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.