student explores Buddhism during month in Taiwan

By Tara kinard

tlkinard@vwc.edu

Junior Kori Robins was able to spend the month of July in Taiwan, primarily at the Fo Guang Shan (Buddha s Light Mountain) Monastery outside the city of Kaohsiung, through the Woodenfish Program, which is hosted by the Buddha s Light International Association.

 The purpose of the program was to educate students interested in Buddhism so we could share it with others, whether we agreed with it or not, said Robins.

Her group consisted of international students from countries including England, Austria, Canada, mainland China and the States.

 Everyone was so different, and that s what made my experience, the people I was with, said Robins.

Robins smiled as she described how rich the conversations between students were. Everyone was eager to learn about their peers and carefully listened to what other students had to say.

 It was like you were the only one in the world when you were talking, said Robins.

Perhaps they were interested in getting to know each other because it provided an opportunity to learn about different cultures, or maybe they were just polite. To Robins, it didn t matter.

 They were all wonderful, beautiful hippies and I love them, she said.

As with anything, for all the highs there was the occasional low. It s expected that the food will take some adjusting to and language barriers may even arise, but the six-day silent meditations and vast cultural differences presented unique challenges.

The six-day silent meditation was rewarding for Robins.

 It really forced you to look inward at yourself, so it was definitely a learning experience, she said.

Robins explained that it is difficult to realize how much we depend on verbal language, body gestures and eye contact, until these things are prohibited. And there in Taiwan, for six days, all such things were prohibited, though not always followed.

 We failed miserably, said Robins.  I am terrible at meditating. I have an iPod in my mind, so there s a constant stream of music in my head.

Even though Robins understood the importance of meditation and appreciated her experiences with it, the clash of cultural interpretation surrounding silence was one that presented a major challenge.

 In their culture, silence is sacred and beautiful; it forces you to look inside yourself. Here silence is punishment; so every time they told me to be quiet, it was sad, said Robins.

Educational expectations also varied between the two cultures.

 We were told that in the East, students don t ask questions. They take the teacher at their word, and that s a sign of respect.

Any student, especially on this campus recognizes how different that is from the traditional role of Western students, who are generally expected to participate in discussions and question material to show they are engaged.

Finally, even though it may have been expected, the food situation did have consequences.

 I ll never eat white rice again, I ate so much while I was over there, said Robins.

According to her, eating a diet based solely on tofu wasn t the only adjustment. Even the texture and flavor of food was very different.

 It s not American Chinese food at all, said Robins.

As a history and religious studies major, as well as president of Theta Alpha Kappa, the religious studies honor society, all of these experiences, even the most challenging, were rewarding.

 I m a Christian, said Robins,  But I also belong to a religion of tolerance and I think it s important to learn about other religions.

Taiwan was not Robin s first trip outside the country. Over winter session she went to Greece and Turkey with the religious studies department. She described her two trips as different experiences and enjoyed them individually for separate reasons.

 Every chance you have to learn about another culture is one of the greatest opportunities you can have, said Robins

She is currently preparing an independent research project for the Spring Symposium that will explore her experiences in Taiwan and compare Eastern and Western styles of Buddhism.