Essay #1 Lost in Translation

According to a Buddhist saying, “Although the wine and meat are in the mouth, I never forget the Buddha is inside my heart.” In other words, it means I don’t care much to break the rules because I still believe in the Buddha. In the past, Buddhism had a strict rule that forbade Buddhists from eating meat or drinking wine. Right now there are many branches of Buddhism in china, and most of them have their own beliefs or activities. My family and I believe in one of the Goddesses “Mazu”. However, I have found it is impossible to practice my religion well now that I am in the United States.

Firstly, the customs of Mazu are impossible to practice in the United States. Mazu is a goddess that is very popular in my hometown Fujian. Fujian is in the southeast of China, and many people make their living on the sea. So each time my grandfather, uncles and my father went out to catch fish, my whole family would go to the Mazu Temple. We kneeled down, bowed our heads to the ground three times, and burned the incense in front of Mazu’s image. However, when I came to Chicago, I found there was no Mazu temple. So my mother mailed the Mazu image from my hometown, and I put it in the corner of my living room. Every morning before going to school, I usually insert the burning incense into the stove in front of the Mazu. One time I invited my friends to my house to celebrate the New Year. One of my friends was atheist. When he saw my behavior, he said “you are innocent. It was useless. It was ridiculous. It was a blind faith.” I was stunned and hid the Mazu image. I began to feel ashamed to tell people about my religion, and I never practiced my custom until now.

Secondly, the taboo foods of Mazu are impossible to practice in the United States as well. Mazu rules regarding foods are not as strict as the other branches of Buddhism, so I feel a little bit relaxed in my diet. In my hometown, the believers usually eat or drink except on the first and fifteenth day of each month in Chinese calendar. On these special days, the believers gather at the Mazu Temple and recite the prayers together. They’re only allowed to drink water or eat fruit. I don’t insist on this taboo in the United States because I don’t quite remember, or I often miss the date. However, there is one dietary habit I have never changed. I don’t like turning over the fish when I eat it because in my hometown, if you do turn over the fish, it means your boat will overturn. I won’t be drowned in the sea, so I always believe it’s true.
Finally, the ceremony of Mazu is impossible to practice in the United States. There are only two important ceremonies of Mazu: one is celebrating the New Year, and another is celebrating the birth of Mazu. The ceremonies usually take place in the evening. Around six o’clock, six people lift the Mazu out of the temple and walk around the whole village. While they are stopping at the houses, every family is burning the incense to greet Mazu. Then, the eldest man of the family will come up to touch Mazu and say prayers in a whisper. Today it’s hard for me to do ceremonies on my own. In Chicago, I never meet anyone who has a same religion as me. My mother told to me: “in fact there are large groups of Mazu believers in New York and Los Angles. You should go to see and join them”. But I never want to go there for religious reasons. I think it’s enough if I only keep those memories in my mind.
On the whole, I admit I am not a faithful disciple of Mazu. I have changed some religious behaviors since I moved to Chicago. I haven’t burnt the incense to Mazu anymore, nor have I followed the rules of the taboo foods anymore. I even haven’t joined a party to do the ceremonies anymore. Some people say that time and distance can change love, and I doubt they will change my mind of believing Mazu. Then a voice inside my heart comes out: “Just to do what you insist on”. I immediately wake up, and right now I realize that no matter how I break the rules, Mazu is always in my heart.