I loooooooooove Rinpoche!!

I realized today, as I watched and listened to Rinpoche at his last teaching at Deer Park for this year, that I've been a selfish bitch and drowning in attachment and ego with all this whining about a refuge master.  There are PLENTY of people up at Deer Park who could act in that capacity for me, and once again -- as in so much of my life -- my impatience is showing.  I always want to run before I can walk.

The picture here is of Rinpoche giving water to the pretas, the hungry ghosts, denizens of a world where hunger and thirst are endless and universal.

We've another try at an appointment tomorrow at 4pm.  I'll let you all know how it goes!!

WANTED: Refuge Master

Maybe I should take out a personal ad.

WANTED:  REFUGE MASTER.  Must be enlightened, full of bodhicitta, and within one day's drive of Rockford.  Must not be inscrutable or uncommunicative.  Preferably with a sense of humor.  Apply at janeharper[at]mac.com.

Right hand, meet left hand.

Isn't it strange how things don't work out?  

Last Sunday afternoon I made an appointment with Ven. Tsun-la at Deer Park to meet with Rinpoche on Thursday before the 7:30 teachings.  Took the day off, even, because Deer Park is about 75 minutes from here and I didn't want to have to rush after work.  Then around noon on Thursday, Tsun-La called again to say he wasn't going to be available, and reschedule for today after the morning teachings were over, around noon.

After the teachings were over, I went over to the monastery Annex, as requested.  One of the monks met me on the way over and I told him I had an appointment with Rinpoche.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, it was set up with Ven. Tsen-La on Thursday."

The young monk still look puzzled.  "Let me go up and see."  About 15 minutes later (about 12:30) he came back down to say that Rinpoche was going out to lunch with some friends and could I wait until 5 pm?

I think perhaps it's just not my karma.  Initially I said I'd wait, but then remembered I had a family commitment that wouldn't allow it, so I asked one of the Venerables to make sure that Rinpoche got the photograph I took of the Peace Monument here in Rockford, that I had printed up as a gift for him, and came back home.

I understand that I'm far too unimportant for Rinpoche to bother with, but I'm still left without a teacher or a refuge master.

How the *#$#( does someone find one of those??? 

Rinpoche has agreed to see me!!!

What does one say to a living Buddha?  I guess I'll find out Thursday.

I went to Deer Park for the teaching today and when I pulled my cell phone out to call and tell my partner I was stuck in traffic on the way home, I discovered a message from one of the nuns at Deer Park saying that Rinpoche "would be happy to meet with [me]".  HOLY CRAP!!!

I phoned as soon as I got home, and I'm not sure who answered the phone, but the nun who called eventually got on the line and we made a date.  There was a lot of Tibetan flying in the background.  (I don't even know how to say hello!)  In the end, though, we had an appointment for Thursday late afternoon before the teachings start at 7:30.

The photo is of the Deer Park temple, it's the view one gets walking up the hill from the parking lot.

finding a guru

Last week I made my first trip to Deer Park Tibetan Buddhist Center in Oakland, WI.  Geshe Lundrop Sopa, the founder and spiritual energy behind Deer Park Center, is emeritus professor of Asian studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and was the student chosen by their mutual teacher to debate His Holiness, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, at HH's final examination for his geshe degree.  Sharp guy!

Geshe-la is in fairly fragile health now, needing a powerchair to get around, but he still teaches for four weeks every summer and draws students like Bikshuni Thubten Chodron, abbess of Srasvasti Abbey in eastern Washington.

How in the world does one *acquire* a personal teacher???  Do they just fall from the sky??  You can't get close enough to someone like Rinpoche to actually ASK.  It's a little frustrating, you know?

Still no response to my note from last Sunday.  In my dreams, when I get there THIS Sunday there will be a response taped to the door, or something   LOL

I saw Lama Zopa Rinpoche teach today

It was at Deer Park Monastery in Oregon, WI, where Rinpoche is attending a course taught by the Monastery's head, Geshe Londrub Sopa.  The temple on the monastery grounds is exquisite and I've never seen or heard a roomful of people so quiet!!  

Unfortunately, Rinpoche either has a nasty cold or the worst case of hay fever imaginable, because at least half of his talk consisted of clearing the throat and coughing.  He carried on cheerfully and was in wonderful humor!

I had heard that Rinpoche would be teaching today, so I wrote him a letter asking him to be my guru, and asking if it was possible for me to take refuge with him.  I didn't get a chance to give it to him myself, but I gave it to one of the Venerables who came to the teaching and she promised to deliver it for me.

I had also brought a kata but didn't get to give it to him because I was on the far side of the room and he exited through the middle.  He was looking around as if he was waiting for something to happen, though.  Next week I'll sit right on the aisle.

I begin the journey

Hello everyone.

This is a very new journey for me.  A few weeks ago I realized that I'm burning out at work, I'd stopped caring about my patients and had actually started mocking them and making jokes at their expense.  My compassion was gone.  In addition, I'd just finished my dissertation and was ignoring everything in my life that wasn't science.

I started taking Reiki training, because I'd read about it, and in researching further found that some of the Reiki symbols were Tibetan.  That led to reading about Tibetan Buddhism, which is ALL ABOUT compassion.

Hoping it will help reopen my heart, I have begun studying the Discovering Buddhism at Home series from the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, and embarked on their preliminary practices.  (The preliminary practices are called Ngondro, and they prepare the practitioner for Highest Yoga Tantra empowerments.)

Here's what my goals are:

Mornings and Evenings:

1 round (105) prostrations to the 35 Buddhas

30' meditation

2 malas of the 6-syllable mantra

2 malas of the medicine Buddha mantra

1 mala of the Tara mantra (Green Tara mornings, White Tara evenings)

1 mala of the Shakyamuni Buddha mantra

Midday:

1 mala of the 6-syllable mantra

1 mala of the medicine Buddha mantra

Needless to say, I'll be easing my way into this ...