As we sat Buddha style on the floor of the temple for Morning Prayer service, we couldn’t help but wonder how much practice was required before the diaphragm was strong enough to allow a monk to chant for minutes on end without taking a breath. As the monks chanted in sync for nearly an hour straight, we watched as other Buddhist followers inched their way over to the burning embers, sprinkled incense and bowed in praise to Buddha. Not sure whether it was disrespectful for a Catholic to pay tribute to Buddha, Gene and I sat out our turn in line. Gene, however, after being nudged by the Japanese man seated next to him, scrambled over to pay his respects. Feeling as though I was back in the first grade, I struggled to hold in a
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