The Cup is Full

Today was truly unexpected and amazing.

I moved to the Bay area because of  Anam Thubten Rinpoche and today was such a simple, yet perfect example of why I am here.

Rinpoche left me a message on Thursday saying we would meet at the temple on Saturday and we could practice Tibetan while cooking lunch for sangha (congregation) members who would be working.  I received a phone call last night from a woman named Katia.  She said she was coming to get me at 8:30 am today.  

It was cold today and really foggy.  We were the first ones to arrive at the temple and after a quick tour (it's a beautiful old church), we got to work.  When Rinpoche  arrived he had his cousin, Palgi and his friend's wife, Rinchen, with him.   I washed veggies and practiced my Tibetan with them.  The food was amazing!  We worked all day cleaning and repairing the temple, in fact, we made dinner, too!  It was a long day that went by SO fast.

Each meal we all sat together (about 10 people) and I enjoyed getting to know my new sangha.  Everyone is really friendly and I felt right at home.  Rinpoche made a formal "welcome" to me in front of everyone, it was really sincere.  There's something so amazing about sharing a spiritual bond with people you don't know because by the end of the day you're friends and hugging and really connected.  I already feel like part of the family.

I also made friends with Rinchen, who is visiting from Mt. Shasta, CA.  She invited me to come visit anytime!  It's about 4 hours north of here.  She showed me photos (thanks to her iPhone) of her house and ranch (with yaks! & horses!  yay!) and the AMAZING mountains and landscapes surrounding it.  

Here's an Internet photo:

So after talking for a little bit, it turned out that it's not her house, exactly.  It's Steven Seagal's ranch and she and her family live there and run it.  It's really an amazing looking place and I may just hop on a Greyhound sometime to see it in person.  :)

Tomorrow Katia is picking me up at 10 am and then we're picking up Rinpoche and going back to the temple for the meditation and Dharma talk.  

This is why I moved here.  Every second I spend with Rinpoche is so precious.  Just being around him and speaking Tibetan and hearing him teach...there were moments in India when I was really writhing inside at the idea of coming back to the States and the only light that could be shed on those dark moments was that I would somehow make it here, right here, where I am.

Gratitude is plentiful right now and so are tears.

xoxo