an eventful weekend on every level.
this weekend, during teachings giving by Khenchen Rinpoche, i took the bodhisattva vows. but that was the least of the happenings. i deliberately didn’t post last night, mostly because i was exhausted in ways i have not been for some years. not a bad thing, really.
i finally made it to my friend’s house in the northern part of town around the 6 o’clock hour. it was an unusual meeting, meeting the wife of my sangha’s president after having interacted with and known her for about six months virtually. i walked in and the first thing she asks when we get into the place is, ‘are ya hungry?’
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heh. she cooks like i do, only more often. =/ i feasted. herb-encrusted chicken breast, a black bean salsa, roasted herbed corn, etc. my goodness. it was some good eating. and in between bites, we chattered like magpies and got to ‘really know’ one another.
our interactions virtually had been a bit bumpy, and while i had no trepidation in going to visit, i was mildly curious how the reality would present. turns out that not only do we have a lot in common, we share a good number of preferences and perspectives. so… a ‘happy ending’. which was enjoyable.
another sangha member was out and about at teachings with the S.P. (sangha president) and they arrived about an hour later. much laughter ensued. also enjoyable. the day was spent in relaxed manner, Dharma talk and odds and ends peppering the hours. it was really good to have someone to talk about these things with again… the last few months have been a lot of ‘cave time’ and not much interaction with the sangha outside forums. interpersonal proximity was a timely thing.
we stayed up entirely too late of course, but eventually all fell into beds.
the next morning was a bustle as S.P. and i prepared and loaded up in the van to head north to a day of teachings given by Khenchen Rinpoche. the topic was meditation, compassion, and bodhicitta.
on the way from the first meeting location to the church reserved for the afternoon teachings (more space), one of the sangha members was involved in a hit and run accident. being the passenger in the car immediately behind, i witnessed it all. so… i wound up sitting on the roadside with the driver and another member while the rest continued to the teaching.
sunburn. heh. but i was supposed to be there. turned out that the young man was a nervous wreck and our companion had no idea how to comfort or answer his questions. by the time the officer arrived, the driver was relaxed and it became something close to humor to plan what needed to be stored in the companion’s car, where to put the bumper that had been knocked off, etc.
i also took pictures of the damage (camera conveniently present!) and got his email address to deliver them when i returned home.
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the fellow’s parents weren’t available and he lived near me, so i offered to insure he got home alright. as it turned out, he was able to reach a friend to pick him up, so that wasn’t necessary… but he came to me at the end of the teachings and handed me a wrist mala and we hugged. i wasn’t sure what touched me more, that his ‘thank you’ was so heartfelt or that he actually blushed when i told him to call me if he needed to get somewhere in the interim. (when you’re out of work, being a taxi isn’t impossible. heh.)
the teachings themselves were particularly enjoyed. Rinpoche is willing to teach in English and not having translation necessary made things more helpful here. the inflections, breathing patterns and such deliver their own connotation and i found myself fascinated by the emphasis Rinpoche placed upon certain words. it is a tangent, of course, but i have often found that how a person speaks, where the emphasis is, how the breathing weaves with the words… these things tell much of what is behind the words, intent, passion, conviction, etc.
to hear teachings in English was extremely helpful to me. and the demeanor and playfulness of this lama was delightful.
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i am, of course, skimming over the actual content delivered, but that is because i am still assimilating it and letting it stew.
during the lunch break, i found something in the hosting church’s shop that i needed to obtain for an upcoming event. safely tucked away, i contemplated lunch. the S.P. had been pulled away and others were leaving to go to various places. i felt a bit forgotten and despondent for a moment… and walked to a quite space to meditate and get past it. it was there that one of the sangha member’s grandchildren found me. she arrived just before the tears. (wry grin)
she asked if i’d like to come sit with her for lunch. i said ‘yes’ and we walked to where her grandfather was… he looked at me slyly and said, ‘are you ready to go to another world?’ laughter. he is a wonderful person, though often odd. but as it happened, he wasn’t being odd in this… though it took me a brief while to realize it.
we walked to the back of the church and the girl was laughing and talking about Rinpoche blessing a special place nearby… neither of them wanted to tell me more, holding it as a surprise.
and a surprise it was… we actually crawled through a hedge to get to it. the mental image had me giggling in spite of myself… but as we came out the other side, they stopped and waited for me to clear and look… and i realized he hadn’t been acting odd at all. it really was another world…
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just as i was snapping this shot, that car pulled into the frame and stopped. three more sangha members, young men with a frisbee, had arrived. the girl raced ahead as the two adults i was with settled in… i remained in the field to take a few more shots…
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we had lunch under the old oak, dripping with spanish moss, and it was just far enough from the frontage that the sounds of ‘civilization’ could not reach us. i laid back and stared up through the branches, watching the wind move the leaves and moss… and just… was there. it was beautiful.
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eventually, a number of the local sangha members joined us and conversation, sharing, and fellowship was savored. the slow move back to the church was interesting. i think we were all dragging our feet despite being very interested in continuing. something about that majestic old oak, alone in the field, a patch of perfection and peace in the middle of an otherwise over-developed area. it called in winsome ways and i was not the only one who felt it’s pull.
the teachings continued until 5, then a brief social time and we were back on the road to the S.P.’s home. from there, hugs and smiles as we parted and i drove to the apartment.
there is much more to tell, but it doesn’t feel ‘ready’ yet, if that makes sense. so, it will wait.
but yes, a very eventful weekend indeed.