Visitors walk around Mount Wutai's Wuye Temple in Shanxi Province. Photo: IC

A journey to Mount Wutai is, to some extent, a cleansing of the soul.

My parents suggested a trip to Mount Wutai in North China's Shanxi Province in November 2015. The idea was to go there to pray for our family's good health and success in my studies.

Religion often comes into play when people encounter complications they are not sure they can solve on their own.

This certainly was true for my family. When faced with health issues that gradually began to pop up due to increasing age and my imminent university application, we promptly decided to embark on a religious excursion.

Two-day tour

We decided to join a two-day tour group that promised a tight schedule.

The entire bus ride was six hours from Beijing and we ­arrived at Mount Wutai by one in the afternoon.

Mount Wutai is known as the home of the Wenshu Buddha or Manjusri - the Bodhisattva of wisdom.­ ­

As one of the most sacred mountains in China, it holds a very special place in Buddhism.

The first monasteries and shrines on the site were built during the Tang ­Dynasty (618-907), while it was listed as a world heritage site in 2009.

Besides the Buddhist atmosphere and cultural landscape, Mount Wutai is also very popular for the Wuye Temple, which according to legend can grant people's wishes. Each year thousands come here to pray for their wishes to come true.

Our first stop was Zhenhai Temple. At the time, rain was pouring down relentlessly leading to puddles of all shapes and sizes forming here and there.

I was a little dismayed by the weather at first, but when the pounding rain became a light shower and my surroundings became covered in a fine mist, all I could do was marvel at the tranquil paradise that was created­ - It was at that moment I truly could feel the reverent stillness of this sacred space.

Our tour guide showed us around and carefully explained the different religious ceremonies that were traditionally carried out at the temple.

She also described the divergent natures of each animal in the Chinese ­Zodiac, ­giving each of us a hint into our fates ­according to our signs.

An essential point which I grasped was the great importance karma holds in Buddhism, and how everything you do will eventually come back to you. I feel this principle of karma is one of the main reasons Buddhism has such a grand number of followers.

People like to believe that fairness exists, because it reveals a better world. And the idea of karma fits with this idea, so it can provide strength for people during times of desperation.

In a way, religion is like the hope that is released from Pandora's box along with the evils of the world in the old story.

After Zhenhai Temple, we went to the Xiantong and Luohou temples - two neighboring temples. The two temples both possess characteristic architectural features that show off their long history and give them an exceptionally strong cultural air.

By the entrance to Luohou Temple, the tour guide pointed out one of the highest mountain peaks, telling us that the temple on top is home to the Wuye Buddha.

Originally, most people worshipped at the Wuye Temple on top of the mountain, but because the peak is more than 3,000 meters above sea level and is a very demanding climb, another Wuye Temple was built lower down the mountain. It is this temple that people go to nowadays.

However, there are approximately 20 pious monks who still reside and look after the deserted original temple, eating meager bowls of congee for each meal and drinking icy-cold water from the well year-round.

The trail up the mountain is ­winding and dangerous. It takes at least seven to eight hours of ­precarious trekking.

With these conditions, the monks rarely climb down the rocky path for provisions, which has resulted in the monks living in poverty-like ­conditions.

I was both confused and shocked when I heard this. Every single day, every one of us makes our way through life, busying ourselves with study, work, relationships with the same ultimate goal - a happy and content life.

These monks have the exact same goal, but their "happy and content life" can be summed up with hungry stomachs and poverty, while our definition of "happy and content" often involves money, fame and social status.

Although I doubted the mental state of the monks at first, I later came to firmly believe that they must have found some kind of peace. Then thought lead to my next question­ - "How?"

My guess is because they ­prioritize and value their religion over all other things.

I don't think there is any right or wrong here. I certainly don't think everybody needs to live like they do.

However, when we become frustrated with life, maybe it would help to think outside the box and not become so obsessed with material things.

The monks' are a good reminder that even without money or modern comforts, we can still be happy and content, so long as we focus on ­meaningful things in life. Perhaps this wisdom is the real ­essence of Mount Wutai.

My parents and I had also planned to visit Pusading Temple, but there was still a drizzle going on and many tourists in our tour group did not want to walk more, so that got crossed out from the itinerary.

We went to eat an appetizing meal of special Shanxi noodles instead, then went to bed early.

Religious fervor

The next day, we got up at 3:30 in the morning. I should have felt groggy, but did not. I credited my good night's sleep to the peaceful environment. We dressed quickly and the tour bus took our tour group to Wuye Temple.

We burned incense in front of the temple, as well as a pair of delicate lotus lanterns, and then made our wishes.

It was very chilly in the mountains, but watching the numerous fires flicker and dance, the reverently bowed heads praying and the smoke pirouetting up to merge with the clouds, I felt a warmth coursing through my body and found I couldn't tear myself away from the entrancing spell.

When the temple finally opened at 6:00 in the morning, it was a nightmare trying to force our way through the crowd. Visitors thrashed and pushed against each other. The crowd was like a coiled spring - If you didn't keep pushing forward, you would get bounced back.

After we prayed at the temple, we walked straight to the Shuxiang Temple not far away, a temple which is dedicated to the Wenshu Buddha.

Everyone has a Mother Buddha who protects and watches over them according to their Chinese zodiac sign. My Mother Buddha ­happens to be the Wenshu Buddha, so I was especially solemn while praying at the temple.

Finally, the last stop of the two-day tour was the Dailuoding Temple. We had to climb 1,080 steps to reach it. The steps were steep, my parents and I quickly broke into a sweat.

On the way, we saw a handicapped monk climbing the steps on a single leg, some elderly monks who had to continuously stop after a few steps to catch their breath and several people who, with each step, got down on the ground and began bowing.

I was both amazed and moved by this sight, because they were the first acts of worship that made me truly understood how far people will go for their religious beliefs.

Commercializing mercy

One scene we came across while walking up the steps angered me though. Several locals had captured a few foxes, sparrows, porcupines and squirrels, and they were asking for 100 yuan ($15) from tourists to free the animals.

Buddhists are required to have compassion and mercy, add to that the idea of karma and of course many people who come to Mount Wutai naturally want to free these captive animals.

However, it was very clear to me that these locals were using people's compassion and piety to make money.

My temper flared for a while over this episode, ­because I could not believe there were people who would use people's better natures against them.

After we visited ­Dailuoding Temple, we left Mount Wutai ­feeling downcast.

Even though I was there for only two days, I felt deeply attached to this beautiful place.

Mount Wutai has a pure and ­sacred aura that has a way of ­washing every strand of tiredness and ­negativity out of you.

Although our initial purpose was to ask for blessing for our health and my studies, I could feel that we had been blessed with a lot more.

If our wishes come true, though I have a strong suspicion that they will, we will have to go back to Mount Wutai to give our thanks.

Since Mount Wutai has moved straight to the top of my traveling list, I can honestly say, "I cannot wait to come back next year!"

Source: globaltimes.cn