Opening the gates of loving kindness and entering into compassion

The gates of Thosamling, opening out into the world with love, stepping into community with compassion.  The mountains are now coated in a fresh crisp cover of white snow which arrived days prior to His Holiness the Dalai Lama's return to His residence 30 minutes from here.  We rejoice to welcome Him back and pray for His long and incomparable life to continue for aeons to benefit all beings.

It is March and we have had warm spells, which have seen our gardens here explode in offerings of green delight.  The past few days have been full of thunder storms and rain down here, lots of snow in the mountains.  Good all the way around, as this is a water supply and there has been a long drought.

I was thrilled and honored to share a visit from Traca Gress, Eva and Don from Maine with the lovely community of nuns, laywomen, and other friends here at Thosamling last week.  We shared much laughter, spiritual practice, unconditional love and friendship, touring the nunnery, sitting in meditation, eating communal meals in the garden, visiting Norbulinka the Tibetan Community's art and cultural preservation project that is just next door, and doing early morning yoga on the roof, joined by our abbess Sangmo and other nuns.

The latest update from the growing effort to become entirely sustainable is a chicken house/cage that will be home to a flock of about 7 hens laying organic eggs.  They may even get permission to take a free range from time to time.  Today Fred and I hung a bamboo roost for the ladies and soon their accommodations will be ready.  My day to day includes 4.5 hours of Tibetan language class, taught by a lovely Geshe.  We took our first test last Friday and it was very comprehensive.  I passed with less than flying colors, but happy that so much has been offered in such a short time.

More updates soon, just dropping a line of Love. Leave a comment if you feel compelled, I appreciate hearing from you!  Warm hugs