We would like to show publicly, our appreciation and thanks to the people of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas for the wonderful experi­ence they gave us.

In conjunction with reading "Siddhartha" in our 10th grade World Literature class at Potter Valley High, my students and I were blessed with an invitation to visit the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, where we were allowed to join in on the festivities surrounding Buddha's birthday. This is the third time I have been able to take this trip with students, and every year I learn something new, but always, I feel the same way when I get there-at peace, contented. Here are some of my students' impressions of this trip:

"We got to participate in the bathing of the Buddha. You bow a certain way and bathe him three times. It was thought that when he was born, the dragons brought the rain to cleanse him. I learned that when we cleanse the Buddha, we are also symbolically cleansing ourselves. I also enjoyed looking at the peacocks."

—KyleVonfeldt

"I thought that participating in the ceremonies, the prayers, the bowing and singing (or trying to sing) in Chinese was really interesting. I learned a little about Buddhist monks' Way of every day life-how they wake up at 4 a.m., the different ceremonies they participate in on a daily basis. It was really interesting."

—Kevin Ellis

"It is interesting how the five precepts that Buddhist take are similar to the 10 Commandments. Their rules are kind of strict compared to what we do in our every day life. It was very interesting to learn about a different culture and way of life."

—Alison Ryan

"One of my favorite parts of the trip was looking at and learning about all of the statues at the City. I left feeling very materialistic because they don't live with all the luxuries that I do. They never abuse their blessings. I wouldn't like to live the way they do, but I really respect them because they can live that way."

—Brianne Ferris

"I liked the ceremony they do before they eat and how the place where the ceremony was done had more than 10,000 Buddhas in the wall and ceiling. I learned more about their religion and customs from one of the teachers (monks) there."

—NancyNaja

"I enjoyed hearing how the monks became involved in Buddhism, and how they eventually decided to become monks."

—Tori Schraeder

"I think I understand what Enlightenment is, well, better than I did before."

—Megan Mason

"The best part about the trip was to see how a small community of people had come together to make this place and practice their religion. It's almost like a small county inside California. It was also really inter­esting to learn about what the swastika really stands for (infinity, lasting peace). Hitler turned it backwards and twisted its meaning."

—Carrie Breese

"I really liked the altar in the Temple. It was full of beautifully decorated statues. The paintings on the four corners (the Four Kings) were really neat too. They had such detail and the students at the school helped paint them!"

—Rebecca Winter

"The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas was a really warm place. Every­one had a smile for us even though we were strangers. It had good vibes!"

—Dan Morford

"I was fascinated by the traditions and customs which bring the Bud­dhists together as a reverent and peaceful community."

—Maia Atkinson

Seeing, listening, tasting. Smelling and feeling it-being there-what a wonderful way to experience a different culture. Thank you Terry, Josie, Heng Shun, Chin Lung and all the others at the City for welcoming us so warmly and sharing your time and energy. Special thanks to the Head Chef who made the community's daily meal an extra special one.