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FROM THE prayer wheel gazebo the track turned sharply to the right to traverse across the now steepening mountainside towards the main temple. A short distance up the stepped path we reached a large square rock with a painting on it. The painting was carved into the rock, consisting of one large figure sitting on a platform with a smaller figure standing on either side.
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The Shakyamuni Buddha |
This was the Shakyamuni Buddha, the enlightened one. It is said to be one of the main symbols of Buddhism. Buddha was born around 623 BC in a luxurious palace. He grew up as a noble prince, sheltered by his father from the pain and suffering of the world. Despite that he did discover the real world was far from the bliss of nirvana he lived in. He dedicated his life to teaching others how to escape the endless cycle of birth and death. He reached enlightenment, becoming a Buddha at age 35 following six years of mediation. The Buddhist people follow his theories and teachings, believing reading the mantra “Um Muni Muni Maha Muni Yea Suha” erases the bad deeds of 100 million years.
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View down the valley |
The signs continued, one reading: “Faith! Faith! Faith! It is like a snow-covered mountain top beneficial for oneself and useful to others.”
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Path across the mountain |
The path continued to steepen (though still moderate) as it traversed the side of the mountain. The rock faces towered precipitously above us to some spectacular outcrops at the top of the cirque. A few pine trees were scattered over the steepening slope, and what appeared to be the start of a pine forest covering the descending slope on the other side of the ridge was just visible over the little cols between the outcrops along the top.
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Spectacular mountaintops |
The track passed behind a fairly modern building down the hill. I’m not sure what its function was, perhaps a monastery where monks working here would stay.
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Heading up the trail |
About a hundred metres from the prayer wheel we reached a small gully with pine trees growing through it. The area was coloured with poles holding up lines with large pieces of cloth flying from them.
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The prayer flags |
These were prayer flags, commonly found flying on lines strung across mountains in Mongolia, Tibet and Nepal since around 1040 AD. They are used to bless the surrounding countryside, symbolising the promotion of peace, compassion, strength and wisdom. Traditionally they fly in sets of five, each a different colour representing the five elements.
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The oovo |
The prayers from these flags are believed to become a permanent part of the universe as the bright colours fade over the year. Just as life moves on to be replaced by another generation, the flags are replaced on the Tibetan New Year in February or March on a clear winter’s day. The flags themselves don’t carry the prayers to gods, but instead the prayers are blown in the wind to spread good will and grace to wherever the wind blows. The symbols and mantras on the flags are considered sacred, so when they are taken down they are burned. It is disrespectful to wear them or put them on the ground after they have flown.
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Entrance to bridge |
At the centre of the arrangement of flags was the Sacred Cairn or Ovoo, normally found at the tops of mountains. Here food offerings are made. These offerings are amongst the oldest yet most common rituals of Buddhism. The monks would offer food and incense to the tantric deities dwelling in this land. Upon receiving the offering, they will grant safety as you travel here, as they see the food offerings as positive acts showing the monk isn’t greedy. This is the point where the monks unbind themselves from their own clinging and neediness to think of others, preparing them for the main temple now just a short distance away.
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Crossing the bridge |
When religion was banned and most temples were destroyed with the socialist revolution, the faithful would secretly construct ovoos on mountaintops to worship.
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The gully |
From the Sacred Cairn, the track briefly descended to a bridge with a carved sign over its entrance. We crossed the bridge crossing a small gully carved into the mountain. The trees quickly gave way to give us a clear view towards the end of the track from where a steep stairway headed up to the main temple.
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Final ascent to the temple |
Once across the bridge we passed a large white stone carving of another Buddha before the track rose to the start of the stairs.
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Buddha carving |
We climbed the almost white stone stairs. On either side of the stone hand railings was a half metre wide garden running uphill with the stairs. The gardens had nothing more than dead weeds in them, already abandoned for the coming winter, or maybe never planted this the past summer.
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Stairs to the temple |
There were 108 white steps and 8 black steps, supposedly representing the ascent of our ordinary and meaningless life towards the temple where nirvana would be reached.
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View from temple |
The temple was quite heavily weathered thanks to the severity of the climate here, but it was very well decorated and adorned. A sign above the front entrance said: Arypapa Initiation and Meditation Centre, written in the Mongolian script at the top, the Russian Cyrillic in the middle and English at the bottom.
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Mountain above temple |
A verandah followed around three sides of the temple, giving spectacular views down the valley below us. Jagged crags towered above the rounded valleys filled with the colours of Autumn. The temple itself was white with a terracotta Chinese style roof. On each corner of the roof was a single figure, indicating the temple’s relatively low status (by Chinese standards anyway) but still of significant importance. A couple of animal figures painted in blue grey stood on top of the temple. The roof had several clumps of almost dead grass and weeds growing out of it. The verandah was edged with very fancy wrought iron castings of Buddhist themes.
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Temple roof |
After briefly looking at the view, I entered the temple. A sign back at the start of the steps had mentioned this temple is open to anyone who wants to mediate and be free from outside distractions. Here you can study the teachings and sutra of Mahayana Buddhism. This form of Buddhism (now the most prominent denomination in the world with just over half of all Buddhists) teaches enlightenment can be achieved within a single lifetime, even by a layperson.
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Inside the temple |
This wasn’t the most prominent temple in Mongolia. I would visit the ancient temple in the middle of the city tomorrow, a very mysterious place filled almost to the point of clutter with the relics of hundreds of years of Mongolian Buddhist history. It even contained the mummified body of a high priest, who served there for over forty years, sitting in the shadow of the main golden Buddha. That temple was more of a museum, whereas this one up in the mountains resembled more of the origins of Tibetan Buddhism set in a naturally beautiful, yet hostile, environment.
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Buddha in the temple |
Dougie explained the outline of the temple resembles the elephant, being the Buddha’s transport – obviously there are no elephants here. He said there are 108 praying wheels around the temple, containing 3 million mantra of the Buddha. They say he who spins these praying wheels will find happiness and fulfillment in their lives.
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Temple colours |
The inside of the temple was quite simple compared to other Buddhist temples I have explored throughout Asia, but this had an organic integrity to it. Exposed to the hash Mongolian winters, weathered and faded, everything seemed to fit in nicely with the rugged landscape outside.
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Temple interior |
Old murals and tapestries covered the walls. The centre of the temple rose into a large skylight letting plenty of sunlight into this otherwise dark temple as most Buddhist temples tend to be. Numerous pillars held up the roof.
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Small window |
At the back of the temple room was a small golden Buddha in a standing position. It was surrounded by flowers, including large sunflowers, and other decorations. The temple had a few rugs for people to kneel down on. At the entrance was a long list of instructions in Cyrillic writing which I couldn’t follow.
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Building further up the mountain |
Back out on the verandah I headed to the right where I saw another path heading gradually uphill to another smaller grey building. Perhaps this was where the main monk lived. Past the building and further up the hill were the large paintings of the four Buddhas.
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Fiery autumn colours |
Cloud was beginning to cover the sky again, but there was no sign of rain. I had another look down the valley over the tiny clusters of ger camps in the gentle valleys watched over by the monolithic granite outcrops occupying the ridge tops.
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Heading downhill |
We left the temple going down the 108 white steps and 8 black steps to a dirt path continuing directly down the hill. Initially passing through long grass it reached a section of short pine trees and deciduous trees. The track continued heading downhill before reaching the main path again just before the ticket office and art shop. Looking back, The mountain Orog Yamaat Uul stood dominant towering above the temple to pierce the bright blue sky.
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Final view of temple |
We returned to the little car and bounced our way down the rough track through the trees towards the gravel road back to our ger camp.
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