I went to an Islamic mosque, a Hindu temple, a Jain temple and a Buddhist temple. Seeing these vastly different temples representing four very different ways to view and interpret life made me realize I'd be naive to assume my way was the "right" way.
The first temple I visited was the mosque. It was noticeably empty at the time, which highlighted its spaciousness. There was one building dedicated to bathing. There were little stools Muslims could sit on while washing themselves. According to my religions professor, they bath so that they can be neat and clean when they interact with God.
The second temple I visited was the Hindu temple. Unlike the mosque, there was no huge central building. Instead, there were a series of small buildings with different images of the many Hindu Gods. It felt like a more interactive experience as I walked around the grounds and witnessed different rituals taking place.
The third temple was the Jain temple. Everything was very white, including the clothing people were wearing. In Jainism, according to my professor, purity of mind and body is a central belief. Jains aim not to ever cause harm to anyone or anything. It was probably the most beautiful temple I saw that day.
The last place we visited was a pyramid temple based on Buddhist philosophy. It's difficult to say if the pyramid temple can be considered Buddhist, but there were certainly images of Buddha spread around the grounds. For the followers here, it is believed that meditation can improve one's health. They believe that pyramids can enhance the benefits of meditation, specifically if it is conducted in a certain spot in the pyramid. Being inside the pyramid was a deeply peaceful and quiet experience.
