Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Eaglehawk, Australia — May 25, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

Yesterday in the gym the physical therapist asked Rinpoche what he would like to achieve from these physiotherapy sessions over the next four weeks. Rinpoche said, “To fly!” The physical therapist thought Rinpoche meant to be able to go on a plane. Rinpoche said, “No…I want to fly!” The physical therapist was a little taken back (this was only the second time meeting Rinpoche — remember we are in country town and this is her first contact with a Tibetan lama).

Bendigo, Australia — May 20, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

The day Rinpoche left the hospital was quite busy. Rinpoche gave away a lot of Dharma books to all the nurses and doctors who helped him, writing short messages such as “My very dear friend, thank you for your heart service” and signing them, even drawing little smiling faces– all with the left hand! The hospital is Christian, St. John of God. All the staff are very kind and helpful. They had a painting exhibition to raise funds for the hospital. Rinpoche insisted on buying two paintings: one an aboriginal painting of two swans ($1200) and the other a very Aussie outback  style painting of a dog peeing in the stark arid outback near old crude buildings that are falling down ($490). Rinpoche wanted the paintings as a reminder of the hospital where he had paralysis and said the money was an offering to help the artists and the hospital. Now in a home near the hospital, Rinpoche is comfortable and relaxed.

Bendigo, Australia — April 26-May 14, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

April 26

This vessel-like world which existed at an earlier moment does not do so at a later one. That it seems to continue in the same way is because something else similar arises, like the stream of a waterfall. — From The Wish-fulfilling Golden Sun by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

In the middle of the Yamantaka initiation [during the month long retreat at Atisha Centre in Bendigo, Australia] Rinpoche felt some sensation on the left side of his head as he left the gompa, then something more on the walk back to his room. Rinpoche said it was “like something was trying to enter him.”

The first two weeks of the course went very well. In a tent that was inside the steel structure of the Great Stupa of Universal Peace and Compassion, about 200 students attended the first part of the one month program. On the way to and from the sessions, Rinpoche would walk the “yellow brick road” constructed by Ven. Gyatso. Surrounding the road are statues of gnomes, little animals, a human skull, life-like snakes and Redback spiders: Gyatso’s world! This was the  road leading to the monastery from the gompa at Atisha Centre. On this road Rinpoche had a number of us, during the day and night, catching ants or gently moving them out of the way. As well there were a number of weird creatures, all that had to be saved and made to circumambulate a holy object. Then signs started to appear on the paths indicating things like “Ants crossing…Beware!”

When Rinpoche arrived back in his room from the session of Yamantaka, it was clear that something wasn’t right but Rinpoche was determined to continue the initiation. It was about 8 p.m. and Rinpoche was determined to continue. I was quite concerned so there were several calls to Dharamsala discussing with Khadro-la what would be best. When Rinpoche saw that it was  difficult to continue the initiation he wanted to have appointments with students. After some back and forth Rinpoche gave up on that which was a relief as it seemed very obvious  Rinpoche really wasn’t well.

The next morning Rinpoche had lost some use of his right side and had slurred speech. We took Rinpoche to the hospital and had to go through the emergency department. We waited for about nine hours, getting tests and medication, and Rinpoche was assigned a bed in the men’s ward. They had no private rooms and this was the beginning of the Easter weekend, so they were short of staff.

Rinpoche spent two and a half days there while they tried to control the blood pressure and sugar levels. They had a CAT scan done and this showed no bleeding in the brain nor clot. It was an open ward with a few hardened Aussie outbackers and one Irish man who did his best to keep up with them in telling yarns from World War II! It was more entertaining listening to them than watching TV. They certainly gave the Irishman a hard time, sometimes it was really embarrassing!

All through the day and night  nurses would be doing tests and checking on Rinpoche (I stayed in a chair beside Rinpoche ). It was  bit of an ordeal for Rinpoche. By this time Rinpoche had lost all use of his right arm and most of the use of his right leg. He couldn’t walk or stand and his speech was slurred [so much so that] he couldn’t be understood. Communication was Rinpoche typing messages on his iPad with one finger of his left hand (he has gotten quite good at this over the last few days). There was a lack of specialists due to the holidays and the main doctor was worried. If Rinpoche tried to eat he could choke and some food could enter his lungs and then he could possibly get pneumonia which would be very serious, even fatal. So they decided to put Rinpoche on a drip for five days until the end of the holidays when he could be checked by the Speech Specialist.

