Research Paper on Meditation & Prayer: Divine Spaces of Worship for Centuries

Introduction

Meditation and prayer are fundamental aspects of religion that have been observed for centuries in various religious denominations. The stated aspects have also been incorporated in the architectural structuring of houses of worship, as it can be observed in both ancient and contemporary religious landmarks today. The appeal of such structures to the themes of prayer and meditation has enhanced their acceptability as divine spaces of worship among the global believers in respective denominations. As such, an investigation focused on determining the extent to which the religious aspects of prayers and meditations have traditionally been featured in the worship architectural.

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Today, lifecycles and afterlife structural symbolism have largely manifested in the architectural construction of temples as well as synagogues in different parts of the world. Such stated lifecycles have been centered on illuminating the steps of religion that believers should follow to attain divinity or ultimate spirituality from a higher power. Also, in the same aspect, the constructions of most religious buildings since the ancient civilizations have illustrated the analogies of life after death through their architectural artwork and designs. Subsequently, this has made architectural designing to be a fundamental method of representing religious beliefs and theological expectations in the construction of houses of worship.

Sacrifices have also been key aspects of many religious societies since ancient societies. Sacrificial practices towards invisible forces have in the past been evidenced in Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Greek Orthodox Christianity denominations. Although contemporary religious practices today do not widely practice blood sacrifices as a key element of their meditation requirement, other symbolic undertakings such as tithe offerings are equated to sacrificial practices. Nevertheless, architectural designs and artwork of houses of worship in different denominations have recounted histories of sacrificial practices in different religions, excised by believers as a necessary requirement for intercession to their supreme deities.

Religious spaces throughout history have incorporated many stylistic and architectural features commemorating life cycles and the afterlife. Additionally, through studying religious spaces, worship spaces have incorporated the remembrance and respect to a greater invisible force within their architectural layout. The following research proposal aims to provide an argument on why investigating religious beliefs and practices of various denominations can be utilized in understanding the theological histories of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Greek Orthodox Christianity beliefs. Particularly, that is through researching and analyzing the architectural designs and artwork of buildings and religious constructions created over the course of history in different denominations.

Buddhist Ancestral Structures

The history of Buddhism originates in the Northeastern region of India over two centuries ago and it was based on the teachings of the Siddhartha Gautama. Today, Buddhism is among the primary denominations that exist in global society today. Additionally, Buddhist temples have primarily been the houses of worship for the Buddhist communities for centuries and they have over history featured remarkable architectural designs in their construction. Such architectural designs feature remarkable artwork that illustrates the lifecycles as well as stages of life practices by the Buddhists in their denomination. Particularly, that is in the course of seeking for Nirvana or enlightenment from Buddha through their religious devotion. The traditional architectural structures in Buddhist temples can provide a good illustration of the religion's lifecycles and stages of faith among Buddhist society.

Today, Buddhist temple traditional structure has incorporated the lifecycles as well as representations of the stages of life in their construction of the temple. The Four Noble Truths, as well as the Eightfold Path, are among the crucial teachings of Buddhism that are manifested in the artwork featured in some Buddhist temples around the world. Additionally, the stated truths are Buddhist beliefs as well as realizations of the world and how individuals can escape the endless lifecycles of birth, death, and samsara (rebirth). On the other hand, the Eightfold Path is a sequence of the rights steps that Buddhists should follow during their day-to-day lives to attain divine fulfillment.

The circular symbol of a spinning wheel for controlling a water vessel (ship) with eight spikes has traditionally been featured on the Buddhist temples to symbolize the concepts of the Eightfold and the four notable truths for achieving enlightenment in the Buddhist culture. The wheel is also referred to as the Dharma Wheel or Dharma-Chakra and it has been one of the largely used symbols in the Buddhist temples and religious monuments. The Dharma Wheel architectural symbols have also in the past been featured in the Buddhists temples as symbols for guiding Buddhists to achieve Nirvana through following Siddhartha's teachings. Additionally, the symbol has also been featured in the Buddhist temples as a tool for guiding meditation within the temples.

Through studying the structure of Buddhist temples, the structures throughout the United States pay respect to the ancestral origins of beliefs. These beliefs are carried out throughout the design of the worship space, which can be manifested in the three top temples situated in the United States. In Dallas, Texas, the Buddhist temples have several consistent traditional architectural symbols in their composition. The same symbols have also been featured in the Hacienda Heights (His Lai) temple in California as well as the City of Ten Thousand Buddha in the United States. In this case, the Conch Shell (dun) is featured in the architectural designs of the temples and it symbolizes the spoken teachings of Buddha.

