Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa,

Cathedral of the Madeleine,

and

Khadeeja Islamic Center;

A Comparison

or

Three Religions, Three Services;

A Comparison

Ralph Erskine

FormyfinalreflectionIwillcompareandcontrastmyobservationsfromtheBuddhist
Catholic,andIslamfieldtrips.Ienjoyedattendingallthreeoftheseservices.Imostenjoyedthe
Buddhistpuja,followedbytheIslamJumuah.IenjoyedattendingCatholicmassandwasblownaway
bythearchitectureandtheelaboratedesigninthechapel,butfoundmassveryboring.Ifeltsomewhat
likethekidsIsawwhoobviouslyweretherebecausethereparentsforcedthemtogo.
ThecoreofBuddhistteachingsistheFourNobleTruths:thetruthsofsuffering,thecauseof
suffering,cessationofsuffering,andthepathleadingtothecessationofsuffering,whichis
Enlightenment.Untilenlightenmentisattained,individualsarereborninacontinuouscyclecalled
Samsara,sufferingoverandoveragain.AnimportantaspectofMahayanaBuddhismistheBodhisattva
ideal,inwhichonetakesavowtobecontinuouslyrebornuntilallsentientbeingsarefreedfrom
suffering.
ThiscontrastswithbothChristianityandIslam,bothmonotheistictraditions.Theybelieveinone
Godwhoisthecreatoroftheworldandtheultimatejudgeofbehaviorandbeliefsinthislife.Theydiffer
slightlyintheconsequencesofjudgement,ChristiansgotoHeaventoexistinGodsglorywhileMuslims
haveParadise.IslamteachesHellistemporary,whileChristiansholdittobeeternal.Theyboth
recognizetheOldandNewTestaments,butIslamrecognizestherevelationsgiventoTheProphet,
Muhammed,fromtheangelGabriel,tobetheliteralwordofGod,after600yearsofpeoplestraying
fromtheteachingsofJesus.TheybelievesintobethemainproblemforhumansandbeliefGodtobe
theanswer.Theirbeliefsystemscenteraroundsalvation.ChristiansaresavedthroughbelievinginJesus,
throughfaithandsacrament,ritespasseddownfromJesuswhichbringoneclosertoGod.Oneofthese
ismass,andthiswasrepresentedbytheserviceattheCathedral.Muslimsbelievesalvationcomes
throughlivingalifeofprayer,charityandsubmissiontoAllah,andthiswasrepresentedbytheJumuah
atKhadeeja.
However,themostimportantdifferenceconcernsJesus.Theybothbelievehewasbornofa
virgin,butCatholicsbelieveJesustobethesonofGod,Godincarnate,andhehadtobedivineinorder
tosavetheworld,whileMuslimsviewJesusasahumanprophet,atrueprophetofGod,whose
messagehadbeencorruptedovertime.IslamdoesnotholdthatJesuswascrucified,ratherhewas
savedbyGod,soheneverdiedandwasneverresurrected.Theholytrinity,thefather,sonandholy
ghostareabeliefofCatholicsrepresentingoneessencebutinthreeforms,inwhichMuslimsbelieveto
bepolytheistic.Muslimsarestrictmonotheists,withnobeliefinthisoneessencebeingthree.
Thesedifferingbeliefswererepresentedintheplacesofworship.AttheCathedralofthe
Madeleine,thecrucifixionofJesuswasdepictedabovethealtar,alongwithsymbolsfortheHoly
Trinity.TheFatherwasabovehim,andadoverepresentingtheHolyGhostwasbelowhim.This
representedthereverenceCatholicsholdfortheTrinityandthecrucifixion.AsCatholicsentered,many
ofthemcrossedthemselvesinthesignofthecrossbeforetheytooktheirseats,symbolizingtheirfaith
thatJesuswascrucifiedfortheirsins,afocalpointofbeliefforCatholics.Alsoaroundthealtarwere
paintingsoftheLastSupperandBiblequotesfromJohnwere
paintedoneitherside.
CatholicsbelievehumansarefarfromGodbutonewaytobecome
