Our story begins at Gaden Chöling in Toronto. From Detroit, cross the Ambassador Bridge into Canada. Then follow most of the trucks to where Highway 401 branches away on your left. Hours later in Toronto, take the Dufferin Street exit south. Turn left a few blocks later onto St. Clair Avenue. Then start looking on your right for the north end of Christie Street, which is small and easy to miss, teeing in from the right. If you come to a through street called Bathurst, then you’ve passed it. One block south on Christie, look for address 637 at the southeast corner with Ellsworth Avenue. You can hardly fail to spot the colorfully painted front porch under a gable with gold painted, bass relief Dharma wheel wreathed in flames atop a lotus between two kneeling antelope.
On account of having applied, months in advance, for only one day off from work, to attend the long scheduled Friday evening Mahakala empowerment, I wasn’t able to hit the road till 5 p.m. on June 18th. One day’s lead time now was cutting it a bit short, on account of having been granted, in addition, a private appointment to discuss important matters with a renown incarnate lama, the Venerable Lobsang Tenzin Gyaltsen Rinpoche, better known under his religious title as the XIIIth Zasep Tulku of Zuru Gompa monastery in Tibet.
Even arriving at nearly two o’clock in the morning, Gaden Chöling was not hard at all to find. I came upon it mostly dark, save for only a single light, in the kitchen at the top of the stairs around back. Having not been to Toronto before, I hadn’t planned on really quite so long a drive, figuring to arrive by midnight. Not wanting to waken anyone, I’d begun to consider stretching out in the car until a more civilized hour of morning. But Rinpoche had been waiting up for me, so I passed a very much more comfortable night on three meditation cushions laid out on the floor of the gompa, with head (never feet!) nearer the altar. At about eight o’clock I awoke, feeling quite sufficiently rested, to the muted sounds of chanting, a hand bell and the dhamaru filtering softly down from upstairs. I folded my blanket and put away the extra cushions. Then weighing what to do first, decided upon the Gaden Lha Gyema, which while not a daily requirement, nevertheless felt compelling in that environment. To Lord Buddha’s left on the altar hung a lovely thangka depicting the inspiring visualization for this rite; and just below sat the golden rupas of Je Tsongkhapa and his two heart disciples vested in brocade robes and pointed yellow pandit’s hats. And on the wall to my left hung three large and beautiful thangkas of brightly colored, stitched-applique (as opposed to painted) depicting the three Bodhisattvas, whom Je Tsongkhapa emanates from. These surroundings lent a wonderful sense of immediacy to my Gaden Lha Gyema that morning.
Somewhat later when my guru entered the shrine room from upstairs, he permitted me to help set out rice and water offerings. Then we walked out together for breakfast to a nearby restaurant. Rinpoche is the Spiritual Head not only of Gaden Chöling, but also Zuru Ling, Tashi Chöling and several other Tibetan centers all across southern Canada and into the northern United States. These centers, while politically non-sectarian, adhere to the tenets of Tibet’s long-standing majority tradition, the Gelugpa, as elucidated by the renowned 14th-century tantric master Je Tsongkhapa. This meeting was both official and of truly crucial importance, the culmination of months of effort. While informal, the topics there to be discussed bode important consequences not only for myself alone, but also for several others who together had established an independent Dharma group dedicated wholly to this tradition. Much of our united hopes hinged upon a positive outcome from this very meeting. To say the least, I was nervous in the extreme. But Rinpoche put me at my ease, insisting even that our pancakes and tea must be his treat. Later though, since he’d not suggested otherwise, I did find opportunity to at least lay down the tip.
Before reporting in detail on the outcome, let me very briefly tell of how the meeting came to be. In the early part of this year, I had formed a semi-official focus group studying Lam Rim meditation: an especially detailed format highly regarded by the largest of the four main Tibetan traditions and respectfully commented upon by the other three as well. Almost from the very beginning, our little group was encouraged, and temporarily recognized, by Ganden Dheling Buddhist Temple in Bloomington, Indiana, under who’s auspices I had first met Rinpoche and taken Tantric vows from him only one short summer previously. In the meantime, upon that center’s good advice, I made my most sincere application to the Ven. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche that he may very kindly consider granting our group in Kalamazoo a more permanent official standing within the umbrella of his own already numerous Dharma centers. I felt rather intimidated by such an ambitious enterprise. Still, and at the risk of seeming importunate, I quickly mailed to Rinpoche the first of three separate letters reporting on attendance at our scheduled meetings, on their format, and also on the topics discussed. I rather hoped that three such letters might help put us in accordance with examples from the sutras. But at the time, Rinpoche was in retreat. And so, of course, I had but to exercise myself in patience. Even so, I still could not divest myself from a sense of lingering anxiety. Who was I, after all, to make requests upon the precious time and energies of such an exalted master? In due course, Rinpoche replied by telephone. I half expected at least a temporary refusal. But instead Rinpoche kindly suggested that important matters like these ought better to be discussed in person. Hope soared.
