First Grade Visits Mahayana Temple

Yesterday the two first-grade classes went on their longest walking trip yet — to a special guided visit of the Mahayana Buddhist temple, the largest Buddhist temple in New York City. There they saw a 16-foot-tall golden Buddha and were introduced to Mahayana Buddhism (the Greater Vehicle), which emerged about 2000 years ago. It offered a new perspective on the Buddha and his teachings. The most important factor was a renewed emphasis on compassion and the significance of the Bodhisattva (a Buddha-to-be) who is motivated not by winning enlightenment for himself but for the benefit of all living beings. At the temple, the small visitors and teachers were all able to make wishes and pull a scroll to discover if they had a poor, fair, good, very good, or excellent chance of their wish coming true. The kids also got to ring the temple's giant bell. A special thanks to Molly Chen for this visit.