The sun was still hours away from breaking over the peaks of the Westari mountain range when the Big Kuma bell began to peel. The peal of the bell combined was drowned out with the echoes bouncing from every snow covered peak below the tower stretching from the highest point in the range marking the monasteries’ massive main hall among the endless stretch of stone. The sound was muted in the halls of the monetary but even the feet of granite could not shut it out completely. After the customary 13 strikes the bell fell silent but the sound was slow to die away. The monks stirred from their mats and began to get ready for the day. The senior monks left their individual cells and bowed to one another in the great dormitory hallway, each one clasping their left handed fist in their right open palm to signify war over piece. The child’s dormitory was located at the other end of the main hall, cut deeper into the rock of the mountain it had no windows but one large sky light in the shape of a great circle cut into the stone roof. The older boys helped the younger get ready for the day by tying their robes and bringing their bedpans to the bath chamber to be rinsed.
The men and boys met in the dining hall that also served as the main meditation chambers during the day to have their breakfast. Those who were on kitchen duty had been up since the previous night preparing the food and would get to sleep as soon as the meal was over the cleanup complete.
The bitter chill of the thin air did not penetrate the great walls of the main hall because of the hot mater piped from the natural springs deep in the heart of the mountain coursed through every wall and the 13ft high and 13ft wide main hearth was always lit and fed with the natural gas supplied by Wastari.