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.

Vajravarahi-Throma

My new statue, from dharmatreasures.com.

Pema Osel Ling today

Today was absolutely gorgeous. It was Dakini day, our bi weekly day of connection with the awakened activity--the sacred feminine. Everything coalesced around Throma, the most wrathful dakini. I decided to go to Throma tsok at Pema Osel Ling a few days ago. Then, Stacey at Dharma Treasures store at POL called to say that a shipment of statues ordered long ago had arrived, and would I like to buy a statue of Throma? I jumped at the chance, and arranged to pick it up today. Then I set up a massage appointment with Marcie, who lives near Pema Osel Ling for the same day. As I started t write this, I remembered that Marcie is a celebrated Throma practitioner. As I picked up the statue, someone in the bookstore commented to a friend that I look like the Throma statue I just bought. I said, "yes, we do look alike," but really this statue is much more sexy than I am.

AH

My goodness, a lot has transpired in my life since my last post.

On January 27th, on the way to practice the ceremonial feast of The Black Wrathful Mother (Throma) at my friends' house, a discussion began with my partner, L, that lead to end of the relationship.  If I recall correctly, the same thing happened to two friends of mine four or five years ago as they were driving to the same Throma tsok, eventually ending up opening the door for one of them to enter three year retreat at Pema Osel Ling.  Throma apparently does not think much of relationships.  In point of fact, Throma does not think.

Here we go again, down to the primordial AH.

I spent much of the following day walking and looking at the sky at my secret place.  Although I have taken lots of people there, it will always be my secret place; in the words of Joni Mitchell, "it's a place no amount or of hurt or anger can depreciate."

Would you like to go there with me, dear reader?

The view from my spot

A pinkish orb that was in the sky that day.  It looks like an upside-down heart, doesn't it?  

My phenomena.