Since his public visit last summer it seems His Holiness really enjoys being there, he says it makes him feel at home.
I feel the same. Prague has been my home now for eight years, and no matter where I’ve been in the world I am always delighted to be back. I’ve spoken many times about my NALA family, how much they mean to me, and how fortunate I am to have such a Sangha and community right around the corner. The more Karmapa comes here, the more I realize I am exactly where I need to be. And this time Karmapa brought Sangyumla along! Now it’s a family thing. For people living in Czech this cannot be overstated, its importance to them and for the future of Dharma in the Czech Republic. Good to be home!
Arriving to Nala’s KKPL center an hour outside of Prague, Karmapa was greeted with tremendous gusts of wind and loads of smiling faces. He again made his way through each and every one of them, blessing and accepting their Kataks with a triumphant smile plastered across his face. The feeling was mutual indeed. I have yet to see happier people then when Karmapa comes to town unannounced. Squeals of joy from the children running around, giggles and unfettered glee from the adults. Even a dog got in on the blessing action, as we know His Holiness loves animals. It may have been only a few minutes, but it felt timeless for everyone on the terrace, just basking in Karmapa’s presence, and the preciousness of such simple moments all together. I know that for NALA this was especially sweet, their tiny team’s endless hard work has paid off with a literally picture perfect moment, one that will be etched into their hearts, and the center’s history books too.
Inside the Gompa there was an informal Q+A teaching that once again stretched far into the night with levels of laughter reaching nuclear meltdown. People were crying and shaking from it, the translator completely lost it, Karmapa himself was giggling so hard his famous laugh bounced off the walls and into our hearts. The sides of my head were sore for two days afterwards! Karmapa’s humor is outrageously good - part of his great gift to all of us is his uncanny ability to transform the often mundane and boring into something not only clear and concise, but also deeply understandable and simple. And yes, sometimes it can be so funny you feel like your insides might burst, but I digress.
The highlight of it all was when Sangyumla came out of the Gompa and asked to see my son Eliot. She was so unbelievably kind to him, and he was totally captivated; how could anyone not be? She is the most kind hearted, and supremely gentle human being I have ever encountered, and I was deeply touched she spent such time with him. For everyone that was gathered that night, I feel this was such an important, even transformative event for them. For a small center to have such a visit, well it was really something special. From behind my lens I get to watch the unfiltered world unfold in front of me. What I share here is memories capture in time, an evening spent with family, sharing stories and laughter, and most of all, love.
Nadační fond NALA
