李之暄

【中圖分類號】I207.6 【文獻標識碼】A 【文章編號】2095-3089（2016）10-0008-01

Of all the foreign places I have been to： New York with the flashing neon lights and skyscrapers； Seattle with the moisty air and the wind from the sea； Tokyo in which ancient palaces intertwined with modern towers…The place I found most mesmerizing however didnt have the glamour of city streets or the convenience of advanced facilities， it was in a country at the foot of the tallest mountain in the world， Nepal.

It was a bright day with only a few clouds in the horizon， we were at Kathmandu， the biggest city in Nepal. We were about to visit a place that would strike me as no other sight had done.

Slowly it came into sight， above the red roofs of Nepalese buildings. The golden tip could be seen from far away， as I moved closer， the enormous building began to reveal itself. At the very bottom was an ivory white dome that rested on a raised platform. On top of the dome stood a four-sided tower covered in gold， with countless lines of colored flags trailing from the tip of the tower to the very bottom. On each of the four sides of the tower there drew two gigantic eyes， the eyes of the Buddha， as if they were gazing down at all life below. It was the Boudhanath Stupa， one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world.

I slowly approached it， trying to use my eyes to take in the whole structure. The more I looked， the more harmonious the place seemed to be. Multi？鄄colored flags billowed in the breeze， each flag bearing a length of prayer from the Buddhist scriptures. Pigeons flew through the flags， white sailboats in a sea of color. Around the bottom of the dome there were an array of people， all moving in one direction with their hands touching the dome and in a quiet murmur， they chanted out the scriptures. Among them were Buddhist monks， local citizens， and tourists from all over the world. Their shuffling footsteps， the faint but sincere voices， the flapping sound of the flags， the wind and the occasional bird call all joined together to form the most peaceful harmony. There， under the gaze of those ancient eyes， the air of sacredness seemed so real it was almost tangible.

I was never a religious person， so I wouldnt know if the feeling was that of devoutness， perhaps a Muslim would feel the same way in the city of Jerusalem. I lived in a society where relgious people were scarce. But as I stood there， looking at all these people- some of whom have traveled thousands of miles to get here- saying their prayers with utter sincerity， it suddenly came to me how much their beliefs were practiced in life. During my short stay I had noticed a lot. I had seen hundreds of people wait in line at a temple for hours just to get the chance to make their prayers on the first day of the new year. I have noticed shrines for the gods in every residence， no matter how small it may be. I believe that， to the Nepalese， there is so much more to life than making a living. A large number of the population are in poverty， but unlike the poor I had seen before， they still followed their guidelines. They strongly believed that if they were to fulfill their deeds， their wishes would be realized. I felt that belief right there， as I listened to the mixed chorus of sounds. The Boudhanath Stupa is truly a place I will not forget.