0:20

Tensen awoke to the soft chimes of

0:22

prayer flags fluttering in the crisp

0:25

mountain breeze. He opened his eyes

0:27

and rubbed them, then rolled over on his

0:29

mat and looked out the open window at

0:31

the sun painted snow capped peaks

0:33

of Tibet. Hughes of pink

0:35

and gold cast a warm glow on the

0:38

village around him. It

0:40

had been a year since Tensen had joined the monastery.

0:43

He thought back about his life before climbing

0:45

up the mountain and starting his new life

0:47

as a Buddhist monk. Tensen

0:50

had been born to humble parents in the village

0:53

of Giapo. His family had been devoted

0:55

practitioners of Buddhism for generations.

0:58

His earliest memories were of prayer and

1:00

the comforting presence of the nearby monastery.

1:03

His parents, recognizing the spiritual

1:05

interests of their son, encouraged him

1:07

to explore the teachings of Buddhism from

1:09

a young age. As

1:11

a child, Tensen was drawn to the temple.

1:14

His curiosity came out in the form of

1:16

many questions pose to the village

1:18

monks and visiting pilgrims. The

1:21

elder monks, seeing his earnest desire

1:23

for knowledge began to guide him in the basic

1:25

teachings of mindfulness and compassion.

1:29

One day, his tens And explored the village Outskirts,

1:32

he encountered a wandering monk named

1:34

Kelsing. The old monk, with a

1:36

flowing white beard and eyes that sparkled

1:38

with ancient wisdom, recognized

1:41

something special in tens In. Kelsing

1:43

saw in the young boy a kindred spirit yearning

1:46

for a deeper understanding of life. Over

1:49

simple meal of t sampa and butter tea,

1:51

Kelsing shared his own journey to enlightenment.

1:54

He spoke of the challenges he faced, the

1:57

lessons he learned, and the joy that accompanied

1:59

a life devoted to mindfulness and compassion.

2:02

Tensen hung onto every word.

2:06

In that moment, Tensen decided to become

2:08

a monk like Kelsing. Kelsing

2:11

offered to guide him to the monastery high

2:13

in the mountains. Tenzen's parents

2:15

knew they would miss their son, and Tnsen

2:17

knew he'd missed them, but they recognized

2:20

the calling within Tensen and gave him

2:22

their permission to start the journey. Under

2:25

the guidance of Kelsing, Tensen made the difficult

2:27

hike up to the monastery, where

2:30

he was welcomed with open arms. Tenzen

2:33

focused back on the present moment. Waking

2:36

in the monastery, he stretched,

2:38

yawned, and noticed that his friend Lapka

2:40

hadn't woken yet. Hey, it's time to get

2:42

up, Tensen said, shaking his shoulder. Okay

2:45

ok, Lopka said, his head

2:47

was shaved, just like Tensen's and the other boys.

2:50

I'm getting up, he said. Their other

2:52

friend, Sonam was already up, getting

2:54

dressed and preparing for the day. Together,

2:57

they walked across the hardwood floor to the dining

2:59

room, where other boys sat around a low

3:01

table on the floor. They

3:04

enjoyed a simple breakfast of sampa, a

3:06

traditional Tibetan staple made

3:08

from roasted barley flower. As

3:11

tens and eight, he listened to the rhythmic chance

3:13

of the monks from the nearby monastery, a

3:15

sound that echoed through the valley like a soothing

3:17

melody. After his

3:20

meal, Tanzan and his friends headed to the

3:22

temple where he would spend the day learning

3:24

the way of mindfulness and meditation. The

3:28

temple was perched on a mountain side,

3:31

overlooking the village below. Its

3:33

weathered stones and ancient prayer wheels

3:35

told stories of generations seeking wisdom

3:38

and enlightenment. The temple's

3:40

exterior was adorned with intricate carvings

3:43

depicting scenes from Buddhist scriptures.

3:45

Tibetan prayer flags, vibrant and

3:47

fluttering, adorned the eaves, imbuing

3:50

the air with a sense of sacredness. A

3:53

pair of heavy wooden doors marked the entrance.

