The Dzogchen Summer Retreat is almost over. So much has happened. We’ve been preparing for and holding a Drupchen for the past few days. It’s been the most elaborate Drupchen that Khenpo has organized in the United States so far. The dancing and costumes are much more elaborate, and we have a better translation this time around. The entire text is over 300 pages. The teachings that Khen Rinpoche have been giving have been just phenomenal. It’s so amazing to watch him conduct the entire Drupchen. There are so many moving parts. It's like conducting a symphony.
I’ve had the privilege of leading the singing for the English portions of much of the Drupchen, which has been very joyful for me, yet daunting, since there were almost no singing rehearsals (there was one brief rehearsal for one short section). The English translations were written to get the meaning acros rather than to be lyrical. Poetry does not usually translate very gracefully from one language to another. So I’m spontaneously singing melodies that are inspired by the ones that Khenpo sings for the Tibetan source, but the phrases have awkward numbers of syllables and some pretty unusual words in them. It’s all good though and everyone is having a great time with all the dancing and music. Another lama is here helping Khenpo by leading a group of retreatants playing rolmos (Tibetan cymbals), drums and conchs.
There are a lot of people here interested in music so I think it will be a very musical retreat. I brought along quite a few musical instruments and much of my recording studio, so there is bound to be some great Dharma music created during the remainder of the retreat.
I've been helping people order any texts they need via Amazon and many arrived yesterday. I ordered a nice Oxford two volume dictionary as well as an Oxford thesaurus to help with translation questions.
On the summer solstice, just before I drove to Oregon for the retreat, I was able to go Whale Watching on Monterey Bay as part of a cruise organized by Laura Almada of Earthly Treasures. The cruise was on a Sanctuary Whale Watching Cruises boat. I edited most of the photos before the retreat, but just got a chance to upload the photos yesterday. Here's a gallery of 108 of the best shots.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Look in All Directions
I'm here at the retreat center. I arrived on June 28, a week ago. A lot has happened and I'm not able to recount much right now. There have been some great improvements since I was last here a couple months ago. The place feels great and everyone is busy and happy to be back.
I’ll close this post with a brief portion of a teaching given by Dzogchen Khenpo Choga this morning, July 6, 2008. This is a paraphrase, not an exact quote:
Each person has their own universe. The more negative thinking one has, the smaller, darker and narrower their universe becomes. For example, hell beings can barely move. The more positive thinking one has, the more vast and bright one's own universe becomes. If you are always thinking about "me" you will almost strangle yourself with your ego clinging, like locking yourself in a little cage. Therefore one should look to all universes, in all directions with a single omniscient wisdom eye.
I’ll close this post with a brief portion of a teaching given by Dzogchen Khenpo Choga this morning, July 6, 2008. This is a paraphrase, not an exact quote:
Each person has their own universe. The more negative thinking one has, the smaller, darker and narrower their universe becomes. For example, hell beings can barely move. The more positive thinking one has, the more vast and bright one's own universe becomes. If you are always thinking about "me" you will almost strangle yourself with your ego clinging, like locking yourself in a little cage. Therefore one should look to all universes, in all directions with a single omniscient wisdom eye.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Evening Teaching this Friday
I'm holding a public talk and discussion this Friday in San Anselmo at Jack and Judith's home in San Anselmo. The topic is "Preliminary Practice, the Heart of Spiritual Practice." Please arrive by 6:50 PM since I plan to start promptly at 7.
I've also been holding morning Buddha Path practices for the past three weeks and continuing for most of next week. I'd love it if you joined me next Monday through Thursday mornings. Please arrive at Laura's store in Larkspur at 7:20 AM so you have 10 minutes to settle in.
There are details and directions for the teaching event and practices on the Dzogchen Buddha Institute site.
I've also been holding morning Buddha Path practices for the past three weeks and continuing for most of next week. I'd love it if you joined me next Monday through Thursday mornings. Please arrive at Laura's store in Larkspur at 7:20 AM so you have 10 minutes to settle in.
There are details and directions for the teaching event and practices on the Dzogchen Buddha Institute site.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Home Free in Marin
So much has happened since I got back to the States two months ago! I'll try to briefly summarize some highlights.
In April I organized and helped to teach the Dzogchen Spring Retreat at the Dzogchen Retreat Center near Eugene, Oregon. That experience alone could have filled a whole series of posts, but I was too busy during the retreat to write anything.
I returned to California in early May to finish moving out of my home in Marin County as part of my divorce settlement. That whole process has been a huge emotional challenge for my wife and I, but throughout the process we've managed to remain good friends. If not for all the amazing teachings we've had from Rinpoche over the years I think it might have been much harder for us to deal with the divorce process. For all the negative aspects of impermanence in our human relationships, these kind of changes also open doors to new and positive possibilities.
I'm currently still in Marin and am busy doing about a thousand things in preparation for the 6-month Dzogchen Lineage Internship which starts on the 4th of July. I'm sorting through all the possessions I've accumulated from 15 years of living in the same place. I'm purging a lot of unnecessary stuff which feels great. My load is lightening and this should allow me to be more free to travel and teach after the retreat.
I'm also working writing music again and have been learning Logic, Apple's pro-audio software system. I decided to migrate away from Digidesign's ProTools and so far I'm amazed at the power of Logic.
I'm leading a daily Buddha Path Practice at 8AM every weekday in Marin City and also holding some evening Dharma teachings at 7 PM on Friday nights. Khenpo Rinpoche requested that I do some teaching prior to the Internship so I'm fulfilling that aspiration.
I'm currently "home-free" meaning I'm homeless and don't have a fixed home base (other than my tent at the retreat center 550 miles from here in Oregon). Fortunately, friends have stepped in to give me access to floors to sleep on and showers to use, but most nights I've been car-camping, which is quite comfortable in my Honda Element. You just have to find a place that is relatively dark, quiet and private without upsetting someone living nearby or getting chased off by the cops.
My office is my laptop, which is equipped with Sprint Broadband service, so that I can have Internet access from nearly anywhere. I only have to find a coffee shop or fast food restaurant that doesn't mind if I use an electrical outlet for a few hours to work. I have to wear ear plugs to block out the muzak. It's a very nomadic experience and I've gotten to sleep and work in several different cities in Marin. I have also had some first-hand experiences about the stress experienced by those who are living without homes.
I made the "home-free" choice to conserve my funds in preparation for the 6-months of being out of work, but also to get a sense of what it is like for the many Americans who have been displaced from their homes and are couch surfing, living out of their cars, living in tents, or simply staying out on the streets. I think I'm feeling a lot more compassion for people in those circumstances than I was before. I've got a great car to get around with and sleep in. I have a nice storage facility I'm renting to store most of my things. How many homeless people don't even have that? Living with your possessions in a shopping cart has got to be very very stressful.
Roshi Bernard "Bernie" Glassman is a Zen Buddhist master from the NYC region. I met Bernie at a Buddhist Leadership Conference in Vermont last fall. Since 1995 he has been offering retreats where his students could experience homelessness first hand, which he calls "bearing witness." I think he's really quite remarkable, with all the amazing things he's done with his life and all of the people he has helped.
What I'm experiencing is a bit like Bernie's homeless retreats, but I'm not quite living on the streets since I'm protected by my wheels. I'm trying to live a "normal" life with my daily Buddhist practice and still making some kind of a living while not having anywhere to call home other than my various touch points. It's not that easy to deal with, but it is very eye opening.
Well I need to go do a bunch of things to prepare for the teaching tomorrow night so that's all for now.
In April I organized and helped to teach the Dzogchen Spring Retreat at the Dzogchen Retreat Center near Eugene, Oregon. That experience alone could have filled a whole series of posts, but I was too busy during the retreat to write anything.
I returned to California in early May to finish moving out of my home in Marin County as part of my divorce settlement. That whole process has been a huge emotional challenge for my wife and I, but throughout the process we've managed to remain good friends. If not for all the amazing teachings we've had from Rinpoche over the years I think it might have been much harder for us to deal with the divorce process. For all the negative aspects of impermanence in our human relationships, these kind of changes also open doors to new and positive possibilities.
I'm currently still in Marin and am busy doing about a thousand things in preparation for the 6-month Dzogchen Lineage Internship which starts on the 4th of July. I'm sorting through all the possessions I've accumulated from 15 years of living in the same place. I'm purging a lot of unnecessary stuff which feels great. My load is lightening and this should allow me to be more free to travel and teach after the retreat.
I'm also working writing music again and have been learning Logic, Apple's pro-audio software system. I decided to migrate away from Digidesign's ProTools and so far I'm amazed at the power of Logic.
I'm leading a daily Buddha Path Practice at 8AM every weekday in Marin City and also holding some evening Dharma teachings at 7 PM on Friday nights. Khenpo Rinpoche requested that I do some teaching prior to the Internship so I'm fulfilling that aspiration.
