myriad worlds

green green grass of home……

Well….I am back now. All that effort trying to see the Himalayas to no avail and then but as the bus climbs to my village the sky is ice blue and the mountains glisten under fresh snow……..!!

When I left the Dragon the sky was clearing so I rushed down to the stupa to see if I could get a view from the terrace…no luck..it was closed. Huge colourful arches were erected around the square and along the main road….lots of folk were gathering….monks in costume were arriving. A few weeks ago  Chogye Trinzin from the Sakya monastary had died and his body was returning today. He had remained in samadhi for nearly 20 days…that is his body remained upright in medtation posture and stayed warm! A helicopter circled overhead strewing paper flowers as the huge bell tolled….the procession of monks arrived in colourful costume, a truck led the way with young women scattering flower petals on the road. A old tibetan man in cowboy hat and boots waves to the helicopter….devotees cover the vehicles with kata’s as they pass with the body.

The final teaching from the stupa……………….impermanence.

I say goodbye to Jules and do some kora for the last time….I see the little boy with the bamboo zimmer frame still laughing…I put some notes in my palm and shake his hand….I have lunch in the Three Sister’s and donate the rest of my nepali money to the Kagyu gompa. The old monk is there and comes over full of smiles…I tell him I am leaving but maybe I will see him next year….he says that will be unlikely as he dying!! Impermanence……..

Tibetans say the greatest teaching a Lama can give is his own death.

I collect my bags and walk back down through Shechen to get a taxi. The security guard wishes me well and monks call out “safe journey”. Jules is sitting by the bell and insists on helping with my bags….one last farewell.

I taxi to the airport and begin the long tedious journey home….my heart a little lighter as something has remained, forever at the stupa. There is still snow lying as I travel into Wales….so nice to see the sea again….and then the mountains above the green green grass of home.

terry

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