“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it."

Title quote by Buddha.

Buddha Idol at a Temple in Manali.

I had always wanted to meet buddhist monks and visit a monastery. I had some romantic notions about both. In Manali, I had a chance to go to a small buddhist temple (alas, monastery would be another day). I went in and sat in silence for a few minutes (and meditated) and then wandered around taking pictures. This statue of buddha is actually two stories high. I am standing on the second floor of the temple while taking this picture (thus, the size is massive). I asked the lone monk there whether I'd be able to join in during prayer later on in the evening. He welcomed me. So I came back in the evening. The monk was the only one there. I expected more monks He receited prayer and performed rituals. I got his permission to record the audio of prayers and he agreed. I stayed quiet and mediated till the prayers were complete. Once in a while I would open my eyes to see what ritual the monk was performing. I felt lighter, I felt happier, I felt more at peace. Maybe it was all in my mind, but I suppose that is the point it all: in the end, everything is in our mind. I retired for the night walking jollyer than usual to my hotel when the sky sprinkled ,ever so lightly and to my delight, rain drops - a perfect end to the night.

Here is another picture by another photographer of the same subject:
www.flickr.com/photos/balu/54825300/

Here is a picture Wiki of the temple:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:DCP_1332.JPG
(Scanned from photograph)