Mornings at the world’s second-largest Buddhist monastery
Personal project
Although I love India, it is definitely one of those places that asks a lot of me. So when my friend Russell invited me on a trip to the North East, I wasn't instantly excited - until I did some research on where he wanted to go: Arunachal Pradesh. This state is part of a heavily regulated, disputed area between India and China/Tibet. To enter the state, you need to get a permit. To get the permit, you need to have a planned itinerary. One place I really wanted to see? Tawang Monastery.
Bordering Tibet in the north and Bhutan in the West, Tawang boasts the second largest Buddhist monastery in the world. It takes a pretty grueling 26 hours in busses and shared jeeps on bumpy roads to get to this mountain village from the nearest big city. It’s May, and with the monsoon coming, dark clouds cover the area - but the monastery and its distinct yellow roofs still stick out. We decide to spend three consecutive mornings at the monastery.
7:30 AM - The beautiful and colorful main hall, dukhang, was often eerily quiet in the morning and a favorite spot of mine to start the day. We also found an older lady walking around the monastery every early morning. Prayer beads rolling through her fingers, softly reciting mantras and turning prayer wheels all around the compound. I spent some time sitting here with her - exchanging smiles and getting our hands greasy from using the belt to turn the big wheels.
7.50 AM - Young monks make their way to school. The monastery belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, known mostly through His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Their monastic education system is valued very highly and logic and debate are essential elements in their teachings.
8.30 AM - Assembly time! This little one needed a little help staying focused during morning assembly, as het kept peeking at me through one of his eyes.
9 AM - After morning assembly, this teacher invited us into his class. One by one, the young monks were instructed to read out loud in front of the rest of the group. This guy gave me a big cheeky smile as soon as the teacher turned around
12 PM - For a moment, the stairs and alleyways of the monastery fill up with a hustle and bustle - it's lunchtime!
The bell rings and the students walk/ run from school to their residential quarters, where every one (except the youngest) gets a pot or pan to fill with food to share at their house. With the boys flocking from every corner to dive into the kitchen, it's a very organized form of chaos. These two were the last ones to get their pots filled, before the monastery got back to its usual quietness.
On our last morning there, I got lucky to catch a loving moment of an Arunachal macaque licking her newborn baby clean.
"Love the whole world like a mother loves her only child" - Buddha.
