A few days ago, I told a friend from New Jersey about an experience I had at the Jade Buddha Temple. He thought I was a Buddhist.
I explained that I went there just for the vibes and the lotus flowers. He didn’t question further, but I could see the confusion on his face.
Well, for many Chinese people, visiting a temple is just like an architecture student visiting St. Peter’s Basilica.
Buddhism and Taoism, blended with Confucianism, are deeply woven into our language and history, so we’ve been learning about and influenced by them since we were kids.
That’s why many people go to temples for cultural reasons, not religious reasons.