Luckily we were able get another assessment and Rinpoche could eat some food over Easter. Two days ago we were able to get Rinpoche a bed in a private hospital close by with a private room. Once transferred it was a much better situation but we had to go back for an MRI the next day at the main hospital (Rinpoche lost his new glasses there somewhere). No ambulances were available due to the holiday so we had to get Rinpoche into the monastery’s old car and go for the MRI. Not easy moving Rinpoche around like this in that condition.

While we were getting the MRI done Ven. Holly drove the car back to pick us up and collided with another car leaving the monastery car’s passenger-side door hanging off! We managed to get  Rinpoche in the car and hold the door shut and get back to the hospital.

Today is the first day when all the hospital staff are back and it was very full with X-rays , ultrasound , physiotherapy, a speech therapist and a thorough heart examination with several visits of nurses in between, testing blood pressure and sugar levels, etc.

The doctors have said no visitors for sometime as Rinpoche is exhausted and with the physiotherapy it is going to be very tiring for him.

I think Rinpoche is quite exhausted. It is like after 40 years nonstop on the road…it is all catching up! Now Rinpoche is sleeping  through the night!  BUT! Give him a chance….At one stage (in the middle of this) Rinpoche wanted to go back to the course (150 people are still doing the retreat) and sit on the throne and finish the Yamantaka initiation. He typed on the iPad: “I can sit on the throne, Geshe-la can read the initiation text, then people think they are getting the initiation from me!”  I really don’t know physically how that could have worked, but Rinpoche wanted to try and obviously had been thinking of how he  could manage it. It never happened because when the doctor heard this she said, “NO. WAY.”

Here in the private hospital now, we have two doctors looking after Rinpoche and a good team of physiotherapists, as well as the nurses who are always visiting. Plus we have great support  from the retreaters doing lots of prayers and pujas. Also Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery are always helping out. There have been many high lamas, monasteries as well as students all over the world doing prayers and pujas. [Click here to see an ongoing list of this collective effort.]

We are very, very grateful…THANK YOU.

The doctors  say Rinpoche could recover reasonably well with intensive therapy over the next several months although maybe not fully recover. That is still too hard to say, but they are  feeling quite positive after today’s tests. In the next one to two weeks they say they will know better the longer term outlook. The doctors do want Rinpoche to stay in the rehabilitation ward of the hospital for the next two weeks. Their biggest concern is controlling the sugar levels and blood pressure. If this doesn’t happen they are very concerned Rinpoche will have another  stroke and this could be more serious.

Khadro-la in Dharamsala is very eager to come to Australia to help  Rinpoche using her own unique methods. We are trying hard to get her here as soon as possible. Khadro-la has been on the phone every day giving advice and organizing pujas for Rinpoche.

Again thank you to everyone and we will keep you updated. [Regular updates found here.]

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has given advice for Rinpoche’s recovery and asked Sera Je Monastery to do certain pujas for Rinpoche.

End of April

Rinpoche had a “continuation of the stroke” as the doctors termed it. It was quite concerning as Rinpoche then slept (it appeared … but it felt like some kind of concentration practice … but hey, what do I know!?) for three days and nights only sitting up for meals briefly. Several doctors were consulted in this period as well as high lamas. More pujas and prayers were done all over.

May 14

We have been here now six weeks (Bendigo, Australia). Maybe this is the longest in one place for many years. Each day over the last week Rinpoche seems to be getting noticeably better. Now three weeks in the hospital, life each day here is busy. You wouldn’t think it, but it is! We take on a lot of the work the staff normally do so that Rinpoche is more comfortable. A small Dharma team: (Kunsang, Ailsa and Gail) cook outside the hospital (at the monastery) and bring the food in three times a day; I stay 24 hours and have a comfortable niche on the floor beside Rinpoche; Sangpo and Holly are here 18 hours a day. We help with general care as well: We do sugar levels and insulin injections (four times a day), under the supervision of the doctor and nurses.

There is hydrotherapy during the mornings, physiotherapy in the gym afternoons, speech therapy every day (most of the time we help Rinpoche go through the exercises). In between a lot of rest for Rinpoche as he still gets very tired, which is expected. Nurses are always checking in/monitoring every few hours, night and day. The staff are very good. The doctor is great and very understanding. Rinpoche has invited her to see the relics and she said she  will go next Saturday.

