And she's climbing the stairway to heaven

I can't begin to describe all of the monasteries I have visited there are just too many - - and each one is unique yet similar. I have seen the future Buddha, the past Buddha, the current Buddha, the biggest future Buddha in the world, the oldest Buddha,...and it's all been incredibly interesting. The history of Buddhism goes back so far and many of the relics (the ones the Chinese didn't take/pillage) are still in these monasteries I visited. The steps getting to them are often uneven and rough - - hand built with stones and slate from the mountains surrounding the area so everything is uneven. Always the rooms are dank and dark with the smell of animal fat candles burning. Pilgrims (devotees, worshippers, believers) see to it that there is always fat in the vats of candles. In fact, the ghee or fat is sold outside almost all of the monasteries. It's the pilgrims' diligence and devotion that keep the candles aflame. There are monks moving freely about these monasteries so it is interesting to see them in their various points of daily living: chanting, reading, talking and laughing, talking on cell phones, doing laundry, whatever a normal person does these monks do.

We attended a monastery that has debating - - monks sitting in an outdoor location, paired up, debating various aspects of Buddhist scriptures. They sort of slap their hands together in a loud smack or clap and go about making their point to their partner seated before them. Then they switch and the other one debates. I saw a small child monk, around 10 years old, learning the smack/clap and debating process. Very interesting and lively with lots of sounds of beads, clapping, smacking, talking, and birds singing. Amazing!