Today was a day of learning. The morning consisted of Buddhism class paired with a trip to a pagoda. It was interesting to learn more about Buddhism and how it compares to the Abrahamic religions that are most common in America. For starters, Buddhism acts more like a philosophy than other religions like Christianity, which we discussed in class. I’m not religious at all, but I could totally understand wanting guidance on how to live my life to the fullest, and I think there should be more education in America. The pagoda was cool and actually very nice. It reminded me of my grandma’s church; it was very grand and had high-quality wood and statues. To me, the idea of going out of your way to worship or pray for something is something I don’t understand. I think it’s because I’m not spiritual or just lazy, but I think having a dedicated place you need to go to whenever you want to pray is just inconvenient. Overall, I enjoy the purpose of Buddha’s teachings and am happy they aren’t being twisted like other religions, and I think there should be more education on other types of religions, so people feel free to choose the one that resonates with them, not just the one their parents picked.

After that, we headed to the War Remnants Museum. It really showcased the brutal nature of the war. The museum was pretty digestible for lack of a better word, and it felt like it was able to inform very well without requiring endless reading like I feel some museums do. It was shocking going around the ground floor and looking at all the different ways people were responding to the Vietnam War around the world. One of the most shocking displays of protest was the two people who burned themselves alive. Honestly, I don’t remember the specifics as to why they did that, and I can’t imagine brutally sacrificing myself for anything like that. There were a lot of stories that either I totally forgot about or had never ever heard of that shocked me. In high school I read this book called The Things We Carry, which was about the Vietnam War, so I knew a little bit about it and the war crimes, but seeing those pictures of the dismembered corpses or disabled bodies because of the effect of Agent Orange really burned into my head the horror of war. I really hope the current conflict in Iran doesn’t escalate and that we can be safe and peaceful far into the future.