50th birthday in India (Updated)

I have to admit, it does feel odd to be 50...when I turned 30, I was cool with it; when I turned 40, I was cool with it. But turning 50 seems a tad....big.

But it was the most interesting and auspicious of birthdays. It started with a beautiful gift from my lovely roommate Navnit who called me "birthday girl" all day long. :)

Then we went for our final teaching with Geshe Darkpa, a most wonderful teacher and beautiful person. He ended our sessions by hanging a protection cord around our necks and giving us seeds that were blessed by H.H. the Dalai Lama. (I'm still not sure exactly what to do with the seeds, but will find out.) 

Then we headed off for a public audience with H.H. the 17th Karmapa--the head of the Black Hat Buddhists. (He is the equivalent of H.H. the Dalai Lama who is the head of the Yellow Hat Buddhists.) It was a quick ceremony, where a Geshe placed a kata (scarf) over our necks and the Karmapa handed us a blessed protection chord.

Our guide Migma had arranged for a photo opp with the Karmapa but didn't tell us about it.So after the ceremony, we had security guards corralling us with waving arms and hand gestures: no, don't sit down...stand here...not there...face this direction... When we saw the camera, it clicked and we all smiled (photo to come later).

Entry to see H.H. the 17th Karmapa

Aleeta loves birthdays and was so excited that mine turned out so well. She radiated all day long. Here is us together against the flowering bush after the Karmapa visit. 

Aleeta and I after the Karmapa visit

We planned dinner at a most beautiful restaurant that has excellent food--and beer! Due to the high altitude and because most restaurants don't serve alcohol, this was to be my first beer in India. Sweet!

My first beer in 14 days

At the end of the dinner, Geshe Yampela let us know that he would write a letter to the private secretary of H.H. the Dalai Lama requesting that we have an audience with him. This made me so happy I started to cry! At the same time, I've learned that, in India, what's on the menu is not always what's available. So while I cried with happiness, I also know that it may not happen. But that's okay too; just being offered the opportunity to meet H.H. is gift enough.

A lively and festive dinner

Unfortunately, David and Katie were not able to make it for dinner. Katie has taken ill and is resting up before our trip to Amritsar. We missed them both at the dinner!

Udpate from Aleeta

Today is Allyson’s 50th birthday. We are honoured that she would chose to spend this milestone with us and hope it is a memorable day. We have learned in India that we do not plan but India plans us. Tekla has booked us for dinner at Chonor House, a place where celebrities stay when they are here in Dharamsala so we hope this will be a worthy celebration of dear Allyson.

We arrived in the morning at the Dalai Lama temple for our final teaching with Geshe Darkpa. A dog that had befriended Tekla nestled in between her and Allyson as we sat outside the shrine room in preparation. She is beaming and we are glad.

Geshe Darkpa tells us that he had found a special Canadian translator for us today as he wants us to receive the teachings as deeply as possible. Indeed his teachings cut through us, exposing deeper layers of reality. Monkeys play on the rooftop outside our window reminding us to keep things light-hearted.

Migma announces that we would receive our audience with the Karmapa that afternoon. I looked to Allyson and think to myself "India is giving us her best and I am in awe."  Forces around us were cooperating to break us open. For me, meeting the Karmapa was short but mighty. I found a sense of open space in myself that went beyond many of my issues and perceptions.

It occurred to me that Allyson is more than just a ”beginning meditator” as she calls herself; there is a depth to her that is surfacing for all to see. Or perhaps it was always there and I am finally allowing myself to see her.

I  realize how much my sense of her was my own perception, and how much we operate from what we know, and how that really is an illusion. We think we know someone but when we are willing to release that, we discover an ocean beneath. As my teacher Reggie says “Don’t come to any conclusions about anything" and "Stay open to reality and let it unfold itself to you.”

At our evening celebration dinner at Chonor House, the Tibetan translator and three of the Lamas came to honour this precious human birth. It was an incredibly loving, laughter-filled evening and Allyson humbly received herself. I hope she shows you the video I took of her receiving her blessings.