communication

Arms waving about gesturing madly, grunts, groans, chirps, whistles, clicks, dashes and dots, from the back of the throat to the tip of the tongue we struggle to communicate.

The idea of the speaker, the thoughts of the listener, do they ever truly meet?

Here I sit amidst some of the most respected teachers of the Gelukpa tradition, surrounded by Geshe's and Rinpoches, vast libraries of the teachings, realized beings whom my deluded mind will not allow me to truly see, all here before me.

Frustrating? Sure at times. I would love to be able to sit and debate with and learn from them. In the end it's just words. The Buddha taught us that before we accept a teaching we should check out our teachers thoroughly. Anyone can spout out profound words and phrases, quote from great texts, its just words. A parrot may have a large vocabulary. If it's vocabulary contains word from a great teaching should we accept the parrot as our teacher?

Here at this place in this time I have been given the opportunity to observe. Here the teachings are not just words scribbled on a page and spouted out to the mindless masses to follow blindly. Here the teachings are alive in actions. They are internalized with each inward breath and shared with all when exhaled. It is Dharma in action. It is alive in the love an care shown to the young monks, the respected teacher and the silent visitor who can only smile at the kindness shown.

Bilbo