Practice

The Lamas at Kathok Gonpa prepare students to receive Dzogpa Chenpo teachings in the Longchen Nyingthig tradition.

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A Mind Like Crystal

Approaching the master’s hermitage my lungs were screaming and my heart was pounding, uncertain as to whether it was the extreme Tibetan elevation or the intense excitement of meeting the Khenpo Panchen Dawa of Traling Monastery. My very own teacher's teacher.

I was surprised to look up and see the Khenpo on his door step waving at us with khata’s in hand encouraging us onward. Immediately I found myself face down in full prostration my body barely able to deal with the physicality of the moment, yet my devotion pushing me onward completing the full 3 prostrations; an important traditional honoring of the fully awakened mind of the teacher. Circumambulating the hermitage and coming up the stairs to the awaiting master, khata’s were exchanged. The teachers smile spread from ear to ear as he greeted us with a warm ‘tashi delek’ which resounded like the mantra of a thousand chanting harmonious monks.

Fully seated now in the Master’s shrine room and sharing that moment of accomplishment.  Mutually recognizing our effort of planning, travel and logistics the teacher matches our loving stare and the past disappears, the present unfolds heart beat by heart beat, the mind instantly settles and the warmth of compassionate wisdom mind pervades.

The attending monks begin to distribute the Tsok offerings onto the tables in front of us and the teacher with the ease of a lifetime of practice leads the Guru Rinpoche Tsok ceremony. We simply remain in meditative equipoise through the blessing and stability of the Guru's mind as the sun passes through its zenith streaming through the window across the Tibetan valley stretching out hundreds of kilometers before us.

Offerings are made to Panchen Dawa Rinpoche on behalf of the Kathok Sangha. He puts aside the material and monetary offerings and maintaining the divinity of the moment focuses instead on unwrapping the naturally formed 5 sceptered quartz crystal, a gift inspired through karmic connections. His eyes widen as his gaze and fingers caress  each of the 5 crystal clusters. Holding it in front of him like a mandala offering he stares through the crystal fixing his gaze one at a time on each of us. Time stands still. This Pointing Out instruction through the blessing of the Guru is spontaneously performed. A  gift to each of us. Minds collide, merge and meld into the primordial stream. Guru Yoga the ultimate blessing.

Dedication prayers follow and we naturally reach for our long life prayers carefully transported from our shrine rooms in Canada, we join our voices in our best phonetic Tibetan and rejoice in the support and dedication we feel for Lingtrul and Karzang Rinpoche. Panchen Dawa and the attending monks remain respectfully quiet their attention solely fixed on these western students and our best Tibetan liturgy. The Khenpo smiles and nods his head and says ‘good, very good.’

We sit in his silence basked in the warmth of the Rinpoche's unwavering love and stability. Our first afternoon on the mountain makes the effort of the 4 day-6000 mile journey completely dissipate.

 Em ah ho !

Trevor Jones, Nov 16, 2009