Farewell to all the incredible experiences and places I have seen and felt in my heart. What an incredible country, what an incredible people. The Taiwanese people just might be the most generous and kind I have ever met. I am still baffled by how they amazingly they treated us. How much they cared and tried to make us all feel at home, every moment of the day. They waved or bowed and smiled every time I saw them. They were utterly genuine, you could see that whatever they did was done with all their heart. It wasn’t just the volunteers or the staff, it was everyone I met, all the disciples and students, everyone that was somehow involved in the tour. Even the drivers and the cooks, the security guard or someone taking out the garbage would beam at me when I walked by, this warmed my heart and stayed with me all day. Seriously, I was deeply touched by everyone, and I wish to thank them all from the depth of my heart for making me feel so at home and loved.
Our finals days were packed. Karmapa gave the Empowerment of Mahakala, many more audiences with students and centers, and the final day was the Rabne ceremony, a blessing (or consecration) of the space. This meant visiting every single corner of the whole complex; from the giant Buddha to the Stupa, all the gardens and flower lines pathways, very statue and thangka, each hallway, staircase, room, and storage closet - every nook and cranny got blessed as Karmapa tossed rice and flowers as he walked by. It was a beautiful ceremony, giving me a last chance to see all the amazing details and incredible art that make up the monastery’s glimmering walls. If anyone is ever in Taiwan, this is a place you absolutely need to see.
And so, I am now home, thinking back to my grand journey in Taiwan. Looking through the photos brings me right back to the heat and sun, the beauty and tranquility, the people that make it so special. Every tour feels like I am gone for years. So much happens in seemingly so short a time, and yet you feel like you’ve been there forever. I certainly feel like a different person now. I cannot discount the affect of spending so much time very close to a living Buddha has on me, it is profound and never gets completely normal. Yes, I do it a lot. Yes, there are things I do over and over, but it is always new, always in flux, always changing. Always demanding yet serene, joyful and anxious, keeping me on my toes and aware like nothing else. It is very interesting to be in His Holiness’ orbit, reality turns in a slightly different direction when you are so close, and this will never be normal for anyone. And then we all go home, but we go home changed. I am changed by Karmapa every time, but I am also changed by the people I meet along the way. Perhaps they even change me more.
I am already looking forward to the next tour, and I will be happy as always to share it with you all.
Until next time, yours in the Dharma,
-Tokpa Korlo Photography
