In the end
these things matter most:
How well did you love?
How fully did you live?
How deeply did you let go?
-Buddha
My image was taken at a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple. The temple is bit of a curiosity in town. It's located in a small home that the owners how developed to be also a place of worship. When driving by, I often slow to admire the brightly painted house - so different from others on the street - and the myriad of statuary in the front garden.
When I read that today's ONS5 challenge was Travel, I immediately thought of this exotic little temple and decided that I would visit and ask permission to take photographs on the property. The nun who answered the door was very gracious and welcoming. She went back to her work and allowed me to explore and photograph on my own.
Behind the dragon is a statue of Buddha with a little lotus flower decoration at the base.
Seems even more interesting to me that there was a female monk- I did not think Eastern religions had them. The clarity of this shot is great and I really like the dof.
@olivetreeann Thanks for your comment, Ann! I did some reading about Buddhist monks and you are right that in most religious communities they must be male. I assumed that the woman who welcomed me was a monk because she wore a robe and had a shaved head. She was most likely a nun though.
That does make sense- of course for those of us who don't know all the ins and outs of religious service in the Buddhist faith we would naturally assume that. It reminds me of the remake of Anna and the King starring Jodi Foster where the young girl who is given as a bride to the king, but is in love with the guard who delivers her (and he with the bride) shaves her head and hides with the monks in order to escape with the man she loves. But she is discovered and executed (as is her beloved). Sad!!!! Anyway thanks for the follow-up! That was interesting.
