Treasure Mountain Pagoda

Again, the weekend is here and with him our next trip. This time we spoke to Dr. Lauwi (he is not a real doctor, just operate the monastery clinic) an we negotiated that we’re going on a hike. Everything has already been agreed (here it means nothing: D). The day before the trip to us Dr.Lauwi said to us that he is leaving Monastery and going to university but everything about the trip was agreed and someone else will come with us.

Day of the trip in the morning… After breakfast I started to find out what, when and how are we going on the trip, nobody knew about our trip. So I’m calling Dr. Lauwi, he told me to go to the monk manager, that he knew about eh trip and he had the trip agreed. The monk manager said yes. After a little debate, he got us a driver (they do not want to allow me to drive here). So we hopped in the car. Destination was Lwe Baung Monastery. There we were supposed to go on a smaller hike. Also we were supposed to have lunch at that monastery because it was a friendly monastery.

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Upon arrival, it became clear that the Chief Monk of the Lwe Baung Monastery was my student’s uncle. I met him in our monastery where my student introduced me to him, we talked a bit and took some pictures. It was also a monastery associated with a government school but only 180 students and 10 monks. The monastery was older than ours. And the monastery was better equipped. The whole complex was smaller but did not have so many dormitories. But they are building a new boy dormitory. I realize one weird think, that in the monastery were no accommodation for girls, girls were living in dormitories outside of the monastery ( in villagers houses). Thus, in Lwe Baung Monastery was greater peace than in Phaya Taung Monastery. It became clear that he was subsidized by the state. State supplied them with electricity and provided it free of charge. We had there a Lunch and then our main point of the program could begin. Small hike on Treasure Mountain Pagoda. The hike lasted about an hour. The surrounding nature was a bit different than in Europe. As we climbed from the valley around us were mandarine orange plantations, tea plantations and coffee plantations. The forest resembled a rainforest. On the way to the summit we caught a storm. We hide under the small shelters that the villagers had in their plantations. When the rain stopped, we went on. At the top of the hill was a small pagoda. And on the cliff a great rock, the rock was painted on gold, on the stone was golden stupa. It was beautiful. There was really calm on that hill. An ideal place to meditate. We stayed on top for a while. On the way down we borrowed a few mandarin oranges from the orchard around and enjoyed them. I also tried to taste raw green coffee bean 😀

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Then we just got into the car and went back to our monastery. The whole trip took us about 7 hours, so such undemanding relaxing Saturday: D