closeristhroughmass.TheshortsermonusedtheexampleofMary
ofMagdalene,withthepriestpointingoutonepaintingofherbefore
forgivenessbyJesusandoneafter.Thiswasaclearanddirect
connectiontotheteachingsbeingrepresentedbytheart.Herelatedherstorytoeverydaymodernlife,
explainingtheparabletothecongregation.Allsinners,likeMary,mustchangeasGodworksthrough
us.Thisbeliefmanifestsinthemassitself.Aprocessionbeganmass,withbellsandmusicfromthe
organ.Theofficiantcameinwiththealtarboyscarryingvarioussymbols.Theywalkeddowntheaisles
tothealtar.Someofthemlitthecandles.Everyonestoodduringthisprocession.Theystartedwitha
prayeraskingforforgiveness,theofficiantspeakingandthecongregationanswering.Catholicsbelieve
theirsinscanbeforgiven,andtheymustpray.Inthiswaytheyweredoingittogetherasacommunity.
Thereweremanyprayersandanswerslikethisthroughouttheservice.Musicandsigningbeganquite
early.
TheJumuahatKhadeejaIslamicCenterbeganwith
asermon,Kubthath,fromtheImam.AfterKubthah,a
fewannouncementsweremadethenthecalltoprayer
beganbythemuezzin.TheImamrecitedsome
prayersinArabic,andIheardafewpeoplewho
seemedtobepraying.Quranmeansrecitation,itis
meanttoberecitedinArabic.ThisbeliefwasmanifestintheImamsrecitation.Onepersonmade
someannouncements,buttheImamwasthemainoneleadingtheservice.Whenthebowingprayer
came,everyoneparticipated.
IslamicworldviewiscenteredaroundamonotheisticGod,AllahinArabic,andMohammadas
hisonetrueprophet,whoreceivedrevelationandrecitedAllahswordinwhatcametoberecordedin
theQuran.TheirmainpurposeinlifeistolivemorallyandsubmittoAllah.Islammeanssubmissionand
MuslimisonewhohassubmittedtoAllah.EveryFridayMuslimsgathertogetherforJumuah,a
congregationalprayerorgathering,torememberandsubmittoAllah.Onlymenarerequiredtoattend,
forwomenitisoptional.
TherewerenorepresentationsofGodattheKhadeejaIslamicCenter.Itwasverysparesely
decorated,especiallyincomparisontotheBuddhistandCatholicplacesofworship.However,itwas
clearlyrecognizableasaplaceofworship.ThetopofthebuildinghadahugeminaretwiththeIslamic
symbolofthecrescentmoon.Theboundarybetweenthesacredandprofanewasmarkedbyentering
themosquewiththerightfoot,thentheremovingofshoes.Forthosemenwhoweregoingtopray,
spacewassetasideforritualwashing,wudu,tobecleanfortheprayer.Walkingintothemainroom,
myattentionwasdrawnbythenicheinthecenterofthewallstraightforwardfromtheentrance.Thisis
placedinthedirectionofMecca,soeverybodyprayingwillbeprayingtoMecca.Thisistheholycity
forMuslims,andheretheirbeliefsweremanifestinritual.Myattentionwasalsodrawntothehuge
chandelierandthemanywindows,theonesontheceilingwithsurroundedwithArabicwriting.
AMuslimbeingonewhohassubmittedtoAllah,theactofbowingdowntotheground
representssubmission,totheoneGod.Theentirecongregrationofmendidthistogether,linedupin
rows.MuslimsnormallydothisSalatfivetimesaday,itisoneofthefivepillarsorrequirements,of
Islam.OnFriday,however,JumuahfullfilstheSalatrequirementforprayer.Oftheotherfivepillars,
Shahada,theconfessionorfaithinoneAllahandMuhammedashisprophet,wasmanifestinthe
prayersaswell,andthebowingwassubmissiontooneAllah.Zakat,charity,isanotherpillar,andthis
wasmanifestinadonationboxneartheentrance.
TheelaboratenessoftheCatholicCathedraloftheMadeleine,wascomparabletotheTibetan
