This is why it's fun to switch back and forth between the conservative and liberal stations. The differences are glaring. Not sure which one I believe. There has to be a middle of the road somewhere. I just haven't found it yet.
From sensei's Tuesday report: Lindsey went to a festival and shopping. She met a Power Ranger and she bought a lot of stuff. Her family also took her to a sushi restaurant where she ate cheese fries ... Today we went to a local temple nearby and experienced Zen meditation. It has become popular and more well-known since yoga became popular but we did it in a very cool temple so it was fun and very educational. The priest explained the history and ideas of Buddhism and Zen, showed us around the temple ground before we went inside to do the meditation. There, students learned how to sit and breathe properly. Then they were instructed to "think nothing", meaning that thoughts come to the head, but not to chase after the thought or whatever comes to mind, but to let go. The priest walked around with a stick and tapped people's shoulders if they weren't sitting properly. (In real practice, this "tapping" is more like "hitting"). He said that in Buddhism, people are equal. There are no people above or below any people. Today, he happens to be the one helping the students doing the meditation, but tomorrow, the students might be the ones helping him do something else. He said that this idea is very important. Also, he said that when he is tapping/hitting the practitioners, he is not punishing them, but he is encouraging them. This is a great idea that I will use back home. When I am tapping/smacking students, I am not punishing them. I am encouraging them.
Going into the temple.
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