I'm currently "home-free" meaning I'm homeless and don't have a fixed home base (other than my tent at the retreat center 550 miles from here in Oregon). Fortunately, friends have stepped in to give me access to floors to sleep on and showers to use, but most nights I've been car-camping, which is quite comfortable in my Honda Element. You just have to find a place that is relatively dark, quiet and private without upsetting someone living nearby or getting chased off by the cops.
My office is my laptop, which is equipped with Sprint Broadband service, so that I can have Internet access from nearly anywhere. I only have to find a coffee shop or fast food restaurant that doesn't mind if I use an electrical outlet for a few hours to work. I have to wear ear plugs to block out the muzak. It's a very nomadic experience and I've gotten to sleep and work in several different cities in Marin. I have also had some first-hand experiences about the stress experienced by those who are living without homes.
I made the "home-free" choice to conserve my funds in preparation for the 6-months of being out of work, but also to get a sense of what it is like for the many Americans who have been displaced from their homes and are couch surfing, living out of their cars, living in tents, or simply staying out on the streets. I think I'm feeling a lot more compassion for people in those circumstances than I was before. I've got a great car to get around with and sleep in. I have a nice storage facility I'm renting to store most of my things. How many homeless people don't even have that? Living with your possessions in a shopping cart has got to be very very stressful.
Roshi Bernard "Bernie" Glassman is a Zen Buddhist master from the NYC region. I met Bernie at a Buddhist Leadership Conference in Vermont last fall. Since 1995 he has been offering retreats where his students could experience homelessness first hand, which he calls "bearing witness." I think he's really quite remarkable, with all the amazing things he's done with his life and all of the people he has helped.
What I'm experiencing is a bit like Bernie's homeless retreats, but I'm not quite living on the streets since I'm protected by my wheels. I'm trying to live a "normal" life with my daily Buddhist practice and still making some kind of a living while not having anywhere to call home other than my various touch points. It's not that easy to deal with, but it is very eye opening.
Well I need to go do a bunch of things to prepare for the teaching tomorrow night so that's all for now.
Monday, March 31, 2008
California Dreamin
I'm finally back in the States after six weeks of traveling in Asia. I have developed a greatly deepened appreciation for many of the best aspects of our American culture, but also a newly expanded appreciation for many aspects of the Indian, Nepali and Tibetan cultures. It was an amazing pilgrimage with countless new experiences packed into six weeks.
I'm staying at Nicole and Lorna's tonight. I tried starting my car earlier this evening, and it started fine. I didn't expect it to start based on what happened on February 18, when it wouldn't start the morning that Nicole took me to the airport and we had to push it out of the driveway to park it on the street. That's a mystery I'll try to solve tomorrow.
Due to the long flight back, I haven't slept quite enough and am still on my Asian sleeping rhythm, so I'd better head to bed.
I'm staying at Nicole and Lorna's tonight. I tried starting my car earlier this evening, and it started fine. I didn't expect it to start based on what happened on February 18, when it wouldn't start the morning that Nicole took me to the airport and we had to push it out of the driveway to park it on the street. That's a mystery I'll try to solve tomorrow.
Due to the long flight back, I haven't slept quite enough and am still on my Asian sleeping rhythm, so I'd better head to bed.
London Calling
I'm in London in the brand-new Terminal 5 at Heathrow. It's a very modern design and all the surfaces are shiny and clean. British Airways opened this terminal four days ago with much fanfare and many glitches that have resulted in thousands of lost bags and numerous canceled flights, including my flight to LAX. I think BA is doing their best to iron out the problems, but I had one challenging experience with the last security point as one enters the secure part of the terminal.
There is a type of new system for running one's carry-on bags and shoes through x-ray machines. You can tell that whoever designed the system really tried to make it run smoother and require less labor than the systems we're familiar with where the security people manually carry the trays back to the beginning point. I can't imagine that the manufacturer of the new device actually field-tested the system with real airline customers. The conveyer system was totally befuddling every effort by the BA staff to inform the customers how to use it and the customers were even more confused. After I went through, it looked like my bags were going to get sucked into the automated tray return system, and I bumped into a lady who got between two of my trays that were racing by me. I almost spilled all her things on the floor. It was very awkward. I resorted to dumping all my things on the floor so that I could pull them together and get out of the way of everyone and so that I could get my shoes back on. Everyone, including the staff was getting tripped up by the automated tray conveyor. These are the sorts of worldly experiences that really test one's equinimity after being on a retreat and pilgrimage. I can't say I passed the test very well!
Of course the whole pilgrimage was filled with many many experiences like this, and overall I did pretty well and tried to treat everyone I encountered on my journey with as much compassion and kindness as I could generate. Really everyday life is always presenting us with these kinds of tests, opportunities to practice in every moment. It is so benefical to oneself and others to always keep Dharma in mind.
I'll be back in the States at LAX by mid-afternoon on March 31. Eddie said he'd pick me up at the airport and I hope to stay in LA for a couple days to sort things out and maybe get together with some of the LA Sangha to share some of my experiences. Hope to see some of you, perhaps on the evening of Wednesday, April 2. Julian and/or I will send out emails about any plans that arise.
I'm hoping to get back the the SF Bay area by Friday, April 4. I think I'll be able to attend Sunday practice on Sunday, April 6.
There is a type of new system for running one's carry-on bags and shoes through x-ray machines. You can tell that whoever designed the system really tried to make it run smoother and require less labor than the systems we're familiar with where the security people manually carry the trays back to the beginning point. I can't imagine that the manufacturer of the new device actually field-tested the system with real airline customers. The conveyer system was totally befuddling every effort by the BA staff to inform the customers how to use it and the customers were even more confused. After I went through, it looked like my bags were going to get sucked into the automated tray return system, and I bumped into a lady who got between two of my trays that were racing by me. I almost spilled all her things on the floor. It was very awkward. I resorted to dumping all my things on the floor so that I could pull them together and get out of the way of everyone and so that I could get my shoes back on. Everyone, including the staff was getting tripped up by the automated tray conveyor. These are the sorts of worldly experiences that really test one's equinimity after being on a retreat and pilgrimage. I can't say I passed the test very well!
Of course the whole pilgrimage was filled with many many experiences like this, and overall I did pretty well and tried to treat everyone I encountered on my journey with as much compassion and kindness as I could generate. Really everyday life is always presenting us with these kinds of tests, opportunities to practice in every moment. It is so benefical to oneself and others to always keep Dharma in mind.
I'll be back in the States at LAX by mid-afternoon on March 31. Eddie said he'd pick me up at the airport and I hope to stay in LA for a couple days to sort things out and maybe get together with some of the LA Sangha to share some of my experiences. Hope to see some of you, perhaps on the evening of Wednesday, April 2. Julian and/or I will send out emails about any plans that arise.
I'm hoping to get back the the SF Bay area by Friday, April 4. I think I'll be able to attend Sunday practice on Sunday, April 6.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Flight Canceled
I flew back from Bangalore to Delhi today. I had one interesting adventure today, when landing at Delhi I saw a building from the air that I'd read about online. It's called the Lotus Temple and is quite dramatically shaped like an opening lotus bud. I was able to get a pre-paid cab for only Rs.350 from the domestic terminal to Manjun Ka Tila, and then once in the cab negotiate a Rs.300 side trip to the Lotus Temple. Amazing place. I'll write more about it once I post the photos I took today.
I'm currently back at the Ga-Khyl House, a Tibetan-run guest house in the Tibetan Colony located in the Majun Ka Tila (pronounced ma-jun-ka te-la) area of north Delhi. It's a very nice place with hot water and private bathrooms. Rates are currently only about Rs.500 per night. I can put you in touch with Nyima the manager if you'd like to stay here. He was kind enough to store two of my bags while I was in Bangalore. I'm scheduled to fly from Delhi to Heathrow in about 5 hours, so I need to head to the airport soon. Nyima suggested I get there 4 hours early.
I briefly got online to discover an email sent to me only 4 hours ago from British Airways informing me that my flight from Heathrow to LAX was just cancelled! I've heard that BA just opened a new terminal at Heathrow and it is a complete disaster with many people having lost baggage and some flights being cancelled, like mine just was. I need to go sort that out. If it is good for me and all sentient beings, may my trip home be smooth!
I'm currently back at the Ga-Khyl House, a Tibetan-run guest house in the Tibetan Colony located in the Majun Ka Tila (pronounced ma-jun-ka te-la) area of north Delhi. It's a very nice place with hot water and private bathrooms. Rates are currently only about Rs.500 per night. I can put you in touch with Nyima the manager if you'd like to stay here. He was kind enough to store two of my bags while I was in Bangalore. I'm scheduled to fly from Delhi to Heathrow in about 5 hours, so I need to head to the airport soon. Nyima suggested I get there 4 hours early.
I briefly got online to discover an email sent to me only 4 hours ago from British Airways informing me that my flight from Heathrow to LAX was just cancelled! I've heard that BA just opened a new terminal at Heathrow and it is a complete disaster with many people having lost baggage and some flights being cancelled, like mine just was. I need to go sort that out. If it is good for me and all sentient beings, may my trip home be smooth!
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