Cross Off Buddhist Monk as a Possible Profession

Just outside of Shijiazhuang, known to be the most polluted city in China, is the Bailin Buddhist Monastery.

My friend Jonathan and I took an overnight trip to the monastery because it is one of the few in China that allows foreigners to stay overnight in the dormitories and live the life of a monk.

We arrived in the afternoon around 5PM and dinner was served promptly at 6PM.  This is the dining hall.

The monks sit in the row of tables closest to the center. Note the monks on the other side that are facing us. Guests sit behind the monks.  Male guests on one side, female guests on the other.  Each person is provided two bowls and a set of chopsticks.

All means are vegetarian.....actually vegan if I'm not mistaken. Monks walk by with bowls of food and pour some in your plate.

Here's Jonathan powering down his food.  No waste allowed.  You have to eat all you are served.

After dinner, there really is nothing to do.  So we just walked around the monastery and talked and had moments of silence.

I decided to go out in the dark, without my phone and just sit and reflect.  I tried to let my mind wander.  Just sit and be calm.  Meditate.

I tried to observe what was around me.  To feel the breeze, to do all those things they tell you about being present.  Too look at the lighted prayer area here.  I lasted less than an hour.  I couldn't take it.  I needed something to occupy my mind.

Having gone to sleep at 9PM, the gong started ringing at 4:45AM for morning prayer.  The start of the day has the monks arriving at 5AM in the prayer hall.

I'm not joking!  5AM

There were probably 100 monks in prayer.  I wonder if there used to be more.  We stood and faced the center.  There was one monk on the microphone chanting the prayer while the monks chanted in unison.

There were three types of sounds.  A very low gong that came from hitting a large vessel.  A nice medium gong sound and a bell, like a desk bell at a hotel, that signaled it was time to kneel down and bow your head.  I was expecting prayer to last a couple hours, but it ended right at 6AM.

Time for breakfast!  In the morning the monks wear brown robes.  In the evening, they wear gray.

After breakfast, the monks go and pray again (no visitors allowed this time) and then the monastery is opened to the public.  It's a rush of worshippers and the quiet and peace of the night time gives way to the voices of the day guests.

I'm not sure what they are picking here and I asked one of the women, but she didn't know either.  By the time it was 930AM, Jonathan and I were bored.  Having planned on staying until 3PM, we decided that we had experienced enough of Buddhist monk life and went home.  It's clear I am a product of our modern society.  I need more than prayer to have a happy life!