March 8, 2015 happened to be my birthday on the lunar calendar, and it was a weekend. At the kind invitation of my friends, I left Lhasa to visit Shannan. Lhasa was still freezing in spring in March. We drove a rented dilapidated SUV all the way. We set off from Lhasa in the evening, passed through the tunnel, and walked along the Brahmaputra River. We arrived at Shannan Zedang Town before dark.
The Yalazangbo River is blue, bluer than the sky, like a blue ribbon floating in the wind on the desolate land. The setting sun lengthened our shadows and shone on the road, giving us a desolate illusion.
We set off early the next morning, first going to Changzhu Temple in the city, and then to Yongbulakang. In the end, it was still early, so everyone said we would just go along the highway. Keep driving forward, as long as we can return to Lhasa today.
In this way, we drove along the Brahmaputra River, and then I fell asleep. When we were woken up by my friend, we had already arrived at the entrance of a temple. My friend told me that this was Samye Temple, one of the famous temples in Tibet. There are many vendors at the entrance of the temple and many cars parked in the parking lot, which shows that this temple is very popular.
Samye Temple is a square shape, surrounded by walls on all sides. It is very large inside. The most impressive thing is that there are four giant metal statues of different colors inside, including black and white, red and green. , I don’t remember exactly whose statue it is, I just remember that the statue is very tall and very big.
I am a superficial tourist who understands neither Tibetan culture nor Buddhist culture. I followed my friends around the yard, spinning the prayer wheels when I saw them, bowing to the Buddha when I saw them, and secretly making wishes in my heart. I remember that my birthday wish was made to the Buddha at Samye Temple. I hoped that I would be healthy and happy in the new year.
I don’t know why a non-Buddhist like me would visit so many temples. Temples were originally gathering places for Buddhist believers. Nowadays, temples have become tourist attractions everywhere. Taking photos, burning incense, and making wishes are all the activities of the temple. As for history, culture, and inheritance, I think few people will care about it.
I will still go into a temple when I see him in the future, I will still bow to the Buddha when I see him, and I will still make a wish sincerely. The temple seems to have become a place of sustenance, a tree hole-like existence, where you can make good wishes, whether they can be realized or not.
I will always remember Samye Temple because I made a wish there on my birthday that year.