You, Sleeping in Class?

“Everyone’s Teacher”.   Khensur Lama Lhundrup Rigsel.  Kopan Monastery.  

Sera Je Lharma Geshe.  Master Debater.  Father.  Walks around holy campus.  

Talks to every new student.   Mischief manages our turbulent emotions.  Emotionally regulates things.   Says,   “Be kind.  Patient.  Courageous.  Oh yeah.”

Happy Saka Dawa – Day 13 + the awakening of a funny-happy-old memory.

Kopan Monastery – September 2007.   Two weeks remaining to cram-study for our Basic Program Year 1 “Big Final Exam,” Our Highly-demanding + German Venerable Course Teacher had decided all his students would also write a graduation essay on a lam-rim topic we would each randomly select from folded slips of paper inside a Tibetan singing bowl.  

He said, “600-word essay, please.”

Perhaps it was the beauty of Kopan Library, the smell of old books, the computer sitting there, and my “hyper-new-dharma-girl-state”, that short essay of mine would morph into a “2895-word research paper on “Relying on the Spiritual Teacher” .  

As soon as I finished typing that first draft, I ran down the library stairs, ran up the steps past the bodhi tree and Mother Tara to my afternoon class; there, at the top of the steps, I nearly body-crashed into Khensur Lama Lhundrup – not knowing he was standing there oh so casually waiting for me.  

Lama gave me the look and said, “You, sleeping in class?”  I laughed, “How did you know?  Of course, you can see me.”  Lama, “You, first in class?”  Me, “No, no, not first, and not last; teacher thinks I am number three or four.  Maybe.  Is that okay?”  Lama said, “Okay.”

Me, “Have to run.  Go to afternoon class.”  Lama said, “Okay.”

Ha ha.  Year One.  Special blessings from Lama – to secure the way to finish 5 summers of study retreat at Kopan Monastery.  O how I love our Grandpa-Soft Lama!

We all do.  “Everyone’s Teacher” – Khensur Lama Lhundrup Rigsel. 

Now, playing Thubten Rigsel Rinpoche, turning 5 years old, enthroned 6 March 2017 at Kopan Monastery.  Doing it all over again.  Saving SSBs.  Doing it in a new body.  Ha ha.

Happy Saka Dawa.