Buddhisttemple,UrgyenSamtemLingGonpa.TheGonpawasdecoratedwithelaboratecolorsand
scrollpaintingsofdeitytypeBodhisattvas,aswellaspicturesoflivingBodhisattvassuchastheDalai
Lama.Thesesymbolizedtheinherentlycompassionatenatureofhumanbeings,andareplacedtherenot
onlytohonorthisnaturebutasreminderstopracticecompassion.Thefocalpointwasthelarge
Buddhastatuestraightaheadfromtheentrance.ItwassurroundedbymanyothersmallerBuddhas.
ManyofthechantsatUrgyenSamtenLingGonpaexpressedthecompassionateintentionof
Buddhists.Theyviewtheworldandtheindividualasnot
separateandthebeliefinaseparatelyexistingfixedselfbeing
therootcauseofsuffering.Thisonenesscanbeseenasa
monotheisticGod,howeverincontrasttoChristianandMuslim
beliefsofmonotheism,therewouldbenoseperatecreatoror
judge.Buddhistsbelieveinkarmicretributionratherthanpunishmentorrewardhandeddownfrom
above.Everyactionandthoughthasrepurcussions,andoneisresponsibleforeverythingintheirlife.
Selfbeingthemainproblemforhumans,thesolutiontothisproblemislettinggoofclingingtoselfand
devotingoneslifetoservingothers,vowingtofreethemfromsuffering,thusfreeingoneselffromthe
bondageofselfandsuffering.ThisbeliefmanifestsintheGonpainchantingandprayingtobefreefrom
suffering,foroneselfandforallsentientbeings.PrayersandoffersaremadetovariousBodhisattvas
whorepresentcompassionateideals.
Theserviceconsistedofanelaborateprogressionofchantsandprayers,someinTibetanand
someinEnglish.TheregularpractitionersallparticipatedandeveryonewaswelcometobutIfoundthe
Tibetanchantstoodifficulttofollowwithforthefirsttime.AlthoughIdidchanttheEnglishprayersand
didnotfeeloutofplaceorunwelcomedindoingso.Thechantsandprayersincludedrelievingthe
sufferingofallsentientbeingsandtakingrefugeinthethreetreasuresofBuddhism,theBuddha,
Dharma,andSangha.TowardtheendoftheserviceoneprayerwasfortheDalaiLamatolivealong
lifeandacouplefordifferentRinpoches,IassumeinthelineageoftheLamathere.Ifeltthepicturesof
theBodhisattvasenhancedthespiritualexperienceofthespace.Theofficiantandtheparticipantswere
verywelcomingandrespectful,Ifeltverycomfortablethere.TheychantedOmManiPadmeHum
manytimesandIwasimpressedbytheirdevotion,thisservicebeingjustasmallexampleoftheir
practice.
OverallIthinkthemaindifferencebetweenthesethreetraditionsishowmonotheismisviewed
fromonetoanother.CatholicsfeeltheyaremonotheistsbutMuslimsdontfeelsobecauseoftheHoly
TrinityandthebeliefthatJesusisGodincarnate.TheBuddhistbeliefinonenesscanbeseenas
monotheist,iftheoneGodisacceptedasbeingoneessencemanifestingasallphenomena.Intrinsically
thereisnoseparation,andthebeliefthatthereisisthecauseofsuffering.CatholicsandMuslimsbelieve
humansareseperatedfromGodanduseprayer,faith,sacramentandsubmissiontobeclosetoGod.

ReflectionforCanvas

Thisclassreallychangedmyperspectiveonglogalreligions.Ilearnedtheimportanceandvalue
ofbeliefinmanifestationsofdeitiesandGod.Iwasimpressedthelevelofdevotionbeleifcanbringto
somanypeopleslives.IbegantheclassasbeingprettyantiritualisticbutnowIvalueritualasbeing
representativeofbeliefsandbringingtogethercommunities.IespeciallylearnedalotaboutHinuismand
Islam,religionsIhadmanyquestionsconcerningwhichhavenowbeenanswered.OverallI
appreciatedtheclassandespeciallythefieldtrips.Iwoulddefinitelyrecommendthisclass.