Robin
You were my first Buddhist Teacher Robin, in the summer of 1995 in Milwaukee, your amazing stories with humor, love and wisdom helped to open a beautiful gateway to the Buddhist path for me and countless others. Thank you Robin for your great devotion to teaching.
On your last weekend in this world many of your friends knew that you were likely to be leaving us. By chance a good part of the Milwaukee E-Vam study group were together on retreat in Chatham NY. We prayed and waited to hear from Milwaukee, would you be coming back to this world or letting go? I kept thinking if you are going Robin " don't look back".
In a happy memory I see you sitting in the teachers chair at the front of the shrine room, holding a tea cup, with elegant hands you swirl the contents of the cup, gaze into it, take a sip and continue to teach. I see the smile on your lips as you craft teachings that keep everyone sitting alert, inquisitive, surprised, and inspired.
Silly moments make me laugh like one involving a large squash sitting on a table as a decoration, you pick it up and do a little dance dangling the gourd in a most provocative location giggling and smiling. My eyes increase in size by two, your eyes like a child who has just gotten the desired reaction.
When some of your friends from Milwaukee began to study with Traleg Rinpoche you asked Rinpoche if you could help us with our studies. He responded that anything Robin could teach us would be a benefit. You skillfully explained new practices to our little group at your home where we sat around your dining room table discussing the details of the practices, the meanings of Tibetan words, and descriptions of deities. You taught us about feast practices, the mechanics of Lasung ceremonies and Torma making.
With great sadness we sat commiserating on your king sized bed the night the news came of your cancer. Concerned friends came and went as Kathy and I sat drinking red pepper vodka to numb our nerves. People began to call from all corners of the world sending their best wishes. We had a helpless sinking feeling.
There was a really beautiful melody of the Tara mantra that someone sent you on a CD. One afternoon when I came to visit you were playing it over and over, we burned some incense and you took a nap listening. I remember the melody and sing it to myself at times and think of you and what sadness was brought on you in this part of your life.
I took you to the cancer clinic on the day your doctor told you what you were facing. We sat together in the waiting room and you asked me to stay with you. Your doctor told you in the gentlest way possible that they thought you had mesothelioma and asked if you had worked with asbestos. You were wearing your Mala beads and the doctor asked about them. Your answer began with your Buddhist faith and led to a description of your life's work. You asked him how much time you had and explained you needed to have enough time to finish the Gesar series. He did not promise any specific time, we were both struck by his compassion and honesty.
On the way home driving on the highway, out of the blue you remarked that I needed to get working on my Tibetan language studies and that I would really need it for my practices. I told you I was working on memorizing my practices in Tibetan and to prove it I began to recite the "Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma". You chimed in in Tibetan at the part which means "the world and all it contains is impermanent, in particular the life of sentient beings is like a water bubble". Your eyes filled with depth and you looked at me silent for a few seconds and then said "Wow, I'm really feeling that one now like never before"
After I moved to Ithaca we spoke on the phone a few times, and our mutual friend Kathy Carter kept us posted on each other's current details. I'm sorry I didn't call more, I should have.
Now I'm reading "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" reciting the prayers and reading other Bardo teachings, and in so doing the concept of Bardo is coming alive, thank you Robin for this your last and very meaningful teaching.
Safe Travels Robin,
Your Friend Nina
On your last weekend in this world many of your friends knew that you were likely to be leaving us. By chance a good part of the Milwaukee E-Vam study group were together on retreat in Chatham NY. We prayed and waited to hear from Milwaukee, would you be coming back to this world or letting go? I kept thinking if you are going Robin " don't look back".
In a happy memory I see you sitting in the teachers chair at the front of the shrine room, holding a tea cup, with elegant hands you swirl the contents of the cup, gaze into it, take a sip and continue to teach. I see the smile on your lips as you craft teachings that keep everyone sitting alert, inquisitive, surprised, and inspired.
Silly moments make me laugh like one involving a large squash sitting on a table as a decoration, you pick it up and do a little dance dangling the gourd in a most provocative location giggling and smiling. My eyes increase in size by two, your eyes like a child who has just gotten the desired reaction.
When some of your friends from Milwaukee began to study with Traleg Rinpoche you asked Rinpoche if you could help us with our studies. He responded that anything Robin could teach us would be a benefit. You skillfully explained new practices to our little group at your home where we sat around your dining room table discussing the details of the practices, the meanings of Tibetan words, and descriptions of deities. You taught us about feast practices, the mechanics of Lasung ceremonies and Torma making.
With great sadness we sat commiserating on your king sized bed the night the news came of your cancer. Concerned friends came and went as Kathy and I sat drinking red pepper vodka to numb our nerves. People began to call from all corners of the world sending their best wishes. We had a helpless sinking feeling.
There was a really beautiful melody of the Tara mantra that someone sent you on a CD. One afternoon when I came to visit you were playing it over and over, we burned some incense and you took a nap listening. I remember the melody and sing it to myself at times and think of you and what sadness was brought on you in this part of your life.
I took you to the cancer clinic on the day your doctor told you what you were facing. We sat together in the waiting room and you asked me to stay with you. Your doctor told you in the gentlest way possible that they thought you had mesothelioma and asked if you had worked with asbestos. You were wearing your Mala beads and the doctor asked about them. Your answer began with your Buddhist faith and led to a description of your life's work. You asked him how much time you had and explained you needed to have enough time to finish the Gesar series. He did not promise any specific time, we were both struck by his compassion and honesty.
On the way home driving on the highway, out of the blue you remarked that I needed to get working on my Tibetan language studies and that I would really need it for my practices. I told you I was working on memorizing my practices in Tibetan and to prove it I began to recite the "Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to the Dharma". You chimed in in Tibetan at the part which means "the world and all it contains is impermanent, in particular the life of sentient beings is like a water bubble". Your eyes filled with depth and you looked at me silent for a few seconds and then said "Wow, I'm really feeling that one now like never before"
After I moved to Ithaca we spoke on the phone a few times, and our mutual friend Kathy Carter kept us posted on each other's current details. I'm sorry I didn't call more, I should have.
Now I'm reading "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" reciting the prayers and reading other Bardo teachings, and in so doing the concept of Bardo is coming alive, thank you Robin for this your last and very meaningful teaching.
Safe Travels Robin,
Your Friend Nina
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