As we travel across Europe, each hour brings new skies, new frames of shadow and light. Trees and more trees. The hours blur.
Then my phone buzzes. I look down, and it’s Karmapa, writing from the back seat:
“Kindly play this playlist next, GOTG.”
I lean over to our driver and relay his wishes. A few moments later, we’re greeted by epic classic rock blaring from the speakers—the soundtrack to the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, of course.
His favorite. Mine too.
There are moments in life that stay with you forever, and this is one of them. One of many I’ve had over the years, traveling with a Buddha in the back seat.
His taste in music is amazing. Even his “kindly” makes my heart sing. How someone of his otherworldliness can also be so human, so deeply awesome, blows my mind.
On another trip, he was DJing and AC/DC came on. I air guitared the whole way across Germany.
This makes his Dharma teachings—and his very presence—that much more powerful to me. No pretense, no fluff.
Just pure nowness.
All the time.
Along the way, things always get interesting. That’s about the only sure thing I know.
