by Xinhua writers Liu Xinyong, Kelsang Paljor, Zhang Jingpin
LHASA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Kalden, 40, began his life as a resident monk in the Rinchenling Temple at the age of 13. Over the years, he has witnessed improving living conditions.
About 100 km east of Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, the temple is more than 4,000 meters above sea level and is believed to be originally built in 1416. There are currently 15 resident monks in the temple.
Temple life was by no means easy for the monk in the past.
"When I first came here, two or three monks had to share a dormitory and there were few cooking utensils and a dearth of books," said Kalden.
The temple had no tap water back then. Monks had to take turns to fetch water from a river about 1 km away.
Kalden recalled that his food was provided by his own family. "Every time I went back home, I would bring food such as Zanba and ghee." Zanba is a staple food for Tibetans made of highland barley flour.
Under the aegis of regional and county governments, funds totaling 300,000 yuan (about 46,000 U.S. dollars) were in 2014 earmarked for the improvement of the temple's dormitories. In May 2015, a new dormitory building was completed, allowing all the monks to have their own rooms.
Difficulties obtaining food and water are no longer sources of frustration.
In 2011, the temple gained access to tap water. A year later, Kalden and his peers were able to eat in a cafeteria offering a variety of foods. Other facilities including a reading room, a bathhouse and an infirmary were also installed.
Kalden and his peers can also each receive an urban subsistence allowance of about 800 yuan per month. That is sufficient to cover their daily expenses.
Tibet currently has 1,787 religious sites for the practice of Tibetan Buddhism, and more than 46,000 resident monks and nuns. All monks and nuns in the region are covered by the social security network.
The abstinent monks are now fans of smartphones. Kalden uses instant messaging app WeChat and short-video platform Douyin, connecting himself more closely with the outside world.
Thubten Jampa, a 43-year-old monk in the temple, receives the latest updates on COVID-19 around the world on his cellphone. "We have been praying for those affected by the pandemic every single day since last year," he said.
In late February, he was excited to see on WeChat a photo of an acquaintance taken in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. His acquaintance was awarded for outstanding efforts in the country's poverty alleviation campaign.
"Monks are also the country's citizens. I'm very happy to have shaken off poverty along with the whole country," said Thubten Jampa.
"We are living in a new era. I feel blessed to experience this era of peace and prosperity," said Kalden. Enditem
