Bariloche

It has been difficult to find time lately to update the blog, but I can share with you images from our most recent event in Bariloche, Argentina:

https://picasaweb.google.com/mxscczz/TourDeLasReliquiasBRC2011#

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The Future of Food

The issue of genetically modified food is a very serious issue. Many people do not know the full implications of GM foods, and the corporations who produce GM foods do not want people to know the health and environmental consequences of such foods. I came across this documentary a few weeks ago, and was completely stunned. Please take the time to watch it.

It is my wish that this documentary be viewed by as many people as possible so that the veil of ignorance may be lifted. This is a free documentary called “The Future of Food” and will help shed light on this issue.

http://www.thefutureoffood.com/onlinevideo.html

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Please watch and share – Utmost importance!

This documentary is called ‘Plan B: Mobilizing to Save Civilization’ from a series of books by Lester Brown. He is an environmental visionary and discusses climate change in a very inclusive manner, connecting many aspects of human life and society. I read his book “Plan B 4.0” a few months ago and was completely amazed. He is an amazing thinker and presents clear solutions to the problem Mother Earth now faces. It is time to spread the word and remove the veil of ignorance and realize that we are intimately connected on this planet. For this April only, you can see this streaming documentary. Please watch and share with others. After April, you will have to buy a copy, which isn’t a bad idea either. I sure plan to buy a copy.

Here is the link, please take the time to watch it.

http://video.pbs.org/video/1864227276/

 

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Limitless

“Our problem is that inside us there’s a mind going, “Impossible, impossible. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.”

We have to banish that mind from this solar system.

Anything is possible; everything is possible.

Sometimes you feel that your dreams are impossible, but they’re not.

Human beings have great potential; they can do anything.

The power of the mind is incredible, limitless.”

-Lama Thubten Yeshe

Photo credit: Merry Colony

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The Cozumel event

Our event in Cozumel was the first one in South America, and a splendid way to begin our 4 month voyage!

To arrive in Cozumel, we first landed in Cancun, then drove about 1 hour south to Playa del Carmen where we got a 30 minute ferry to the island of Cozumel. The island is of incredible beauty, and I truly felt that I was not in Mexico. Cozumel feels like a country of its own. After spending 1 week resting and getting things organized, we were ready for the event which took place in the city’s museum on the main strip overlooking the beautiful Caribbean.

When we first arrived in Cozumel, we were informed by the museum that we could only set up the altar and shop on Friday, which was the very same day of the opening ceremony. This would mean that we would have had to set up in a hurry and be all stressed out and not have time to go back home and shower and get all pretty for the opening ceremony. Apparently there was a gallery opening on Thursday evening for a photographer, and he was using the very same space we were going to use. Then a few days before the event, we got word that the opening ceremony for the photographer was canceled and indeed we could begin the set up on Thursday evening. This was great news because we could set up the altar in a much more spacious way.

It is a beautiful thing to be able to create an altar for the Buddhas, and I really enjoy seeing the transformation of a space. Moya, the organizer, was able to gather many beautiful Thankas, (especially a large Shakyamuni Buddha that we hung from the ceiling) to adorn the room. Also, many students of the center brought their statues to place on the altar. Moya got some amazing flowers that completely transformed the altar.

Cozumel has a population of about 100,000. During the event, about 1,000 people came. This means that 1% of the island came to see the Relics, and this must be a record percentage wise! We were all very happy with the outcome. There was quite a bit of media done to promote the event, we went to a TV interview, and came out in a few newspapers as well. Everybody that came to the event came out very happy and we even received children from a local school.

Here are some more photos from the event:

A very fortunate newborn!!!

This is Ven. Nyinje, a Mexican monk. He came to help us during the weekend and also stayed with us at Moya’s house. We all had such a good time together, so much laughter and good times. Ven. Nyinje is a very easy going and funny monk, and very accessible. During the event, Moya asked him to be the resident monk at the FPMT center in Cozumel, which he accepted to everybody’s delight! He will also be the spiritual program coordinator.  He is the only Buddhist monk in the island, and many young people took a liking to him during the event.

Here is Paula helping at the Dharma shop we set up. We brought with us some beautiful items that we offer to people in exchange for donations. I like to think of this as an exchange of merit, and by no ways a commercial endeavor. This is not like selling a bag of potatoes, but rather a way where people can donate to Maitreya Project and we offer them a holy object.

May all beings be completely purified of all sickness, negative emotions, mental and physical ailments. May all beings be kind to one another, and abide in harmony and peace. May there never be any wars or conflicts. May the word ‘suffering’ never be mentioned again.

Ven. Nyinje and Ven. Begona giving blessings with relics of Shakyamuni Buddha.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has asked that we always have music offeringS on the altar for people to play and offer to their teachers.It is especially fun watching children play the cymbals!

This was one of the most beautiful altars I have seen in my experience with overseas events. It was not big, but indeed very exquisite with many buddha statues, flowers and offerings.

Moya and Daniel

This newborn was just a few days old! How fortunate to receive such powerful blessings at a young age!

This was probably the biggest dog I have ever seen. It was a guide dog for a German man. I asked him what he used the dog for, as he was not blind. He told me that the dog helps him with his head, so I figure that the dogs warns the owner if something will happen such as a blood clot or something. This family was just wondering around the museum when I told them to see the Relics.

Here you can get a better sense of the space in the museum.

 

After the event, Moya and her husband Sergio invited us to a trip on a sailing boat to go snorkeling. We happily accepted the offer, as the Relic Tour event had ended and we did not have many days before having to leave for Cancun. We sailed for about 4 hours, keeping parallel to the coast. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we got to snorkel in the coral reefs which are very famous. I was told that the reef system in Cozumel is the second largest in the world, Australia’s being the first.

Cozumel receives many tourists, mainly from cruise ships. That day we say 4 of these humongous boats!

The snorkeling experience was wonderful. I was able to find myself a 5lb belt to help me sink to see the coral life up close. We were amazed to see a beautiful sea turtle gliding along, and we followed it for a few minutes. I had never seen a sea turtle in the wild. It also felt very auspicious to see it. I also saw some baracudas, poor things, they are so ugly looking!

On the boat we also brought along a Relic of Shakyamuni Buddha so that all the marine life underneath the boat would receive blessings. We remembered Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who in Santa Cruz a few years before had requested that a plexiglass sheet with mantras be toed by a sail boat to bless the water and all the beings in the Pacific Ocean. We had a Tsa-Tsa of Maitreya Buddha which we also placed in the ocean to bring blessings. Moya had 3 6″ stupas which were a bit broken, so we took them with us to place in the sea. Ven. Nyinge, Sergio and myself snorkeled to the edge of the coral reef, where the sea floor drops by many thousand feet to drop the stupas. It was amazing to see to such depths without seeing the floor. It was almost haunting. The color was a beautiful deep dark blue which faded into deep darkness. The stupas had a large flat base, so when we dropped them, they did not fall straight down, but rather rocked to and fro gently as they made their decent to the ocean floor. They sank upright, and for a few minutes we tracked the stupas as they journey down, getting smaller and smaller until they vanished into the depths bringing much blessings to the sea and all beings who live in her.

We also threw in a glass with a mantra given by Guru Rinpoche which Lama Zopa Rinpoche has requested to place in bodies of water all over the world. Any sentient being who connects with this water will receive blessings. I have this mantra glass for each city we visit on this South American Relic Tour, offered generously by Chiu-Nan from Lapis Lazuli Light. You can see the mantra in detail:

Good times!!!

I leave you with some of the amazing sunset photos I was able to capture.

OM AH HUM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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