The China tour continues - we are now in the city of Shenzhen, this time the public teachings taking place in a quaint and lively artsy neighborhood that reminds me very much of a New York City loft district - lots of green everywhere, adamant culture, and amazing little art galleries, cafes and noodle shops spread around its colorfully lit streets. There is a very different energy here than the cities we have visited before, perhaps it’s just the neighborhood we’re in, or maybe the drizzling calm and humid weather, but it seems that things just move more slowly here.
I take it as a gift; we have spent the better part of ten days running rampant from one stop to the next, hotel to airport, train station into a taxi, the schedule has been extremely tight and fixed, and now we seem to have been given a small but welcome breath of fresh air.
Even with a breath - sometimes it seems as though we don’t even get a chance to see any of the cities that we come to visit, by sheer lack of time it just isn’t possible. Shenzhen is famous for huge malls, massive towering skyscrapers and a bustling nightlife, none of which we will see - it just isn’t in the cards for us this time around. Sometimes when the day comes to an end, all the energy that is left in my body is used in dragging my camera bag back up to the room and going through the day’s pictures with eyes that try their best to stay open, swollen from lack of sleep and being alert and on attention throughout the long day. Taking it all in, stride by stride, this is the way a tour is sometimes. Chogyal Rinpoche is giving it his all as well, every minute of every day is offered to those around him, to those who have come from near and far to hear him teach. So, our main reason for being here is being fulfilled to the utmost, and to be completely honest I wouldn’t change a thing. This has been such an incredible experience thus far, each place has been iconically different, more so than I would’ve imagined. The crowds have been wonderful and fully engaged. I’ve seen so much, met so many amazing people, it has been a whirlwind with Dharma being taught at the epicenter. Meditation in action, city by city, day by day - and I have a front row seat.
