Narrative Essay On Thanksgiving With Buddha

Thanksgiving with Buddha

Wat Buddhametta is small meditation center located near the intersection of 22nd and Swan. It is there that I chose to experience a something that is outside of my routine, and something that would expand my worldview. The Wat Buddhametta has a schedule of events that all are welcome to join. The third saturday of each month is set aside for a community buffet where everyone in the Wat Buddhametta community is invited to this social event. The event was set to be on the 17th of October, being at 6pm, and would extend through the evening. During the hour of eating, watching, and participating in the festivities I came to realize that it is not the difference between us that is important, but rather what is the same.

The aroma of the the room was of spice and curry, with the sweetness of freshly chopped pineapple, watermelon, with the distinct smell of Thai Tea intermingled. The sight and smell were incredible, and in many ways it took me back to childhood potluck in Hawaii. What I saw next snapped me back to the present moment, and made me consider where I was, and the situation I was in. Around this beautiful display of food were people who were seemingly wealthy, white, and dressed like they were ready for an asian buffet.

It would not be entirely accurate to say I was heartbroken, but I was certainly disappointed. Here I was at this community event thinking I would be getting a true cultural experience, and instead I was at a red neon light Asian Super Buffet. The worst realization was that these people were mostly part of my own demographic, and that I was not an outsider, I was a consumer. At this point I felt as if I could have gone to You-Like buffet, and had my experience be the same: Two crab rangoons, stir fry and egg flower soup, the only interaction with culture would be language