Finding Buddhism in the mountains

A Tibetan Buddhist nun spins a prayer wheel in sub zero temperatures at a Buddhist laymen lodge where thousands of people gather for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, the last of the four Dharma assemblies at Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, in remote Sertar county, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan province, China November 1, 2015. The eight-day gathering of people chanting mantras and listening to teachings of monks starts every year around the 22nd of the ninth month on Tibetan calendar, the great day of Buddha's Descending from Tushita Heavens. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Tibetan prayer flags flutter above the Larung valley, October 30, 2015. The Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, located some 3700 to 4000 meters above the sea level was founded in 1980 by Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok, an influential lama of Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism with only around 30 students but is now widely known as one of the biggest centers to study Tibetan Buddhism in the world. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Tibetan Buddhist monks take a break at a Buddhist laymen lodge where thousands of people gather for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, the last of the four Dharma assemblies at Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015.REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman from Kham area wearing traditional amber headwear looks at fake human skulls placed inside a room at the site for sky burials near the Larung valley, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A Buddhist monk collects his belongings as vultures gather around a body of a deceased person during a sky burial near the Larung valley, November 1, 2015. In early afternoons, on a hill near famous Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, relatives and onlookers gather for sky burials in which bodies of deceased people are offered to vultures to prey upon it. Such burials are practiced by some Tibetans and Mongolian in China as an extreme type of Buddhist's "self-sacrifice almsgiving". It is believed that feeding vultures with decomposed corpse of relatives on top of a mountain is a respectful to pay tribute to their passed-away beloved ones. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Small houses of monks and nuns of Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute are built on the hill of Larung valley, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman walks under the picture of Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok behind prayer wheels at the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A traditional Tibetan hat and belt are put aside as an ethnic Tibetan woman prostrates herself at a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Padma Tsering, a popular Tibetan Buddhist monk spins his prayer wheels at a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Thousands of ethnic Tibetans gather to listen Buddhist monks' teachings near Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetan people protect themselves from the smell of decomposing bodies as vultures come from skies during a sky burial near the Larung valley, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan man prays at a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Monks and nuns walk across a steep hill back to their dormitory after attending a daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Young Tibetan Buddhist monks look out from inside their cabin at others praying at Buddhist laymen lodge where thousands of people gather for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A Tibetan Buddhist monk takes pictures with his smartphone of a daily chanting session at a Buddhist laymen lodge during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Tibetan Buddhist nuns keep yak butter lamps burning at a Buddhist laymen lodge where thousands of people gather for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A Tibetan Buddhist monk protects himself from the smell of decomposing bodies as vultures come from skies for a sky burial near the Larung valley, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetan Buddhist believers hold an electronic mantra counter (L) and prayer beads on the hill near the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetans carry a body of their deceased relative, before being taken for a sky burial, around a monastery for 80 times at the Larung valley, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman from Kham area wears traditional amber and other stone headwear at the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman prostrates herself in front of prayer wheels as she circles around a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman, wearing a traditional decoration in her hair, prays at a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetan people pray on the hill above a Buddhist laymen lodge, where thousands of monks and nuns gather for morning chanting session, during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Clouds cast shadows over the Larung valley and its Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Pictures of missing people are placed on the wall near a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Volunteers prepare yak butter tea to be distributed to people gathering in sub zero temperatures at a Buddhist laymen lodge for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetans wait for hot tea and food to be distributed on a hill where people gather to listen Buddhist monks' teachings near Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Tibetan Buddhist nuns prepare food for those gathered for daily chanting session at a Buddhist laymen lodge during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A girl joins other ethnic Tibetan people praying at a Buddhist laymen lodge, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Hot tea is distributed to monks and nuns gathering in sub-zero temperatures at Buddhist laymen lodge, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan woman from Kham area wears traditional amber and other stone headwear at the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Ethnic Tibetans offer yak butter tea at a Buddhist laymen lodge where thousands gather for daily chanting session during the Utmost Bliss Dharma Assembly, October 31, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan man, wearing traditional clothes prays at a monastery above the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 30, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

An ethnic Tibetan Buddhist believer uses a selfie stick on the hill near the Larung Wuming Buddhist Institute, October 31, 2015.REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

A woman prays as ethnic Tibetan people gather in sub zero temperatures on the hill above a Buddhist laymen lodge for daily chanting session, November 1, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj