1/5 liliapatterson 1 year ago on Google
My
most
recent
experience
at
the
Leicester
Buddhist
centre
was
a
strange
event
I
did
not
find
peaceful
at
all,
instead
deeply
perplexing.
As
someone
who
used
to
live
in
Oxford,
working
at
a
vegetarian
cafe
opposite
a
Tibetan
Buddhist
centre
for
several
years,
becoming
friends
with
various
of
the
Tibetan
monks,
I
anticipated
being
invited
to
the
cafe
as
a
welcome
experience.
Instead,
the
opposite
was
true.
I
was
invited
by
my
partner
after
not
seen
each
other
for
a
while
and
we
were
looking
forwards
to
a
peaceful
time
together.
Instead
the
first
thing
I
noticed
was
the
prevalence
of
Buddhist
art,
which
happened
to
include
figures
ambiguous
in
sexual
nature,
predominentally
like
topless
females.
Indeed
observing
the
various
golden
statues
in
the
central
meditation
room,
there
were
two
very
clearly
topless
females.
As
a
female
myself,
I
don't
find
depiction
of
the
female
body
in
sexualised
form
as
something
I
wish
to
observe,
since
I
respect
the
value
of
privacy
of
the
body.
Therefore
I
found
it
strange
to
see
such
a
focus
on
the
female
form
in
what
was
meant
to
be
a
spiritual
space.
Instead
I
found
it
deeply
disturbing,
confrontational
and
unnecessary.
When
any
part
of
the
human
body
which
is
normally
private,
is
thrust
in
your
face
against
your
consent,
whether
male
or
female,
regardless
of
whether
it
is
justified
by
being
described
as
'religious',
I
am
deeply
uncomfortable
with
the
experience,
which
I
would
describe
as
a
violation
against
my
consent.
The
other
Buddhist
centres
I've
been
to
and
meditated
at,
had
prayer
flags
everywhere,
and
felt
like
spiritual
spaces.
There
were
no
semi-nude
icons
everywhere,
like
you'd
found
yourself
in
some
kind
of
topless
massage
parlour,
justified
by
being
called
Buddhist.
Then
when
we
went
to
the
counter,
the
two
female
staff
then
started
messing
around
giggling
and
flirting,
joking
with
my
partner,
in
front
of
my
face,
while
standing
next
to
him,
which
was
not
just
unprofessional,
but
also
rude.
I
felt
deeply
uncomfortable
with
their
behaviour,
as
did
my
partner.
I
just
stood
there
saying
nothing,
while
they
totally
ignored
me,
as
they
carried
on
their
entertainment
in
front
of
him
while
ignoring
me
as
if
I
wasn't
even
there.
My
partner
also
felt
awkward
and
embarassed,
and
as
soon
as
he'd
been
given
his
drink
he
left
and
rushed
off
to
sit
down,
and
wait
for
me,
leaving
me
alone
with
the
women.
As
soon
as
he
left,
and
they
saw
me
standing
there,
waiting
for
them
to
calm
themselves,
their
faces
fell
like
petulant
teenagers,
as
if
I'd
ruined
their
private
party.
I
then
calmly
asked
if
I
could
have
a
glass
of
water.
They
told
me
I
could
help
myself
to
water
from
a
jug,
then
walked
off
with
their
noses
in
the
air.
I
found
the
experience
so
bizarre
and
awkward
that
I
would
never
go
there
again.
I
didn't
find
the
experience
peaceful
or
spiritual
in
any
shape
or
form
at
all.
I
spoke
to
my
partner
after
and
he
told
me
that
he
felt
the
prices
were
too
high
and
he
felt
rushed
and
pressured
like
he
felt
the
people
there
wanted
to
get
money
out
of
him,
so
that's
why
he
went
to
sit
down
to
relax.
He
had
nothing
more
to
say
about
the
strange
behaviour
of
the
women,
and
then
we
carried
on
our
conversation
talking
about
our
own
private
business.
Since
I'm
more
used
to
meditating
in
Buddhist
centres
with
a
focus
on
prayer
and
prayer
flags
rather
than
an
exploitation
of
the
female
form,
as
an
opportunity
to
extract
money
from
people,
I
would
never
choose
to
go
to
the
Leicester
Buddhist
Centre
ever
again.
As
far
as
I
was
aware
the
lesson
of
Buddha
was
meant
to
focus
on
the
spirit
and
on
prayer
and
being
a
good
person
rather
than
on
using
the
body,
in
particular
that
of
the
female
form,
to
extract
money
from
people.
Everyone
is
different
evidently.
As
a
female,
I'd
rather
stay
away
in
future,
and
avert
my
eyes,
and
hope
to
find
somewhere
else
more
peaceful,
with
more
polite
and
professional
and
less
rude
and
childish
staff
as
well.
Avoid
like
the
plague
more
like.