The largest Buddhist Academy in the world for 40,000 TV monks banned, but allowed iPhones

• The largest Buddhist Academy in the world for 40,000 TV monks banned, but allowed iPhones

Buddhist Academy Larung Gare is located in the mountains of Tibet, in a secluded area near the city of Chengdu. 40, 000 monks and nuns live in a beautiful area, following measured and traditional life. Signs of civilization are practically absent, with a few exceptions in the form of second-hand iPhones. Majestic nature and often shocking for a European customs do Larung Gard very interesting place to travel.

It is the biggest Buddhist Academy in the world. Despite the fact that it was founded by Lama Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok relatively recently, in 1980, some of the buildings are very old and built many centuries ago. First settled a small Buddhist settlement in the valley, it gradually grew and reached its present state.

The Buddhist Academy Larung Gard is located among the mountains of Tibet at an altitude of 4 km far from the city Sêrtar County (the second title of the Academy - Institute Sêrtar County).

In the same houses live about 40 000 students, novices, monks and nuns, from China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore and many other countries.

The nuns and monks live close to their classrooms, they are divided by age and sex.

Conditions most basic, amenities and heating in homes there, and toilets - public.

If you are not afraid of a long road, approximately 15-20 hours can be reached from Chengdu (travel about 650 km).

Television banned monks and nuns spending time teaching, prayer and listening to lectures at the academy.

The male part of the settlement is separated from the female winding road that winds among identical houses.

Praying rotating prayer wheels on which are written the mantra. In Tibetan Buddhism prayer wheels decided to turn to combine physical activity with spiritual content. The most common one for filling the drums is mantra Avalokitesvara "Om mani padme hum".

The monks are studying in class academy. Visitors are welcome, you can see how learning takes place, to watch the process.

The photographer Luc Uonson (Wanson Luk) get from Chengdu long 20 hours, he was riding on a bus on bumpy roads. 34-year-old Buddhist told that Larunge have two small guest houses, but both were busy and he had spent the first two days in the Buddhist center, taking part in the ceremonies. Luc said that the settlement welcomes all, they survive on donations and their income from small businesses (guest house and a small grocery store).

Luke took part in the ritual burial of heaven, and was impressed by the attitude of Tibetan monks to death.

"I've seen hundreds or thousands of the condors sitting quietly and waiting ... the day buried seven and one of them - a child. During the ceremony, the monks pray and "master of the celestial burial" cuts corpses. When it is done, it is the turn of condors ... it is believed that the more condors eat, the better, and that poor people have the body they will not. "

Heaven funeral also called "almsgiving birds." According to Tibetan belief, the soul leaves the body at death, and the people at all stages of life must benefit. Therefore, a dead body is fed to the birds as the latest manifestation of charity.

The Tibetans believe that everyone at least once in a lifetime must see celestial burial ritual, to understand, to feel all the transience and ephemerality of life.

At the top of the cliff hang colorful Buddhist prayer flags as a sign of religious devotion. Prayer flags with mantras designed to protect against evil and for the blessing of the terrain.

Luc remember one monk who vow of silence, helped him find his way to the temple of gestures ... and the text on the iPhone. Although television academy taboo, strangely smart phones are allowed.

Prayer stones decorate the territory of the Buddhist Academy.

Many of the Buddhist Academy of own used-IPhone 4S. This is almost the only sign of civilization, in the rest of the traditional way of life of locals in no way displaced.