The title of this blog is not meant as a co-opting of reverence or as an irreverent play on the title of Dalai Lama, but rather as a joining of my heartfelt intentions with that of the Dalai Lama and Buddha and Jesus and every other loving spirit in the universe who seeks to find and share the wisdom that leads to the end of suffering for all beings.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Come Fly With Me

In my book I talk about an unusual friend who came to me in spirit form months before I met her in person at the nunnery in which I live in India.  The woman's name is Lisa, and she is a mighty big spirit traveling in a mighty small body.
The day I released my book to the public, which was my birthday, April 7th, Lisa gave me a card with a drawing of two people paragliding on the front, and on the inside was written, "Come fly with me."  Any activity involving a parachute has always been high on my Hell No Not Ever list, but since this invitation came from someone with whom I share a uniquely cosmic bond, I said yes.  And because that yes came from a place of supreme trust, it easily grew into four days of experiencing the spiritual magic of India.

Paragliding was just the first stop on the way to several sacred sites in northern India, traveling with our friend and fellow nunnery resident, Jampa.  We did most of the trip on motorcycles until the routes became too winding or steep, then we continued by car and on foot.  I put the highlights of the trip in this fun video so others can come along for the ride at their leisure.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjzkYbQKnRQ

A few things to note:

1.  The background song was playing in the truck as we were being driven up the mountain for paragliding, and since it helped us get ready to jump off into the sky it became our musical anthem for the trip.

2.  The village around the lake with the big statue is Tso Pema and is sacred to exiled Tibetan Buddhists as well as Sikhs and Hindus.  As you'll see, it is a place where man and animal of many walks of life live together peacefully.

3.  The enormous bull is a gentle baby named Sonu and he is the unofficial mascot of Tso Pema.

4.  The bracelets in the title and closing shots are blessing cords given to us by a seriously adorable elderly Tibetan man at the entrance to a sacred cave.

5.  I loved the poignancy of a common crow holding on for dear life to a sacred prayer flag.

6.  The historical town of Mandi is unusual even by India standards and boasts 80+ colorful Sikh and Hindu shrines.

As you watch this video, think about that YES that's waiting for you to trust it -- and then go ahead and jump.  This is your invitation to fly.

Peace and blessings to all.

Namaste

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