Here's a shot pulled from the archives. This was taken years ago (don't know when, sorry), but shows how amazingly beautiful the Stupa is. We're working our way to restoring it to this state! This is the very same Stupa you see in the previous posts. We've sandblasted the paint off, and now we're repairing it. Soon, we'll paint it! I'll leave you with this quote from Lama Zopa Rinpoche's "Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas":

"By actualizing and building Stupas we liberate so many sentient beings every day by planting the seed of liberation and the seed of the whole path in their minds. We will create the cause for their good rebirth every day, for all those sentient beings who will circumambulate-tourists and everybody! The stupa gives peace of mind, purifies negative karma, and gives beings good rebirths and every happiness."

Things are moving along, even if I don't always get snapshots! Getting the last details worked out on the gold paint order for the Stupa Park and Migyur Dorje, and we've finally gotten all the funds to order bronze reliefs to replace the fading resin ones! So even when I work there is still progress...just no photos. : )

We'll be out working on the Stupa Wednesday, for anyone who wants to give this a try! Who knows what tomorrow will hold? Maybe we'll get to order some gold paint! : )

The Stupas are the embodiment of the entire path, a visible form for all of Dharma. How amazing to have such a blessing right here in Poolesville, Maryland! I invite you to join us in our sacred work, whether you're praying for our swift completion of this endeavor, or whether you want to come get your hands dirty! There's no easier way to generate huge merit, and offer such tremendous benefit! We're here to share this process with you, so you too can be a part of this auspicious activity, in person, or here online. May every being wandering, lost in samsara, find peace and unending joy, and may we never tire of working to establish each and every one of them in the state of complete liberation!

June 12th....Roots and intention...

Today was spent in the temple, receiving teachings and catching up with our sangha members. I made a trip down to the Stupa (I always do, every time I go to the temple, any time I go, to circumambulate and make wishing prayers-thanks Dawa!). I watered the repairs we did yesterday. They need to stay moist for 72 hours to form a strong bond to the existing concrete.

I work the next two days (at the hospital), so Ashby volunteered to water them tomorrow and Tuesday. : ) Thanks Ashby! This is an important part of the curing process, and we've found it really makes a difference.

We're looking ahead at the week, and can actually plan when we'll be there! The prayer vigil kept Norbu and I on call this past week, but we can now choose our shifts, rather than act as defaults. So Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be definite work days. I'm going to try and persuade Lisa to work next Saturday (if she's up to it, she's got two children who keep her busy). If you'd like to come out and give this a try please do! We're working on back up plans in case rain makes repairs a challenge, including finishing the terma Ani Sherab showed us how to repair a few weeks back! So do keep checking in! I've also heard from Gretchen, who has been sewing brocades for the Stupas, she says they should be finished by next weekend! So things are moving along!

KT has been working hard at keeping the numbers crunched for me (I just keep throwing receipts at her--thanks KT). Soon we'll be working up estimates for the final phases of the Enlightenment Stupa, including gold leaf for the gau and spire!

I'll end as usual by inviting you to come out and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity! There are very, very few Stupas in the west, and no others on the east coast (do correct me if I'm wrong!), so even to have the chance to see a Stupa or make offerings to one are extremely rare. But to have a chance to repair one! That's really rare indeed! And we'll make it easy for you! It is our goal to offer this precious opportunity to as many beings as have even a minimal desire to try it, so don't be shy. We're here to help you! If you can't come out, then do keep checking in! I'll try and post a photo of some precious object every day, either the Stupas or a statue, so your mindstream can have those seeds planted. It is our sole wish that all our efforts be devoted to bringing peace to beings, and an end to suffering. Don't forget, the Stupas are here, 24/7, always open, always ready, always offering blessings. Even if you have no interest in us, you can visit these precious structures yourself, anytime. We're doing all the work you see here to keep this opportunity available for generations to come...

No real work out here today. Spent the day in teachings and talking with the many Sunday visitors. The temple utilizes Sundays to offer teachings and practices to the general public (everyone is welcome all the time, but Sundays are structured for those who have no experience in Dharma). It is a day when there are beginning classes, as well as a lunch offered to visitors. It is a day when many of the regular sangha also come, to take in teachings and do some practice. Though much goes on all week long, this is a day when many people are off, and thus the crowd is larger and the teachings target newer students. Because the intention and view are so essential to the work we do on the Stupas, we generally set Sunday aside to engage in study and practice, to keep our minds grounded in the purpose behind the activity.

