Lights along the Way: Lama Kathy’s Dharma Blog

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Top Image: Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso (center, rear) with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche (right, rear) and Lama Norlha (left, rear) and the Women’s Retreat class from the First Karme Ling Retreat. Lama Kathy is at the far left.

The ever-warming Spring has brought us blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a growing sense of hope that something new is coming – and not just the dandelion weeds from under the ground.

Twenty years ago this week, the doors of the Three-Year Retreat Center at Karme Ling opened and a group of us – weak-kneed, hesitant, weary but happy – came stumbling out of our three years of isolation and into a new world.

Things seemed to move faster – highway speeds increased, folks seemed to be talking much more quickly, and my husband Mike spent the trip home telling me about this curious thing called the Internet – it was all a bit much to take in.

Retreat photos 5

Lama Kathy at the “graduation” ceremony on May 25, 1996. Behind me to my right (viewer’s left) is Peigwang, who became Lama Lodro Lhamo; on my left, (viewer’s right) Cathy Lhamo Jackson.

The “graduation” ceremony had been so moving – we’d spent hours chanting the Gyalwa Gyamtso Red Chenrezig puja at our home monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra – and it felt wonderful to be in the presence of my husband and all of my dharma friends.

Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, our retreat master, had spent the previous three years pouring his heart and wisdom and knowledge into us – as much as our samsarically affected minds could absorb – and he made it clear to us that now was the time for us to “give back” in gratitude for what we had received.

“Traditionally in Tibet when someone finishes the Three-Year Retreat they are given the title of ‘lama,’” he said. “Now, what does this mean? This means from now until you die, you have one function, and one function only: to connect everyone you meet with the Dharma.”

After giving us this weighty charge, Rinpoche softened and encouraged us. “But be natural,” he advised. Don’t put on airs or act special. Just be yourself, and share what you know to the best of your ability. And if someone asks you a question you cannot answer, there’s no shame in saying, “I don’t know.”

All of these thoughts were tumbling round in my head on the drive home to Ohio from Karme Ling. I was thrilled at the possibility of being at last able to help others. But I also wondered – was I up to the task?

But in the end, I decided all would be well – not because of me, or anything I knew, but because of Khenpo Rinpoche.

I’d known Rinpoche since September 1977, when we met as part of an interview I planned to write for my local newspaper about this unusual person – a Tibetan Buddhist lama – who was visiting my small town to give a talk.

In the interview, I’d pressed Rinpoche, who spoke softly through a translator, about what I’d heard about Buddhist women in Southeast Asia, who were not given the same opportunities as men.

“The Buddha taught the equality of men and women,” he’d responded. “Anything you see that is other than that is the result of culture – not religion.”

I’d been impressed not just by this answer, but by his entire demeanor. He was both gentle and strong – a kindness with a core of confidence in something greater than himself. I knew instantly that I wanted to learn whatever he knew, and practice as much as I could of what he taught.

My years of studying with him were mostly attending his teachings and watching his demeanor with me and others – he was always patient, always compassionate, always understanding of the differences of others. The way he held a teacup – mindfully, each movement gentle and graceful – spoke volumes about the value of a stable and contemplative mind.

And now, even with an uncertain future in front of me – this “lama thing,” as my husband called it – I knew I could count on him to guide me through. No matter what, Rinpoche would be there for me, protecting me, guiding me. Answering questions I couldn’t answer; giving advice on how to teach, how to talk, how to be; I knew he would provide for me everything I needed, and that if I could just follow whatever he said, all would be well.

As my husband turned down our street, I instantly noticed something was different. It was an average Memorial Day, with people outdoors enjoying the sunshine and their yards – but every one of their front porch-lights was on.

“They’re doing it for you,” my husband said gently. “One of the neighbors sent around a message the other day. They wanted everyone to put on their lights, because they wanted to welcome you home.”

In the 20 years since that day, I still remember the tears that came to my eyes. That somebody cared about me, that someone saw me and knew me and wanted to demonstrate to me that most human of values – generous caring.

It was something I would see time and again over the years – when I came to Columbus KTC to teach, the dharma friends there welcomed me and cared for me and were patient with me and helped me become a teacher. Their honest questions and their unwavering support made it possible for me to stumble along and learn how to be that lama that Khenpo Rinpoche spoke of – the one whose sole function was to connect everyone she met with the dharma.

