Got up at 2am to go to the main hall for chanting over the last two mornings. Quite an experience. The hall has 1000 monks all lined up in rows perpendicular to the stage and the hall itself is filled with hangings and thangkas. There's a chantmaster who sits on a higher chair leading the chants. All the monks give a card to administrators as they go in so they can mark off a roll. Throughout the chanting there are two very large monks who are the disciplinarians who walk up and down the rows. If there's a monk who's gone to sleep, he bends downs and pushes their heads to make them sit up again. We were sitting near all the little monks. One had a cup to his ear playing around and singing. The disciplinarian went and stood near the little fellow, who didn't notice at first. He got a bit of a start and quickly put the cup down and sat up. This puja goes for 6 days and it's amazing how even the very young monks sit there all that time. They're not expected to be perfectly still and so they wriggle and giggle a bit but i can't imagine that Venus or Chanel would stay in their seats for such a long time.
The other thing is that they serve butter tea and a chapati at about 3.30am. All of a sudden, about 20 monks jump up and sprint for the door just like a flock of bird taking off. Then when they return, they sprint to the front of each row to serve the tea. Apparently this is a tradition particular to Sera.
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas tomorrow morning, I'll be thinking of everyone. We have the opening ceremony for the new prayer hall tomorrow so it's a busy day. Mum, thanks for the emails let me know the landline number of where you will be about lunchtime, I'll see if i can get a quick call through. Also, as it's christmas i'll splurge and post a photo.
Love
sharon
0402984918
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