In Rinpoche’s hydrotherapy the people in the pool are mostly quite elderly. Rinpoche said after one session in a quietly sad contemplatively way, “They have nothing meaningful to do, just waiting for death.” Occasionally you hear the emergency alarm go, someone is having a heart attack or, Rinpoche always asks, “Did someone die?” Late last night Sangpo brought into the hospital a large Tug Chuma torma he just made. Rinpoche wanted to do puja after midnight. One of the nurses on the way in was interested and wanted to know  if it was a cake we were going to eat and could she have a taste of it! Another nurse who came into the room after to check Rinpoche was also quite interested and so Rinpoche explained briefly about its significance (Kalarupa). Not sure she got it but seemed interested. Nurses are getting quite familiar with the unfamiliar in Rinpoche’s room. The altar, prayer wheel, water bowls. Rinpoche’s doctor brought in a small prayer wheel from Nepal, something a tourist buys, to show Rinpoche and Rinpoche had it gold leafed for him and mantras put inside. Rinpoche does prayers for everyone in the hospital: for those who will  come in the future, those who have been here before, those who will use the same sheets and equipment etc., etc.

The difficult thing is the fatigue. They say this is the case for all stroke patients and so trying to find a balance of doing the necessary physiotherapy (critical at this time in particular) and getting enough rest is quite exhausting and Rinpoche has to rest a lot.

In all of this, Rinpoche’s attitude hasn’t changed at all….The same Rinpoche, but in another way different.

Rinpoche sent a message to one high lama: “This is my past negative karma ripening now, may it be the cause of the  long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.” That high lama replied, ” Rinpoche is not experiencing negative karma but has taken on a big obstacle for the world of Tibetan Buddhism.”

Dear Friends,

fpmt.org has now been set up with a page which will house all official updates regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health. Please subscribe to the RSS feed of this page so you don’t miss any news.

https://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches-health-updates-and-practices.html

http://feeds.feedburner.com/RinpochesHealth-UpdatesAndPractices

With love,

Your Friends at Mandala

Victoria, Australia — April 2, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

We are on the road in Australia, 45 minutes from arriving at Atisha Centre. When we arrive we will go straight to the gompa which is the first floor of the Great Stupa! Those already there say the space is big and already has a powerful vibe. This morning we spent time in the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne, Rinpoche’s second visit in three days! This is unusual as Rinpoche hardly ever does the “tourist thing.” Rinpoche said in all his world travels he has never seen anything like it and it is a great place for practice! It is an AMAZING place. The design and layout is really something. So we spent most of the time in the cactus area. So many there! Rinpoche explains the meditation: The designs of the flower petals, the patterns in the plants, etc., this all comes from the mind, based on karma, intention. Rinpoche kept repeating to be mindful how everything comes from the mind. Then we sat on the lawn, visualized a pure land, offered it to the merit field and dedicated extensively. Now we’re still driving in the bush, Rinpoche is doing prayers out loud. Galahs on the road, a kangaroo racing through the fields…it is near sunset.

Aptos, California, USA — March 16, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

It’s Wednesday March 16. Yesterday was the Tibetan 10th, so a tsog day. Rinpoche did Vajrayogini self-initiation at Land of Medicine Buddha in California. The self-initiation started at about 4 in the afternoon. Lama Chöpa was meant to start at 7 p.m., but the self-initiation went on much longer, so Rinpoche gave a break and then we did the Lama Chöpa, and after that, continued the self-initiation. Somewhere in the middle of this, Rinpoche sent a message to some of the Sangha in Rinpoche’s house telling them not to come to the puja as there will be many worms on the road, so better to stay at the house and do the puja there.

Rinpoche finished self-initiation at about 4:30 a.m. and then was not sure whether to drive back to his house (because of killing the many worms that come out on the road due to a lot of rain we have been having). Rinpoche did drive back and stopped the car at the foot of our road (this is now 5 a.m.) and then Rinpoche and Sangha got out of the car and started carefully and delicately removing the worms, placing them in a bucket to be blessed with mantras, circumambulated around relics and then put carefully back in the garden.

We arrived back in California during the rainy season (end of February) and for several days Rinpoche refused to leave the house because of the worms on the road – we were house bound.

Last weekend, Rinpoche gave the lung (oral transmission) of the Golden Light Sutra. In the morning on the Sunday before the lung, we started the extensive Medicine Buddha puja. There was no time to finish the puja, so we stopped, left Land of Medicine Buddha, drove to San Jose where Rinpoche gave the lung, finishing around 10:30 p.m., and then came back to Land of Medicine Buddha to finish the puja. We finished about 3:30 a.m. and then we drove home but had to get out of the car in the dark and rain with torches and clear away the worms  by gently picking them up to be blessed. As usual, we would pick up the worms while Rinpoche held the buckets and recited prayers. This finished around 6 a.m.

Then the other day it was difficult for Rinpoche to drive to the periodontist: Rinpoche and Tsering walked in front of the car, clearing away the worms as I drove very slowly behind.

When you give it thought, it is very hard to drive over the worms squashing them to death.

