August 27th...Shantideva....

Worked at the hospital today. Decided to share some passages with you from Bodhisattvaacharyavatara, Part 1 by Acharya Shantideva, translated by Stephen Batchelor. This text can be found at : http://www.american-buddha.com/bodhi.1.htm It is from the Third Chapter:

"3
I rejoice in the Awakening of the Buddhas
And also in the spiritual levels of their Sons.

4
And with gladness I rejoice
In the ocean of virtue from developing an Awakening Mind
That wishes all beings to be happy,
As well as in the deeds that bring them benefit.

5
With folded hands I beseech
The Buddhas of all directions,
To shine the lamp of Dharma
For all bewildered in miesery's gloom.

6
With folded hands I beseech
The Conquerors who wish to pass away,
To please remain for countless aeons
And not to leave the world in darkness.

7
Thus by the virtue collected
Through all that I have done,
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away."

August 26th ...Remembering Purpose...

Here they are, of 7 barrels 6 are empty. I waited for a while today for Gabriel, who has a truck, a necessity for the transport of water to the site. I spent some time with KT while I waited, but I had to get up there and see the Stupa...

Gabriel didn't show up today. I wasn't sure we'd firmed up our plans. I now have his phone number though, so we can work it out for next week!

In any case, without a truck to haul water there wasn't much I could do...or at least that's what I thought at first! Then it dawned on me, here I am at the Migyur Dorje Stupa!!! So I grabbed a practice book and started reciting some prayers, made an offering of some incense, and started circumambulating!

As I started my first circumambulation I couldn't help myself, I started shooting...Here's the southeast corner of the bumpa. You can see much of the paint was removed...but not all...we're planning a second coat anyway...you'll see why soon... 

Here's the troublesome spot I talked about yesterday. You can see a lot of the paint stayed on. We have enough stripper to apply another time (we think), and we're going to work on that next week. Our theory is the sun was too direct yesterday on this area, as the top of the bumpa had the same problem in the same region, so it wasn't just a light coat here.  

Here's the northeast face of the bumpa...You've just circumambulated virtually! : )

You can see the paint came off well here also, so it's just a few troubled spots we need to take care of. The steps below have paint coming off with just water, so an application of stripper there will hopefully make that quick work! Say some prayers that our obstacles are removed for next week! We need water!

The clouds overhead were pretty cool today. The contrast really wasn't as extreme as this, but cameras have to decide on exposure, and as I focused on the sky, that's the part that got properly exposed... One of the prayers I read somewhere (really poor reference person here) talked about cultivating compassion as vast as the sky.

Out there, under these huge clouds, in the quiet refuge before the Stupa, I made my aspirational prayers that I too will embody limitless compassion. It was funny, so much time spent working on them, it was really nice to just recite prayers and circumambulate, focused on cultivating my spiritual path.

Of course, that's what they're here for! If you're not spiritual, they're great for healing from illness, bestowing prosperity, and in general they're beautiful historical monuments. Thus, I'll always encourage you to visit them, whether in Poolesville, or here on line. They bring benefit on many, many levels, and you don't even have to try!

Back to making a living (at the hospital) this weekend, but don't fret. I took lots of photos yesterday of the relief that needs work, and I'll post those over the weekend. It'll be back to work on Monday, with KT's truck on stand by. Please do come spend some time with them though, I guarantee you won't regret it!

August 25th..Back to Migyur Dorje...

Finally! We loaded up and headed out to Migyur Dorje today!

Even though working on the bumpa is far less frightening than the spire, we still took the time to set up all our safety gear... 

Since I had sprayed on the stripper (which is why there are no photos of that process), Norbu gallantly volunteered to clean out the sprayer. This is actually a crumby job, as you spray into a bucket and the stuff smells awful. Norbu coped by shielding himself as much as possible from the backspray!

Even with our stinky stripper applied, Leigh made offerings to the Stupa and circumambulated. She was one of many visitors while we were out there today! 

The bumpa fully sprayed we took a break for lunch. You can see here it didn't take long for the stripper to begin soaking into the paint. It soaks through the paint layer, and when it hits the substrate (our concrete) it stops and begins to form bubbles which push the paint off. We have found it to be extremely effective. Despite our complaints of the smell, you can see we use it with very little protective equipment.  

We returned around 3 pm to work on removing the stripper. I powerwashed the upper part of the bumpa, and was so hot and exhausted (I wore an entire PVC suit) I let Norbu do the walls...He courageously took it on, even though we tossed our facemask during our purge of the shed last week... 

We continued into the evening. In the end we weren't totally satisfied with the results today. The southwestern area of the bumpa, both on top and on the side, did not get clean enough. We're guessing the sun might have dried that part fastest, causing the paint to begin to readhere. A LOT was done...but we're going to spray up there again... Gabriel may be out tomorrow to help restock water, if he's game maybe we'll do that tomorrow.

Even though our chemical stinks, it isn't harmful. So feel free to come out and visit even as we work out here! Leigh came out earlier, and said it didn't smell too bad! And as I mentioned in yesterdays post, the White Garden is a short walk from here. The Enlightenment Stupa is completed also, so you have many options! If you can't get to Poolesville, they're as close as your browser window, right here!

August 24th...rest...

This is a shot of the White Garden, a short distance from Migyur Dorje. You can see there is a small Stupa there, and it is surrounded partly by a stream. It is a beautiful place, and almost always quiet. I show it to you so you know there is someplace to go for peace and quiet even as we now embark on restoring Migyur Dorje.

It's a short post tonight as I get some rest before tomorrow. The plan is to strip the bumpa of Migyur Dorje. We've been a little lower key lately, but we're ready to get back to it now. We called Cal Western yesterday, and found out our gold paint has been sitting on their dock unshipped for 3 weeks! Oh well, another episode of drama in the Stupa Restoration Project. Theoretically we should now get it by the middle of next week...We'll follow up sooner this time!

Before I head to bed, I do want to remind all that the Stupas are available to you here 24 hours a day, every day. The images alone will bring immense benefit, not to mention if you utilize their spiritual power by making prayers or aspirations in front of them. And if you want the real deal, the Enlightenment Stupa is right next to the parking lot at KPC Maryland, in Poolesville! And our other Stupas are tucked away in our spacious peace park, connected by wooded pathways. Please do take advantage of them! They exist for no other reason than to bring healing and benefit to all who encounter them!

August 23rd...Alternate plan....

The plan for today was that I'd do the 8-10 am prayer shift and we'd be out to Migyur Dorje right after. Well...it didn't go that way. : ) KT came in the middle of my prayer shift (I told her over the weekend she could if she needed help) and relieved me, so I could work on getting some scans and photos for her. That process took much longer than I'd anticipated (I should have learned by now). In the end, I met Norbu around noon, and we chatted over coffee, and decided to continue helping KT today. It was already late, and she still needed some photos taken. So, that's what happened today.

The photo above is from early this morning before my prayer shift...much to my distress the plexi had fogged up in the cool morning air. The temps have dropped out here a lot since last week, I knew that would be a test...

Here's a close up of the fog...alas. One tries and sometimes it works, other times it's back to the drawing board. The fog is faint, and it did clear nicely once the sun came up. However, it is not what we had hoped would happen. Thus, we'll keep an eye on it for now.

Our plan to work on Migyur Dorje today was thwarted when KT asked us to help her prepare a presentation for the board and council tonight. She wanted some shots of areas around the temple which need work and attention. KT is the board chair overseeing our work on the Stupas, and we all are supportive of KT's efforts to generate funds and energy to restore the temple facility itself. Though we're focused on the Stupas right now, ultimately the goal is to restore the entire mandala of the temple, from the grounds to the structures themselves, so all of it reflects the amazing preciousness of this place.

It was all conceived by our teacher, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. It was her vision that there would be a place where there is unceasing prayer (hence our prayer vigil) and peace, open to anyone 24 hours a day. It was her aspiration that this mandala would serve not only as a foundation for the dawn of Buddhism in the west, but also as a place of refuge for anyone, Buddhist or non, needing a place to meditate, pray, gather their thoughts or just hang out. We have a little station with coffee and tea available, and a seating area, for visitors to relax. Well, there's more to this place than I can express in a short time. The bottom line is, when she needed our help we decided to offer it. So our initiative at Migyur Dorje is put off again, but for a good cause. We'll be back to work Thursday. The ladders are there and set, the water is there and waiting. We'll be there Thursday to get it all in motion!

I'm leaving you today with a photo of the white garden behind the temple. I took this while taking photos for KT. I had been sent to take pictures of areas needing attention (the TLC kind), but when I saw this I had to take a minute and record something of beauty as well. There are many such small gardens tucked away around the temple and the 65 acres of land across from the temple. It is my hope that by sharing the occasional shot of them you might be inspired to come spend some time walking around the Stupas and gardens. They are all here for anyone who wishes to enjoy them. No special knowledge or affiliations required, it is a quiet place near the hectic D.C. Metro area where you can duck away for a while and find some peace. Of course, we on the Stupa Crew found some peace today by taking a "break" and helping KT get her presentation together, but don't worry. We're going to get the bumpa stripped by this weekend!

August 22nd, Gearing up for another advance....

This is how the Migyur Dorje Stupa looked the last time we worked on it. Those ladders were taken down for the completion of the Enlightenment Stupa. Norbu said he would bring them back up to Migyur Dorje today, in preparation for the application of more stripper tomorrow.

The chemical stripper is a big job, a commitment. Once we apply, we have to remove, no matter how long it takes. So we're trying to pace ourselves. The goal is to get the bumpa clear of paint tomorrow...wish us luck! Even though the spire is definitely the toughest job, the logistic challenges aren't over. We're going to do our best to avoid the face of the gau, where all the artwork is. We'll decide how to handle the lower region when we get there (there are snow lions and other ornamental reliefs on the throne). We'll also avoid stripping the termas as well. All these pieces were made of a material (Fortran) which does not need to breath, in fact, will deteriorate if not sealed. So there's no need to remove all paint. We'll remove loose paint and repaint them. In any case, I'm off to bed. Early prayer shift, then back to getting dirty!

The paint from California continues to be delayed, so we're focusing on what we can get done now. We left Migyur Dorje with 7 full barrels of water, ready for the next step. Norbu's truck most likely lost it's leaf spring on the road to the Stupa with these barrels of water on board, so he's unable to do that anymore. We have enough to get through tomorrow, and will see what we can do the rest of the week. Gabriel expressed great interest in helping out, but Norbu said he saw his truck, and it looks like his pride and joy (beautiful). He's not sure the scratches that come with plowing through overgrown bushes on the road up will be okay with him...we'll see....We know one thing though, we'll be out working tomorrow!

The Enlightenment Stupa is completely finished, so you can visit there any time without fear of smelling our chemical stripper (it's "non-toxic", but smells bad). If you still want to see Migyur Dorje, please don't let us hold you back. It's well worth it! This is the Stupa that was built specifically with healing illness (both physical and mental) in mind! So it's a great place to go if you're sick, or suffering in some way. Of course, that isn't necessary! It bestows amazing blessings to all who encounter it, as do all the Stupas.

Remember, all you see on these pages, and all the work that preceded our efforts, all of it is devoted to bringing this opportunity to you. It's free, and requires no special knowledge, understanding or behavior. It is our greatest wish that these precious structures remain in the world to benefit beings for as long as suffering exists...