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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!