In the end, it all came down to those lights. Those porch lights, those people, those KTC sangha members, my husband, my family, my friends, and my guru.  They loved me; they reassured me. They guided me. They lifted me up.

No matter what – whether I succeeded or failed or something in-between – I would never be alone. Like Khenpo Rinpoche, they would be my lights along the way.

THE JOURNEY HOME: This Week’s Highlights

Work on the new home for Columbus KTC brought our KTC leadership into dialogue with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche this week.

After reading the document I’d prepared entitled “Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s Advice to Columbus KTC,” Board members had further questions for Rinpoche.

Last Monday, the Board met with Lama Karma Drodhul, Khenpo Rinpoche’s nephew and main attendant to receive Khenpo Rinpoche’s latest advice. It had been a difficult day for Lama Karma; his mother, Tselha, had just passed away in Tibet a few hours before. But Lama Karma insisted on keeping his telephone appointment with the KTC Columbus Board, and shared Khenpo Rinpoche’s advice.

Rinpoche had been told that there were several options in front of our sangha – to build, or to buy and remodel a building – and the Board had asked for any preferences Rinpoche himself might have.

Rinpoche made it clear that his top priority was maintaining harmony in the sangha.

“This is a very critical, difficult time for KTC members, directors, and board. Rinpoche would like to say thank you for standing there [to support the KTC] and doing your best. He would like to express his gratitude to everybody.

“Rinpoche emphasized maintaining a harmonious connection/relationship with each other. This is the key for accomplishing [a new center] without obstacle, whether you build, or buy, or whatever.  Rinpoche knows you are already doing this [maintaining harmony]; please continue to do so.”

Khenpo Rinpoche also said that although it might be difficult to get a new place, the group should shoulder the difficulty together.

“We never want to kind of have an easy way out. Sometimes when we are desperate, we may want to do something quickly. But we have to think about the long-term benefit.”

Lama Karma said Rinpoche had suggested rebuilding on the Grubb Street property “because you already have the land, the property. If you have to purchase another land, it can be costly. [Rinpoche] was encouraging rebuilding there because it seemed like a public place, a decent place, where you can have people and parking.”

However, Rinpoche also said, “Your center is yours; it is for you,” and said that if everyone agrees that buying and remodeling an existing building is better, that would be fine, as well.

“Find something stable that will last a long time. If everyone agrees it’s something that everybody likes, it’s okay.”

Rinpoche mentioned the difficulty that another center had in buying a building that required extensive renovations, and cautioned the Board to choose property carefully.

Finally, Rinpoche said that once the sangha has chosen its method of recreating the center (buying or building) that he and the leadership at KTD Monastery would both help us raise money to make our new home a reality. And he reiterated his promise to provide statues and thangka paintings for the center.

Rinpoche had more to say, but in the interest of time and space, we’ll stop here. However, we’re editing the “Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s Advice to Columbus KTC” document, and will post it on our KTC Columbus website later this week.

Meanwhile, it’s important to say a big THANK YOU to our amazing Board – Director Kim Miracle, Assistant Director Tanya Schroeder, Treasurer Steve Phallen, Secretary Justin Fitch, and At-Large Member Eric Weinberg – for writing to Rinpoche and being such marvelous leaders for us in our journey home!

Saka Dawa DuChen: Observance of the Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Death

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Fifteenth Day of the Fourth Tibetan Lunar Month

(Quoted from A Yearbook of Buddhist Wisdom by Norma Levine)

On the Full moon day of the Fourth Tibetan Lunar month, three great events in the life of the Buddha are observed.

The birth of Prince Siddhartha, who later became the Buddha, was wondrous. His mother, Queen Mahamaya, had a dream prior to the birth – a dream of a magnificent white elephant that descended from the heavens. Celestial music sounding praises filed the sky. The elephant held a brilliant pink lotus flower in its trunk, placed it within the queen’s body, and then entered inside her effortlessly. She awoke filled with sensations of pure bliss and joy. Ten months later, on the way to her parents’ home, she stopped to rest in the garden of Lumbini, and there, holding the branch of an ashok tree for support the queen gave birth to a radiant boy.

“When the Bodhisattva came forth from his mother’s womb, two jets of water appeared to pour from the sky, one cool and one warm for bathing the Bodhisattva and his mother. As soon as the Bodhisattva was born, he stood firmly with his feet on the ground, then he took seven steps to the north, and with a white sunshade held over him, he surveyed each quarter. He uttered the words,  “I am supreme in this world. This is the last birth.”

