Chapter 22 Section Six Withered Willows in Gold Clothes

When I woke up early in the morning, Han Han said that he would drive me to Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. "You just arrived in Lhasa, don't you want to stay a few more days?" I said. "Anyway, I want to go to Mount Everest, and Shigatse is on the way." He smiled, "When returning from Mount Everest, stay in Lhasa for a few more days." Shigatse is about 300 kilometers away from Lhasa, on the China-Nepal Highway, and the road conditions are much better. After crossing the Qushui Bridge, we first went south to visit Yamdrok Yongcuo. "Cuo" means "lake" in Tibetan, so the so-called Yamdrok Lake is Yamdrok Lake.

Yamdrok Yumco is one of the three holy lakes in Tibet, with an altitude of 4,400 meters. On the way to Yamdrok Yumco, you have to cross the Gangbala Pass, which is more than 5,000 meters above sea level, and the mountain road is narrow. It is said that there are ninety-nine bends in the curve, and the car often hovers against the edge of the cliff. Once the two vehicles meet, I am afraid that I will be in fear, and I will fall into the abyss if I am not careful. After screaming for more than ten seconds, it may not hit the ground. Fortunately, there are very few people and vehicles in winter, and we did not meet any vehicles along the way, only a flock of sheep.

"This is the best place to practice racing skills." Han Han said with a smile. When the car reaches the top of the mountain, you can see the holy lake Yamdrok Yumco in front of your eyes. The lake is as flat as a mirror. It is said that the lake water is emerald green in summer, but the surrounding mountains are not green at all. The sky is pure blue. The color of the lake is exactly the same as the sky, and the water and the sky are the same color. Surrounded by mountains, Yamdrok Yumco looks graceful and demure, without fluctuations at all. Standing on the top of the mountain overlooking the clear and blue lake, I feel that the scenery in front of me is flat rather than three-dimensional.

The lake water seems to be painted by the gods in the sky, and it does not really exist in the world. We are simply seeing the painting of God. There is also a Yanghu hydropower station with the highest altitude in the world on the mountain peaks in the distance. Hydroelectric power is generated by utilizing the drop of more than 800 meters between Yamdrok Yumco and the Yarlung Zangbo River. But Yamdrok Yumco in front of him is so calm, there is neither inflow nor outflow of water. For thousands of years, she had been lying so quietly that she could not even see the ups and downs of her breathing.

Now that water is going to be released to generate electricity, will she be awakened? Although the Yanghu Hydropower Station is a pumped-storage power station, it releases water to generate electricity when electricity consumption peaks; When the ionization peak is used, the excess power will be used to pump the water from the Yarlung Zangbo River back to Yamdrok Yumco. In other words, the greatest significance of pumped storage power generation is to deploy electricity, not to increase electricity. Because as much electricity is generated when water is released, the same electricity is needed to pump that water back.

If the power in Tibet is always insufficient, how should it be deployed? Will it cause more water to be released and less water to be withdrawn? If this is the case, will the beautiful Yamdrok Yongcuo gradually grow old? While thinking wildly, Han Han patted me on the shoulder and said it was time to get on the road. Go back to the Qushui Bridge and go west along the Yarlung Zangbo River, the highest altitude Tianhe River in the world. I saw many plateau willows along the way, but they looked no different from the princess willows next to the Jokhang Temple. They all have a dry appearance with the leaves falling off.

At around 4:30, we finally arrived in Shigatse, the capital of Houzang and the political and religious center. Tashilhunpo Monastery is located in the northwest of Shigatse, and it is the seat of Panchen Lamas of all dynasties. In the temple, there are Dharma body pagodas of the fifth to tenth Panchen Lamas. To the west of Tashilhunpo Monastery is a Jamba Buddha Hall. "Jamba" means "future" in Tibetan. The future Buddha is the Maitreya Buddha in the Han Dynasty, 5.67 billion years after the Nirvana of Sakyamuni Buddha, Will be reborn in the world and become a Buddha.

When I first walked into the Jamba Buddha Hall, I only felt solemn, but when I raised my head inadvertently, I was suddenly shocked. There is a Buddha statue about seven stories high, standing in front of you, and it feels like you can touch it with an extended hand. This is the largest gold-plated bronze statue in the world. The Buddha statue is 22.4 meters high and the lotus seat is 3.8 meters high. A total of 26.2 meters. All kinds of precious stones are inlaid on the Buddha statue, and a walnut-sized diamond is inlaid between the eyebrows. The dim lighting in the temple makes the Buddha statue look like it is "painted" on the wall, which is a bit illusory.

I moved a few steps left and right before I was sure that the Buddha statue was three-dimensional and real. Strange to say, no matter where I stand, I always feel Jampa Buddha is looking at me with a smile, As if to say, "Hey, you're here." My heart is warm and I have a sense of happiness. Walking out of the Jamba Buddha Hall, Han Han asked, "Why are you laughing all the time?" "Have it?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized that there was a smile on the corner of his mouth. Then I simply laughed, and Han Han glanced at me, probably thinking that I was crazy.

Walking in Tashilhunpo Monastery, the road under your feet is paved with stones, with many twists and turns. After hundreds of years of walking by monks in the temple, the surface of the stones is very smooth, so you have to be careful where you step. The white-walled and black-framed monk houses are densely connected like a labyrinth, and the aisles are always narrow and deep. The lamas often flash past around the corner, too late to capture their figures. I suddenly had an illusion that the "discrimination" was about to start, and I had to speed up my pace. "Go slowly! You will fall." Han Han's voice.

