The reality: A 40 car entourage with police escorts and sirens the whole way, traffic jams in and out of Kalimpong, and a convoy of trucks covered with colored flags and banners jam packed with monks dressed to the nines in full ceremonial costumes playing drums and horns, and a full procession down to the waterfront. It was incredible. The heat, the noise and mayhem of organization, shooting out the window and on the roof of moving vehicles, jumping in and out of trucks… One time our photo car even started following the wrong police escort as we started to make our way behind some government VIP going to Siliguri - It was utter madness! In the end the ceremony was simple and short, but so very sweet indeed. A gathering on the riverside, a beautiful puja and ornate ceremony where the mandala sand was brought to the river and carefully poured in by Karmapa. All on the backdrop of a beautiful Bengali day; warm sun and misty green - looking just across the water to Sikkim. Karmapa spent some time skipping rocks with Nendo Rinpoche, he was smiling a lot, everyone was. It felt just like it should. As if Shamar Rinpoche would have totally approved.
To the river we came, and then all the way back again, through the crowds and towns up the hill to Diwakar where the mandala vase now rests next to Rinpoche’s golden stupa. With the sirens blaring and horns honking the whole way, I am smiling ear to ear, I simply cannot imagine my life any other way. Where else could one do things such as these? What else could I be possibly doing with myself? This my friends is my life, with all its craziness and mayhem, today was a day spent as it should be. Thank you dear Rinpoche, for I know that you are the real reason behind all of this - it is because of you that I am here.
