Drepung Monastery
Before the trekking starts, we spent 2 days in Lhasa with leisurely activities so we would get used to the high altitude. These leisurely activities including visiting monasteries and temples.
The first one we visited was Drepung Monastery. The first sight in Drepung is the row of locals sitting next to a stream, one hand extended to us for money, while the other hand holding a string of bells in the water. We were told that this is a form of prayer, and we can pay them to pray for us.
Not far up stream, this monk (picture on top) sat there, singing prayer loudly, clapping hands loudly, and at the same time signaling us to give him money.
Money. A world that we will be hearing over and over and over again in the whole journey. In many village we passed, kids will rush to us at the first sight of our arrival, and yell at us "Hello, Money."
Money is also seen everywhere in ANY monastery and temple. Money is struck up in the hands of Buddha statues. Money is stick on the glass panel (that protects relics) at eye level. Cash is hand out directly to the monks in Jokhang while they are chanting. Money is in-your-face in all the religious establishments.
I understand that all the maintenance and going entity needs money. I just wish they can do it more subtly and gracefully, instead of in such direct sell-out style.
What disturb me most is parents would send their kids, as young as 3 or 4 years old, to beg from visitors. Yet the local Tibetan pilgrims would gladly hand out small bills (1 Jiao to 1 Yuan, or US$0.012 to $0.12) to every hand extended to them.
After talking to our Tibetan guide, he admitted this tradition of handing out money directly is a potential problem. The kids are so used to begging that they take handouts for granted, and taking them without shame and self-respect.