As of March 2016, there were five permanent residents at Baique Temple in Xihe County, Gansu Province, including two bhikkhus, Mingfa and Mingyuan, one bhikkhuni, Daoxue, and two female Taoist priests, Duzhi Zhen and Zhang Xing Sheng. Their birth names were Liu Jujia (born in 1946), Fu Rui’er (born in 1949), Wang Xuehua (born in 1950), Du Yizhen (in her 80s), and Zhang Yueqin (born in the 1980s).

According to Master Mingfa, every year on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month, which marks the birthday of Shakyamuni Buddha, the temple receives fellow practitioners and a large number of devout visitors, making it the busiest day of the year. Although Baique Temple has lost its former glory, during the Republican period, the local community collaborated to compile a book titled Hanyang Boatmen Collection.

I briefly stayed at the temple for a week in February 2016, living in the temple’s corner alongside Master Mingfa and Master Mingyuan, sharing meals and lodging. This allowed me a genuine experience of monastic life. It wasn’t until two years later that I decided to write this article. Without further ado, let me delve into the main topic.

Chanting, Meditation, and Deep Contemplation

Every morning, the monks would wake up at a set time between 5 and 8 AM for meditation and chanting. Typically, they performed this ritual in their individual rooms, with the door slightly ajar. They would light incense, sit on their beds, and manipulate their prayer beads with one hand while chanting sacred words with their mouths.

During February and March in Xihe, the weather remained cold, with frequent snowfall at night. The temple lacked heating or air conditioning, and the only aid for warmth was the tea-drinking apparatus used by the monks.

Two Meals a Day and No Eating After Noon

After morning meditation, before preparing the breakfast, Master Mingyuan would wake up the still-sleeping guests to inform them it was time for breakfast. Guests would then wash their faces and brush their teeth in preparation.

The temple offered few varieties of food, typically consisting of noodles, mashed potatoes, and flatbread. For southern guests accustomed to rice, Master Mingyuan would specially prepare a pot of rice porridge. This porridge was unique, with chunks of potato and pieces of fresh ginger, seasoned with salt. Master Mingfa once kindly served me a bowl of this porridge, an unforgettable memory.

After breakfast, the monks and guests would wash their own bowls and chopsticks, often only needing to rinse them with water, which made them exceptionally clean. Any rice grains or bread crumbs that fell during the meal were collected into small bowls by the monks and later used in places such as feeding ants, insects, or birds in the bamboo forest. Leftover food was saved for the next meal.

Before noon, the monks would eat again, offering flatbread or mashed potatoes to the guests temporarily staying at the temple. This meal typically occurred before 11 AM, after which the long period of spiritual practice began (Note: guests were not allowed to break their vows during their stay at the temple).

A Love for Tea

After their morning meal, the two monks would briefly chant again. The content likely revolved around adhering to the practice of “no eating after noon.” During this time, I would often be lying on my bed in the guest room, bored and idle.

When there were no visitors, the monks typically stayed in their rooms, reading scriptures, meditating, or drinking tea. During my stay, Master Mingfa often invited me to join him for tea, and would also call Master Mingyuan from the next room. We would chat about the past and spiritual matters. Despite their strong Gansu accent, which I had difficulty understanding, simple conversations in Mandarin were still manageable.

The heating and tea-drinking tools mentioned earlier consisted of a heavy circular plate designed for burning charcoal, somewhat like a round student desk but quite heavy. The tea-making vessel was a ceramic pot, able to hold only 200 ml of water at a time. The monks preferred strong tea to stay awake during meditation. The tea leaves would be boiled in the pot, and the boiling tea would be filtered into a glass cup to cool before drinking.

Because of the “no eating after noon” rule, the monks also refrained from eating when drinking tea and chatting with guests, though guests were free to “break the rule.” Master Mingfa often offered me bread or other dry snacks, worried I might be hungry after the morning meal, so I could eat alongside the tea in the afternoon or evening. However, all food was strictly temple-approved.

The “Library”

Master Mingfa’s room contained a small but impressive library. With his permission, I was fortunate to explore the collection of Buddhist books. I vaguely remember the night before I left the temple, Master Mingfa invited a lay disciple, a young man in his twenties, and after our conversation, they exchanged contact information. The disciple then brought me two Buddhist books, Basic Buddhist Knowledge and True Buddhism, both of which I kept as cherished mementos.

Meditation

By 10 PM, it was time for the monks to go to bed. Before sleeping, they would perform a brief ritual to reflect on the day’s gains and losses. Occasionally, some visitors would come to the temple with questions or requests. Some brought prepared snacks for the monks, while others left a small donation to buy necessary supplies.

When there were no visitors or when the weather was pleasant, Master Mingfa and Master Mingyuan would discuss walking up the hill behind the temple for spiritual practice. If temple supplies ran low, Master Mingfa would send Master Mingyuan down the mountain to purchase essentials. Then, they would sleep and begin another day.

On my departure, Master Mingfa and Master Mingyuan stood together on the hill, watching the road where visitors arrived, as if to send off children leaving to seek their life’s direction. They looked on with care and concern, much like parents waiting for their children’s safe return, their hearts heavy for the lost souls in the world.

The Toilet

This is a notable shortcoming of the temple. Was it because the monks prioritized their spiritual practices over practical matters, or had they simply become accustomed to the discomfort?

Only those who have stayed at the temple can truly understand the inconvenience of the toilet facilities. However, neither Master Mingfa nor Master Mingyuan voiced any complaints or requests for change. After all, if there is no hardship in this life, how can we expect to find joy in the next?