One Month at the Monastery!

4/10/2010
The retreat is one month in. This is retreat, so there’s no big revelations, no huge events, just the day to day permeated with the same sacredness we usually fail to notice. Today I had a hit of sadness, a hint that practice is working. The service team has dwindled; Tashi is in Kathmandu and Christoph is traveling far and wide. So it feels a bit empty, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it just takes a little sadness to get through.
There is a trail for running that is truly wonderful. It is above all the main roads, so there’s no traffic, and while you run into an occasional small village, it’s as close to nature as I’ve been able to get while in Nepal. There’s no trucks or vicious stray dogs, just goats, and the occasional pig on the road. And some beautiful birds. The trail is all uphill until you turn around and go down, so going up is really hard, and going down is no problem. On my way down this morning, I looked up and saw this small black bird with a brilliant red breast, and it felt like a cool breeze; my mind opened for a moment to that sweet sadness elicited by undeniable beauty.
There is this interesting mixture of joy and frustration that comes from being here. On the one hand, it’s a pain in the ass to not have running water when you get back from a run and have to bathe with wet wipes. But all the other things seem pretty workable. Washing clothes by hand is time consuming but great; I actually have time alone to sing and sit in the shade. Not having electricity is no big deal, although I must add that the monastery’s generator goes on from 630-930pm, which definitely makes things more bearable at night. Doing dishes with a headlamp is workable, just not fun.
I’m practicing at least two hours every day, which brings me tremendous joy. Sitting here in the valley where Padmasambhava manifested as Vajrakiliya, we are all practicing the Werma Sadhana, which feels very auspicious. For those of you who might not know, Padmasambhava is the being who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, subduing local spirits and manifesting as the second Buddha. He buried treasure, physical and otherwise, known as terma. This terma is then revealed by an accomplished master at an appropriate time for the particular teaching. The Shambhala Terma was revealed by Trungpa Rinpoche, father of my Guru (and present boss, if I may be so secular), and the Werma Sadhana is composed from the Shambhala Terma. So essentially, we are practicing the teachings Padmasambhava buried 1300 years ago to benefit beings of this particular time, and we’re doing it in his back yard. Forgive the phrase, but far out!
We are reaching the halfway point, and while I occasionally long unbearably to be with my girlfriend, and to have a hamburger (that won’t make me puke), and a hot shower, I feel truly blessed to be here enjoying the continual currents of ordinary magic.