I rolled into Wutai Shan, the Five Platform Mountains, after a 6 hour bus ride. The area is a collection of mountains with many, many Buddhist temples surrounding a tourist trap that was overcrowded. After spending a night in a crummy hotel, I wandered around looking for some good hiking, an escape from the crowds, and the proverbial temple atop a mountain. I ended up running into three friends who were on sort of an annual pilgrimage, spending several days at a Buddhist temple. They invited me to join for a day/night and naturally I couldn't resist. As I've mentioned earlier, I'm not Buddhist. I've been happily Christian for several years now. That being said, I believe interfaith awareness is critical to one's spiritual and personal growth. My stay was an incredible time of learning, meditation,
... read more