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| A Celebration of the Life and Teaching of Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche The ceremony celebrating the life of
Namgyal Rinpoche was held on Sunday November 2nd and attended by 300 people.
A 120x40 foot tent had been raised in the field beside the Main House for the
meeting space, and a 40x20 foot tent was in place in the field below
Wind Cabin for the food and drink.
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Click here for Photo Gallery |
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Hanging on the walls about the shrine were numerous thangkas, several of the
Tarot banners, and 20 or so photographs of Rinpoche, enlarged to 13x19
inch size. Arranged on tables along the back walls were displays of objects
representing some of the many interests and collections of the Rinpoche
throughout his life; gems and minerals, essential oils, textiles,
telescopes and a microscope, video games, jigsaw puzzles, music, arts
and crafts from around the world. A continuous looping slide show was
running at one end of the tent, with 60 or so pictures of the Rinpoche,
including ones of his childhood, his student days, and his years in Burma, as
well as many of the years of travel and teaching around the world. Playing
in the background were some of Rinpoche’s favorite pieces of music.
Sonam began the ceremony with prayers. Then Terry told of the circumstances around Rinpoche’s passing. (Click here for Terry's speech. ) Subsequently we sat together in meditation for a time. After that everybody came up to the shrine, one by one, to offer a white scarf to Rinpoche. They were all placed on the table in front of the shrine holding the urn. This process went slowly and contemplatively as everyone took their time to reaffirm their connection with the Rinpoche. As people finished this moving ceremony they wandered out to the Food Tent where the tables were overflowing with a marvelous variety of foods, drinks, hot soup, and desserts. After lunch we reconvened in the Main Tent to share stories, poems, chants, comments and thoughts on how our lives had been touched by this amazing being. People spontaneously took turns telling stories that ranged from the hilarious to the moving, giving an indication of the immense impact of this being. People had the opportunity to see old acquaintances, people they had shared a room with for retreats or boat trips with Rinpoche at innumerable locations around the world, old friends from this far flung sangha. People had flown in from Australia, Brazil, England, Switzerland, Holland, Guatemala; flown or driven from California, New Mexico and New Jersey, and from all across Canada: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. |
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