I woke up early this morning as usual and finished my prayers. At eight o'clock, I had breakfast with my Dharma friend, Geshe Ngawang, who had recently come to visit me in California. We talked about the past years and various plans for the future. The kitchen was roaring with laughter monk humor and jokes.
In the afternoon, the devout mother, Ama Susan, sponsored the lunch, so we went to a nearby Thai restaurant and ate as much as we wanted with our friend Geshe and had a hearty meal, all leaving with very full stomachs. Immediately after lunch, we took a stroll along the shores of the Pacific ocean, which everyone admired, and it was very pleasant.
When I got home, the phone rang, and it was my friend Ngodrup Dorjee. He is from the only Tibetan family in this area. He asked, “Khenpo La are you at home?” He said that his parents arrived from Nepal today, and that his family said they would like to vist the Dharma Center for a short time. I welcomed their arrival. About ten minutes later, my friend Ngodup Dorje's family arrived at the Dharma Center. Although there was no condition to fill the table with Tibetan food, Tibetan tea, meat, butter, and cheese, I offered them delicious milk tea. After a short time together, I went to the door with them to say goodbye. As I went inside, I glanced at the flower garden outside the Dharma Center. Unfortunately, I spotted a small mouse on its back, writhing to the side.
As I approached and took a closer look, my heart ached when I saw a tiny mouse throbbing with pain. I called out loudly several times to my Dharma friend, Geshe Ngawang, who came immediately. We gently placed the ailing mouse on a soft cloth. We were about to examine the mouse to see what was wrong, but my hands were too big and the mouse was too small, so it was impossible to do anything easily. I guessed it might have severe pain inside its abdomen. In any case, when I saw the little mouse trembling its limbs due to the pain, sometimes opening its mouth and staring, I couldn't help but shed a few tears.
Geshe and I recited mantras and Buddhas’ names into the mouse's ear, as much as we knew. Whether it helped him or not is a mystery, but after reciting, I felt genuinely relieved. Because, the only thing I can do to help others is this kind of Dharma practice.
The next morning, as soon as I got up, I went to check on the mouse and found that it had passed away. I recited the entire Recitation for the Accomplishment of Sukhavati by Namchu Mingyur Dorje that I had spent my whole life practicing, and, at the end, I recited the condensed Namchu Phowa, Transference of Consciousness prayer:
EH MA HO!
Extremely amazing Protector Amitabha, Great Compassionate One, Avalokiteshvara, Powerful Vajrapani,
I make single-pointed requests to You.
We pray that the deceased, may their consciousness be blessed to be transferred to the Great Land of Bliss.
PHAT
Focusing with one-pointed attention, it was recited three times. The sound of “PHAT” filled the Dharma Center, and the mouse’s consciousness was sent into the Pureland of Great Bliss. Haha!
Posting this mouse’s photo on Facebook, many people expressed their condolences and offered prayers. After keeping it in the Dharma Center for three days, tomorrow is the fifteenth day of Saga Dawa, so we, with Geshe-la, will bury this fortunate mouse’s body near the Buddha statue in the Dharma Center’s flower garden. This mouse was named Karma Zangpo. I made prayers that in the next life, he would be reborn as my neighbor and student, and I made a vow to give him the Dharma name Karma Zangpo at that time as well. That's all for today's diary. Tashi Delek. Emaho!
This is a reposted blog, originally published on June 16, 2019, in Tibetan. It was translated with the help of translation software, Monlam AI. I thought that, during the month of Saga Dawa, some of my students would enjoy reading this story in English about my animal friend who passed away in the Dharma Center.
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