Little Cherub is Bestowed a Very Big Throne

Today was the beginning of the enthronement ceremony of the 7th Tharig Rinpoche. The five year old cherub-like boy from Bir, in Hymachal Pradesh in northwestern India, was recognized by His Holiness Sakya Trizin as the reincarnation of the 6th Tharig Rinpoche.

Since His Holiness' arrival on Wednesday, many have flocked to Boudha and to the Tharig Monastery to witness the ceremony and all of the week long celebrations that go along with the enthronement.



Last night I was invited to the Tharig Monestary for dinner. As I was sitting there enjoying my noodles and cheerful and light conversation my friend Jane suddenly said, "Quick, get up, grab your camera, and don't tell anyone where we are going."

I followed her and her friend Kenny, from Dharamasala, to have an audience with His Holiness Sakya Trizin As I have earlier had an audience with young Asanga Rinpoche a few weeks ago, I had an idea of the protocol, but meeting someone on this level left me wondering what it was that I should expect, and wondering how I was to act, especially in comparison to meeting a 7 yr. old little boy.

As we reached his room, we removed our shoes and extended our khatas while bowing low, not making direct eye contact, and moving slowly to kneel before His Holiness. Jane and Kenny did prostrations, which to simply describe is a sort of bowing motion when entering a temple or going before someone of high reverence, though the bowing is not done to him as an idol, but to the representation of the deity that person is meant to represent.  I kneeled before His Holiness and he took my khata from my hands and slid it around my neck. Jane briefly introduced me and I crawled backwards to kneel beside her on the floor in front of him.

Jane asked if I could take his photograph and he warmly smiled and agreed. I was a bit nervous, but after my experience with all of the photos that I took the other day, I have promised myself not to get worked up and to try not to think too much on it. As I took his photograph he warmly smiled at me.  I sat back down upon my feet, about the time as Jane kindly asked him if he would give us a blessing.  Jane, Kenny, and I crawled back up close to His Holiness and sat back on our feet, kneeling again before him.

His Holiness began to chant and pray in front of us, the whole time my head bowing down and my eyes closed.  Once again I had this rush of tranquility as I caught myself zoning out to the mezmerizing and soothing chant of his voice, though I know not what one word of it meant. Suddenly he tapped me upon my head and I have to say that I had chills shimmer down my spine from my head.When he finished we crawled backwards, rose to our feet, and backed out of the room, never once turning our backs to him, and then the curtain shut before us.It was an amazing experience and another confirmation as to the mystery that I am finding with the Buddhism community and within my stay in Kathmandu.

This morning I awoke early in anticipation of the enthronement ceremonies that were to take place today.I was ready to go before Jane had called to meet her, so I headed downstairs to wait with the comfort of a cappuccino.She called right before I got downstairs and said that she was still not feeling well and that she would call when she headed down the hill towards the stupa, we were running a few hours behind the beginning of the ceremonies.
As I sat in the cafe, a man sitting in front of me began a conversation with me.I learned that he was from Tibet originally but has been living in Holland, and is currently in Nepal on business.The conversation quickly turned to buddhist philosophy and the politics associated with the Exhiled Government of Tibet and the potential of this growing and globalized world.My camera was on the table, but it was never really said what it is that I do, and why I am in Kathmandu to begin with.
As the conversation began to wind down the man threw me completely off guard by his words.  He mentioned to me that he thought that I should stay around here for at least a year or so, and also told me that I should tell the happy and good stories of the Tibetan people.He explained that so many people see the bad stories of the world every day, but it is only the good stories that will move the people of the world to make a change.I paid my bill and looked up to ask him his name, but as I called out to him he had already left the cafe.

As I headed toward the monastery and the ceremonies I was still a bit thrown off gaurd by this mystery man's statement.I have been pondering the past few days just why it is that I have fallen into this new community, how long I should stay, and what is the story that I am here to photograph and share, and how it is that I am to tell it.So, for him to point all of this out to me without my asking was a bit more than I could process.I met Jane at the corner and told her the story on the way to the celebration.

