After Qu Zan attained the rank of Geshe, his living quarters changed as well.
He would move out of his single room and into the Geshe Labrang, no longer living alongside ordinary Scholar Monks in the Monks' Quarters.
Qu Zan first returned to his own room and bundled up all his belongings.
Just as he was packing, he heard the creak of a door opening opposite him.
Then a monk came to the doorway. It was his former neighbor, Rinchen.
Qu Zan turned his head.
Rinchen immediately pressed his palms together and bowed to Qu Zan.
Rinchen could be said to have witnessed Qu Zan's entire journey.
When he first met Qu Zan, the latter had still been an Attendant Monk. Later, he became a Scholar Monk, and now he had risen all the way to Geshe-and a monastery-wide Geshe at that.
The youth before him was still the same youth, yet Rinchen felt a barrier had formed between them.
It was not merely a feeling. It was truly so.
Rinchen used to address Qu Zan as junior brother, but now it was, "Geshe Lama!"
Qu Zan nodded slightly. He, too, had to observe etiquette. "Rinchen!"
He had already left the ranks of the Scholar Monks and attained the rank of Geshe. He and Rinchen could no longer address each other as senior and junior brothers.
"Let me help carry your belongings over," Rinchen said.
Seeing that Qu Zan was about to refuse, he hurriedly said, "This is the custom. Now that you've become a Geshe, you no longer need to do the work yourself. If you take disciples in the future, you can leave all this rough, tiring work to them.
"Or you could choose an Attendant Monk. If you don't mind, I could serve as your-"
Rinchen seemed