Here's a photo of the terma we'll be repairing today before we removed it from the Stupa. This terma was a revelation by Terton Migyur Dorje, whose relics are actually inside this Stupa! Terton Migyur Dorje revealed the Nam Cho cycle of teachings, which our Palyul Lineage practices. Part of that revelation was this script, which is dakini script. It is called "Liberation Upon Seeing" because just by seeing this, the seed of Liberation is planted in your mindstream! It is a sacred image, so the work we're doing is approached as a practice, with opening prayers and aspirations that it will bring benefit to beings... 

We're working on repairing the terma today. Ani Sherab is staying at her sisters's house in Alexandria. Because we have no experience with this at all, we decide if she can't come to us, we'll go to her, to learn how to work with the Fortran and repair the artwork for Migyur Dorje. So Lisa and I pack up and head to Virginia! Here Ani Sherab takes a wirebrush to the terma to clean off any loose material while assessing the damage... 

You can see where the caulk gave way along the top edge of the terma, leading to break down of the material along that edge... 

Here's a close up of the worst damage. You can see the screws had rusted, and that water had been running down behind the relief when it was mounted on the Stupa. This is the result of a break in the caulk seal, which is something we must be vigilant of in the future to prevent any further damage. Ani Sherab doesn't think this is really all that bad, but wants to teach us how to repair it while she's here. : ) We're all eager to learn... 

Before any repairs are made, the surface must first be prepped. Trisodium Phosphate is a great cleaning agent. We'll use it to clean off any soiled areas or loose material from the terma, the goal is not to get it free of stains, but free of debris which might inhibit proper bonding of the repair... 

A wire brush and the trisodium phosphate work well... 

We're going to place a 2x4 on the edge of the terma to act as a jig for the repairs. Sherab sprays the board with release agent to prevent repair material from bonding to it... 

Clamps are used to secure the board, our jig, to the terma. Thanks Dad for the clamps! : ) Sherab shows Lisa how to place them so the pressure is correct... 

Ani Sherab places a bead of clay along the seam between the terma and the jig (board) to prevent repair material from leaking through the joint... 

Now that everything is ready, we check to be sure the surface is level so the repair material (which will be a thick liquid) will spread properly... 

Ani Sherab explains that all the directions on how to use the material is detailed in the documentation that comes with it. The mix is fairly precise, so she said we should use a gram scale when preparing it. The chemicals react to form the resin, so the proper ratio is important... 

Sherab shows Lisa how to mix the materials... 

Ani Sherab borrowed a weight watchers scale from her sister's friend to ensure the mix would be correct... 

Here the Fortran is being poured into place. You can see the purpose of the jig, and why we placed clay underneath (to prevent the liquid material from dripping through to the ground... 

A putty knife works well to guide the repair material into place. Once the material is poured and worked into place, we all go inside to have a snack and do some brainstorming on the Stupa Park... 

We all wait to see what the repair looks like as Sherab removes the clamps... 

As Ani Sherab cleans up the edges, it is clear that the Fortran did not make it into all the cracks. The angle of the jig was such that it cut off flow of material from areas on the bottom of the terma, which you can see here are incompletely filled... 

Ani Sherab mixed another batch of the material and lets Lisa stir it to the proper consistency... 

The afternoon is drawing on, and Ani Sherab applies yet another coat of the Fortran to fill in areas that weren't completely filled by the first application... 

Faced with another period of waiting for the Fortran to dry, we break out the phone book to find the closest Starbucks. We all agree we'll do decaf, but decide to go anyway. It's getting late, and we are realizing we won't finish this today. We've got a lot on our plate for tomorrow! We'll be finishing the terma repair (need a belt sander to get the surface smooth and square), taking a tour of Migyur Dorje, and helping prepare a place for Ani Dawa and Christine to stay (they're arriving from Arizona tomrrow for our trip to New York). We'll see how much actually gets done! : )