As I reflect back, the reasons why I took World Religion 2300, was out of curiosity and

desire to learn as much as I could, about major religions that are in the world today, Hinduism,

Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. I can tell you how much I am satisfied with the

results of this course taught by Dr. Wijita Bandara. The way that Dr. Bandara approach this

course, took the whole class on an amazing adventure through the world of culture, religion and

their rituals. His text book of choice was Living Religions (Ninth Edition) by Mary Pat Fisher,

which was the perfect complement to this course.

We began the course with Hinduism, It felt like we were entering a foreign world of

ritual, tradition and beauty. I found how little I know about this religion, and how much is there

to be learned. I remember how amazed I was to learn about the Ganges river and its purpose and

how Hindus believe it holds mystical powers. Their Gods stories were amazing to me.

Entering in the World of Buddhism was also a rich experience, as I found out who

Buddha is and what he meant to the buddhist people. His way of life was and is what the

buddhist people try to follow in their daily lives. As one of the assignments given, I visited a

Buddhist Temple. It was amazing to see how reverent and respectful the buddhist people behave

in their temple. I was also able to speak with someone at that temple, a peaceful person who

spoke calmly about their beliefs and traditions. The experience left a very positive impression on

me and how I view Buddhism now.

The study of Judaism brought back many memories. Many of the stories told in class,

echo those told by my father. We learned of the suffering of the Israelite people as well as the

suffering of the Jewish people through the Holocaust. It was great to see their victories after the

many challenges they overcame throughout the years.

 Christianity came after, with all their revolts and reformers, also with stories of devotion

to God and Jesus Christ. Some of the subjects were new to me, while others were somewhat

familiar. I got to visit a Catholic Church for one of my assignments. It was a very different

experience from that of the Buddhist Temple, yet, similar in how devoted the followers are and

the reverence they hold for their building.

At last, we learned about Islam and their traditions and rituals. We had an opportunity to

have an Imam visit our class, to speak and answer questions about Islam. The stories of

Muhammad and of his life are inspirational and uplifting. I learned that the Muslim community

do not adore Muhammad, but view him as a great and last prophet. I learned about their way of

life, and how many Muslim people try to emulate the teachings of Muhammad.

My opinion and thoughts about the diverses religions have changed after taking this

class. I am much better equipped to view people with more tolerance and acceptance of their

differences, as well as a greater understanding of the reasons they do the things they do. The fact

that Dr. Bandara comes from a different Country than America, allows the class to gain a broader

view of religions from around the world. We could see things through his eyes in a way that

opened the minds of those that have never experienced life outside America. Dr. Bandara was

charismatic, sympathetic and aware of the diversity of students he had in class. He was the

perfect man for the job. Well done Dr. Bandara.