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Mt. Emei, China -- At the foot of Mt. Emei in SW China's Sichuan province, stands a unique college - Emei Buddhist College. The college is built in Dafo Temple. Unlike other temples filled with worshippers, the Buddhist College is tranquil and solemn.
According to Master Changquan, all the students in the college are chosen from candidates recommended by temples or Buddhism associations around the country. What's more, they should take entrance exams before being accepted.
Comparing with other colleges or universities, Emei Buddhism College is small. However, students here have classes from morning to afternoon, Tuesday to Sunday. There are 74 monks and 36 nuns studying in the college.
Students begin a day's study at 5:30 a.m. every morning. In class, they will stand up and chant "Amitabha" as a greeting to the master (teacher). At 11:15 a.m., all the students will line up to have lunch in Wuguan Hall after a break in the dorm.
The foods are very simple, potatoes and cabbage, with rice as staple food. After lunch, students will have one hour's rest. Some will read books in the dorm, some will sit in meditation and chant sutras, and some will lie down for a while. At 2 p.m., afternoon classes will start. There is a nun's class in the college. The nuns study in Fuhu Temple, which is far away from Dafo Temple.