So, today I came out to water the repairs (sounds strange?). The concrete mortar needs to stay moist to cure properly. The moisture, drawn into the concrete because it is porous, helps the repair bond more securely to the underlying surface. Thus, the very reason we have trouble with paint (the wick-like quality of the concrete) actually serves us well here!

Here's a close up of the repairs we did yesterday. You can see the spiderweb of repair material, which is actually what you want to see. It should fill the cracks without overlapping onto the surface concrete, so it looks good! The brown streak in the center is our M90 repair, which looks rougher, but I think under a coat of paint it will blend in well.... 

With the south wall nearly complete (well, relatively...), we can look ahead to the next wall. The west wall seemed to suffer the most over time. I don't know why, but can report that for some reason this wall had the most pitting (not a function of the sand blaster operator alone), and seemed to have the most underlying damage (visible areas of scoring). I include this just as a note to anyone reading who may have been involved in the construction or maintanence in the past, maybe you could help us understand this...Otherwise, it is worth noting for the future. We're looking to keep the Stupas in good repair from here forward, which means much more careful, planned maintanence. In any case, if the rain keeps us off the bumpa this week we'll head here next... 

Here's a close up of the bottom step of the west wall. You can see the pitting that occurred with the sand blasting. This was a problem in certain areas, where it seemed the concrete was softer, where removal of the paint and stucco layer inevitably resulted in the pitting of the underlying concrete. Not to worry, as we have a solution to work with. : ) The upper surface of this same step has much scoring, which had been done in a previous repair, where they attempted to apply a thin grade layer to prevent water from pooling on the surface of the step. The repair failed (if you see the post from late April when we were trying to scrape this Stupa (before we realized sand blasting was inevitable), chunks of this repair layer were sloughing off. Obviously we don't want to repeat that experience, but we're working with materials we know little about. Concrete is not our business (we're Dharma students, working hard to preserve these structures to bring benefit to beings). We have, however, consulted and been instructed on concrete repair with professionals, so hopefully this new approach will produce a good result. One thing we will do differently on the top of the steps is determine if we're comfortable grinding out the "shoulders" necessary to create the desired effect. We'd have to remove a significant amount of the existing layer, to create a bed in which the repair would sit. Given the current condition, lots of visible scoring, that might not be a bad thing. We're just trying to figure out how to best approach it. So, keep visiting here to see how we navigate this adventure! 

While we gathered our gear to work on the Stupa, Holly, Maura and Malik were already out working on the gardens surrounding the Enlightenment Stupa. Holly had waited patiently to do this, for us to finish the sand blasting. She oversees maintenance of all the gardens on the property (over 65 acres, she's a busy gal), so we try to let her know what we'll be doing so she doesn't plant something we'll end up destroying.... 

Here's our focus for the day. I had hoped to go up on the bumpa and work up there. The last repairs we did up there failed, as a result of the intense and unrelenting rain that started while we were working up there. We'll have to repair the repair, and move on from that point when we get back up there. Looking at the sky I worried about more rain today, so we decided to work on the wall. We'd had success working down here in the rain previously (the platform and upper steps help protect the wall from driving rain. Wet is fine for the repairs, in fact they need to be kept wet while they cure, but on the bumpa the rain was literally washing out the repair material before it had a chance to set at all. You can see our grinder on the first step, we're going to grind out that large crack before filling it. The rest of the wall will be tended with a thin set mortar to smooth it out... 

Lisa uses a chisle and hammer to work out the last bits of loose material not dislodged by the grinder. The deeper cracks must be ground out and prepared before applying the M90... 

Here's the crack filled with the M90. It is over-filled slightly (on purpose). You don't see anyone up there working on the Stupa at this moment because we were all distracted.... 

It was wicked hot out there this afternoon, and humid. For those of you not in Maryland, you may not appreciate how oppressive this heat can be, but trust me, it's steamy. It didn't take long for us to realize the hose we dragged out to wet the concrete had more than one use! Holly came over from her garden work to take a run through the hose... 