Rinpoche mentioned even though we don’t have the intention to kill the worms, they are killed and there is some karmic result, just as in the example of Nagarjuna accidentally cutting the head off an ant and having to experience the result later. So Rinpoche is making 10 stupas (about 10 inches [25 cm] high) for the worms accidentally killed.

Bangalore, India — February 2, 2011

From Ven. Roger:

Rinpoche jumped up from his chair suddenly and ran to the center of the restaurant, went on to his knees and quickly tried to protect the cockroach from the waiter about to severely damage it with his foot! The cockroach got away and we were all after it. It ran under Rinpoche’s foot and Rinpoche stood still keeping it under his foot, protecting it and reciting mantras. While this was happening we explained to the six or seven waiters that we were just trying protect the cockroach and bless it.

We are in Bangalore about to go to the airport again after a day with the Indian bureaucracy. It is a long complicated process dealing with the foreign registration office but we had lots of help and at the end Rinpoche was asked if he would go behind the counter and bless all the staff. Rinpoche happily accepted and blessed the staff one by one. That takes time!

Now we are about to leave (or should leave) but Rinpoche met one of the hotel people and is now explaining the story of Atisha. I guess we had better sit down and relax…This will take time.

India — January 31, 2011

From Ven. Roger Kunsang:

It’s time to leave for the airport. Everything is ready and we are on
time. Suddenly, someone turns up sick, they need a puja done … Rinpoche
says he will do it now! Now we are all waiting. Of course, it’s important the
puja is done, it’s just that something always happens at these times when you
need to be somewhere on time.

* 15 minutes later *

Puja is still going on! In these situations Rinpoche seems to have no
concern about the time. He even carefully explains to the person what the
puja is about and what to think. What to do? It’s getting late ….

* half an hour later *

Still at hotel. (It was one of the hotel staff that was sick and is having
the puja done.) We’re trying to leave, but another from the hotel staff wants Rinpoche to
write something so he can frame it in his house as a blessing. Rinpoche
writes something about bodhichitta. It’s getting late, so I think I will have
to rush ahead with the luggage and check in and hope Rinpoche can come soon
after ….

* four hours later *

So we finally get to the airport and still people are asking for things to be
signed. Rinpoche is taking time and care to not only sign, but write
something meaningful. We check in OK. We get to immigration and they say
that because we didn’t register at the Foreign Registration Office on entering
India we cannot fly today!

We entered India within 2 months after departing India, and got permission to
do so, but didn’t realize we had to register at each city we visited, even if
we visited only for one day!

So we can’t fly and have to register tomorrow. Then we should be OK to fly
tomorrow night. Now it is time to relax and have a cup of tea and a nice
samosa! Rinpoche loves a good samosa and this is a really good one!

Varanasi, India — January 22, 2011

From Ven. Roger Kunsang:

6,000 nuns and monks attended His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings and each day the number seemed to increase. Of course there were many, many lay people  as well. After His Holiness taught there was a three day conference on the Vinaya attended by a delegation of monks from Burma, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Taiwan and Tibet. In the opening speech His Holiness mentioned how this was the first time to have all traditions of Buddhism together for discussion! His Holiness said for the past 30 years he has been having dialogue with different religions but this was the first time to have all the Buddhist traditions together. A very historic occasion!

The meetings went very well and we hope to soon have video and audio of the discussions. Many areas concerning the vows (the Bhiksuni ordination, etc.) were discussed.

Rinpoche was keen to make the audio and video available to FPMT sangha.

During the teachings, Rinpoche invited the incarnation of Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche and family to dinner (the incarnation is about 17 years old now). There was Dilgo Khentse Rinpoche’s daughter, Chime Wangmo; her daughter Tara, who left school to concentrate on practice; and Chime Wangmo’s son, Rabjam Rinpoche, who himself is the incarnation of Dilgo Khentse ‘s guru. It was a very nice dinner…not due to  the food, but the company.

During this time Rinpoche did mos [observations] for Lama Lhundrup’s health and advised him to go to hospital in Singapore where he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Now Lama Lhundrup is returning to Kopan, at Rinpoche’s advice, to undergo treatment with the best Tibetan doctors. Khadro-la will also help with her own healing techniques.

Rinpoche teaches Tibetan class the alphabet

Now the teachings are over and we are staying a few days at Valentino’s school in Sarnath. The school is doing very well, Valentino has built a Tara temple and has now offered that to Kopan. About 15 of the Kopan nuns live here. The nuns do continuous recitation of the Tara mantra through the night and the children attending the school take turns to have the mantra going throughout the day. So Tara mantras and prayers are recited continuously without break 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year for as many years as possible into the future! Nice…don’t you think!?

