#69 A Photo Journey: Exploring Aryapala Meditation Temple 🇲🇳

What's up fellow Steemians! In this post I invite you to follow my photo journey to a Buddhist temple and meditation center in Mongolia. I took a couple of trains that summer from Moscow all the way to Ulaanbaatar. By taking separate legs of train 分段坐火车, I could get out and see the local places in Russia, instead of having to stay in one trans-Siberia train for a week(and no shower for 7 days in that case...aaah...).

The Aryapala/Aryabal Buddhist Center is nestled on a hill among scenic valleys in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park 位于蒙古首都特勒吉国家公园的佛寺和禅修中心, about 2 hours' drive from Ulaanbaatar. I explored this huge gorgeous park and spent one night in a typical Mongolian ger camp 蒙古包宿营 in the valley.

In the head image here, you see a line of Buddhist prayer wheels 转经筒. These hollow metal cylinders come in different sizes: it can be a hand-held wheel carried by pilgrims (often seen in Tibet and Nepal) 朝圣者, or bigger ones set up in a monastery like these ones in my photo. In Tibetan Buddhism, spinning a prayer wheel is as effective as reciting the sacred texts 诵经, as a wheel usually contains a scroll printed with a mantra 祈祷真言/梵咒. On the outside of the cylinder there are auspicious 吉祥的 Buddhist symbols and inscriptions in Sanskrit 梵文 or Tibetan script.

The Aryapala temple was built in the shape of an elephant’s head, and the 108(a sacred number in several Eastern religions) stairs leading up to the temple symbolizes the elephant’s trunk 象鼻.

To reach the stairs, I first walked along a long path for meditation and reflection 反思. There were 72 signs with 144 Buddhist teachings 教诲 lining the sides of the path. The wise words on the signs remind people to reflect on the spiritual life. After this journey of enlightenment 觉悟, I arrived at the 108 stairs and walked up to the hilltop.

The white-walled temple has intricate carvings on its wooden posts and beams 柱子和横梁. The rocks above the temple and the main hall are decorated with paintings and stories of the Arhats 罗汉. Arhat is a high-rank Buddhist saint who enlightens 开导/启迪/教化 humankind. There is also a small meditation cave aside.

Aryapala Temple belongs to the Gelugpa sect(Yellow Hats) of Buddhism 格鲁派藏传佛教. Gelugpa practices focus on the journey to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. They teach devotees 信徒 to meditate and spark the bodhisattva 菩萨 within. In 1810s, Buddhist monks and artists from Mongolia and Tibet built this temple in order to meditate. Later in 2007, the restoration 修复 was completed and the meditation center was open to the public. The monks from Lamiran temple in Ulaanbaatar also come here regularly for religious service.

Buddhism has been playing a vital role in Mongolia's history and culture. Most Mongolian cities have developed on the sites of Buddhist monasteries. According to its national census 人口普查, over half of the population identifies as Buddhists. In the 13th and 14th century, the emperors of the Yuan dynasty started the process of conversion to Tibetan Buddhism in Mongolia. In the ecclesiastical hierarchy 寺院/教会等级, the living Buddha 活佛 of Mongolia was ranked third after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama 达赖和班禅喇嘛.

Mongolian Buddhism was influenced by Tibetan Buddhist monasticism 隐修制度/禁欲主义/寺院生活, but it has its own distinct features, some of which are based on Mongolia's shamanistic heritage 萨满教义, such as the ovoo(ceremonial cairn) worship rituals 一种祭拜自然的锥形石堆（类似西藏的玛尼石堆）executed by lama's. Besides, in Mongolian Buddhism, there are many independent lama's who can provide consultancy and don’t belong to any monastery.

If you ever come to this amazing Terelj park in Mongolia, besides visiting this interesting meditation temple, you can also hike to the glacial lake 冰川湖, Khagiin Khar Lake and the natural hot springs, ride horses on the steppe, watch the wildlife such as Eastern Buzzard(I saw plenty hovering over my head) 亚洲秃鹰, brown bears(I didn't get to see any)... If you like rock climbing, try out the many rock formations, like Turtle Rock and the Praying Lama Rock. I also learned cooking lamb from the host family, and watched locals wrestling 摔跤. I had so much fun packed with both natural and cultural experiences, and I'm sure you will too!