The day has come and gone to commemorate and inaugurate the new Gonpa - now that it has been opened officially and the ribbon cut, the blessing of the shrine, the statues, thankas and all that lies within the walls of Karma Dupgyud Choeling Monastery can be performed, by His Holiness the Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje and all our high Lamas no less. The puja for this purpose is one with many different stages, so many intricacies and details, so many different steps, I try my best to understand each part and detail as best I can, but there is so much secret and hidden happening here, things way above all our heads.
I can only hope to sit back and enjoy for the most of it, I find myself so completely at home in these moments, even in the mad rush and the desperate attempts to grab every single important photograph there is something so magical about just being here. The ritual is so beautiful, the offerings of many ornaments, objects and statues, the throwing in the air of flower petals and rice, and the unveiling of the large statues with the removing of a cloth that covers their faces until the very last moment. Karmapa wears the Gampopa hat several times, there are several moments when a string is run from the statues all the way to his throne, attached is a dorje which he clutches to his chest. These moments are really special, the look on his face is of deep concentration and meditation, the link between himself and the statues being made is somehow transferred into them, bestowing all inside, to remain forever as a consecrated and blessed object that will forever remain charged and present in this great hall. I cannot imagine what is actually taking place here, but the environment is one to be immersed in regardless. The drums and horns blare, all the Lamas stand, bells blasting and chanting echoing around me like a grand chorus of powerful united voices. The melodies are so magical, and a little bit mysterious as well, with Omze-La’s deep unflinching and droning voice continuing on like a locomotive, deep and steady, for hours on end without a single moment of pause or hesitation. The wondrous Chime Rinpoche, always smiling and yet so regal in his stance and presence, though very young, is responsible for making all the offerings to Karmapa. Time after time he takes a new ceremonial object from Karmapa, wraps it in a golden brocade and brings it to the main shrine where it is placed in its rightful spot with the help of the steady and all knowing hands of Lama Trinlay, the Chöpen master himself. After the main hall is blessed there is a mass exodus of robes as Karmapa, followed by Maniwa Lama Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche and all the high lamas take a tour of the entire grounds, every building, every shrine, every corner, up to the roof and back again, blessing every square inch as they pass. Finally coming back to the main shrine in the Gompa the ritual is complete, a grand task taking over four hours to complete. With all its details Karmapa stood regally on his throne, performing all the blessings and actions with a calm, serene and compassionate look - as always, he is the symbol of true Buddha Nature, all encompassing compassion, for in his actions one can see exactly how much of himself he gives to us all, at all times. This ceremony of great importance, the one that everyone has been waiting for for so long, is now completed.
In the afternoon, merely an hour after finishing the first extremely long and arduous puja, we all jump into cars and a caravan motorcade makes its way around just a few kilometers away to Karma Chakchen Jampa Ling. Our business there, performing once again an inauguration, ribbon cutting and blessing of the shrines and gonpa there. The people of Ladakh are so happy to have His Holiness here with them, they have patiently waited for his arrival for years, and with it comes so many requests, there is so much to do, and today was a roller coaster marathon run from start to finish with nary a break in between. After the ceremony we walked just a few hundred meters to yet another neighboring Gonpa, where yet again there was another inauguration ceremony and shrine blessing. Karmapa’s face always bright and cheerful, smiling and calm as we all trudged from one location to the next, blessing any and all along the way. Everyone offers deep bows of respect, kataks, and their most humble thanks for this overwhelming gift. I am deeply impressed and moved to see this kind of compassion, I’m merely taking pictures but after the whole of the morning I could barely stand up, never mind smile with all my heart at every single person that I pass. Giving them the time, blessing each and every one, accepting kataks, pushing and shoving, endless moving, people of all ages and needs, and even small children being thrust at him, all in the dire attempt to be close, and to receive his incredible presence. If I ever find myself in need of an example with which to inspire myself, when I feel I cannot go on, my legs simply won’t carry me anymore, I can always try and keep this mental image for it is a perfect example of selflessness and compassion, and one that I can aspire to at every waking moment. In fact, even now, Ladakh is suffering from a terrible drought of internet speed and constant power outages, this collection was supposed to be released yesterday, but despite my best efforts I was simply not able to upload. Sometimes one must take a step back, relax, let the world just pass as it wants and there’s nothing you can do about it. So I present to you my collection from yesterday, An amazing day that simply couldn’t be shared until now, what to do. Welcome to India, to Ladakh, a place where the mountains and sky are so extraordinarily beautiful that sometimes you need to simply stop and smell the roses and stop trying to push everything to happen on one’s own terms. If Karmapa can spend every waking moment compassionately caring for us with all his heart, I can try to take a few extra hours and let the world show me what it wants, at the speed of now. If the people of Ladakh can wait patiently so can I, for the gift of Karmapa is for a lifetime, even in a single moment. Now happens around here very slowly, so I will do my best to act accordingly.
