Looking in the Eyes of Love

The day was much cooler yesterday. Rain threatened, wind came up, sun came and went. We gathered in the shrine tent at SMC, more than 118 of us. Perhaps around 150. Some senior students of the Vidyadhara drove up for the afternoon; some already there. Gold wrapped boxes containing his voice were handed out to any who gathered in the tent to take one. We made an effort to give a box to any student of the Vidyadhara's -- those who had actually known him. Some of their childen, including my duaghter, also joined the procession. And many who had never met him but were touched by him in some way. Gold box covered with kata held on left shoulder. The procession lined up outside the tent. Led by a kasung on horseback, then an honor guard, then the marchers two by two. The Sakyong and his party were to join us at the bridge.

I think people started weeping a few minutes after the procesion began. Not everyone, but a lot of us. There was tremendous power, joy and sadness in making this journey up the hill with the speech relics of our teacher. The closer we got, the more intense the energy, the sense of carrying something very precious, feeling connected to something very precious. The strange joy and sadness of knowing that the words of this great man, which we had heard him utter, were now on gold CDs. In a way, so strange to place his voice in this way in the stupa. We placed our boxes on a shrine in front of the main buddha in the central hall of the stupa.

Lining the path were hundreds of other students, including many old and new.

After everyone was seated on the West Gate, we did a lhasang chant. The Sakyong then gave an address, speaking of the tremendous influence the Vidyadhara had on bringing the dharma to the West and how important his words, use of words, choice of words, were in this.

Other remarks were made by Khandro Tseyang, who also offered a Gesar song with her uncle. The Sakyong also offered a blessing with the original manuscript of the Gesar text that he had just been given, a gift from Nhamka Drime Rinpoche.

We chanted the Sadhana of Mahamudra together and then shared a feast. Thanks were offered to the Archives staff, especially Gordon Kidd, Sandra Kipis and Chris Levy. Then, following the departure of the Sakyong, the party turned to dancing, long into the night I'm told.

Today we unwrapped all the gold boxes to place the CDs in archival cabinets in the depths of the Stupa.

Soon we should have photos and maybe some film footage of the event. 25 years to do this. It was a good day.

I spent parts of it driving around the land and back and forth from the house where I"m staying playing an Allison Kraus song: Looking in the Eyes of Love. We were.