The 16th part 1

This has been a pretty amazing day. I think I'm using the word amazing a lot but it does seem to fit. So here it goes. There has been little power today so I have to break this down into 2 parts since this internet cafe is getting ready to close.

The biggest event of the day was Ngawangs Geshe ceremony. It began with about 2500 monks in the outdoor debate hall. This is a large open area with a roof. At the back end there are huge painting of the Buddha, lama Tsankappa and his disciples as well as many others. On a high and very ornate throne sat the Abbot of the monastery. In fron of him sat Ngawang Trinley and 3 others who were getting their degree. As a part of the ceremony Ngawang had to recite many verses of text that he had memorized while all the monks in the hall checked him for mistakes. Talk about a pressure cooker! Once complete he had to debate other Geshe's. This was a formality since he had already completed all of his exams. Even with that you don't want to blow it in front of so many. He did great and now has his yellow hat.

I thought I would take a break in my room for a little while. So much for thinking. Lobsang Yeshe felt that my time would be better spent learning Tibetan. Now you have to realize that I have pictures of Lobsang Yeshe as a boy of about 8 years old trying to teach me Tibetan. So we picked up where we left off. We spent about an hour and half at it until my brain was full. He said we could stop for today but would have to get back at it tomorrow. We had a lot of fun laughing at my mistakes.

I'll come back to the big puja (offering ceremony) that was held in the main temple later. I really want to share this next with you and I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. Keep in mind that Geshe La has been diagnosed with cancer and it sounds like there will be no western medicine. Not that this is a bad thing. When he tells you that he will be fine that could have a lot of different meanings on a lot of different levels.

Geshe La and the Boston group and I went to visit Ven. Choden Rinpoche and make an offering. Rinpoche has the look of one who has a foot in two worlds. Or maybe it would be better to say that he sees the world as it truly exists and lives in that world. This truly sets him apart from those of us who stumble along with our deluded minds, rapted up in our egos and things.

It struck me as we left that I have been very fortunate to have met so many of these great teachers who were trained in Tibet. As we wound our way through the dark streets I could feel tears builging as the realization came home that there are very few of these great lamas left, that Geshe Tsulga's generation is the last. To hammer this point even more we made our way to the stupa of Geshe La's root guru and teacher Khensur Rinpoche. I was fortunate enough to meet Rinpoche in 1993. (It really bugs me how people misuse the word guru. A guru is a spritual guide not a compute whiz!) Anyway, Khen Rinpoche passed away a few years ago and his room is now a sacred place where there is a stupa which holds his remains. We said some prayer with Geshe La and made offerings and then Geseh La told us of how Rinpoche passed. It is said that when he died he reamined in meditation for 7 seven days and that when his body was creamated his eyes, tongue and heart shapes remained. This were eventually placed with the stupa. There were also what is called holy relics within the ashes...

All this made me think of Geshe La. He gave us so much detail on what to do when a Lama passes. It makes me wonder if he was preparing us for his passing.