It may seem sad to think about such things, but instead I was greatly overwhelmed in seeing how explosive the activity and joyful the energy that permeates this place has become. Rinpoche’s very first stupa stands in the garden, surrounded by lush gardens bursting with flowers and rippling ponds. People are joyous, relaxed and full of inspired energy. Karmapa met with residents, teams and groups with an amazingly playful and happy vibe, in a way I found him to be the most relaxed and informal I may have seen yet. You could see he was very comfortable, mentioning many times this is home for him. How important this place was, his memories of being here and all that it meant to him. It certainly seemed so from my perspective. He joked about sitting in the garden, watching through the fence all the frenzied activity surrounding his visit play out all over the place. In a few of the group interviews he was laughing so hard it spread like wildfire, the room was shaking with thunderous giggles, and I felt my face might burst if I didn’t somehow find a way to stop myself. It wasn’t only a joyful time, but an amazing one as well. Right before the Stupa blessing ceremony it was pouring rain, dark, grey and dismal. One minute before Karmapa walked outside the clouds cleared, the sun came out in full force, and the ceremony took place bathed in sunshine. Karmapa was offered a cake, which he cut and shared with everyone, and the moment he went back inside the clouds gathered up again, the sky turned dark, and we had to move the refreshments inside before the rain took over the patio. Pretty unbelievable.
In the hall 1500 or so gathered, and the schedule was much the same as in Möhra. One evening and a full two session day of teaching that reached into late evening. On Sunday the empowerment of Chenrezig was bestowed by Karmapa, as well as rogue as Bodhisattva vows. I was again deeply touched by the way Karmapa does blessing lines, it is just so powerful. From the smallest babies to students in their 80s, the vast array of beings -from literally all walks of life- he touches is rather mind-boggling for me. They all get the same attention, the same smile and compassionate energy, it is simply incredible. It was wonderful to see many new faces, plus quite a few people that seem to be following the tour which is inspiring to me, such dedication! Behind the scenes, the entourage travels in a minibus and we are having quite the time shuttling around together, I really like this kind of thing. Much more fun than flying, this way we can just hang out and share stories, flying along the Autobahn, or at a rest stop enjoying sandwiches huddled over a box of water and vending machine cappuccinos. I can say it over and over, this is it for me. I could think of nothing more I’d like to do, or anywhere else I would rather be than here, doing this. It is an amazing experience to be a part of this, an honor to share and document. I truly hope that you all are having as good a time as I am, this is already a tour for the history books.
Thank you Renchen Ulm, now we’re off to Montchardon!