When we arrived there were hoards of people everywhere.We first went past the monastery and into this huge tented area filled with thousands of people. We realized that this is not where the ceremony was actually taking place when we saw the speakers and big screen t.v.'s set up so that everyone could bear witness to this extraordinary event.So, we headed over toward the prayer hall at the monastery.Here there were thousands of people as well.It was obvious that we would not be so lucky as last time to actually get into the prayer hall.We sat for a bit under the big tent that they had set up adjacent to the hall and then decided to go up the stairs to take a few pictures of the crowds.



Looking down through the prayer wheels gave me a new perspective of just how many people where lining up to offer this little cherub gifts of joy and praise.It amazed me to see the joy that people have in practicing their faith and in offering to those that they hold in high spiritual regards.I thought many things to myself about hope, faith, honesty, and following paths that lead each of us to where we are all meant to find our faith, and looked up to the sky.I noticed the amazing contrast of colors of the intricately decorated prayer hall and the georgeous blue of the sky.



We decided to go back to the cafe below my apartment and escape the heat.We stopped to say our goodbyes and I took an opportunity to photograph a small detail of just one of the thousands of objects that people where lining up to offer the tiny little Rinpoche.I once again thought of what a powerful little boy he is, and how he may not even recognize that yet.I have always wondered about young monks that are so often brought to the monestaries and are so far from their families.But, as I get just one small glimpse of just how loved this one little boy is and how much hope he brings to so many people, I get a new perspective. I don't think that any of us truly knows how it will all go down in the end, but I do think that we all need a little faith, and something to put our hope for this world into, or even just a way to make sense of it all.Where it all leads none of us will know until that day truly falls upon us, and it is then that we will each learn if we had chosen to believe the right things.




We stop to make our offerings on our way towards the monestary gate.As I am waiting in the line it is brought to my attention the watch of the monk at the table before me.The cherub Rinpoche has had his image made into the face of a watch and many of the officials are wearing them.It is at this I must laugh as I realize once again just how much technology has come into our lives and into religion, and also just how much of an effect the west has had on Buddhism as a whole.Sometimes when you are in the midst of something so exciting, new, and filled with spirituality, it is hard to step back and notice all the small details that tell the real story only all to well.



Jane and I end our morning sitting at the New Orleans Cafe.Once again the conversation turns to philosophy and faith, and I am greatful to be surrounded in a world where I can now make sense of so many of the texts, writings, and classes that I have explored in my path I tell her about some of the classes that I have taken, the philosophies that I have studied, and try to make sense of it as I apply it to a now physical world that I have found myself living in Jane tells me the story of Asanga, how he goes to the cave to meditate in search of meeting Maitreya, the future Buddha, still living in heaven, in the state of Bodhisattva. She tells me in detail about how Maitreya appears to Asanga after many tests of compassion are laid before him. When Maitreya finally appears, Asanga questions him as to what took him so long, and Maitreya simply explains that he was always there.

I turn and think of how many religions have such similar stories, and how the tests of faith are strong. I wonder about myself and what my tests have been, and if I have faired well at them ever in my life. I think of my past and mistakes that I have made, and times that I have shown no compassion to others and mostly none to myself. Suddenly there is something continuously tickling the back of my right arm. I keep reaching to scratch it and see what is there, when I feel something under my shirt that is long and a bit squishy.  After all the monsoon horror stories I instantly think "leach" as I begin to tense up and turn to look down the back of my shirt and towards my arm. I jump and scream as I see it is a caterpillar that has some how gone into my shirt and is tickling my armpit with his fuzzy brown fur. As Jane removes the caterpillar I turn to her and suddenly blurt out how this all makes sense with as mystical as my world has been the past few weeks.

I think to myself about the meaning of the caterpillar and the butterfly and mention to Jane if this is just another sign of where I am headed and where I have been. Before writing this post I googled Buddha and caterpillar to see if there is maybe a story of Buddha with a caterpillar involved, and find this quote. "You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar." I wonder if I have begun to break through my cocoon, as my wings are feeling very wet.