Malik, Lisa's son, decided he wanted to cool off as well... 

Everyone took a turn under the hose...Here Ashby gets his chance to cool off a little... 

After some convincing we pursuaded Holly to put a little mortar on the Stupa. Not because we wanted to interfere with her own work (she's very busy), but because we all know how amazing the merit of repairing a Stupa is! It really is so potent, even 5 minutes of this will provide the merit to achieve Enlightenment in a future lifetime! You too are welcome to join us! Even for a few moments! We'll set you up and guide you through! 

Working on the Stupa is really fun, not just a self serving statement here. : ) Once Holly gave in and started to work on it, she decided she enjoyed it. She didn't stay long though, as her job is huge in itself (she maintains the grounds of the temple, with all its many gardens). It was great to have her even for a short time though! : ) 

Initially we didn't realize how much work would be involved in this phase (sound familiar?). : ) But Ani Sherab, who visited from Arizona and helped us a few weeks ago, mentioned we should seriously consider smoothing the surface of this particular Stupa. The sand blasting removed the old stucco layer, and we worked really hard to accomplish that. So we weren't thrilled at this thought at first, but after the repairs on Saga Dawa turned out so well, we decided it was a good idea. Now we're going for it! Most of the work you're seeing is using M120, a thin set mortar, designed for this exact kind of application. It is applied in a thin layer over shallow imperfections in the surface, allowed to set for a while, then sponged into shape. The sponging allows the excess material to be removed, leveling the repair with the surrounding surface... 

After a few hours, we decided to go out for dinner. It was our first day back to work that wasn't interrupted by rain, and the heat wore us down a little. So some refreshment sounded good, as did some air conditioning! 

After dinner, we returned to clean up. Lisa began working on the last bit of finishing work. That's the biggest part of this phase of work, whatever repair material is applied must be finished before one can quit for the day. Whether it's the thin set, or the M90, both require a period of time to set before being shaped for the final appearance. The thin set only requires 20 minutes or so, while the M90 takes over an hour. That's why we decided to go eat dinner first... 

The M90, which can be used on both verticle and horizontal surfaces, is suitable for areas which require fill. It can be sculpted, in fact, must be sculpted. We apply it by over-building. It then sits for a few hours, and then gets scraped down gently into the desired shape. In our case, as we are using it for repairs (can be used to sculpt relief work) we shape it to be level with the existing wall. Lisa is our developing expert...

We wrapped up for the day after this. It's going to take some time to repair this Stupa, but it's an awesome opportunity! It's a great way to get lots of folks involved, even for short periods! This Stupa is located right next to the parking lot, easy to get to. Water and power a cord or hose away (unlike our other sites, where logistics are much more complex). So please consider joining us for some of this! We'll all be back out on Wednesday (that pesky need to earn a living thing creeping back up...). The prayer chart is going to be under the stewardship of a fresh set of volunteers next week, so we can actually plan our days! Tomorrow, Sunday, we've decided to again begin setting aside for teachings and practice. I'll post a few shots of a typical Sunday tomorrow!

Do consider coming out during this repair phase though! It's a great way to generate tons of merit in a really short time! We'll give you everything you need! If you can't come to Poolesville, your prayers and joy are welcome! We're doing all of this for all beings, everywhere. It is our sincerest wish that our activities place every one of you in unending joy!

We're still working on the Enlightenment Stupa, and working to finish the Stupa Park. Today I had to earn my living, as did Norbu, so I'm posting this photo of the Migyur Dorje Stupa. This Stupa contains the relics of some of the greatest masters of our lineage. It even contains the the relics of a previous Buddha! The real deal! And it sits right here in Poolesville, Maryland, offering blessings endlessly, to every being that comes across it. We'll be back to work on repairs tomorrow, but for now, just wanted to share some of the amazing beauty of the Stupas themselves... 

June 10th The Fourth Factor....

It is easy to forget, with all the activity, planning and plain hard work, what all this is about. Stupas are the appearance of the Enlightened Mind in form, they are the very presence of Enlightenment! You can see them, touch them, make offerings to them. When in New York last week, Khenpo Norgye began his instruction on statues and Stupas with the statement that these objects, because they are not ordinary, because they ARE Enlightenment in form, serve to help purify our perceptions! They do this without any effort on our part! Just by seeing them, even in the photos on this page! How extraordinary....

