What to say about
Religion. Specifically, Buddhism. Although it may have some cool, visually pleasing elements to it, it is still just like other religions. The ridiculousness of dogmatic practices is astounding. Get this, the only way to travel to important pagodas and religious sites is by river. Not only that, the boat must be powered by a human. That’s right, no motor whatsoever. This means that although there are thousands upon thousands of people visiting the same site, they will all have to be transported by another human being. That is there job. Row, row, row your boat. The saddening fact is that this will not change. Actually, it can only get worse with time. Good going, folks.
The reason for all of this, of course, is it is more sacred if it is carried out in this manner. The experience of riding in a boat powered by a human is superhuman. How, I have no idea. I felt less than human, actually, when I did it. Supposedly the way to Nirvana is by boat, so this whole process mimicks that. Great! What if getting to Nirvana meant actually holding to the principles of the religion and not to austere backwardness? That’d be cool, wouldn’t it?
The worst of it all is how this religious experience just happens to bring out the worst in people, and most of them don’t even realize it. Lame. Old grandmas and grandpas, using canes and sometimes barefoot, endure an entire day’s journey in the heat and under the harsh sun to go pray to family at a cave up in the mountains. One man was carrying his mother piggyback up the hill. Jesus! Or should I say Buddha? Sure, the scenery is pretty, but most of it is lost in the sea of humanity. Shit, piss, trash, odor, pushing, shoving, slipping, eating, yelling, and more. It’s not exactly pleasant.
The entire trip up there are booths where you can rest or buy the most simplistic, oddball, wacky souvenirs you can imagine. I’m all for business and progress, but sometimes it’s necessary to truly reflect and say “Wait a minute, is this helping the situation any?” No. Indeed it is not. If you cannot make this journey in one fell swoop, you should not be going up at all. And as for those souvenirs, they are just gaudy. It’d be like hiking in Yosemite, a thoroughly enjoyable experience, only to have terrible country music being blasted from countless shops, Space Dots being sold every step along the way, and naked baby posters and figurines crowding your space. Again, not a pretty picture.
Up in the cave it is so dense that people have suffocated. That should not happen. Ever. The beauty of lines escapes the Viet Namese conscious at the moment, at their own peril. Not only is it frustrating to be in a mass of people grabbing you, it is unsafe and unnecessary. Instead of bringing Choco Pies, beers, those naked baby photos, and other tacky ornaments as offerings, maybe these folks should be praying for something else. I, myself, will be praying for the best.
