Because I had to work at the hospital today, I couldn't be on site to tell you what happened. So I decided to tell you a story...

Once upon a time, about a year and a half ago, I was asked by Ani Dawa in Arizona to take a picture of a Stupa I'd never seen before. It's in an out of the way place, not a public area. This is the Ngagpa Yeshe Dorje Stupa, built when he was here at the temple (so I think, I wasn't there, timeline may be off). In any case, when I took my camera to this remote spot and found it, I wondered "does she realize how this looks!". It was aweful. You can't see clearly here, but there were vines growing up it, literally into the concrete of the throne! It was covered with mildew. Off to the side (perhaps the most frightening thing) it has about 2 feet of ground before a drop off (needs a retaining wall bad!). I couldn't even circumambulate it for the weeds. I dutifully shot the photos, knowing full well what I was getting into. There was no way Dawa would see this and be okay. But, the path is about honesty...

So this adventure began on that chilly day. I went home, emailed the photos, and looked up online how to remove mildew from concrete. I was out the next day with a power washer (this is late February, early March I think, it was really cold) and mildecide. I pulled off the vines and cleaned it. Ashby, a faithful servant of the Stupas, painted it while I worked at the hospital. But still, it wasn't enough. I knew if that had happened, there were other Stupas. I knew the Enlightenment Stupa by the parking lot was already showing signs of wear. I was afraid of what I'd find on the others...

Guru Rinpoche once told Yeshe Tsogyal something very simple "Whatever can be done, must be done". Taking that statement to heart (I still do, every day), I accepted the responsiblity of ensuring the the Stupas would be cared for. I didn't know anything about concrete, or construction, or repair (drywall maybe, but a completely different animal). But that's where this all began. That's the source of all the merit and benefit brought by this endeavor. So if you've ever wondered where this project came from, here's a brief (very) overview....