Opening to Life is Truly Amazing.

This week felt like a crescendo of energy, just building, building, building and I was just riding this wave. Any negative thought that would try to turn my mind away from this beautiful momentum I would try to just STARE at it. Really look at it. Sometimes I writhed inside. Sometimes I cried. But, ultimately, I was open to it and it unfolded in the most amazing and unpredictable ways.

I have started sitting with the most amazing sangha of young adults on Monday nights in the Mission district of SF. I went 2 weeks ago and found many of the people there were people I know from Young Adult Dharma Council. I shared an except from Anam Thubten Rinpoche's book, "No Self, No Problem," and some people wanted to come see Rinpoche teach the following Sunday. So...6 people came! The energy in the temple that day was buzzing...it was more crowded than it's been, from what I hear.

We all went out to lunch afterwards, 10 total. It was so much fun! I feel so at home around them! Some of them in particular I immediately clicked with and could really be my "self." :) I saw them again on Monday at sangha and they were all so happy they came and want to come again (and even more people want to).

On Monday, I met with one of my friends, Kerri, from Austin who just moved to Oakland. Woot! I'm so stoked she's living here now. :) She's in a really open place and I totally fed off that energy. I was getting some negative thoughts regarding work (aka lack of it) and as soon as I opened up to it- I got some work! Wowsers!

Wednesday Kersten and I had our Tibetan class with Anam Thubten Rinpoche, which was great (as usual). Then, we went to lunch with Pema because it was Kersten's birthday.

Wednesday night Joe (my landlord roommate) had some people over for dinner and Ngawang (Tibetan roomie), his girlfriend, Tsomo and Joe's girlfriend, Joy were there, too. Actually, Joy cooked. She's Thai- so she cooked Thai food for us. *Yummy*

Thursday I woke up and did my daily dog-walking job (Tyler the golden retriever- see above), then I raced over to North Berkeley to meet a new client and get to work! This woman is amazing. She's 82 and looks 60. She lived in Japan and taught English for a few years and has some really amazing stuff. She also has a 2 bedroom, 3 bath (HUGE) apartment that I had the privilege of getting paid to clean. 3 1/2 hours of dusting (and ya'll wonder why I don't buy knick knacks anymore??) and an hour of vacuuming/mopping later...*whew* Then, I was off to walk another dog (Reyna). I topped off my day with a meditation class (7:30-9:30 pm) in Berkeley. It was a guest teacher, Phagyab Rinpoche and he was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. He's started an organization called The Compassion Project http://www.healingthroughcompassion.org/. Rinpoche spent 3 months in Chinese prison (because he was teaching the Dharma in Tibet)- he was tortured and fled back to India. He came to NYC in 2003 with a list of life-threatening problems and healed himself. The power of the mind is incredible. He is so incredibly humble and has so much compassion towards the people who tortured him...such an amazing teacher.

SO.....my day today went as follows. Phagyab Rinpoche is staying with a woman about 15 blocks from my house. I woke up early and went there at 8 am to meditate with him (a few others were there, too), we ate breakfast together and then practiced more until 12 pm. I was off to walk my Tyler (little golden bear!), run some errands and then go back to see Phagyab Rinpoche teach/potluck dinner. I sat right up front with my little MP3 recorder (to relisten to the Tibetan & learn from it!) He has such a clear pronunciation (he was teaching in Tibetan with a translator)- I could get a lot of what he was saying...although couldn't put it together the way she did- she Rocked! :)

Anyways...I'm getting up early to go to Part 3 of a 4-part Dharma teaching that Kersten and I have been going to every Saturday morning. This one is by Golden Gate Park at a small center- last week they cooked the most amazing homemade vegetarian Chinese food afterwards and Gonpo Dorjee Rinpoche, the teacher that runs the center, spoke in Tibetan to Kersten and I, so it was really helpful.

I am SO grateful to have all these teachers!

I'm so grateful to be sitting right here in this very perfect moment, the only moment that can truly be experienced.