Shanghai Jade Buddhist Temple

This morning we visited the Jade Buddhist Temple, so named because it contains a Buddha carved out of a single massive piece of white jade. When we asked Li how many people in China are Buddhist, he claimed very few, pointing out that being a true Buddhist would restrict one from marrying and consuming meat and would essentially require the life of a monk.

According to Li, 90% of Chinese people are atheist, however many visit Buddhist temples and in varying degrees follow Buddhist teachings. More educated Chinese people tend to better understand the Buddhist principles, while many in China simply look to Buddha to provide luck, favors, and good fortune. Those that are more aware of the teachings associate jade with many of the same principles, including intelligence, awareness of the world, and love of oneself as a path to peace and loving others.

We all enjoyed learning about the temple, and a fairly in-depth discussion about the teachings of Buddha. The ribbons pictured above are brought to the temple and tied for luck.