Sunday

Encounter in Ireland

from Jim Norton

Trungpa Rinpoche visited Dao Shonu, the main European land centre as it was then in, I think, 1981. He stayed one night. I can supply a photo of him emerging from Newgrange, the nearby neolithic ceremonial site. Asked about its energies he is reputed to have commented: “there are rakshas there but they have been taken care of”.

He gave a short enigmatic talk in the shrine room. The atmosphere was very tense. At the end of the talk he very slowly put his hand inside his jacket, drew out a thin gold box, and from it a cigarette. At that point, a tray of beers was carried in and the atmosphere completely changed! Having lit his cigarette he invited questions. I was first up. A chair was placed in front of him and he gestured to me to sit. He shook my hand. I welcomed him to Ireland and I explained that I had been practicing and teaching TM (Transcendental Meditation of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi) for some years but having just read Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism thought I had better now become his student.

He was non-committal. Concerning the societal effects of meditation, I put to him Maharishi’s view that if even 1% of a population practiced TM an enlightened society would result. He nodded. Pressing the point, I asked him if meditators could avert war – even nuclear war. He replied in a very soft voice: “We have already done this.”

Throughout the conversation he held on to my hand. I could not get loose from him. I gabbled on. The intimate intensity of the encounter became overwhelming. Finally, as an excuse to get away I said that others would be wanting to meet him. He released my hand and wished me “good luck.”