I can only hope to sit back and enjoy for the most of it, I find myself so completely at home in these moments, even in the mad rush and the desperate attempts to grab every single important photograph there is something so magical about just being here. The ritual is so beautiful, the offerings of many ornaments, objects and statues, the throwing in the air of flower petals and rice, and the unveiling of the large statues with the removing of a cloth that covers their faces until the very last moment. Karmapa wears the Gampopa hat several times, there are several moments when a string is run from the statues all the way to his throne, attached is a dorje which he clutches to his chest. These moments are really special, the look on his face is of deep concentration and meditation, the link between himself and the statues being made is somehow transferred into them, bestowing all inside, to remain forever as a consecrated and blessed object that will forever remain charged and present in this great hall. I cannot imagine what is actually taking place here, but the environment is one to be immersed in regardless. The drums and horns blare, all the Lamas stand, bells blasting and chanting echoing around me like a grand chorus of powerful united voices. The melodies are so magical, and a little bit mysterious as well, with Omze-La’s deep unflinching and droning voice continuing on like a locomotive, deep and steady, for hours on end without a single moment of pause or hesitation. The wondrous Chime Rinpoche, always smiling and yet so regal in his stance and presence, though very young, is responsible for making all the offerings to Karmapa. Time after time he takes a new ceremonial object from Karmapa, wraps it in a golden brocade and brings it to the main shrine where it is placed in its rightful spot with the help of the steady and all knowing hands of Lama Trinlay, the Chöpen master himself. After the main hall is blessed there is a mass exodus of robes as Karmapa, followed by Maniwa Lama Sherab Gyaltsen Rinpoche and all the high lamas take a tour of the entire grounds, every building, every shrine, every corner, up to the roof and back again, blessing every square inch as they pass. Finally coming back to the main shrine in the Gompa the ritual is complete, a grand task taking over four hours to complete. With all its details Karmapa stood regally on his throne, performing all the blessings and actions with a calm, serene and compassionate look - as always, he is the symbol of true Buddha Nature, all encompassing compassion, for in his actions one can see exactly how much of himself he gives to us all, at all times. This ceremony of great importance, the one that everyone has been waiting for for so long, is now completed.
In the afternoon, merely an hour after finishing the first extremely long and arduous puja, we all jump into cars and a caravan motorcade makes its way around just a few kilometers away to Karma Chakchen Jampa Ling. Our business there, performing once again an inauguration, ribbon cutting and blessing of the shrines and gonpa there. The people of Ladakh are so happy to have His Holiness here with them, they have patiently waited for his arrival for years, and with it comes so many requests, there is so much to do, and today was a roller coaster marathon run from start to finish with nary a break in between. After the ceremony we walked just a few hundred meters to yet another neighboring Gonpa, where yet again there was another inauguration ceremony and shrine blessing. Karmapa’s face always bright and cheerful, smiling and calm as we all trudged from one location to the next, blessing any and all along the way. Everyone offers deep bows of respect, kataks, and their most humble thanks for this overwhelming gift. I am deeply impressed and moved to see this kind of compassion, I’m merely taking pictures but after the whole of the morning I could barely stand up, never mind smile with all my heart at every single person that I pass. Giving them the time, blessing each and every one, accepting kataks, pushing and shoving, endless moving, people of all ages and needs, and even small children being thrust at him, all in the dire attempt to be close, and to receive his incredible presence. If I ever find myself in need of an example with which to inspire myself, when I feel I cannot go on, my legs simply won’t carry me anymore, I can always try and keep this mental image for it is a perfect example of selflessness and compassion, and one that I can aspire to at every waking moment. In fact, even now, Ladakh is suffering from a terrible drought of internet speed and constant power outages, this collection was supposed to be released yesterday, but despite my best efforts I was simply not able to upload. Sometimes one must take a step back, relax, let the world just pass as it wants and there’s nothing you can do about it. So I present to you my collection from yesterday, An amazing day that simply couldn’t be shared until now, what to do. Welcome to India, to Ladakh, a place where the mountains and sky are so extraordinarily beautiful that sometimes you need to simply stop and smell the roses and stop trying to push everything to happen on one’s own terms. If Karmapa can spend every waking moment compassionately caring for us with all his heart, I can try to take a few extra hours and let the world show me what it wants, at the speed of now. If the people of Ladakh can wait patiently so can I, for the gift of Karmapa is for a lifetime, even in a single moment. Now happens around here very slowly, so I will do my best to act accordingly.
