Sad joy

Sunday was the day that Lady Diana became Druk Sakyong Wangmo.  Powerful and tender in her formal military uniform. I felt more than thirty-five years of being in her  presence, and that feeling was more than memory. Her smile, her eyes—each time I see her, I feel the Druk Sakyong's heat.  It is tangible in my heart.  I want more of her and more of him.  Khandro Tseyang was radiant and open sitting on her chair facing the dragon queen.  

The Sakyong held up a beautiful red Ashe—full and flowing and alive—just executed by the new queen.  When asked to talk about her role as Sakyong Wangmo, she joyfully laughed and shared her desire to “produce babies” now.  When she said that, the whole room melted and relaxed in joy.

They are both perfect—these two queens. What was shifting?  What was changing?  They are both universal monarchs with broken hearts.  I am universal monarch with a broken heart, and so are we all.  Each moment of impermanence is exquisite and solitary.  The boundaries are changing—old and new present and past form and formless.  My heart holds both the sadness and the joy.  One queen at the beginning of a beginning.  One queen at the beginning of an ending and now on to beginning again.

Disclaimer:  Remember—this is just me talking.  One set of ayatanas.  I turned sixty on August 10 and my view has shifted.  I certainly know this isn’t the middle of my life.  So, I tell myself—Let go and enjoy the dance!    xxoo  Alice

Returning home in the midnight raindrops of Sakyong Wangmo goodness

Today doesn’t fit into words. My emotions were dragons of longing.  Seeing His Holiness Penor Rinpoche ascending the throne with all of his heart and all his effort—helped by all of his monks.  So frail and so much lungta.  Bestowing this empowerment was the meteoric iron aspiration of his lungta heart.  It took all of his strength.

His Holiness gave Khandro-la an amazing name, very long—all I remember is “Dharmadhatu Goodness.”  She looked amazing—her eyes actually flash sparks of drala.  In her aspiration she said she vowed to fulfill the wishes of the Druk Sakyong.  My heart melted.

Now on the “Inside Shambhala” show—who did her hair?  Her hair was amazing, done up in rounded and perfect up swirls.  The black silken hair of a dakini drala.  I want you to know that Haligonian (and former Cape Bretoner) Dawn Carson arranged—after receiving a last minute request to find someone—that Dante (of Casa Dante) did Khandro-la’s hair. (Dante has done First Ladies during the G-7 and also other stars.)  Apparently Asian hair has different shaped molecules and not everyone in Halifax understands how to do it.

And tonight at the celebration—the performances were vivid and so present.  First, a Japanese court dance with our own live orchestra.  Then Indian sacred dance.  And finally the cello player (whose name I can’t remember—but he has played in The Great Stupa.)  The sound was pure and mesmerizing.  First Bach and finally improvising.   Such gifts.

Finally the Sakyong’s toast—do you realize that tonight is the first and last night that he will live in the midst of TWO SAKYONG WANGMOS?!  Today, Khandro-la became Sakyong Wangmo and tomorrow Lady Diana becomes Druk Sakyong Wangmo.  But tonight—tonight is unique, and there are two Lady Earth Protectors.  I can see the Druk Sakyong’s smile and feel his warm breath.

And, as the Sakyong remarked (referencing the line from the Mother Lineage Chant--”Help us to become gentle and tough..”)—Over these years Lady Diana has become more gentle and now Khandro-la is becoming more tough.  And he said we are in for quite a ride.  Unexpected was his word, and that is the dakini principle.

So, these are some of my impressions—subjective and soaked in longing.  Now it’s after midnight, and I ‘m going to bed.

Jolly good life to us all.

Beginning--Impressions,

Last night I and about 80 others watched the video of the Sakyong and Sakyong Wangmo Empowerment in 1982—shown at the Halifax Shambhala Center.  A mélange of old and middling and new students saw this 31 minute condensation of the three hour ceremony in which the Druk Sakyong was enthroned as Sakyong and Lady Diana as the Sakyong Wangmo.  His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche looked young and radiant, Lady Diana was young and radiant, and the Druk Sakyong was, as is usual for him, impossible to categorize.  The images were heartbreaking, vivid, and haunting.  

Then, at 4 am,  my best friend Joudi Westman (Adolphe) quietly returned to our home after helping to complete the setup in the ballroom of the Delta Halifax Hotel.  At some point in the evening Sakyong Mipham came by the set up and looked at every detail—and things then got moved around!

Joudi has been a part of the set up of just about every major ceremony that the Shambhala community has done put on since 1975.  The Druk Sakyong worked closely with her over many years—training Joudi as a shrine keeper.  She has an unerring eye and heart for dralas and for brocades and satins and how to hang banners.  Now it’s 7:30 in the morning and Joudi’s trying to wake up and she’s ironing the skirt she’s wearing today.  The first thing she said when she woke up this morning was. “It looks beautiful.”

Off to the hotel now.....