Sunday July 24
*
A glimpse
forth to the base of the steep climb
to the leading light of my long day
slight gentle beautiful determined bright one
patiently making her way
she firmly alone firmly herself
to quietly remind me
that not so far away
for she I we two
our warm and bright future day
and to her then to say to tell
of the way from the valley
of the Chaktreng chu
to Dabpa
To walk upon its main street
past where the buildings
of the present era stand
to look out to the east
to a hill top beyond
where group of edifices
stand
hundreds of years more ancient
more infinite more grand
Look beautiful one
it's the Dabpa Yangteng Gon
from Kagyu lineage
it became Geluk
four centuries ago
when Lhodro Namgyel
practitioner of Jetsun Jampal Nyingpo
came here
in robes crimson
with knuckles whitened
by firm grip on
matted dark hair
upon wide back
of grunting yak
It to become
more vast than even Litang Chode
greatest of the thirteen
monasteries that rise here
above the rocky earth of Dabpa
once 100 thousand texts
images of wondrous beings
many that we know well
were here
Now before us stands
the Tsuklakhang
images of beings that we know
once more have returned
Dharmaraja
Buddhas of past present future
Dipamkara Shakyamuni and Maitreya
Hayagriva
and Lhodro Namgyel
Then Phabongka among the greatest
of Sera fame
place whose very name means hail
as that which falls upon a field
of rice on a summer day
swift as thought
into the quiet mind
and Tsongkapha with his practitioners
we rest here for a time
then to small temple
beyond we make our way
Where photographs of they
who hold the lineage of this place
among them two
that are now far away
Dzeme Tulku in Paris France
Gosok Rinpoche in India
for over the great distances
they had to make their way
All this not so wonderful
to my straining eyes
as your determined beauty
and swift uplifted grace
that endures with patient dignity
this that I see in you
beneath the open sky
on this morning
of our summer of working
and waiting
and weaving
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
and so we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
July 19
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.