The City of Buddha

My first day on the tour bus was exhausting, but completely exhilarating.

Most of you probably have heard of the Shangri-La Hotels. Shangri-La is often described as a mystical, earthly paradise. It is in fact a real place in the mountains of Yunnan.

Yunnan is “a land of the wind, flower, snow, and moon”. It’s located at the southwest tip of China, close to Tibet. One time around sunset, when the sky was painted a fiery orange, a famous poet pointed at the beautiful mountainous landscape in the distance and said, “The land to the south of the brilliant clouds.” That was how the province got its name. If you break down the word Yunnan, it literally means south of the clouds. (“Yun” means clouds and “nan” means south).

Within the province of Yunnan, Dali is the City of Buddha. Our tour guide took us to the biggest temple in the City of Buddha - the Three Pagoda Chong Sheng Temple. It used to be the royal temple of the Kingdom of Dali, housing 39 gods, blessed by 108 gurus, 9 emperors have abandoned worldly pleasures and the supreme power of ruling a nation and chosen to become monks at this temple.

It's gigantic, backed by green mountains, facing an expansive naturally formed lake, over 2000 meters in altitude. At this height, one can’t help but feel at eye level with the clouds in the sky. It’s like a temple built in heaven.

The magic number 9, being the highest level of enlightenment, is used extensively throughout the design of the place. For example, there are exactly 9 hills in the mountain they’ve chosen to build the structure, 9 temples, and the gold tiled roofs of the main hall are guarded by 9 lucky creatures to protect the building. I'm not a religious person, but I can't help but feel the holy powers that reside within this place. It reminded me of the feeling when I first stepped into the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal. I had decided back then that if I ever get married, I’d like to get married there. No five star hotels, exotic beaches, carefully manicured backyards of exquisite mansions could match the holy powers I felt in that place. It’s as if the vows made in that church take on a whole new level of meaning. The Gods are watching, so you better keep your promise.

I have no urge to have a wedding here or anything, but like I said, I did feel the holy powers of the place, like the wishes made here would come true. There’s a saying, and it may be a Buddhist saying, “When you were born, you brought nothing with you to the world, and when you die, you can’t take anything with you.” When you think about it, it’s so true and so liberating. All the material possessions we strive so hard to get can’t be taken with us when we leave the world, so the best thing to do, is just enjoy this gift of time in between. Be happy and give generously. There’s a reason why the phrase “give and take” goes in the order that it does. Give first.

I burn 3 sticks of incense, kneel before Buddha, and make a prayer I’d come to make over and over again at every temple I visit in the subsequent months of this trip.

A corner of the temple - with 9 lucky creatures on the roof