Tibet, Sera Monastery

 

After lunch, we are back on the road to a monastery that I am looking forward to visiting.

 

Arriving at Sera monastery I am already impressed as I learn about a mustard colored building standing alone on a nearby mountainside.

 

 

 

 

I am told the building I am looking at is a mediation place for monks who sometimes spend months there after what seems like a very difficult climb to get there. This discourages me from wanting to make the conversion.

Inside Sera monastery is a little different than the other monasteries we have visited so far. We are told it is primarily a teaching facility.

However, since it is a Sunday afternoon we do not get we witness any of the teachings or debates I was looking forward to.

 

 

Sera Monastery

 

What is the same here is the restrictions on picture taking with all the cool stuff being stored in my brain which I am sure sooner or later will begin to crash like my Vic-20 floppy drive.

Outside, Craig points out something interesting that I have never noticed before. There are government firefighters sort of just sitting around. They are necessary because things around monasteries and monks have been known to go up in flames, unexpectedly.

This is often a form of protest against the Chinese government and its policies towards Tibet.

 

 

Leaving Sera monastery from the closed teaching and debate area, I am disappointed.

 

 

 

 

 

However, I do spot something I still find very interesting here as we exit the main grounds. Repairs are being done to an entrance area and most of the tough manual labor is being performed by women including mixing cement.