3:56

Above them, a gilded canopy sheltered

3:58

a trio of prayer wheels, waiting

4:00

to be set in motion by the touch of a devoted

4:02

pilgrim. Together, the

4:04

boys entered the temple with a sense of reverence

4:07

and anticipation. Inside,

4:09

the air was thick with the earthy scent of

4:11

incense. The flickering butter

4:13

lamps cast dancing shadows on the

4:15

walls, creating a setting of peace and

4:17

tranquility. Their teacher,

4:20

Lama Doorge, awaited them. He

4:22

was a wise and gentle monk with a flowing

4:24

red robe. His head was shaved

4:27

like the boys. His eyes were dark and

4:29

piercing, and he always had a smile

4:31

on his face. Lama Doorge

4:33

lived the teachings of compassion and

4:36

patience. His goal was to

4:38

guide the minds of the young boys towards

4:40

the path of enlightenment. The

4:43

morning rituals began with prostrations,

4:46

a humble gesture expressing devotion

4:48

and humility. Tenzen, Lakpah,

4:51

and Sonam bowed to the images

4:53

of Buddha, their bodies moving in a fluid

4:56

rhythm. The repetitive motions

4:58

served as a physical expression of their dedication

5:00

to the spiritual journey. Following

5:05

the prostrations, the boys engaged in mindful

5:07

breathing exercises. Lamadorge

5:10

instructed them to focus on each in

5:12

breath and outbreath, grounding

5:14

their minds in the present moment. Tensen

5:17

closed his eyes, feeling the cool

5:20

mountain air fill his lungs. As

5:22

he exhaled, he released stress from within.

5:27

After the morning session, the boys gathered

5:29

for a simple lunch of lentil soup and

5:31

steamed vegetables. The act

5:33

of eating itself became a practice

5:35

in mindfulness, with every bite

5:37

savored and appreciated. The

5:39

boys shared stories and laughter, fostering

5:42

a sense of friendship that would support them

5:44

on their spiritual journey. In

5:47

the afternoon, the boys explored the

5:49

temple's garden. Colorful

5:52

flowers decorated the landscape, and

5:54

the smell of blooming jasmine filled

5:56

the air. They stood still and

5:58

listened to the gentle rustling of leaves

6:00

and distant chants from the temple. As

6:03

they strolled along the winding paths, Tenzen

6:06

embraced the beauty of the moment around them,

6:09

practicing what he learned every day about

6:11

fully living in the moment and appreciating

6:14

what was happening in the now.

6:18

The boys walked a little further to the center of

6:20

the garden to a body tree. This

6:22

was the same type of tree Buddha was said to be

6:24

sitting under when he received enlightenment.

6:27

Under the shade of the body tree, Lamad'orge

6:30

guided the boys in walking meditation.

6:33

With each step, they connected with the earth

6:35

beneath them, giving them a deep

6:37

sense of gratitude for the interconnectedness

6:40

of all life. As

6:43

the sun dipped below the towering mountains

6:45

of Tibet, the boys returned to the

6:47

temple for the evening session. Lamadorge

6:50

led them in the chanting ritual, the

6:53

vibrations of the bell and their voices

6:55

resonating through the ancient walls. Their

6:58

words carried prayers for the well being

7:00

of all living beings, the

7:02

court Buddhist belief in compassion.

7:06

The day ended with a meditation session.

7:08

Overlooking the majestic mountains, the

7:11

boys sat in silent contemplation,

7:13

their minds settling like a calm mountain

7:16

lake. The fading sunlight

7:18

painted the landscape in shades of lavender

7:21

and indigo. As

7:23

they opened their eyes, Lama D'Orge shared

7:25

a simple yet profound teaching. In

7:28

the stillness of the mind, one finds

7:30

the path to enlightenment. Embrace

7:33

each moment with gratitude, for

7:35

it's a step closer to understanding

7:37

the nature of our existence. Tensen

7:41

and his friends left the temple that evening with

7:43

hearts full of inspiration. The

7:45

teachings of mindfulness and compassion

7:47

had taken root in their young minds and

7:50

were shaping the foundations for a life dedicated

7:53

to the pursuit of inner peace and

7:55

enlightenment. In

7:58

the quiet of the night, Tensen stood on

8:01

the temple balcony, gazing at

8:03

the starlit sky above the mountains of Tibet.

8:06

The vastness of the universe matched

8:08

the depth of his new understanding. The

8:11

journey would be long, but with each step

8:13

Tensen walked a path illuminated

8:16

by the wisdom of the ancient teachings, a

8:18

path that led to peace of the mind and

8:21

the boundless compassion within the

8:23

heart.