Set high on the Tibetan Plateau in western China, Zhaxisi is the Buddhist monastery of Pema Batsa Rinpoche, a very close friend of mine.  When I first met Pema Batsa, in Beijing, he invited me to visit him at his monastery which I was able to do several months later.  At that time, I spoke almost no Chinese and the trip was a great and wonderful adventure.  Traveling by airplane, bus, minivan, Chinese state utility truck, motorcycle, and foot, I was the first Westerner to ever visit him there.  We spent many days at Zhaxisi, then traveled together to the famous Katok Monastery, where he was raised by monks, from the age of five.  Traditionally, when a Living Buddha, or Rinpoche,  leaves this world, he states where he will return in the next life.  Accordingly, after about five years, designated monks seek the child out and present him with several tests that only the former Rinpoche would know the answers to, thus determining his identity.  After finding Pema Batsa, the monks took him to Katok Monastery to raise him.  Fifteen or so years later,  Pema Batsa left Katok and returned to his original temple, Zhaxisi, and began reconstruction of his monastery.  When I visited him, he was in this process and  the new monastery is still being completed.  Truly an amazing journey for me, we traveled even higher into the mountains from his place to spend many days at Katok, secluded high in the mountains at about 18,000 feet.  This painting is of the first main temple building, reconstructed at Zhaxisi.  Standing in front of the temple is my good friend Drenze Doje who is Pema Batsa Rinpoche’s assistant, another monk, and some goats…all temple residents.