#Davis7 Holy Sites Interfaith Field Trip

Yesterday, Davis Academy 7th graders visited three different Holy Sites in the greater Atlanta area: The Roswell Masjid, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn, and the Dharma Jewel Monastery. At each site we met with faith leaders of the different traditions, had an opportunity to listen, learn, and observe Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism in action. Now that our 7th graders have visited a mosque, mandir, and monastery they join a small minority of Americans in having firsthand knowledge of what these houses of worship look and feel like. As members of this small majority of Americans who have sought out insight into the religious tapestry of America, they now have a special responsibility to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect among Americans of all faiths.

At the Roswell Community Masjid we were welcomed by Imam Arshad. Pakistani by birth, Imam Arshad grew up in Southern Mississippi. He was appointed as the Imam of the Roswell Community Masjid by the Muslim community that supports this Mosque. Wearing jeans and a hoodie, not yet having had his morning coffee, Imam Arshad graciously answered at least 100 questions posed by our students. The questions were intelligent and respectful, and the answers helped us understand some of the ethos and spirit behind Islam. We learned quite a bit about the Hajj (religious pilgrimage to Mecca), about Muslim views of character development (similar to Middot and Menschlichkeit in Judaism), and much more.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest Hindu Temple in the Southeast. The building itself tells you much about Hindu faith and practice. While the thousands of individual pieces of marble were constructed by paid craftsman in India, much of the work of building the Mandir and completing the project was done on a volunteer basis by more than 20,000 individuals (Hindu and non-Hindu). Completed in 2007, the entire project was paid for on a donation basis before the Mandir opened. The physical structure of the Mandir is meant to help focus the mind of God and divinity.

We removed our shoes, sat on the floor, and experienced the 11:15 devotional service. During this time Sadhus (monks) dressed in orange, kindled lamps and offered praises to the incarnations of the different deities. After the prayer, our guide (also a volunteer), explained that Hinduism is actually a Monotheistic faith rather than Polytheistic. There is only one God. That God has appeared and continues to appear in many different forms. Hinduism prides itself on introducing ideas of Non-Violence, Vegetarianism, and Tolerance to the world.

After lunch we arrived at The Dharma Jewel Monastery in Tucker. There we were greeted with big smiles and the strong smell of incense. The Dharma Jewel Monastery is a Buddhist Monastery, but in the Chinese tradition. Several generations after The Buddha became enlightened in India, Buddhism spread to China. Fast forward to the present, and The Dharma Jewel Monastery carries on this tradition here in Tucker, GA. We got an overview, learned a bit about mindful eating, and then went up to the Great Zen Meditation Hall. There we sat on cushions and pillows, learned about the sacred instruments in the Hall, were led in a meditation session, and the invited to make a lamp offering (basically making a wish and then placing a candle on the altar). Many of our kids found this moving and exciting.

Taking a step back, it's remarkable to think of all these faith traditions coexisting here in Atlanta. It's even more remarkable to think that their work is largely invisible and/or irrelevant to so many Atlantans. As the Imam said this morning, it takes tremendous courage, self-confidence, and self-awareness to walk into a house of worship other than your own. Our kids certainly have all 3 of this qualities. They were very well-prepared by their Social Studies teachers in terms of basic knowledge of these three faiths. On a deeper level, their insider knowledge of Judaism, acquired through years of Jewish learning and living, gave them a special ability to decode some of the complexities of these other faiths as well as find the common and distinguishing factors among them.

It was a beautiful day.