A Very Good Thing To Do
In the West it is difficult sometimes to convey the importance of a stupa or in our case the Amitabha Stupa in Sedona.
Maybe a good place to start would be with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As you know he received the Congressional Gold Metal, the highest civil honor that Congress can bestow. To know him, is to know compassion; to listen to him is to learn about wisdom; to be close to him, is to feel the presence of the of someone very special (remarks by Senator Diane Feinstein). Amidst the pomp and formality of the occasion, this humble monk who is the spiritual leader not only of the Tibetan people but a sure guide to people of all faiths and traditions throughout the world, brought to this staid affair simple laughter, joy and an ease of being that, I believe, allowed all to relax and enjoy themselves. Being in his presence seemed to catalyze peace, joy, and compassion among otherwise political enemies.
That phenomenon gets repeated at the Amitabha Stupa or any consecrated Stupa for that matter. Like the Dalai Lama’s energy, a Stupa harmonizes its environment. I have to admit I do not know how this happens, just that it does. People (non-Buddhists in particular) visiting the Amitabha Stupa recognize this and then write about it in the Stupa Guestbook: “…a beautiful place; …peaceful energy; …very calming; …thank you for offering this place of refuge to the world.”
Our Lama Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo would have it no other way: she has been at it, offering places of refuge for more than 25 years. She has built dozens of Stupas in the United States. This is a remarkable accomplishment. She is simply a remarkable person as is the Dalai Lama. Her compassion is vast as is the Dalai Lama’s compassion. In fact, there is no distinction.
So how does one connect the dots here? The importance of the stupa. The importance of the Dalai Lama. The importance of our Lama Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. There are no dots to connect, actually, because all these elements are the same. Jetsunma is, as is the Dalai Lama, as is the Amitabha Stupa, none other than a form of enlightened activity. The separateness of their appearance is important but more important is this: their nature does not stop where yours or mine starts. It is continuous, and if we are willing to let it take place we can be transformed by their presence. I guess then that even more exciting than feeling good at the stupa, is the chance for it to catalyze from our nature the qualities of enlightenment. Take a moment and think about this. If you are like me and can only understand an inkling of what is possible, that is enough to get started!
The physical shape of the Amitabha Stupa is that of enlightenment. This is a gift that Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo has given the world, right here in Sedona with its 2-million visitors a year and all the spiritualist stuff that is said to be here. The stupa sits on some type of power spot (something else I really can’t say I understand, but so what!) and it is here only to benefit sentient beings.
The importance therefore of this quiet peaceful place, like the importance of the Dalai Lama’s quiet and cheerful presence, is the same: to help you and me and our pets and the birds that fly overhead and the ants and snakes on the ground – the whole lot of sentient beings – end their suffering. What a remarkable gift to give!
Please come to the Stupa and help yourself and all sentient beings, it’s a very good thing to do!
Maybe a good place to start would be with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. As you know he received the Congressional Gold Metal, the highest civil honor that Congress can bestow. To know him, is to know compassion; to listen to him is to learn about wisdom; to be close to him, is to feel the presence of the of someone very special (remarks by Senator Diane Feinstein). Amidst the pomp and formality of the occasion, this humble monk who is the spiritual leader not only of the Tibetan people but a sure guide to people of all faiths and traditions throughout the world, brought to this staid affair simple laughter, joy and an ease of being that, I believe, allowed all to relax and enjoy themselves. Being in his presence seemed to catalyze peace, joy, and compassion among otherwise political enemies.That phenomenon gets repeated at the Amitabha Stupa or any consecrated Stupa for that matter. Like the Dalai Lama’s energy, a Stupa harmonizes its environment. I have to admit I do not know how this happens, just that it does. People (non-Buddhists in particular) visiting the Amitabha Stupa recognize this and then write about it in the Stupa Guestbook: “…a beautiful place; …peaceful energy; …very calming; …thank you for offering this place of refuge to the world.”
Our Lama Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo would have it no other way: she has been at it, offering places of refuge for more than 25 years. She has built dozens of Stupas in the United States. This is a remarkable accomplishment. She is simply a remarkable person as is the Dalai Lama. Her compassion is vast as is the Dalai Lama’s compassion. In fact, there is no distinction.So how does one connect the dots here? The importance of the stupa. The importance of the Dalai Lama. The importance of our Lama Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. There are no dots to connect, actually, because all these elements are the same. Jetsunma is, as is the Dalai Lama, as is the Amitabha Stupa, none other than a form of enlightened activity. The separateness of their appearance is important but more important is this: their nature does not stop where yours or mine starts. It is continuous, and if we are willing to let it take place we can be transformed by their presence. I guess then that even more exciting than feeling good at the stupa, is the chance for it to catalyze from our nature the qualities of enlightenment. Take a moment and think about this. If you are like me and can only understand an inkling of what is possible, that is enough to get started!
The physical shape of the Amitabha Stupa is that of enlightenment. This is a gift that Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo has given the world, right here in Sedona with its 2-million visitors a year and all the spiritualist stuff that is said to be here. The stupa sits on some type of power spot (something else I really can’t say I understand, but so what!) and it is here only to benefit sentient beings.The importance therefore of this quiet peaceful place, like the importance of the Dalai Lama’s quiet and cheerful presence, is the same: to help you and me and our pets and the birds that fly overhead and the ants and snakes on the ground – the whole lot of sentient beings – end their suffering. What a remarkable gift to give!
Please come to the Stupa and help yourself and all sentient beings, it’s a very good thing to do!
posted by Gonpo Yeshe (David) Williams at 1:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home