I learned about the origins of Buddhism this morning and explored a Buddhist pagoda. The pagoda itself was beautifully constructed, with vibrant, saturated colors and elaborate statues and artwork. The temple-goers were reverent during their rituals and respectful towards our group of foreigners.

While I found the buildings and rituals themselves to be beautiful, I found the purpose behind them to be somewhat strange. We learned in our class that a key tenet of Buddhism is to absolve yourself of excessive desire to end suffering, but many of the rituals focused on “wishing” directed towards Buddha. I want to explore and understand the religious aspects of Vietnam, so I can grasp the nuances of these customs.

Later in the day, I learned more about the history of the Vietnam War. I already knew a great deal about the war from American education, so the War Remnants museum was a good opportunity to hear about it from another perspective.

The lesson that stuck with me was that both sides employed ruthless tactics, from indiscriminate killings of the helpless, torture, inhumane interrogation, and even chemical warfare. At the end of it all, we are taught (even in America) that Vietnam won the war. After seeing the museum, and most especially the exhibit of Agent Orange, which has affected civilians 4 generations later, I believe it was more of a pyrrhic victory. The American justification for the war (the domino theory) was lackluster. It was demonstrably false after losing the war, but the damage dealt to the country of Vietnam was and still is long-lasting and pervasive. The amicable relationship between the Vietnamese and American people that exists today seems all the more remarkable, considering what has transpired between the two nations over the last century.