The Temple

Above the town, on the hill brow, the temple used to stand. My recollection of the place is till intact, and still very vivid, as if it was the event of yesterday. I recall that in the vicinity of the temple was nothing but bleakness and desolation. The area seemed uninhabited, with sapless leaves swirling in the violent gust of wind. The weather was not in its amiable mood, dark clouds scudded across the sky like wild horses. Between times were some frail birds quivering their wings, singing some rather dismal melody, and then flew across the horizon. I was carrying a huge mountain bag on the back and a camera in my hand. I trod each step warily and soon entered the courtyard of the temple which shrouded in murkiness from the view outside. However, once I stepped inside, something extraordinarily strange happened. The atmosphere in the courtyard was poles apart from the outside, as if a door had split it into two worlds. Wherever my gaze touched emanated gleams rendered with life, without even a slightest degree of gloominess, even though all the architectures were mainly in somewhat dull red and gold. I stand in front of the chimney-like structure made of bricks, where candles and joss paper were located to offer sacrifices to the gods and ancestors, and worshiped my gods. Along the two sides of the temple in the courtyard stand two erect Bodhi trees. They must have afforded many people an excellent shade to enjoy the cool. I than stepped inside and immediately scented a peculiar fragrance of Scandalwood almost ubiquitous in the temples. It was a woodiness smell with an acrid, almost vanilla-like sweetness to it. Meanwhile, the deep rhythematic tapping sound of a wooden fish(a Buddhist percussion instrument made of a hollow wooden block) along with the chanting of scriptures disrupted the silence. I found myself indulged completely, in this peaceful melody that touched the greatest depth of my heart. My eyes left from the monk who was tapping on the wooden fish, and fixated on the golden Buddha statue. I felt enlightened inside out, and currents of ardency and calmness lingered within my body and soul. I slowly closed my eyes, and be immersed in meditation.