Now as it happens, Bruce Wilson (Chairman of the Board of Directors at Ganden Dheling) had already recommended that since the empowerment I’d received was into the Tantra of the Five Deities of Heruka Chakrasamvara (a wrathful emanation of the Buddha Vajradhara) and that since any new Tibetan center would surely require the guardianship of a protector deity, then Four Faced Mahakala (an emanation of Heruka) would be most appropriate for our group in Kalamazoo. By way of auspicious coincidence, this same empowerment had already long been scheduled to be given by Zasep Rinpoche himself at Gaden Chöling in Toronto on the evening of June 19th. By telephone Rinpoche very kindly offered that he would fit in time for an interview early in the morning of that same day. Unhesitatingly, I agreed.
The automotive fatigue-test lab where I work is chronically behind schedule. So an extra day of vacation on short notice was out of the question. Even so, I’d still hoped for an early departure. But as was surely to be expected, obstacles arose in my path. The obscenely expensive robot-controlled hydraulic test fixture which is my chore to tune and operate is notoriously cantankerous. On that day, it was in one of its more obstinate moods. Nothing went well at all. Very much, my boss would rather that I stay late. But come 5 p.m. I logged off the station, locked up my tools, and marched out to the parking lot. I’d borrowed my wife’s car for the occasion, since it is more reliable. Only very seldom do I ever drive her car. One of the things to which I’ve not yet grown accustomed is the lack of an idiot light or warning buzzer for fools who leave their parking lights on. The battery was depleted enough to prevent its turning over and also trip the radio’s anti-theft feature when I keyed the ignition switch. AAA jumped the battery, no problem. But I didn’t have a clue as to the radio’s secret reactivation code. By this token I had insured for myself a quiet, meditative environment during each of the seven-hour drives to and from Toronto. No great loss, probably better for me anyway.
Another small difficulty was that my wife’s supervisor at the bank had altered schedules so that she’d have to work the Saturday following. To top it off, no one whom we both knew and trusted would agree to get up early on a Saturday and baby-sit our seven year old son, Skajler (pron. Sky-ler) Ananda. Thus, I would have to be back no later than 8 a.m. two days hence. So many niggling little obstacles! But none of them insurmountable. All that I would have to do is drive to Toronto, communicate as best I may my good intentions, pray both for Rinpoche’s favorable opinion and his trust, receive the empowerment later that evening, and then drive back straight away home again to Kalamazoo. All quite attainable goals, except perhaps for the part about doing it all on six hour’s sleep. In my twenties I mightn’t have blinked an eye at the prospect. But that was twenty years ago. Still, I got there okay, if only just a little late.
My breakfast meeting with Rinpoche fulfilled even the loftiest of our ardent hopes. After hearing out my answers to certain questions which he had, Rinpoche very kindly granted each of my requests. First and most needfully, he accepts to guide practitioners as the official Spiritual Head for our fledgling Dharma center in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Whether there be twelve in attendance at our meetings or only two is of no great concern, only so long as we do not give up. Upon my promise not to quit nor move away, I was instructed to serve directly under him with the title of Coordinator. In this capacity, Rinpoche directed me to pursue the legal framework incorporating as a church with the State of Michigan. And in addition, since we would henceforth be wholly separate from Ganden Dheling (organized under a separate charter in the State of Indiana) our group would from that point on bear its on separate name and role within the umbrella of Rinpoche’s larger family of Tibetan centers.
Rinpoche then told me of his thoughts regarding this new name. He had in mind several recommended choices, from which I would be allowed a preference. But among all these, one he felt would serve best. I interjected a request that he should tell me only this first selection, that we would surely have no need for any other. The name he gave, and which we now bear, reflects with perfect accuracy the main focus of our center’s group practice, its origin and its honored traditions. Presenting ourselves via English instead of Tibetan communicates unambiguous recognition. So it is that we came as of that moment to be known by the title Lama Tsongkhapa Center. Whoever encounters the word Lama must surely know on the instant that we are a Tibetan center, as opposed to Ch’an, Nichiren, Vipassana, Won, Zen, et al. And whoever sees the historically famous name Tsongkhapa cannot fail to recognize our Gelugpa affiliation—versus Kagyu, Nyingma or Sakya. And moreover, since Tsongkhapa is the first and foremost of Enlightened Teachers in our tradition, this is surely the finest and the most inspiring identification possible.
