I made it back to the monastery last night at 7:30pm. The front doors were locked and I went through the back. It took awhile to pick up my bags because the bag check was locked too. The clerk did not enjoy being pulled away from his TV during his off hours to let me in to pick up my bags even though it only took two minutes. Everything was locked and no one was around to answer questions on housing for the night for me. I heard sounds of the evening ceremony and parked myself on a bench hoping to catch someone who can help me on their way out at the end. I saw monks sitting on chairs facing each other across a rectangular table. There were lay people kneeling during the ceremony. I waited and also kept my eye out for passersby.
Then I saw two people who I mistaken as ones I met earlier in the morning and inquired about getting a room. They had me go to the second floor where the even reception was. The reception was unwilling to let me have housing until a monk approved because I held a US passport. Then a monk showed up and let me check in. I paid 10 yuan for a bed in a three bedroom room and I was the only occupancy for the evening. I was so relieved to have the whole room to myself because I really needed to spread myself out in order to repack my pack and privacy to apply medicine on my injuries.
My Fujian Province neighbors befriended me. They consisted of a group of 5 women and one man. They were very nice and took care of me. My ancestors are from Fujian. They were kind in walking me to the showers since I didn't know my way around in the dark and they were curious as to where the showers were too. They helped me to figure out how to get the how water going. I stayed in the showers for a long time disregarding the long shower line outside the door. The group forgot to bring battering charger for their camera and needed to find some one at the monastery who had the same camera and also has their charger. Fortunately for them an Aussie was in the shower line and I asked her if she had one and amazingly she did. The women were so happy and thanked me for translating for them.
This group of women were mostly in their middle ages except for a daughter who was a young professional. They were all vegetarian except for the daughter. One of the moms really want her daughter to be a vegetarian when she heard that I was too. I told her, it has to be an individually inspired choice in order for it to be a long lasting joyful experience.
This morning I knew I needed to head out early in order to do Lushan and then head to Chengdu by early afternoon. I got up and made to early breakfast hours just in time before they shut down the meal. I saw my Fujian neighbors and sat with them. I even finished off their vegetables. I knew I had a day of bus travel and needed to eat well because breakfast would be my main meal for the day. plus unfinished food would just get dumped out and wasted this way. Well, I like pure, clean, monastic vegetarian food, it's so plain and simple. I think it is just so good and satisfying.
I went back to my room to pack up and kept watch on the time. One of the woman came in to ask for medicine for a man in their group who has had diarrhea all yesterday. I poured out half a bottle worth of pills for them. I had two bottles and haven't had to use for myself. This was pretty much the case with all the medicine I brought, it ended up being for someone else except for the Neosporin. I showed the woman how to go about putting pressure on some points in the body that may bee swollen to help speed up the healing. This group was one in unity, they have the all or none mentality. They decided to cancel their hike up the Emei peak to wait for their friend to heal because at this point he can't walk far. The man was very sick and personally came to thank me. He felt he had to return the favor by telling me where to visit in China etc.... I kept looking at my clock and knew I was pressed for time. I didn't care for his advice because he didn't have any personal experience in those places he recommended nor did he have a good understanding of the in's on Buddhism. I told them to come and visit me in US and they would find me at Berkeley Buddhist Monastery where I volunteer regularly. They were shocked that anyone volunteers at the monastery. I don't know why it is so shocking since it's a big part of Buddhist practice, giving of service for others. I don't know how it is done here in modern China to have them to be so shocked.
Time was closing in on my departure, an hour that was set aside for reorganizing and packing went into listening to chatter politely. I ended up stuffing everything into my pack and ran with it down the hill out of the monastery. On the way out, I saw the guard Shr at the door and he said he waited for my return last night. I apologized that I was late because I got lost and things just ended up taking longer than had planned. I thanked him for waiting for me. He said the bus driver that leaves nearby who always passes the front door on his way to this first shift had already passed and I would have to find my own way to the long distance bus terminal in town.
