Om mani padme hum

Om mani padme hum... that is the mantra for the buddha of compassion, which is the main buddha.

I have to say, I am kinda monasteried out. I think I have been to 6 or 7 so far and after a while the insides all seem to look and smell the same. Monks dressed in maroon and yellow robes, buttery stuff fueling candles, ten cent notes everywhere....... "walk counter-clockwise!" ok, ok, ok...I don't want to come across as someone who is unappreciative of other cultures, don't get me wrong the monasteries are beautiful and full of history, but right now I am just on an overload.

The extent that people revolve their lives around idols here is outstanding. Not far from our hotel is a market that is right next to a monastery. People pilgrimage from all over to do pronations (or prostrations are what I think they are called) around the temple. My time spent in China has allowed the comparative religion nerd within to rear its head :) The bible says to pray without ceasing and these people definitely take that aspect literally within their own faith. What if we as Christians felt as bound to rituals as the Tibetans? I wish I could tell them that they don't have to live in constant acquiescence of the gods. A lot of pilgrims have been face-down so many times that they have dirty spots permanently on their foreheads.

In James 1:27 it says, "Religion that God our father accepts as pure and blameless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." The pilgrims don't have any money, so they are constantly begging. If I have any small bills, I usually give it to them...Most of the time the beggars are young girls. On the other hand, I think I saw more people 80+ years old and it is very impressive to see their dedication.

So overall, Lhasa is a very beautiful place with a rich culture. It is so different from anything I have ever experienced it is hard to put it into words.