After breakfast, Rinpoche let me help him make tormas for the empowerment ceremony. There were to be a lot of them. The traditional recipe calls for roasted barley flour as a base. But barley flour, while available in the West, cannot be gotten in it’s roasted variety. And plain barley flour simply will not pack down in a way that holds its proper shape as a torma. So I learned that lamas here, after some experimentation, have found an excellent sculptor’s substitute—Quaker Oats. To this water and oil are added along with (for protector deity practice) distilled spirits (vodka) and also beer. Kneading the dough is good exercise. That was my part. Then Rinpoche formed the tormas into shape while I painted each the very brightest of reds with food colorant and a small artist’s brush.
To complete the tormas, white cheese was needed to form the ornamental buttons, ropes and rosettes. The gompa’s refrigerator was running short, so Rinpoche sent me out for more, recommending specifically mozzarella. Instead of big local supermarkets, Toronto has a lot of little mom-and-pop grocery stores. All seven of the first had cheddar only. Not until the eighth did I find mozzarella. Having started out walking, I was gone a little while. So by the time that I got back, three of Rinpoche’s senior students had arrived from the capital city Ottawa. They were cleaning and arranging fruit offerings, which I helped carry downstairs to the altar. Afterwards we all went out for lunch together, walking to a nearby Chinese restaurant. Bob seized upon the check and again my money was not accepted. Nor was it later when Rinpoche sent him to the copy center for the handouts to be later distributed.
Then Rinpoche entered the gompa and seated himself on a cushion facing the altar so as to perform the long preliminary self-initiation rite. I took up a similar position behind and off to one side, there to catch up on my Six Session Yoga, silently sub-vocalizing so as not create a distraction. Upon completion I remained seated, attempting a modicum of focused absorption despite excitement for the occasion. During this period I remember hearing the door to the gompa open and close repeatedly as a other students entered behind me. A few brought vases of flowers forward, silently arranging them upon the floor before the altar.
In due course, Rinpoche completed the required preparations and took himself up from his cushion on the floor to the elevated teaching platform, right-of-center before the altar and facing us. From this location Rinpoche entreated us with a history of the practice of Four Faced Mahakala and its very special significance. Then began the ceremony of empowerment in various stages of analysis, contemplation and visualization. At certain periods during the rite students are directed to arise and approach the teacher’s throne for a blessing or an interpersonal exchange. On the first of these is when I noted that no less than twenty-five or maybe even thirty others were in attendance. The group comprised both men and women in a wide array of ages. The room was wall to wall in cushions with hardly any floor showing. Thus proceeded the ceremony, with intervals spent either seated on cushions or else standing in the que, until the end when we were reminded of our new responsibilities as the exchange of vows took place. We closed with a final dedication.
Lastly came the offering of khatas. This is when students line up to present Rinpoche with the traditional white linen scarf; and if they wish, also to present a gift. Blank envelopes are made available for any who care to offer an anonymous sum. I laid down my own envelope with the others in a tray on the low table at Rinpoche’s feet. The scarf is offered into his hands. He then drapes it around one’s neck and presents a token gift in exchange. Often times, this may be a blessing chord, which one later ties around their own neck. At last summer’s Heruka empowerment I had received a similar chord, but one woven of rainbow colors instead of the more usual red. On this present occasion, we each received a small fragment of black granite rock, symbolizing the power and strength of great Mahakala who now guards over the fledgling Lama Tsongkhapa Center established here in Kalamazoo.
When all but a very few had left, I received a parting blessing from Rinpoche, then went out to pack up the car, affording the color xerographic copy of Four Faced Mahakala (the very same as graced the shrine during our empowerment) a prominent and respectful location upon the rear deck under the windshield. I then set out home again for Kalamazoo. It was just about an hour or so before midnight. What with the time-zone between, and an hour’s nap just outside Windsor, I didn’t get home till 8 a.m. just barely early enough so that my wife could still make it to work on time. I can’t remember ever when I’ve been more tired, or more thoroughly satisfied with an accomplishment. Much more work still awaited. But having gained the certainty of a direct and lasting connection to this pure unbroken lineage inspired me with unflagging confidence. The one final nagging doubt which up till then had still undermined my faith, pinning the labels artificial and imitation on my efforts for the Dharma, had been finally dissolved with no smallest part remaining. Something which for twenty years I’d felt the lack of, now I was able to share with others. It was (and still is) a truly wonderful experience. All my thanks to Rinpoche for his kind generosity. May it be that I and all of his future students in Kalamazo shall prove to be deserving.