So to help us keep this in mind as we work to restore them, I've drawn a quote from another website. This is a quote from the venerable Thubten Rinpoche at Dhargye Buddhist Center. You can see the website, which is a transcript of a teaching he gave, here: http://dbc.dharmakara.net/trt2-963.html

Here's the quote that struck me the most:

"Another incident concerning the origin of stupas happened when the Buddha was at Rajgir. At this time he was addressing about five-hundred bhikkshus and seven thousand two hundred Bodhisattvas. At that congregation the Bodhisattva Maitreya put a question to the Buddha. Maitreya asked, "In the distant future there will come a time when it will be very hard for people to practise Dharma. Due to the enormous number of negative forces and many types of interference they will not be able to practise as they would like. What conducive factors will be needed to ward-off and pacify all these negative forces?"

The Buddha explained that five factors would be needed. If these five factors were present, people would be free of interference from negative forces and they would live long. As well, these five factors would gradually contribute to the practitioners' attainment of enlightenment.

The first factor is to give Dharma constantly with the intention of helping others.

The second factor is constantly to give sentient beings a sense of security, or freedom from fear. This means to constantly save beings whose lives are at risk, and provide them with security and peace of mind.

The third factor is constantly to reflect on the four types of immeasurables.

The fourth factor is constantly to repair old stupas or to commission or construct new stupas.

The fifth factor is constantly to maintain the mind of enlightenment, Bodhicitta, the universal altruism to want to achieve the state of enlight-enment for the sake of all sentient beings. One needs to maintain this in one's mind all the time.

Of the five factors the Buddha spelt out, one is repairing old stupas and making new ones. If one is able to do that it will bring a lot of benefit to oneself and others in the future."

When I first read this I was amazed and humbled. How astonishing, indeed, that we here in the west, have such a precious opportunity! How astonishing, that we have a teacher so profound that every element necessary to accomplish Enlightenment has been provided here, in Poolesville, Maryland! Though many who see this may not be Buddhists, know that all of our aspirations as practitioners are directed soley towards relieving the suffering of every being with no exceptions. Everyone is welcome, so please do come take advantage of this amazing opportunity, whether you just come look, or whether you want to help. No strings attached!

June 9th Slow steps forward...

We finally made it out to work today. The prayer chart is making our schedule unpredicable, so mostly it is just Norbu and myself this week. We can't commit to being here at any particular time. But we were both out today, and did make some small progress.

I was all ready to jump up and start filling in repairs I'd prepped with some M90, only to be caught in a downpour, thunderstorm. We tried waiting it out, but it didn't end. So, fortunately, we attended a tsog!

It's short post tonight, class in a few minutes! More tomorrow!

We're back out at the Stupa today...finally! The bumpa is now clear of sand, and ready for some repair work. The first thing to do is evaluate the needed repairs, to determine what material we'll use. Deeper cracks, or areas of damage, will require the M90. It is a repair material that is capable of being sculpted if necessary, and requires much more preparation than the thin set. The thin set we'll use will be the M125, all the prep that needs is to be sure the area is clean, free of loose debris and moist. The water, used in both processes, is necessary to promote a good bond between the repair and the existing concrete. Wish us luck! We're pretty new to all this... Norbu didn't go out to the Stupa Park today, he is temporarily without his truck. It's waiting for a Maryland Inspection. So he's joining me on the Enlightenment Stupa.... 

Here's my focus for the day. This is deepest crack on this Stupa. I figured I'd start here! 

Here's a closer look... 

Amber came by with Jacob today to make some offerings and check on the progress. She's due in September, so she's not as spunky as she was earlier in the project! : ) 

Norbu worked on the surface of the bumpa itself today, applying the thin set mortar, while I focused on the deeper cracks... 

Here's a view of the top of the gau, you can see the crack is deep and goes the entire length of the joint between the gau and bumpa. The goal is to repair this entire area of weakness. In the past they used massive amounts of caulk, but the caulk dried and pulled away, allowing moisture to enter the crack. We're hoping the repairs we make this year will prevent that, but...we'll see how it goes. : ) We'll be checking all this out carefully next year!