I have visited a lot of famous and amazing temples and monasteries in Asia and marveled at the tall Buddhas and intricate decorations. However, visiting the Gandan with the Mongolian students as guides was the most beautiful experience. A group of students showed me how to enter by spinning the golden wheels for good luck for the future, hold my hands in prayer to my heart in front of the giant Buddha, and walk counter clockwise around the monastery turning more gold wheels for good luck and offering prayers to Buddha. The girls showed me how to exit in front of the Buddha without turning my back on the statue, and then to walk in a circle turning the gold wheel on the opposite side of the entrance to complete our circular journey. This is the kind of insight into a culture you can only experience when you are with friends from that culture.
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