On the tenth of February two thousand and thirteen my friend and I went to a Buddhist temple; located on forty-third in Encanto. The party I was with parked a little ways away from the temple, because there was no parking. Taking a short walk I noticed hundreds of people going to the same place as me. As I was walking up to the temple I noticed lanterns; and saw giant gold plated dragon statues outside the massive iron gates. At first I was nervous; fearing they would not accept me. I soon saw the doors swing ajar and before me was a vibrant welcoming culture asking me to come inside. At first I was baffled. Never have I been so welcomed in a place so graciously. After taking a moment to get past my confused state, right in front of me was a grand golden Buddha. My first reaction was to touch it, but I did not out of fear of disrespecting it. Looking Around the courtyard people were swirling around smiling and laughing; children ran through the crowds with flowers being merry. The people there were speaking different eastern languages, of course I did not understand. The people’s voices mixed with the music creating this foreign feel I have never experienced before. Soon after getting over the initial culture shock I noticed the courtyard starting to fog up, almost simultaneously smelling the tranquil and calming aroma of incense. All the incense were placed in jars full of sand; in front of which seemed endless amount of statues. The statues depicted the different enlightened ones over the years. Those who were believed to reach nirvana were there as well.
Moreover while being struck by the grand scenery another aroma filled my nostrils. I followed my nose to the origin of the smell. Bringing me to double wooden doors, I proceeded through the doors to where the smell was strongest. I came across the true origin of the smell; a giant oak table with a plethora of vegetarian dishes sprawled out. After seeing all the amazing food there before me, I realized how...