Also, the Vase (Bum-pa) has been is an urn featured in the temples' construction design to symbolize hidden treasures in the divine Kingdom of Buddha. Also, an umbrella symbol (gdugs) is also common in the temples' artwork and symbolizes believers' protection of faith or Dharma. An endless knot, which is also referred to as the apal-be is also used in the adornment of the Buddhist temples to symbolize devotion. Additionally, the apal-be diagram is normally represented in the form of a geometric diagram and it is largely painted in the stated Buddhist temples' windows. The golden fish or the (gser-na) is also a key diagram that has largely been painted on the Buddhist temples' walls and ceiling and it is employed to symbolize spiritual liberation. The stated symbols are remarkably important in reflecting the essentials needed to achieve nirvana, which is the ultimate goal in Buddhist culture

Hindu Ancestral Structures

The construction of Hindu temples has also illustrated the incorporation of the Hinduism believes. Particularly, that is in the construction designs and decorations made on the temples using traditional Hinduism symbols that are featured in the Holy Veda among other religious publications. Today, the architectural structures that have been incorporated in the creation of the Hindu temples are largely centered in illustrations of offerings made to Brahma as well as to other deities. There are three reasons why the stated Hinduism architectural designs have been incorporated in the creation of Hindus' places of worship.

First, the symbols have largely been employed to illustrated Vedic sacrifices, particularly those practiced in traditional practices such as Shaivism, Shaktism, Tantra and Vaishnavism among others. Also, in the stated practices, Hindu religion believes largely used grains, ghee as well as vegetables in their sacrificial practices since the stated offerings where to believe to please the gods and deities, which was crucial for the attainment of dharma. The second reason why the identified practices have been featured in the architectural designs of the Hindu places of worship is that they are utilized to provide the meaning behind a sacrifice.

Particularly, that is because it has traditionally been believed that the Hindu temples are holy spaces where sacrificial practices meant to seek favors from gods should be practiced. The last reason why the architectural designs have been incorporated in the creation of the temples today is that they represent the spaces where offerings made to deities should be taken. Additionally, that is as a symbol of respect and worship to both the gods and goddesses of the Hindu's divine. For instance, within the DFW Hindu Temple, the architectural framework of the temple incorporates the shrines of 16 deities that are decorated extensively

Sikh Temples

The Sikh temples have also been adorned with beautiful architectural artistry to represent various concepts of Sikh's religion in their composition. Traditionally, the Sikh temples were considered to be divines houses of worship where both members and non-member of the religion can go and contribute their prayers as well as respect to the holy Guru Granth Sahib. Today, there are several reasons why the architectural designs and adornments have been featured in all Sikh's temples. First, the symbols have been employed to illustrate the teachings made in the Holy Book of Guru Granth Sahib, where hymns, as well as prayers of the Sikh faith, are authored.

The Palki, which is a beautifully decorated architectural tool, is present in most Sikh temples and it is used as a placement tool for the Holy Book of Guru Granth Sahib. In this case, the Book is carried out from the Palki during the day to start the worship and later taken back to the Palki for storage during the evenings. The other major significance of using the architectural designs in Sikh's temples is to represent the four doors of entering the Gurdwara. Additionally, according to the Sikh's beliefs, the four doors include the "Door of Peace", "Door of Learning", "Door of Grace" as well as the "Door of Livelihood". Furthermore, the architectural designs used to illustrate the four doors are employed to symbolize that all people are equal within the Gurdwara.

There are three iconic architectural symbols that have been featured in most Sikh temples situated in the United States and other parts of the world. Among such Sikh's houses of worship is the Sikh Gurdwara Temple that is situated in California, United States. The Symbols include the Khanda, which is a double-edged sword that symbolized the belief in one God. Additionally, the Chakkar or Kara is a circular symbol in Sikh's religion that represents faith in God without any beginning or an end. The other symbol is the Kirpan, which is represented by the shape of two crossed swords and symbolizing the presence of spiritual authority in the Sikh's religion.

Greek Orthodox Christian Churches

The Greek Orthodox Christian Church represents a house or space of prayer where followers pray and exercise their beliefs in God as well as Jesus Christ his Son, and also the Holy Spirit. Since ancient times, the Christian Churches have been decorated using a range of symbols that illustrate the Christian faith and teachings. Common architectural designs that have been employed in the creation of Churches currently and in the past include high dome and vaulted ceilings, which symbolize that the Church is committed to embracing all people in the Kingdom of God and Church. Furthermore, Iconostasion within a church is employed to represent the icons within the Christianity religion whereby followers of the ancient Greek Orthodox faith can make their rituals and exercise pray...