Only then did I realize that I was just a tourist, not a monk in the temple. It was almost half past six, and it was going to be dark soon. It was time to leave Tashilhunpo Monastery. Lu Jinbo once said that there are plateau willows outside the temple, but he didn't see them when he first came to Tashilhunpo Monastery. What exactly is "withered willow covered with gold"?I have no idea at the moment. As soon as I walked out of the temple gate, I heard singing, and walked curiously to follow the sound. Beside the temple wall, a Tibetan child is playing and singing to himself with a Tibetan banjo on his back: "Napayle Sila, Rishayqila Saha..." After singing, the faster I played, the faster I sang, and I stamped my dance steps to match the beat. After the Tibetan children sang, they smiled and left. Watching his back for a while, I saw a row of plateau willows standing about three stories high on his left. The willow trees in the south of the Yangtze River are always by the water, graceful and graceful, like shy beauties; But the plateau willow is different. Although the branches are still dense and graceful, the trunk is always upright. The row of plateau willows in front of me have long since lost their leaves. They look dry, but they have a sense of perseverance. And the plants are tall and straight, and the whole body is golden and shiny. There was a muffled thunder in my head, could this be "dried willow covered with gold"? "Han Han, you are not short-sighted." I rubbed my eyes and wiped my glasses, fearing that this was an illusion. "Please tell me, are these plateau willows golden?" "This..." Han Han opened his mouth wide, as if surprised, "It turned out to be golden." I thought it was just the reflection of sunlight, but when I looked around, there was no sunlight entering Tashilhunpo Monastery. It was already seven o'clock, and the surroundings showed the scenery when the sun just set. Even the golden dome of the temple has looked a little gray at this time, no longer resplendent. But this row of plateau willows emits golden light, like the legendary golden Buddha light. The sound of lamas chanting faintly came from my ears. I looked up at the golden willow and listened to the sound of chanting. I feel that I have become very clean, I can clearly see my heart, and even talk to my soul. "Where are you from?", "Where are you now?", "Where are you going?" I asked my soul three questions in one breath. "No matter how many times you reincarnate, you always ask the same question." I seem to hear the answer of the soul. "That's because you never give an answer," I said. "You are attached." The soul said. "Why?" I asked. "If the question doesn't exist, why should there be an answer," replied the soul. I don't know how long I have been talking to the soul, but suddenly, an image appeared in my mind: 20 years ago, the afternoon when I finished the college entrance examination and prepared to fill in my volunteers. I remember that I never filled in the water conservancy department on the voluntary card, so when the result of the announcement was Chengda Water Conservancy, I even called to ask if there was a computer error? Over the years, this mystery has always been in the mind. But at this moment, the image in my mind clearly appeared, that afternoon I sat at the desk and looked out the window. I saw a mass of things in the sky outside the window, like light, but also like shadow. Then I seemed to realize something suddenly, so I lowered my head and started to draw my volunteer card. I saw the code for Chengda Water Conservancy that I put on my volunteer card, and I even saw the code. My heart suddenly brightened.Yes, I did fill the water system. "Hey! Stealing ants!" The images in my mind were scattered.I turned my head and saw Cang Yue ten steps away. "Why are you here?" I took a few steps towards her. "Your walking has become normal." Cang Yue smiled, "Didn't you get altitude sickness?" "I've forgotten about altitude sickness." I also smiled. Cang Yue said that after she drove me from the airport to Lhasa that day, she walked around and happened to come to Shigatse today. In the past few days, she has seen a lot and experienced a lot, and her mood has changed a lot. "Tibetans say: happiness is a round thing, not easy to carry." She said, "so any possible Things that bring happiness, even a little bit, should be cherished more and taken care of in your hands. " "You seem to have an epiphany," I said. "I have heard the voice of Tibet," she said. "Oh?" "As long as your heart is quiet enough, you can hear it." She smiled, "Didn't you just listen?" "If the mind is quiet enough, then it's me who hears it?" I said, "Or Tibet?" "You are persistent." She smiled again. "Life is really worth loving." Cang Yue said with a smile: "I have to write a novel to promote The concept that ants still steal their lives. " "It's better that way," I said. "Tomorrow I'm leaving for Mount Everest, please bless me." Cang Yue said. "Me too!" Han Han pointed to his nose and inserted a sentence. Cang Yue ignored Han Han, said goodbye to me, turned around and left. Han Han's hand was still pointing to his nose. "This girl is so weird." Han Han put down his hands and said. "Oh?" I asked, "How strange?" "I'm so handsome, she didn't even look at me or say a word to me." "You are persistent." I smiled. Although the low voices of lamas chanting scriptures in the hall can no longer be heard, But I can still catch the murmur echoing in the air around me. Maybe this is what Cang Yue said, the voice of Tibet. Han Han and I found a hotel in Shigatse and rested after dinner. I was lying on the bed, remembering that in the past 20 years, I often complained that I studied the unpopular water conservancy, Rather than popular electrical machinery, machinery or information, so often feel depressed. Perhaps because of this, the study and work these years have not been very smooth. But now my heart is full of Dharma joy, and being a water conservancy engineer in this life should have special meaning. As soon as I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep, the lamas' deep chanting seemed to sound again. And the golden plateau willow is getting bigger and bigger in my mind, and finally the whole picture is full of gold.