~~~~ Thank You ~~~
This is a short quote from From Sogyal Rinpoche's book
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
MY OWN FIRST EXPERIENCE of death ( says SR ) came when I was about seven.
We were preparing to leave the eastern highlands to travel to central Tibet.
Samten, one of the personal attendants of my master, was a wonderful monk who was kind to me during my childhood.
He had a bright, round, chubby face, always ready to break into a smile.
He was everyone's favorite in the monastery because he was so good-natured. …
… suddenly Samten fell ill, and it was clear he was not going to live.
We had to postpone our departure.
I will never forget the two weeks that followed.
The rank smell of death hung like a cloud over everything, …
The monastery was saturated with an intense awareness of death.
This was not at all morbid or frightening, however;
Samten's death took on a special significance.
It became … a teaching … for us all.
**
Chris gave many teachings. He often worked with me on GRATITUDE and TRUSTING the PROCESS .
Like a great friend and a great teacher, Chris would work gently, patiently, and frequently. We'd check in often …
**
I'd tell him how angry I was about something at work
…
and he'd mention … that he enjoyed saying thank you …
for the warm water … that he had in the shower / before work / that morning.
...
Then I'd tell him how angry I was about something that had happened at home
and he'd hint at how fruitful it was for him to say "thank you…"
for the lunch we were enjoying at that moment,
for the people who brought it to us,
for the ability to sit quietly and taste it.
Later I'd stop by and tell him how frustrated I was about money
and he'd suggest ... just saying …. Thank you.
*******
So one day I decided to escape my family, my work and spend money I'm not sure I really had at the time … on a workshop … at Kripalu
I was very lucky. I met this greaat teacher who travels the world, Bhagavan Das
I got to chant with him -
I bought his Book … and his CD.
And he gave everyone who was there
a special teaching with two secret mantras:
And I came back very energized and excited,
so I wanted to check in and share this with Chris
I found him and told him
that I had met this great teacher -
a kirtan singer Bhagavan Das
who travels the world
and I bought his Book … and his CD
And that we all got
two secret mantras.
The first was …
"Thank You"
the second was
" I love you."
...
** If Chris was ever astonished or frustrated by my inability to catch on quickly, he never showed it.
He simply laughed his deep laugh, and smiled his huge smile, and said,
"Thank you. Thanks for being you, and for doing what you do,
you are doing it so perfectly." "I love you."
**********
Like any good teacher, he hinted at these things, revealed these secret truths, and worked to help me see them … many …. many … many
many times…
Most recently I had been trying to learn from Chris that I (we) everyone & everything, is really perfect as it is.
At least that's what I think we were working on. I don't know. I don't always catch on right away.
Right now without my friend, and my teacher,
I feel like the lost child in the woods who has to find his way home.
I feel like the little boy thrown in the lake by his father who has to sink or swim.
I feel that:
As difficult as this passing is.
As much as I don't want to be doing this right now because…
I don't want to believe Chris has moved on.
This is another teaching.
Thank you … (I love you.)
