Ok, after the weekend at TMC, the Drikung Kagyu dharma center in Frederick, there was one thing that was very powerful.
This was a program devoted to doing the Deity yoga of Chenrezig, the personification of the very essence of compassion (which, in a buddha-dharma context, comes directly from the wisdom of seeing that the solidity of people and the difference between people, to say the least, exaggerated.) At some point, I am going to have to give a quick overview of the Vajrayana. This is not that time. :)
While we were there, meditating on the yidam (meditational deity, which is "as real as we are - which is to say, not particularly real" - VKR :)) as a less-conceptual way to 'get' real compassion and emptiness/ fullness, we were doing the mantra part of the practice using a very ancient (at least 6-7 centuries, likely much older) melody used at Drikung-thil, which is the mother monestary founded by Lord Jitgon Sumgon, the founder of the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Vajrayana (aka Himilayan aka Tibetan) Buddhism.
I noticed that the way the melody was structured had an interesting effect on breathing, which seemed to effect mental state. I'll have to check with a lineage scholar if this may actually be a yogic 'skillful means' to orient the mind faster than regularly occurs.
Anyway, it was a wonderful practice.
But, the most powerful thing occured after practice concluded the first evening (which was just a prelude to the actual 'formal' practice session itself, which started the following day and, as of this writting is still going on in shifts 24/7 til this weekend.)
Some of us slept in the shrine room. On the porch outside, there was a butterlamp offering, which is traditionally done for the dead, dying, and those suffering. The plan was to have 108 lamps (which were actually Mexican Catholic prayer candles custom ordered w/o pictures of stylized white holy people, since nobody makes butterlamps on this continent :)) burning, each sponsored for 10 dollars. The resulting money (1080 dollars) went to a Frederick area food bank, which has been slammed for need due to the world economy going into the toilet.
There were many more than 108, due to sangha member's friends and family members among the dead, dying, and suffering (including David Flight, a long time sangha member). Once these were set, they were supposed to keep burning til the end of the Drubchen (1 week).
As I sat on a cot in the shrine room, I looked out over the candles on the porch, which was being buffeted by high winds. (TMC -is- on a mountaintop, after all :)) The candles were under a tent, which provided a little cover - but not much.
As I did, I started going over the 4 Reminders, which VKR said to do often as humanly possible.
So I did, starring at the candles flickering, each of them a human being either gone, on the way out, or possibly worse off than on the way out, some things started sinking in...
2) The reality of death and impermance
Each of those candles was a human. Many of them dead humans. Seeing well over 100 bunched together makes quite an impact, like seeing all the names on the Wall at the Vietnam Memorial. It recalls the traditional practice of burning someone's name sometime up to 49 days after someone dies, supposedly to tell a wondering conciousness that hasn't either got enlightened in the in-between state or choosen a rebirth
'this is no longer your life. leave it behind.'
I've heard from someone who knows these things that it's really for those still alive left behind, to let THEM know "your loved one is gone. We must carry on." This is part of the Sukavahti practice we do for the dead in the Shambhala community, using a photo.
Watching the candles precariously staying lit flickering in the wind, I thought more. Everybody is like that. We could blow out at any time. And even if we don't, we will burn through our lifespan. And when the fuel is gone, the flame goes out. Period. Into the darkness.
I kept going over this over and over. The image still sticks with me. I hope it does you too.
(The other 3 Reminders will follow soon, if all goes well. Back up to Frederick tomorrow.)
-JTR
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