Varanasi, India — January 12, 2011

From Ven. Roger Kunsang:

It’s the first day of His Holiness’ teachings in Sarnath. We are staying in Varanasi, so it’s a 45-minute drive if we are lucky and there is no traffic. We take the back streets due to road construction. They are narrow, busy and full of lots different activity. We come across a little puppy. Rinpoche stops the car and we all pile out to see him. The puppy is lying still on the road, looking dead. The mother is nearby in a very pitiful condition – only bones and limping, upset about her puppy. Rinpoche starts to recite mantras in the middle of the road. We try to keep the busy traffic from running us all over. Indians are very curious to what is happening. A dead dog doesn’t carry much value culturally so it’s interesting for them to see this. The mother of the puppy is frantic, howling and confused. She seems upset and, because she is also starving, drinks the blood of her puppy and then howls and then drinks and then howls.

Teachings are over and we are on the way back, it’s the end of the day. We screech to a halt and all pile out. Rinpoche wants to recite mantras for a buffalo that looks about to die. She’s on the side of the very busy narrow road. The locals say she was hit by a truck a few days back and had been left on the side of the road. She can’t move because perhaps the back legs are broken or worse. Rinpoche spends time blessing her and we give her water and then get back into the car.

Varanasi, India — January 10, 2011

From Ven. Roger Kunsang:

The flight to Varanasi was delayed which is good because we were running late. Rinpoche seemed not at all concerned about the lateness and he even gave a short teaching just prior to leaving Tushita.

We arrived in Varanasi (nice new airport). On the way to the hotel from the airport, Rinpoche sees a chicken alone, about to be killed. We stop and buy it, put it in a little bag, and away we go, Rinpoche reciting mantras.

A few miles down the road, we pass another butcher, this time with many chickens and goats. Rinpoche wants to stop immediately. There is intense discussion with Rinpoche: “If we buy many, where to put them?” Anyway, we buy three goats and one chicken and start driving again ….

Delhi, India — January 9, 2011

From Ven. Roger Kunsang:

His Holiness thanked Rinpoche and everyone in FPMT for helping the Dharma.

It’s a very cold day for Delhi, about 4 ˚C. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is in Delhi for a few events including the 30th Delhi Dharma Celebration. Tushita has had the great good fortune to host His Holiness 30 times since the late 70s! Rinpoche says that offering service to His Holiness, especially in this way, “is the most extraordinary, most amazing thing! Most unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable ….”

In the morning we had a small group appointment with His Holiness. Lama Zopa Rinpoche was running late for the appointment and arrived at the hotel just behind His Holiness. His Holiness turned around to find Rinpoche behind and jokingly said,  “You’re behind me, you’re supposed to be in front of me,” and then took Rinpoche by the hand and went into the small meeting room.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche refused to sit in a chair out of respect and devotion for His Holiness.

His Holiness sat on a chair and asked everyone to sit down on the chairs. Rinpoche immediately dropped to the floor with his head not far from the floor. His Holiness joked with Rinpoche but couldn’t get Rinpoche to sit on the chair.

His Holiness asked for the first question (it was about happiness) and His Holiness said that that subject would come in the afternoon talk, but started to explain a little, and then mentioned how much he appreciated Lama Yeshe and Rinpoche and how much benefit the FPMT had been in offering the Dharma. His Holiness said, “I really appreciate … I think it is something marvelous!” and also mentioned how Rinpoche, although he had done so much to benefit others and had many centers, remained a very simple, humble monk! How he was a very good example!

His Holiness spoke to a crowd of 3,000.

Later that day, we had lunch at the center and Rinpoche said he needed to write down his thank you speech. This always happens at the last minute, so Rinpoche dictated and I wrote, watching my watch as we needed to leave! Rinpoche spoke fast and kept slipping in quotes. There were five large pages of praises to His Holiness, and I only just managed to get down most of it in almost unintelligible writing – what a mess! We rushed off to the talk and arrived just in time to meet His Holiness. Rinpoche was on the stage with His Holiness and the talk started. I looked down at my notes (Rinpoche’s thank you speech) – what a mess! I had to get it ready for the end of the talk for Rinpoche to read. I asked Ven. Ailsa to help. It wasn’t easy, especially knowing it  had to be all figured out soon for Rinpoche to read out in front of His Holiness and 3,000 people. Anyway, Ven. Ailsa did a great job, and I managed to get the notes to Rinpoche just prior to the end of the talk.

THANK YOU to Renuka (director of Tushita) to Ven. Ailsa and Ven. Kabir and all the Tushita  staff for putting together a great event – His Holiness was very happy!

Worth a few minutes of rejoicing!