As the snow continued to fall on the University of Utah campus, my wife was getting more and more distraught. She hates snow and she hates the cold. In her Korean fashion, her feelings came out in a vocal expression. "Stop snowing! I hate snow!"
I said, "Ask Buddha for it to stop snowing."
My wife is Won Buddhist (a sect of Buddhism in Korea), and although I'm Mormon, we agreed to never force each other's religion on the other and to learn from each other.
She asked, "Is Buddha here in Salt Lake City?"
"There are mountains everywhere around here and we are pretty high up in elevation, so I am sure he's here."
NOTE: According to the Won Buddhists, Buddha only lives in the mountains, and to go and visit him for repentance of sins, help, and general offerings, we must exert all our mental and physical energy to get to him.
"Oh, good. Buddha, please make it stop snowing."
Then, after a moment of walking, my wife said, "Jason, on Sunday, ask God to make it stop snowing."
"I don't need to wait until Sunday, I can ask Him anytime."
"But, you have to go to the church building..."
"No. That is just a place to gather together for Him. I can pray to Him anytime."
"Really? Good. I hate snow. Ask Him to stop."
"Sure. I will pray tonight."
Flash forward to about a week later and our household goods arrived and my wife was happy because the Buddha arrived with it. And, her pray beads.
She said that if I was going to pack a bunch of Korean Bibles then she was going to bring Buddha. That was fine, of course. And, anyway, I like the Indian version of the Buddha. He seems more jolly, and I can relate to the fat guy.
And, the lessons in Mormonism and Christ continue with my wife, and she is getting more into the idea of Heavenly Father.
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