Lama Temple and Wish Fulfillment

After more exploration of the hutongs we walked out to find the Buddhist Lama Temple. This is an ancient site with many courtyards and halls, all packed close together. In each hall sat giant sized effigies of different aspects of the Buddha and a pantheon of associated Gods and perhaps some Devils? .One slim line Buddha was carved out of a single tree of sandalwood and was so tall that all you could see were his feet and his gilded torso stretching up into the shadowy heights of the roof. 
This Temple is a centre for Tantric Buddism  which, even having looked it up on Encyclopaedia Britannica, I have no idea what beliefs it holds, except that sex may be a way to enlightenment. At least one of the Qing Chinese Emperors was a sponsor and a follower. It certainly feels very different to our local meditative Kadampa Buddhist Temple in Ulverston. 
Today there are many people there who are definitely into burning a lot of incense and genuflecting with gusto  in front of whichever aspect figure they feel auspicious. It would seem they are requesting favours. A Chinese friend  has darkly said of the ,place ‘You should be very careful what you wish for there.’  Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, the overwhelming majority of worshippers or supplicants were in their vigorous 20’s/ 30’s, some with young families.  I don’t think I saw any elderly people in the crowds. Perhaps they’ve already twigged that wish-fulfilment and sex are not as great as they’re cracked up to be.

For the very young though, the wonder of blowing into a straw to inflate your own spun-sugar chicken is more than enough for the day.