My recent vacation took me to Shaoguan, a small city in the northern part of Guangdong province. Knowing very little about this lovely little getaway, my friends and I took the 2 hr bus ride to arrive to the beautiful countryside, surrounded by mountains.
The weekend was filled with soaking in hotsprings, long hikes in the mountains, trying local food in someones house, and lots of laughter that comes with being seemingly the only foreigner in this place. One place in particular made a memorable impression on me...Namhua Temple.
Over the last couple years, I have seen some of the most incredible and unique temples in parts of Asia that are timeless. Each has its own story, its own history and special surroundings. Namhua is no different. Only this temple had monks dwelling inside, which gave it a whole other character. I was talking to my friend about my curiosity for how monks lived and what their rooms might be like inside. Just as I was saying this, a man in a dark robe walked passed with keys in his hand.
We proceeded to ask this man if it would be alright to look inside his quarters. He welcomed us in with an inviting gesture. As we entered, his humble room was just as I had imagined it would be. A simple single bed, an old stone floor, numerous books and a small notebook at his bedside. My friend Renee graciously translated for me. He told us every morning he gets up at 4am to meditate and he does this, only taking 15 minute breaks, until 12midnight. As I look around me, I couldn't believe I was standing in a place that had been existing for over a thousand years and the monks living here live purely to meditate and tend to the grounds here.
Is it possible to live this simply? This monk was a living example of this. One thought that China is affording me is how can I simplify my life. How can I life for only what is important? Meeting this monk gave me a perspective that I have never had before. Coming back into the city, I thought how different it looked and almost strange. The buildings seemed unusually tall, and the sky grey. As I made my way back to my apartment, I took off my shoes, cleaned my room and got rid of some clothes I hadn't worn in a while, organized my books, and wrote in my journal. Finding it hard to put words on the page.
