A woman was reading scripture in front of one of the altars in the Temple of Avalokitesvara

Woman reading sutras at the Temple of Avalokitesvara

Like other temples in Taiwan, the Temple of Avalokitesvara here in Tainan has a number of altars. Each of them may enshrine a different deity, but I do not know who is enshrined at which altar. All I know is that there are altars there and people are praying for something. That is enough for me. For me, a tourist, it was enough to be able to experience the religious atmosphere.

A woman was sitting in front of one of the altars. She was sitting deep in her chair, holding what appeared to be a scripture firmly in both hands. She seemed to be reading the scripture. The usual practice of most worshippers at this temple is to kneel down and pray, incense in hand, but this woman did neither of those things. She had the air of a student absorbed in her studies as she straightened her back and quietly held a scripture in her hand.

This scene teaches us that the act of praying is diverse. Some people kneel down to pray, others focus their minds on the scriptures. I guess they turn their hearts to God in their own way.

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