Who is my neighbor?

Last Sunday, 31 adults and youth traveled to Lexington to expand their cultural understandings and investigate answers to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” They ate Indian food at Tandoor Restaurant…delicious and spicy, trying many foods they’ve never eaten. Everyone found something on the buffet to enjoy.

After lunch, they traveled to the Bharatiya Temple & Cultural Center for a tour and personal introduction to the Hindu religion. We were graciously received by a member of the congregation who patiently answered all our questions and shared as much about the religion as could be shared in such a short period of time. We were amazed by the many icons and their colorful decorations. Each one was dressed in bright fabrics and adorned with fresh flowers. There were icons for the 9 planets. There were the more familiar icons that we’ve heard of in legends and movies like, Indian Jones. Many erroneously think the Hindu religion is the worship of many gods, but actually each icon is a depiction of a different manifestation of the one God. The Hindu feel that God is too large for any one idea or personality…and so there are many manifestations of what this God represents.

As we learned about the culture and the religion, we also learned of similarities to our own religion. They follow the teachings of Lord Krishna, who is a human manifestation of God, and came to teach humanity how to act in the world. There is even a book of his teachings called the Bhagavad-Gita. The two main points he taught to his followers are: do no harm to any living thing and do your duty. The Bhagavad-Gita is an epic poem, actually the longest poem in human history, consisting of 100,000 couplets. Before leaving the temple our host gave us a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita as a gift.

In addition to prayers, worship and special services, the Bharatiya Temple also serves as a cultural center to celebrate and teach the rich history and culture of India and the Hindu people.

The next outing for the Friendship Class will be to visit Temple Adath Israel so we can learn more about our Jewish neighbors. You are always welcome to join us.

Blessings,
Tracy