Anniversary

This Sunday, November 26th, is my five year anniversary as a monastic.  I was ordained 11/26/01 at 11:30am Eastern Time.  I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to live the monastic life...or at least as much of a monastic life as one can live in modern America while working.

Here is a photo of me with my ordination master, the Venerable Khenchen Konchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, the day of my ordination at TMC in Frederick, Maryland.  I hope to have the opportunity to do the full ordination in the future.

I remember there was a lot of laughter that day.  Before the ceremony, Drupon Tinley Ningpo shaved my head for me.  You're supposed to leave a bit of hair on the top of the head for the ordination master to cut during the ceremony, but my hair was so thin on top that during the ceremony, Khenchen Rinpoche had to really look for some hair.  He finally found one small piece he could could.  We had a good laugh.  After the ceremony, I told Rinpoche that even my hair was telling me to renouce samsara, and that's why I had been going bald.

I actually don't remember all of the details to well, but I do remember going in and out of the room a couple of times.  Khenpo Tsultrim helped me tie my shanthap (the lower robe or "skirt").  He playfully tugged the belt really tight.  Lucky he did that, though, as I've heard stories of the newly ordained loosing their robes when their out and about.

In fact, there was a lot of laughter during the ceremony which didn't detract from the solemnity of the occasion at all.  I remember being worried as I was receiving my robes that I wouldn't be able to live up to the ordination. I've since learned that no one really does.  All we can do is try.  The practice of monasticism is in realizing that you're not enlightened and seeing the value of the vows in helping you to get there from here.

May all beings benefit.

Comments

[Unenlightened]

Congrats!

[Konchog Yeshe]

Emaho Getsul Gyatso-la!

May the vows of the Vinaya protect you.

[Laura]

Congratulations!