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Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ganden Buddhist Meditation Centre students and volunteers, Riga, Latvia, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited Riga for two weeks in the middle of the Latvian summer from June 24 to July 1, 2019. The visit was organized by Ganden Buddhist Meditation Centre, an FPMT center in Riga. Rinpoche’s Latvian students share the story.
The email we received asking us to confirm Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit to Riga before agreeing on details took our breath away. We had almost four months to prepare and were overwhelmed with joy.
Each year on June 24 Latvians stay up all night celebrating midsummer (summer solstice), a tradition maintained even during the Soviet times. People jump over the bonfires and wear crowns made of oak tree leaves (for men) and summer flowers (for women). Rinpoche arrived at the airport late that night. It was a magical experience: a combination of a hot summer night and the magic of seeing Rinpoche come through the arrival gates and enter our small country (population less then 2 million). Following tradition we offered Rinpoche an oak tree leaf crown that had been made for him, which he gladly accepted.
Oskars Mickevics, Inese Zelmane, Inga Logina, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and host family Anda Stūrīte with her husband and two children, Riga, Latvia, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche, Ven. Roger Kunsang, Ven. Holly Ansett, Ven. Lobsang Sherab, and Ven. Lhundup Topgye were hosted by long-time students at their house outside of the city by the river and surrounded by nature. European roe deer and other deer often visit from the nearby forest, giving guests the chance to meet them. It was a tranquil place for resting before and between teachings.
The teachings started the following weekend and went on for three days. They took place in a central part of a city in a cozy yet spacious venue cut out from the outside noise. Approximately 150 students gathered from all over Europe to attend the teachings. A day before the teachings started we got a pleasant surprise: an extra day for everyone to meet Rinpoche as he decided to do a tsog offering at Ganden Buddhist Meditation Centre. Even though it was last minute our small gompa was full of old and new students.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche with students from Vienna, Austria in Riga, Latvia, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Rinpoche gave us magnificent teachings on “The Integration of the Five Powers in Life as well as at the Time Of Death.” Rinpoche’s teachings included advice on how to be happy in life, how to make others happy, and complex and specific advice on the five powers to be practiced at the time of death and how to use them.
On Rinpoche’s rest day he invited some of the volunteers, who happened to be at the house at the time, to join him on his afternoon walk. We spent time with him, just walking along enjoying the experience. We asked one or two questions, and Rinpoche gladly responded. Afterwards Rinpoche went back to the house to have tea.
Rinpoche also spent time exclusively with Ganden Buddhist Meditation Centre’s director, spiritual program coordinator, and other members of the board, giving advice about the center, community, and the FPMT organization.
Ven. Lhundup Topgye, Uldis Balodis, Ven. Holly Ansett, Inese Zelmane, Ven. Roger Kunsang, and Alnis Grants with Lama Zopa Rinpoche engaged in Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga practice to bless all of the beings in Latvia from the rooftop of St. Gertrude Old Church, a Lutheran church in Riga, Latvia, June 2019. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.
Although their departure flight was early in the morning many people came to the airport to say goodbye to Rinpoche, Ven. Roger Kunsang, Ven. Holly Ansett, Ven. Lobsang Sherab, and Ven. Lhundup Topgye. Rinpoche kindly spent those precious moments with his students, sharing his love. In return we shared our gratitude. We savored these moments in the presence of our beloved teacher as he reminded us of the value of a perfect human life.
Those few days felt like a dream in many ways, and we will keep reminding ourselves of how fortunate we are. We hope Rinpoche will return to Lativa and that we can host him again.
For more information about Ganden Buddhist Meditation Centre, visit their website:
http://ganden.lv/
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