Lack of internet has been making life difficult.
Let's see...So many wonderful things the past few days. How to summarize them all?
The day before yesterday was the first day of the Kagyu Monlam Chenmo. Since I had a private audience with HH Karmapa the next day, after teachings I went over to get my documents photocopied. In the photocopy shop, I ran into my friend Yiga and her parents, who are from Kham and currently living in Europe. We chatted for a bit and I asked how long they were staying. Palden, the father, responded that they would be leaving on the 28th or 29th.
"Definitely stay until the 29th!" I said.
"Why?" they asked.
"29th morning there will be a Lingdro!" I told them. "You definitely don't want to miss it. Even if you have a lot of work in Delhi, a Lingdro shouldn't be missed."
Palden smiled, "Oh, that's no big deal. I was a Lingdro dancer back in Tibet!"
I couldn't believe it! He saw how excited I was and started talking about Gesar, breaking into song, listing his favorite characters and so on. I'll be interviewing him soon!
Well, I was already on cloud nine as I made my way over to the main stupa, something I do each evening. After making my rounds and meditating a bit, I started to head over to dinner. I saw, in the line of people coming in, the silhouette of a person with a midsized bird on his shoulder. The bird was flapping as if to keep balance, but not to take off. I assumed it was a parrot of some sort, kind of strange,but not the weirdest thing I've seen. I got closer.
It was an owl. A monk with an owl on his shoulder.
I stared in total awe and asked the monk why he had an owl on his shoulder. He explained that the owl had been caught and he was going to release it. Meanwhile, the bird was apparently enjoying a free ride. The monk gently picked up the bird, held him out, and let me pet him and scratch him under the chin.
I PET AN OWL. Owls are soft.
I was bouncing. BOUNCING, the rest of the day.
Yesterday, I went to my audience with HH Karmapa. This audience was personal and not directly related to my research (although I am hoping to speak to him in regards to that as well.) After discussing a few different things, I openly asked "Do you have any practice advice for me?"
"Can you read Tibetan?" He asked me.
"I can." I replied, then hastily added "I can't UNDERSTAND it all though."
He had already started walking away to get something "Don't worry. I don't understand it all either sometimes! Here!" He turned back and autographed a book and handed it to me "History of the Gesar Dances."
With pictures.
I squeaked. I couldn't help it. HH looked at me oddly.
"Sorry! Excited!!!" I bounced a little bit too.
HH is helping me with my homework. YAYYYYYYYY. (And cracking joked about Tibetan ability so as to not make me feel like an idiot. Also yay.)
Let's see...So many wonderful things the past few days. How to summarize them all?
The day before yesterday was the first day of the Kagyu Monlam Chenmo. Since I had a private audience with HH Karmapa the next day, after teachings I went over to get my documents photocopied. In the photocopy shop, I ran into my friend Yiga and her parents, who are from Kham and currently living in Europe. We chatted for a bit and I asked how long they were staying. Palden, the father, responded that they would be leaving on the 28th or 29th.
"Definitely stay until the 29th!" I said.
"Why?" they asked.
"29th morning there will be a Lingdro!" I told them. "You definitely don't want to miss it. Even if you have a lot of work in Delhi, a Lingdro shouldn't be missed."
Palden smiled, "Oh, that's no big deal. I was a Lingdro dancer back in Tibet!"
I couldn't believe it! He saw how excited I was and started talking about Gesar, breaking into song, listing his favorite characters and so on. I'll be interviewing him soon!
Well, I was already on cloud nine as I made my way over to the main stupa, something I do each evening. After making my rounds and meditating a bit, I started to head over to dinner. I saw, in the line of people coming in, the silhouette of a person with a midsized bird on his shoulder. The bird was flapping as if to keep balance, but not to take off. I assumed it was a parrot of some sort, kind of strange,but not the weirdest thing I've seen. I got closer.
It was an owl. A monk with an owl on his shoulder.
I stared in total awe and asked the monk why he had an owl on his shoulder. He explained that the owl had been caught and he was going to release it. Meanwhile, the bird was apparently enjoying a free ride. The monk gently picked up the bird, held him out, and let me pet him and scratch him under the chin.
I PET AN OWL. Owls are soft.
I was bouncing. BOUNCING, the rest of the day.
Yesterday, I went to my audience with HH Karmapa. This audience was personal and not directly related to my research (although I am hoping to speak to him in regards to that as well.) After discussing a few different things, I openly asked "Do you have any practice advice for me?"
"Can you read Tibetan?" He asked me.
"I can." I replied, then hastily added "I can't UNDERSTAND it all though."
He had already started walking away to get something "Don't worry. I don't understand it all either sometimes! Here!" He turned back and autographed a book and handed it to me "History of the Gesar Dances."
With pictures.
I squeaked. I couldn't help it. HH looked at me oddly.
"Sorry! Excited!!!" I bounced a little bit too.
HH is helping me with my homework. YAYYYYYYYY. (And cracking joked about Tibetan ability so as to not make me feel like an idiot. Also yay.)
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