Homework - Buddhism

I had a difficult time thinking of ways my life was affected by Buddhism because I do not know much about it. Here are five things that I thought of.

1. Since I was a child, my family always says "itadakimasu" before eating. I am still not sure what the meaning of it is. My parents and grandparents taught me to say it so it is just a habit for me.

2. In my home, my family has a "hotokesama". Whenever my mother cooks rice or gets fresh fruit, we put it in the hotokesama. It is for my sister.

3. When I was younger, my mother told me to never stick my chopsticks straight up into my rice bowl. She said that this is the way the rice is presented at funerals.

4. This does not affect my everyday life but my family has memorial services for my grandfather. The services are held after one year, three years, seven years, etc.

5. Lastly, when I lived in Hawaii, every new year, my family and I would go to a Buddhism temple for the new year service.