The Guardian of the Monastery🔊

Beneath the halo of the Tibetan sun, tucked in between the colossal, snow-covered Himalayan peaks, lay the ancient monastery of Thikse. This captivating sanctuary, ensconced within the arms of nature, became home to the protagonist of our tale- Tenzin. Tenzin was an orphan, brought to the thikse monastery when he was a baby, and since then, he was raised by the eldest monk, the wise Guru Rinchen. The monastery was his home, the monks were his family, and as time passed, Tenzin grew to become the most skilled and dedicated monk of all.

One day, as Tenzin was performing his daily chores, a peculiar vulture perched atop the monastery’s highest point started behaving erratically. Intriguing, thought Tenzin and decided to take a closer look. The vulture dropped a stone onto the courtyard. Tenzin picked it up, examined it, and found strange engravings on it. He realized it was an ancient Dzungar script and immediately took it to Guru Rinchen.

Rinchen, using his knowledge of ancient scripts, deciphered the inscriptions, translating it to, “In the fading light of the solstice sun, a darkness will descend. Only the guardian of the monastery can fend.” Everyone understood its meaning - a threat was impending. The monks turned to Tenzin, who due to his courage and wisdom, had always been perceived as the guardian of the monastery.

Nights rolled into days, days into weeks, but all seemed calm. Tenzin, however, didn’t let his guard down. He prepared, trained, prayed, and watched. Then, on the ominous day of winter solstice, under the blood-red horizon, a monstrous creature descended from the sky, its piercing shriek echoing off the snowy peaks. It was a Drakyi, Tibetan dragon, wreathed in darkness.

The monks ran helter-skelter as chaos ensued. Amidst the pandemonium, Tenzin confronted the Drakyi. Using his years of spiritual strength, discipline, and martial training, he battled the formidable beast. It was a spectacular showdown between man and beast, the likes of which the monastery had never seen before.

With one hand, Tenzin held the dragon’s fiery wrath at bay, and with the other, he managed to draw the powerful Dorje Vajra, the symbolic thunderbolt of Tibetan Buddhism. Wielding the sacred amulet, he aimed a blow, and a magnificent flash of light intersected the darkness. The Drakyi, overpowered and defeated, ascended back into the tumultuous sky and disappeared with a final roar.

The monastery was safe again, though not the same. Tenzin, having sustained injuries, was wounded but triumphant. The monks hailed him as their hero, their guardian. His bravery was a tale recounted for years to come, with every monk and visitor at Thikse looking upon him with respect and admiration.

The Guardian of the Monastery became more than a tale; it became a legacy, a reminder of the power of faith, courage, and diligence. To Tenzin, it wasn’t victory over the Drakyi. It was victory over fear, over darkness. From that fateful day, the Thikse monastery stood tall and safe, echoing with the courageous tale of Tenzin, the Guardian Monk.