When it is there directly in front of you know it to be real. This is the rarest of gifts. The force of it takes you by storm. It is like the world has stopped turning for a moment and it is all that is visible surrounding you, a force of nature swings by and envelops you into it, swallowing you whole. I have seen this today, in fact, I have seen this many times in the past year as every time Karmapa gives an empowerment or a public blessing I seem to have a front row seat to such a display of pure compassion it can even be hard to handle. Every concern I could possibly have, any complaint, difficulty or regret instantly vanishes away as I see him pass calmly by; thousands upon thousands aching to be near him, pushing and shoving, camera flashes going off in all directions - and yet he is always so gentle. He has time. Even in the sweltering heat, when most have nearly passed out from exhaustion he spends three extra hours explaining each and every detail of the Mahakala empowerment, so that the real blessing and true meaning of what we are doing is understood. When the lines queue up and chaos commences, he breaks away from the main hall to bless those who have been forced to watch from downstairs for lack of space - getting to them first before the crowd who have been fortunate enough to grab a seat inside. Every person gets a smile. Everyone gets a moment of his time. I am ashamed to think of how tired I am. I am deeply humbled once more. My photos are what I take away with me. They are my impressions on what I have seen and felt in my heart, and they speak better than I ever could in words. It is undeniable, it is unmistakable - this is the true face of compassion before us. On this day compassion wears the crown once more.
Karma Kagyu Dharma Society Kuala Lumpur #karmapa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje
