Once you are in Ladakh, you start your day with the sun rising behind the Himalayas, the sounds of cymbals and chantings of Sanskrit mantra in within the walls of Thikse monastery. The morning reflects minds contemplative state where novice monks serve steaming cups of butter tea while mantras wrapped in juniper incense travel through the air, kindling an ethereal state that gives you a glimpse of a parallel, monastic world.
Located on top of a hill in Thiksey approximately 19 kilometres east of Leh in Ladakh, the monastery is home to the monks who have surrendered to a simple life and the ultimate pursuit of happiness, peace and “inner truth”. Like any other travel junkie, I was oozing with excitement to visit Leh and Ladakh in India. Leh and Ladakh regions are blessed with the best Buddhist monasteries which attract ample tourists every year from around the world. I visited Diskit Monastery, also popularly known as Diskit Gompa in the month of April 2017. A day in the monastery has been one of the best and life-changing experiences.
Spin the wheels and say your prayer.
The sacred prayer wheels at every nook and corner of the monastery with mantras written on them are believed to have a divine impact on humans. Usually the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” is written on the prayer wheels and spinning them is considered as scared as reciting or chanting mantras. Buddhist people and monks spin these wheels at least twice a day as informed by a local person in the monastery who came for his daily prayer. He also added that “Spinning prayer wheels cleanses your mind and soul from the negativities and it is very important to spin them with a rhythm and always in the clockwise direction as per the Buddhism.
Meditate and find your Inner Self.
The moment I entered inside the monastery, the complete silence took me over. Silence allowed me to be in the moment and leave whatever baggage I was carrying outside and indulge in the inner self. The preaching of Buddha has always guided us to be calm and silent in every situation of life so that we can think and handle whatever we are going through in a better way. We are supposed to discover ourselves by finding peace within. 30 minutes meditation not just calmed down the thoughts but made us realized that we can actually control our thoughts and actually know ourselves. The Buddha has rightly said “We can never find peace in the outer world until we make peace within ourselves. “
Each each passing day, the goal is to meditate. Refraining yourself from over indulgence. You start your day with food provided from the community and rest in the chores dedicated to giving back, as an act of virture. You see monks in action. While some get involved in maintaining the monastery, others build structures and rest of the time is for oneself – meditating. In the day time you will see monks clad in robes set for their weekly alms in the neighbourhood. These monks since the time of Buddha have solely relied on offerings from people.
You will see and know that it is only the connection of the people that is keeping the monastery alive, while the monks live by the celibacy, eating between dawn and midday, and never handling money, really a middle path between indulgence and total sacrifice.
Walk through white-washed chortens and mud-brick homes strewn across barley fields, while a winding road leads up to a medieval monastery, adorned by fluttering prayer flags wielded in the wind, carrying good-will and peace to all sentient beings.
Be present at the moment.
Another lesson that is worth learning from the Buddhist monastery is to be completely present at the moment that you are right now. For example, when monks eat their meal then, they enjoy it so much that it is the best meal ever in their life. Treat as it is the last one. While eating, they are present with the whole of their heart and mind at the moment.
Compassion and Kindness is everything.
The lesson of compassion is something which Buddhism has spread in this entire world. We see Buddhist monks brimmed with kindness and compassion as they are the firm believers of “You are one noble soul in this world whose main motive is to help others. Do the good work of helping others when you can. The Compassion comes from within and by doing your good karma.”
In short, I learnt that we have to be is a good human being first. Compassion, Kindness, Mindfulness, good intention makes you a good human.
