He has such a strong connection with the long standing sangha here. They are made up of families and friends that form a joyfully mellow cohesive group that is unlike any other I have seen in my travels with him. They give plenty of space, they move slowly and gently, and everything has a calm and ease to it. You can clearly see it on his cheerful grinning face as he moves about with them; he has room to breath here. This is no pushing or need for security guards, it all just sort of happens in its own time. Everyone simply hangs out, and at the end Ole gives a blessing to each and every one of them in the most intimate and personal way. It is deeply touching. To see a connection like this, so up close, so bright and raw. As I too have been graciously invited into this tight knit circle of lifelong friends to capture and document their closeness for the second year in a row, I can attest that to see it from the inside out deems it all the more real. Their tearful and devotional exchange bringing tears to my own eyes more than once, it's not just the sun or the sand. I thought it must be some fluke or a once in a lifetime thing, but it’s not. It's like this every time we come here.
Lama Ole Nydahl Diamond Way Buddhism Perth
