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Sacred Site Visit Report Writing Assignment

Essay Instructions:

This assignment requires in person visit to sacred site and write analysis report about the site/event experiences. Please use personal narrative writing essay and analysis style format that look like a person visited to the sacred site. Please read attached professor's instructions for more details. Please use only attached files as a resources and don't use outside resources. Thank you. 
Please use either one of below sacred sites for this assignment. Thanks. 
Duc Vien Buddhist Community Pagoda 
2440 McLaughlin Ave 
San Jose, CA 95121 
United State of America 
http://www(dot)ducvien(dot)org/ 
Wat Buddhanusorn 
Wat Buddhanusorn, is a Buddhist temple, of the Theravadan tradition, in Fremont, California, United States. The name, Wat Buddhanusorn, means “temple for the dedication of the Buddha, ” in the Thai language. 
http://www(dot)watbuddha(dot)org/ 
Address: 36054 Niles Blvd 
Fremont, CA 94536 
United State of America 
Professor's Instructions for the Sacred Site visit report 
Objective: Go out and experience—some aspect of Asian American religion—first-hand to develop a greater and deeper appreciation for human diversity, religious pluralism, lifelong learning, and community engagement. 
This is part of experiential learning that gives you an opportunity to connect what you learn about Asian American religiosities in class readings, lectures, and other learning materials to the real world. 
Assignment: 
After attending an Asian American religious site (church, temple, etc.) or Asian American religious community event, you must write a 5 pages, double-spaced, Critical Reflection on the experience. You must do the following: 
1. Write about the site/event and your experiences there. 
2. Analyze, as best as you can, the community (demographics, such as gender, age, race, ethnicity), practices, beliefs, architecture, and location. 
3. Discuss the issue(s) that are significant/relevant about this sacred site or event that connects to the class; 
4. You MUST directly engage with at least 5 assigned readings from the class; 
5. Relate your experiences to class materials, such as assigned readings, films, lectures, discussions. In order to do this well, you will need to interact with people at the event or site/place you visited. Ask questions, and do not be shy! 
6. You MUST cite and engage with 3 discussion forums (e.g. quote 3 discussion forums in your report); 
7. You must use proper citations and quotations using MLA style for writing, and engage with class readings and other learning materials; 
8. Do not just describe what you did and what you saw. You must provide analysis in your discussion and link your experience to larger issues, theories, and discussions. Your experience is “data” which you will use to anchor a thoughtful discussion on a topic that is related to Asian American religions that meaningfully connects to the class; 
9. Please attend a scared site or event that is not the faith tradition that you practice. If you are Filipino American and Catholic, do not go to a Filipino American Catholic or Protestant Church. Go to a Hindu or Sikh temple instead. If you are Chinese, go to a non-Chinese place or worship or community event. The goal is for you to step outside your comfort zone and learn from the experience. 
Tip: Be aware of only summarizing: this assignment calls for analysis, which means your ability to: apply things you learn in the class to the real world; your ability to synthesize theoretical concepts (unpacking the theory, testing the theory, questioning the theory); your ability to critique arguments, ideas, theories covered in class materials; your ability to offer your own unique insights into an issue; and your ability to put various voices into a dialogue. 
For example: 
A says "..." which confirms B's notion of ..... but differs from C's conclusion about....; My experience suggest name-a-concept is valid because....; Name-a-concept argues that... which A, B, and Z validated in their research. However, another school of thought contends.... 

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Theravada Buddhism in Fremont
Name
University
Wat Buddhanusorn Temple
Wat Buddhanusorn temple, Fremont, established in 1983, upholds the unique Thai tradition of Theravada Buddhism. The temple also aims to propagate Thai culture, language and art. According to Religious Pluralism Discussion Forum, “It is undeniable that religious diversity and religious pluralism are increasingly a part of the modern world. The conflicts, violence and religious bigotry in America stem from the fact that extremists of every religion are unwilling to accept the co-existence of religions today”. Wat Buddhanusorn temple is a thriving example of religious pluralism in the United States.
The everyday functioning of the temple is dependent upon the voluntary labor, mainly from the expatriate Thai community in the United States. It is also not difficult to see Buddhists of Asian origin from countries other than Thailand also participate in the temple activities. I could see many White Americans too, who looked they are too familiar with the temple settings, in the temple premises. The temple attempts to spread the words and wisdom of Buddha to the people in America irrespective of their origins.
Wat Buddhanusorn temple is a highly welcoming place, the air is filled with spirituality and the chants of the monks. The monks are seemingly expert gardeners; the landscape is both colorful and diverse. There are a wide variety of trees and shrubs. A typical day of the temple begins with the morning chants of the monks. They have breakfast only after the daily chanting of Buddhist prayers. The monks spent the daytime engaged in doing the commons works related to the everyday management of the temple affairs. They also take utmost care in making the temple welcoming for the visitors. They always have an eye, rather a reassuring one, on the visitors. The visitors who looked like confused, as I was, were immediately noticed and attended by the monks. It is argued in the Orientalism Discussion Forum that “The West conjured biased ideas of Orientalism with the intention to exercise control and authority over the East”. My attempt is to understand the temple by avoiding the Orientalist gaze.
Wat Buddhanusorn Temple as a Community Space
Lin indicates that “the study of Buddhism in the United States is largely based on European American experiences and encounters with Buddhism” (1996, p. 108). The temple is not seen by the Thai Buddhist visitors simply as an abode spirituality or worship. In the words of a Thai woman “I come here regularly. I can meet my community here. I feel back at home here because of the environment. It is my little Thailand in America”. It is clear that the woman is not only coming there for religious purposes; her purpose remains spiritual, to feel spiritually at home in her adopted country.
An Emphasis on Cleaning
The monks are always cleaning the place as well as praying. It looks like the monks have combined cleaning inside with cleaning outside. They have developed a kind of invisible co-ordination between their hands and mind. The touch of their hands might be felt on things as a form of meditative touch. It is kind of synchronized with the rhythm of things. What I notic...
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