Like us, the life of each Aka (lama) is a colorful storybook, but not as mysterious as most people think. Their lives are not far away from us, but they have their own beliefs, values and emotions. I have lived nearly 10 times back and forth in Guanghui Monastery, and each time I have taken some footage of the lives of the little Akka (lamas), and now I have put these photos together into a complete theme.
In Qinghai in winter, it is so cold that even the sun is lying until 8 o'clock before it slightly sticks out. Little Akadanba (8 years old), as soon as he got up from the bed, wrapped himself in a monk's robe, he began to build a stove, sweep the floor, wipe the table... Brother Long Duodan (14 years old) has also finished washing, lit a butter lamp in front of the Shrine in the monk's room, offered clean water, burned incense, simmered mulberry...
I usually like to sleep a little lazy, watching the busy green of them going in and out, and I am not embarrassed to get up from the kang. By the time I finished washing, breakfast had been prepared, including rice dumplings, milk tea, steamed buns, and fried foods such as twist flowers sent by the family to prepare for the New Year.
Because of his young age and lack of proficiency in Chinese, little Akadanba rarely spoke, but ate breakfast silently next to him. When I had finished breakfast, little Akadanba quickly finished cleaning the table and began to wash the dishes. Seeing me take a picture of him, he smiled slightly.
Uh..., uh..., uh...
After three thick conch sounds, the Akkas (lamas) of all size poured into the prayer hall like a tide, sat down on their own card cushions, and opened their own chapter of scripture. When the lead reciter finished the first sentence aloud, the chanting resounded throughout the entire prayer hall like thunder from near and far, and the life of the little Aka (lamas) began...
There are sutra activities today, so the little Akka (lamas) have to chant in the prayer hall all morning, but every 1 hour, there is a ten-minute break between classes. The Akkas were basking in the sun and chatting in the courtyard of the prayer hall, and the little Akkas would be ridiculed by the elders from time to time.
Lunch consists of ghee, steamed buns and nayare from the benefactor. Nao rice is a kind of food made of cold powder, potatoes, noodles, carrots and dozens of other ingredients sautéed, boiled, and then with soup, and is the most common farmhouse rice in Qinghai.
After the meal, the warm winter sun spread throughout the monastery, taking advantage of the rest time, Lafayette took out a push scissors that had been used for decades, poured the old half a day, and prepared to cut the hair of The Disciple. I asked the Buddha, do you have to do this yourself? Buddha Ye smiled and said, "Your own perfect (disciple), just like your own children and grandchildren, you still have to worry about it." ”
Studying the scriptures, serving the master, taking on the work assigned by the monastery, and playing like a normal child are almost all the daily life of the little Aka (lama). The method of the scriptures studied by the little Akkas was mainly by memorizing and debating.
When there is no scripture, in order to learn the scriptures, the little Aka (lama) has to do three lessons in the morning, middle and evening every day, each time first reciting the scriptures for half an hour under the guidance of the scribe, and then reciting them for 90 minutes.
Of course, like ordinary children who don't like to learn, there are many little Aka (lamas) in the monasteries who are afraid to study the scriptures or mischievous. Therefore, the younger Aka (Lamas) Renzeng, Gazeng and Chinzeng were assigned the corresponding scriptures by the scribe Huadan according to their learning ability, and then scattered in different places and recited aloud alone. If anyone deserts, he will be immediately pulled back by a cough from the scribe.
After the morning lessons, the little Aka (lama) had to complete the work arranged by the monastery individually before he had some time to play and rest on his own. Although the little aka (lama) enters the monastery with the ardent hopes of his family and his own beautiful vision for the future, only about one-half of the little aka (lama) can directly enter the stage of studying the scriptures, and the other little aka (lamas) are assigned to study in professional disciplines such as finance, medicine, Buddhist music, painting, sculpture, etc., or engage in monastic chores.
The time after the end of the afternoon homework is usually arranged by the master, or the little Aka (lama) is at his own disposal. Little Akka (lamas) have some time of their own every day. At this time, they either played football and ran wildly in the square of the monastery, or wandered around the countryside or towns around the monastery, and like ordinary children, their young minds were equally curious and eager for the world. Little Aka (Lama) Danpa saw me taking several pictures with him in a row, shyly a little overwhelmed, he picked up the roll of paper next to him, trying to distract me from his own embarrassment.
At the end of each day's study, the scribe will check the recitation of the day, and if he cannot recite it, he will be punished. Before going to sleep at night, they also have to review the scriptures they learned that day, and then fold the robes neatly and put them on the pillow before falling asleep.
The greatest hope of the little Akka (lamas) is to get promoted, and they will be upgraded sequentially according to the promotion system set up by the monastery, and finally through public defense, they will obtain the highest degree. Those who fail the exam can only be ordinary Aka (lamas) and do some labor errands. Those who pass the exam are promoted according to the system and learn more esoteric scriptures. There is no doubt that these are undoubtedly a huge and complex learning project for the little Aka (lama), and learning under such a long period of practice and a strict assessment system requires great patience and perseverance. Little Aka (Lama) Renzeng, every time he saw me holding up the camera against him, he would immediately hold his sutra to his chest.
From entering the monastery to completing the required scriptures, the akas (lamas) will spend the most precious time of their lives, spending every period of their lives in a harsh spiritual life, from childhood, adolescence to youth and even to twilight years. I often stared in amazement at the backs of the young or dying lamas walking through the monastery prayer halls and squares, imagining how their childish faces looked at this unusual life.
As bystanders, the life of the Aka (Lama) is always mysterious to us, but after contact, you will find that they are just ordinary people in another society that is different from ordinary society and has another set of values and outlook on life, and although their lives are very different from ordinary people, their components are also the most basic content and emotions of life. Because it is different, it is mysterious; because it is the same, it is attracted.