Auspicious Dharma Place

Sun over the valley, Near Weed, CA

After retracing my steps, I resumed my journey up Route 5 to Tashi Choling, just over the Oregon Border. You should click on the pic above to blow it up, really pretty.

The Temple at Tashi Choling

Miraculously, I made it to Tashi Choling with an hour to spare before Throma tsok started. The approach to the place was devastatingly beautiful, the air crisp and clear, with cute little Oak trees (wearing attractive brown coats for fall) studding the rolling hills.

I also swear that you can feel this place 50 miles away. A blissful pure feeling started to overtake me as a came up I-5, getting into the hills that follow the flattish chapparal north of Mount Shasta. Until then, I remained a little blue.

Gyatrul Rinpoche, a Tibetan Lama in the Nyingma lineage, founded this place some 30 years ago. It is a small piece of land 80 acres or so, surrounded by properties owned by sangha members. When I arrived, the staff was very friendly and had my really nice room ready, and some texts I had ordered from them waiting for me in my room. The accomodations in the East Wing of the temple rival Tara Mandala in luxury.

Also when I walked in, an acquaintance from my own sangha unexpectedly greeted me. I had heard she was in retreat up here, but did not know I would see her. I went down to tsok, and Ani Baba (the resident nun) put out the texts I had bought on HH Dudjom Rinpoche's throne table for blessing during the tsok. So sweet. Every inch of their temple is ornamented, and to my surprize I found I liked that.

This center uses the exact same text for their feast of the Black Wrathful Mother, so I felt right at home as I sat with these 30 year sadhana experts. As I feel asleep I felt I had truly arrived at a pure land, or at least a good approximation.