The enlightenment of Prince Siddhartha came “after years of practicing unimaginable austeries so that “all my limbs became like the knotted joints of withered creepers,” and “the skin of my belly and back met,” the monk Gautama — as Prince Siddhartha was then called — was near extinction but no closer to enlightenment. A young village girl, Sujata, with caring prepared a bowl of fresh milk with rice and graciously offered it to the emaciated ascetic. His senses immediately became alert.

Sitting under the massive branches of a bodhi tree, in what is now Bodh Gaya, Gautama began the world-shattering seven-day meditative insight that resulted in complete enlightenment. Here are the first words he spoke as the Buddha:

Seeking but not finding the house-builder,
I traveled through the round of countless births;
O painful is birth ever and again.
House-builder, you have now been seen;
You shall not build the house again.
Your rafters have been broken down;
Your ridge pole is demolished, too.
My mind has now attained the unformed nirvana
And reached the end of every kind of craving.

(quote from Bhikku Nanamoli, translator of The Life of the Buddha.)

There was a terrifying thunderstorm in the second watch of the night. When the third watch of the night had passed, the Buddha looked up and saw the morning star dazzling bright as a diamond in the dawn sky. To seal his enlightenment, he touched his hand to the ground and said, “The earth is my witness.”

The Buddha’s death is called Parinirvana – passing into nirvana – because there is no death for the enlightened. The container dissolves and the great expanse of space merges with itself. Parinirvana is the third observance of this special day.

“Knowing the body is like foam, realizing its mirage-like nature, cutting off the flower-tipped sensual realm, one goes unseen by the King of Death.”

On the full moon day nearly fifty years after his enlightenment, the Buddha and his disciples walked to the little mud-walled town of Kushinigar near the modern-day Nepalese boarder. He placed himself on his side, facing north, with one foot overlapping the other, mindful and fully aware. Twin sal trees shed blossoms out of season to cover him, sandalwood powder fell from the sky, and celestial music resounded. His beloved attendant Ananda wept. “I declare this to you,” the Buddha said. “It is in the natural of all formations to dissolve. Attain perfection through diligence.”

Ashvaghosha writes that the last words of the Buddha’s were these:

” Everything comes to an end, though it may last for an eon … I have done what I could do both for myself and for others … I have disciplined in heaven and on earth, all those whom I could discipline … Hereafter … my dharma … shall abide for generations … among living beings. Therefore, recognize the true nature of the living world and do not be anxious; for separation cannot possibly be avoided … When the light of wisdom has dispelled the darkness of ignorance, when all existence has been seen as without substance, peace ensues [at life’s end]. which seems to cure a long sickness at last … the time for my entry into nirvana has arrived. These are my last words.”

Here is a simple Meditation on the Buddha Shakyamuni, that Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche taught us years ago. You can do this meditation on Saka Dawa, or anytime you need the blessing of the Buddha to manifest in your life.

A Short Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha

(By Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche; edited by Lama Kathy Wesley. From an oral teaching at Columbus KTC in 1978.)

Imagine that the Buddha Shakyamuni is seated on a lotus and flat moon disk seat in the sky in front of you. He is facing you, and is a little above you in space. He is made of golden light – his entire body is insubstantial, and he is made of golden light.

Place your hands together at your heart, and pray to the Buddha, asking him to remove your obstacles and obscurations, and grant you wisdom and compassion. You may use your own words.

Then, imagine that golden light streams out from the Buddha’s form and touches you, cleansing you of all obstacles and obscurations: illnesses, mental afflictions, problems, difficulties, habits, etc. Next, imagine that the golden light gives you everything you need: healing, inner stability, wisdom, compassion, and so forth.

Finally, think that the Buddha dissolves into light, and merges with you, blessing your stream of being. Rest for a moment in the confidence that your mind and the Buddha’s mind have merged inseparably, and that you have received the Buddha’s blessing.

Dedicate the merit of your practice to yourself and all sentient beings.

This practice is good to do when you are not feeling well, or when you feel depressed or uncertain. It’s also good to do daily before you do your regular meditation or prayer practices.

Saving Mother Sentient Beings: Lama Kathy’s Blog

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This past week’s observance of Mother’s Day delights me in a very Buddhist way; not having had children myself, I feel nonetheless like a parent, filling with happiness when I see “my kids” – our dharma brothers and sisters – attending pujas, helping others, going on retreats, and so forth.

As a buddy of mine observed on Mother’s Day, Buddhists have a special connection with the holiday – according to the Buddha’s teachings, every being has been our Mother, in one or another of our countless lifetimes. Therefore, he reasons, we should all be wishing each other – male, female, elder, child – a “Happy Mother Sentient Beings Day!”

On Mother’s Day, I flew to San Francisco for a special “family reunion” – a visit to our dharma family, both those out West and those farther East. The occasion was the first visit to the United States in 17 years by His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of the “Heart Sons” (or “Yab Say” in Tibetan) of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa.

His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche, who has given teachings to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa in India, traveled to the United States to help dedicate a temple and give teachings to students new and old. Seeing him for the first time since my last visit to him – for a Mahamudra course in India in April 2010 – gave me great joy, and reminded me of something Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche once told me: “if you see a teacher as the Buddha, you receive the blessing of the Buddha; if you see your teacher as a bodhisattva, you receive the blessing of a bodhisattva; and if you see your teacher as an ordinary person, you receive the blessing of an ordinary person.”

Teachers are important touchstones for us as we navigate the twists and turns of the spiritual path; they are inspirations, guides and guardians, who show us how to avoid the pitfalls of our own confusion while applying the dharma “remedies” to our mental afflictions. The great masters show us what enlightenment looks like; others act as tutors, giving us instructions for approaching the great masters so we can receive their blessings to transform our lives.

The Tibetan word “lama” points to this. “La” means “unsurpassable,” and “ma” means “mother.” So the lama is the unsurpassable parent for sentient beings wandering in samsara.

What I felt seeing Tai Situ Rinpoche was great joy – and I felt great devotion, wanting to aspire to the qualities of enlightenment he displayed in his deep kindness and his constant presence with all those he met.

Was there a blessing? I rather think so; the following day, as I walked among the trees of a beautiful San Francisco park, I saw three things – an elderly person being pushed in a wheelchair by a doting caregiver; a young child crying from exhaustion and frustration; and three teenage girls wearing makeup and short skirts walking arm-in-arm. I saw in these three things a clear dharma message. I saw the happiness of the older person, unable to walk and being pushed by another; I saw the visible suffering of the child, unable to plan her own day, forced to walk past the point of exhaustion by adults; and the not-so-visible suffering of the teenagers, trying on personas to impress one another, fearful of failing to “fit in” and be popular.

This might not seem like much of a blessing, but what followed it did. What followed each of these sights was a sudden rush of the wish to benefit them – a wish to help them be free of their suffering. This little moment of bodhisattva motivation – just a spark – was surely a gift from the lama. And a perfect Mother’s Day gift, it was.

In a larger sense, we all are mothers; we’re all giving birth to something – an idea, a life; or a baby Buddha, perhaps?

KTC In The News: Midday Meditations Downtown!

A few weeks ago, when I saw Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, he told me to work through my fears of approaching other people and telling them about Columbus KTC’s fire and its immediate needs. “Meet new people,” he said.

I understood his message, but the method eluded me. How would I meet more people?

From that question arose the idea of Midday Meditation downtown.

Eric Weinberg, KTC Meditation Instructor extraordinaire, spoke with his friend Richard Burnett of the Trinity Episcopal Church downtown, and “Midday Meditation Wednesday” was born.

We meet 12:15 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. each Wednesday in the Third Floor Urban Spirit Center at Trinity Episcopal Church at the corner of Broad and Third Streets. Enter the church on the Broad Street side and take the elevator up to the third floor.

The Columbus Dispatch visited our first session May 4, attended by a whopping three people – one of whom was me. Read their coverage of the event here.

This past Wednesday’s class grew exponentially – 7 people attended! And more are planned. The program will continue through the end of June; if it continues beyond that, we will let you know. Meanwhile, if you’re downtown some Wednesday, stop in – either Eric or I will be there.

SAKA DAWA THIS WEEK!

Nurturing a virtuous mind “flavors” our experience of the world; doing meditation, mantras, prayers and service to others gives us a new view of the world – the view of the bodhisattva.

This coming Saturday May 21 is Saka Dawa, the observance of the Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Paranirvana. It’s said that the blessing of the Buddha is on this day, such that any virtuous action done in concert with the Buddha’s intention for enlightenment will be multiplied millions of times.

Due to the Jewish Sabbath, there will not be the usual Sacred Day Retreat at the KTC rooms this coming Saturday, but we will have a prayer observance during class on Sunday May 22.

Write yourself a reminder for this Saturday, and make extra offerings on your shrine or say extra prayers and mantras – to nurture your “baby Buddha” toward awakening!

THE JOURNEY HOME: This Week’s Highlights

The “Many Meetings Retreat”

As the KTC Board – Director Kim, Assistant Director Tanya, Treasurer Steve, Secretary Justin and Member-at-large Eric – gathered on the phone this past Thursday to talk with architect Keith Spruce about the many details of designing a possible KTC center, I reminded them of all the merit they were accumulating, even by sitting in a meeting.

“You’re on the ‘many meetings retreat,'” I said. “And your virtue is growing with every minute.”

That’s a good thing to think about when in the middle of a meeting about building materials and methods that sometimes flies over your head!

But if you think about it, it’s true. It’s said that creating a space for the practice and study of dharma creates virtue not just for you, but for all the beings who will see it and touch it and even remember it in the future.

A Gift that Keeps On Giving

When I was in San Francisco, I met Sharon Mumby, a friend from the old days at our home monastery Karma Triyana Dharmachakra. She said that years back, Three-Year-Retreatants had to build their own retreat cabins, but felt at least a little delight in the task, because their efforts would shelter retreatants and their practice for generations to come.

I wasn’t part of the crew that built the Karme Ling Three-Year Retreat center where I did my retreat, but I did contribute money to its construction; since then, six classes of retreatants have gone through its doors, and another will go in this fall. May all beings benefit from work such as this, which populates our world with virtuous thoughts!

Prayers from His Eminence

This week I also was able to pass along a letter from Director Kim and the Board to His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche, reminding him of his visit to the Columbus KTC in the 1990s, asking for his prayers for our rebuilding, and inviting him to come back when we have a new home. It’s great to have His Eminence’s prayers and we hope to see him in Columbus again!

You can find lots of photos of His Eminence’s visit to San Francisco on Facebook, but also a few links here.

And It’s No Surprise …

… that when I was seated at an empowerment with His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche in San Francisco, I had a chance to speak briefly with a lovely western lama sitting next to me.

Turns out it was Lama Pema Clark of the Kalu Rinpoche center Kagyu Sukha Choling in Ashland, OR. Lama Pema had not heard about the Columbus KTC fire, but took one of the fundraising flyers (I just happened to have with me ☺ ) and said her center had just raised more than $1 million to build a new temple in their city. She was enthusiastic about sharing her sangha’s experience – raising money in a city of just 20,000 people, few of whom were Buddhist – and said she’d be willing to put her Board and our KTC Board together to talk about their experiences.

Just another example of the blessings that appear whenever the great masters come to town!

Dear Dharma Friends, have a wonderful week – and see you Sunday at KTC!

Yours in dharma,
Lama Kathy

An Open Door: Lama Kathy’s KTC Dharma Blog

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Greetings, everyone!

Columbus KTC means so many things to so many people: it’s a place to learn meditation; it’s a quiet place in the midst of worldly chaos; it’s somewhere to “flock together” with spiritually-minded folks; it’s a flame, a lamp, a torch of inspiration to everyone who encounters it.

And it is an open door.

Since the fire of Jan. 31, 2016, our sangha – individually and as a whole – has been going over what KTC means to them. We’ve had a sangha meeting, we’ve had discussions, both formal and informal – and again and again, the same things keep appearing.

“I feel at home here;” “these are my people;” “Buddhism sounds like what I’ve been believing my whole life.”

The KTC is many things, but for most of us, it feels like home.

So what does it feel like to be homeless?

We know the Buddha’s teachings talk about the contentment that comes from non-attachment to material things, but … home??  Surely, that’s a different kettle of tofu.

Being without a home place – we’ve meditated all over the city of Columbus, it seems, borrowing rooms north, east, south, and west – has given me a sense that wherever we are – our sangha, our community – there is “home.”

It’s in our smiles, hugs and handshakes, and the easy way we look with acceptance and love at one another. It’s how we encourage each other, how we say, “that’s why they call it ‘practice!'” when commiserating with others about our daily lives and troubles. It’s all of those things, and more.

This is what makes it possible to get through the “bardo” period we’re in.

Some folks are using the metaphor of “exile,” or “journey” or “pilgrimage” to describe what the KTC is experiencing right now; I know, because I think I’ve used most of those myself! But it’s also a period of “bardo,” which in Tibetan means “in-between,” and refers to the periods of time that demarcate our existence: Birth to Death, Death to Rebirth.

The teachings say that once a being dies and enters the bardo experience that leads to rebirth, they experience their own inner enlightened essence in the form of peaceful and forceful buddhas who can lead them to rebirth in a place where dharma reigns and love is all around.

As a sangha, we’re in the “bardo of becoming” right now, holding onto one another for help and support as we make our way toward our new home.

Our sangha leadership – Director Kim, Assistant Director Tanya, Treasurer Steve, Secretary Justin, and At-Large Member Eric – have been working long hours every day to keep things moving smoothly and steadily, all the while looking at building plans, talking to venues to organize our events, striving to understand zoning laws, talking to attorneys and realtors – all the while juggling the responsibilities of full-time jobs, homes, and family. One wonders when they manage to find time to sleep!

So this week’s advice from this old lama is to give these folks a hearty greeting whenever you see them, and thank them for all they are doing for us all.

And while you’re thanking them, ask, “What can I do for you?”  Perhaps you can make a phone call for them, run an errand, fill a Tuesday or Sunday Greeter spot, haul some cushions, hand out cards at a fundraiser – or just offer prayers for their continued health and strength. Whatever your situation or energy level, there’s something you can do to lighten their load, so they can continue working toward a new home for the KTC. Helping out builds a virtuous mind state within us – we feel lighter, we feel like we are part of the solution, part of the wave of love that will carry all of us home.

THE JOURNEY HOME: This Week’s Highlights

It’s been a busy April for Team KTC, as leadership worked on the two main Options for Finding a Home: Buying and Remodeling; and Building New. The main work right now is gathering information on the two options, with the object of sharing with the sangha sometime in the next few weeks.

But in the meantime, here are some highlights!

First, the “Buying and Remodeling” update: at the start of the month, we had a shot at buying the old Whitehall Public Library at Yearling Road and East Broad Street in Whitehall. The 58-year-old building was solid and looked good for its age, was larger than the KTC building that burned down, and cost under $500,000. But sadly, the zoning for the building wasn’t right for a church, so we have to file this one under “the one that got away.”

Second, the “Building New” update: Interestingly, the loss of the opportunity to buy the old Whitehall Library prompted the leadership to request a re-work of the architectural plans for a replacement building on the Grubb Street property. Architect Keith Spruce (a dharma guy from Milwaukee, who’s designed churches for Catholic and Buddhist clients) crunched numbers and gave us a new design, which will go before the East Franklinton Review Board (a zoning authority) in June. Cost figures for this average out around $820,000, depending on options and materials.

New properties come on the market all the time, and Eric George, our Realtor, is keeping an eye out. Meanwhile, our Attorney Tom Hart is working to help us identify contractors who can help us with remodeling or building, and folks like Brad Gee (of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Bexley) and Suzanne Allen (of Philanthropy Ohio) are helping us understand how to pull together the financial and human resources to make our new home possible.

Your KTC leadership is getting a real education; some say we should be getting college credits for all the meetings we’ve attended!

In any case, work continues, and meetings will be happening soon to bring everyone up to date and share all the amazing things we’ve learned. The most amazing thing is how warm and helpful everyone has been; in the midst of our misfortune, the blessings we’ve received – from total strangers – has been uplifting and so comforting.

OTHER NEWS: Lama Dudjom Dorjee of the Dallas KTC visited Columbus last week, and gave a weekend program for us at rented rooms in Grove City. He shared fundraising ideas from Dallas (where they are getting ready to launch a Capital Campaign to build a new center) and encouraged us to continue working together toward our goal. Thank you, Lama Dorjee!

We also heard this week that Lama Karma Drodhul – the nephew of our founder Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche – will be with us June 3-5. This is auspicious news, as Lama Karma will be bringing us blessings from Rinpoche – so needed in this time of transition. Our KTC leadership tells us they’ve obtained The Thurber House as the venue for this teaching, so the KTC will be returning to Downtown for the weekend  of June 3-5. Please mark your calendars now and plan to join us!

IN CLOSING: Please remember to support and help one another, and keep those Tashi Prayers flowing. May Buddha’s and Karmapa’s blessings be with you!