Time seems always to be unrelenting. We make plans, we have hopes, and the clock keeps ticking. We're heading to New York on Tuesday to learn statue filling from Khenpo Norgye. We know that. Dawa and Christine are arriving from Arizona tomorrow evening for the trip. We know that too. Ani Sherab is at her sister's house, fulfilling promises she made to her when she arrived several weeks ago. The terma needs to be repaired. She's going to do it. We here in Maryland want desperately to learn how to work with the Fortran, which was used to create the artwork on the Migyur Dorje Stupa, so we can repair any damage we discover now or in the future. So, with time being tight, we decide to go to Alexandria to film Sherab doing the repair! : )
It was a great opportunity to learn, but also to connect. What you can't see in all these photos is the exchange of experiences that happens when you spend time working on something like this. The Stupas are powerful, they change your life, and anyone who spends time working on them will experience this! So when you get time to work with and talk with folks you get to share stories about their abundant blessings. Ani Sherab has been working on them and studying them for over 15 years, and listening to her describe their meaning, and realizing what a blessing it is to be able to work on them really is amazing. Whether you've been doing this for years, or if you've never so much as touched a tool in your life, there's a way to connect with the Stupas here! It is my hope that by sharing this blog with you, that you can get a glimpse of the reality of it. These are real people, not some kind of contrived characters from a story. This is a real place, and the power of the Stupas is inevitable! Even a picture of the Stupa contains profound blessings (ask Gretchen! she shared her story with us today...), so just by following this blog you're accumulating merit, purifying your karma, and planting the seeds of enlightenment in your mind! That's not because of my awkward attempts to convey the experience, but because of the true nature of the sacred structures! It is the power of the Stupas!
If you want to come out and work with us, even for 5 minutes, we'll make sure you get a chance to contribute to this project! You'll surely end up with your own Stupa story to tell! It is our goal as a crew to open this opportunity to anyone and everyone who has even the slightest interest in getting involved. We promise not to gripe if you come and decide just to watch, and just because you come once doesn't mean you're branded for life. : ) You can retire at any time. : ) We just want you all to know we'd love to share this experience with you, and we'll do our best to give you an opportunity to participate if you wish to! Just let us know you're interested!
If you're nowhere near here, we'll still try and find a way for you to participate. Whether it's through watching this blog and sharing it with your friends, or if you'd like to work with us on developing an archive of stories or a long range plan for maintenance, there's lots to do (don't worry though, we're prepared to do it all ourselves, just willing to share if you are interested).
We are headed out of town on Tuesday, and I'm not sure of the internet situation in New York (it is a RETREAT center after all, I'm not sure we can expect a connection up there). If I can post from there I will, if not, I'll post as soon as I return. Ani Sherab, who you've seen working on these pages, has said she might post a thing or two while we're gone! That would be worth reading! She's got an awesome amount of knowledge and devotion.
Tomorrow we've got a lot to do before heading to the airport to pick up Dawa and Christine, so I'll post whatever we're able to get to!
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