The Light of the Monastery — Winter Prayers in Lhasa
The evenings in Lhasa grow colder now. The air carries the faint smell of burning juniper and butter lamps, a mixture that feels both sacred and familiar. I pull my scarf tighter as I walk through the narrow alley toward the small monastery near my home. The sun has already dipped behind the Potala Palace, leaving a purple glow over the white rooftops.
Inside the courtyard, rows of lamps flicker like small golden hearts. The monks move quietly, pouring melted butter into bronze cups, trimming the wicks, whispering prayers that sound like wind against stone. I have come here many times before, but today feels different. The winter stillness makes every sound—every breath—seem louder, purer.
I kneel to light my own lamp. The flame trembles before settling, and I watch how its light dances over the wall, catching the colors of the thangka behind it. I think of the journey ahead—the long walk around Mount Kailash next year, the cold, the altitude, the endless sky. My body has been training for weeks, but I wonder if my heart is ready.
An old monk sits nearby, arranging fresh lamps in a wooden tray. His face is calm, lined like the mountains themselves. He notices me staring and smiles.
“You’re preparing for the pilgrimage,” he says, not as a question.
I nod. “Yes, for the Horse Year.”
He pauses for a long moment before speaking again.
“People train their legs,” he says softly, “but forget to train their minds. The mountain doesn’t test your strength—it tests your peace.”
His words settle into me like snow on stone. For a while we sit in silence, watching the flames. Outside, the wind whistles through the prayer wheels, carrying thousands of unspoken hopes.
When I finally stand to leave, he hands me a small butter lamp wrapped in cloth.
“Keep this for your journey,” he says. “Light it when you forget why you started.”
Back home, I place the lamp beside my window. Lhasa’s night is quiet now; even the stray dogs have stopped barking. I can see the lights from other homes flickering across the valley, each one a small reminder that faith is not always loud—it can simply be a steady flame in the cold.