Monday

Walking in Juniper

Buddha on Juniper Hill in Ontario

Walking in Junipers

A poem by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche
Written for his father, July 29,1989

The other night I dreamt of you.
You were in the realm of the dakinis
Surrounded by your multitude of maidens.
Some came to you
And some wanted you to come to them
Others just played in your delight
Still others could not see, but only talked.
I was happy, delighted by the night
But became shy and frustrated when I talked to you.
You had a smile like the moon – cool and clear.
I felt as though I had come home.
You asked me how I was
But I could only reply in rhymes
That were full of the dark
And the dirt that had come to haunt me.
I could only talk of the degenerate age.
I could only talk of the beautiful palace you had built
That now was full of rust and animals that crawled.
But then I caught myself
And told you of the victory banner you had left
Which was still high,
Protected by the drala of kasung.
Then you said that I should not worry
For all is the way it should be.
You told me of the great battles we were to fight
And the victories we would enjoy.
You told me of the splendor of the future age
And how Gesar of Ling would become a father again.
Then you became small, and I was holding you in my arms.
The dakinis had gone—
It was just you and me.

– Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

Read an interview on Tricycle.com with the Sakyong from Winter 1997, in which he discusses the leadership of Shambhala, the legacy of his father, Trungpa Rinpoche, and the future of Buddhism in the West. Though it has been out for a while, it is heartfelt and informative

Visit Tricycle.com to read the interview.

From: Wake up Boston!