7 years ago today
Jopoa passed away
from life into death

Time is an illusion
sweeping us continually into this present moment
Where have these 7 years gone?

We live
only in the present
even when we dwell in the past
or worry about the future
it is always done right here, in the present moment

This awareness matching perfectly with appearances
either side ceaselessly changing
that's all there is
unending change

Don't attach to this or that
don't distinguish good from bad
and from that
we will find the universal good underlying both and all
it is all the beautiful manfestation
of the same unnamable pristine awareness

unknowable
unnamable
inconceivable

though we try to know
label it
and think about it

I look at the picture of my icon
Jopoa, who meant so much to me
who still means so much to me
The symbol of radiance, light, energy, life & death
The eternal child
spirit flowed through this life
while body moved itself along with her
the baby, the young girl, the married one, the one with children
the one who escaped the Japanese occupation of China
the one who came to teach me
the one who became old
the one who died

We are all her
we are all each other
in spite of all our differences
we are fundamentally the same
trying to reach for the same ultimate truths
trying to awaken to our own true nature

Today I will sing songs that I wrote to honor her
say prayers,
remind myself of the sacredness of being human

For in her life and in her death
may we remember
the profound state of wonderment we naturally expressed as children
that indominable spirit that could not be stopped
of being born a son or daughter of the universe
a child of pristine awareness

Life goes on
In the remembrance of her death 5 years afterwards
The flame of love was passed on right here on Gaia
when a Hummingbird flew by this abode
and on her way noticed something that intrigued her
....the beginnings of the transferrence of love

I found Jopoa's love
rebirthed in a new life with my wife Anna
and so
love continues flowing on
moving from one body to another
this energy field of the universe
bodies dying both love never does

For though loved ones die
their love never does
it lives within us
making us into who we are
it resides in the invisible memory field of our own being
it is there in our presence and awareness of every appearance around us
and is the secret teacher behind all our lessons
the driver behind all our actions
the kindness in all our good deeds
the saving grace behind suffering
the beat that moves that heart

That love we carry with us always
quietly and unspoken
When people meet me
they meet us
When they love me
they love this love I carry of Jopoa and all those who have loved me

Love is that quality which we cherished most in our loved ones
that emphereal quality not of the body
and we who are loved
internalize that love
become the living ambassador of it
especially when our loved ones have passed on

The flame of love within our own heart
lit by the act of being loved
we carry forth
like a proud Olympic Torch bearer
setting ablaze other hearts

LOOK! This love I have been given!
It is utterly marvelous, deep, profound
it is beyond everything

Smile at the world
for that smile is your gift of the love you have been given
That simple smile
opens the chakras
and allows love to flow into the heart of other beings

We have been gifted
now let us gift
For love is nothing
if not gratefulness

Let me light your heart with it
pass it on to you
so that you may live ablazed in its profoundness
friends all of you
even strangers, friends waiting to happen
be kept warm on cold days by this internal fire

We had just finished hosting the Buddhist Relics Tour here in Capetown and Johannesburg, South Africa. The relics tour is a collection of sacred relics produced by Buddhist masters at the time of their death. They are pearl-like objects found in  their cremation ashes.

It was a very beautiful and moving event.

Here iin Johannesburg, we held it in the Lam Rim centre, where Anna and I were married last year.

We had a tremendously busy day yesterday. So many people felt so fortunate at having experienced the Relics. So many moving stories of young and old. We also had a beautiful Question and Answer session with venerable Samden which I felt was very insightful. Samden explained that the relics are actually the result of intense visualization meditation at the chakra points of the body.  I have practiced for many years but I found Samden's explanations very enlightening (no pun intended).

We have received a sign at the closing ceremony from Geshe Konchog Rinpoche that this event was spiritually profound for Africa.

During the closing ceremony last night, there were only about 20 of us left including sangha members Philip, Neil, myself, Anna, Louise, Karl and Atu.  The most amazingly beautiful thing happened.

As Nyingje, the nun with the tour was saying some final words, she glanced over and noticed that the relic of Geshe Konchog began to glow orange...the same color as a heater heating element or a lit cigarette. She said "oh, look, the relic is glowing". It was an area about 1mm square on the relic that actually glowed, not the entire relic.

She said that every time she said "rejoice", it pulsated more light out. We couldn't believe it so we all rushed forward to the relics to see and sure enough, all 20 of us witnessed a dot of warm orange light glowing the one side of Geshe Konchog's relic! The orange light seemed to be emanating from the heart of one side of the relic.

Those with digital cameras took some pictures and we could clearly see on the pictures what we witnessed with our eyes. Later that evening, we looked at Samden's pictures and they were the clearest of all. He will send them to us later.

We were all visibly moved by this auspicious sign. It was a profoundly joyous and moving experience for all present.

It was funny because Victoria, the Relic coordinator was explaining the relics earlier to the audience and said that in Taiwan and in Korea, the relics both did something similiar. In Korea, the community there had suspicions about the relics because a Chinese tour had come by some time earlier and they were asking for huge donations of money. There, a number of relics kept lighting up alternately. In Taiwan, there was one relic that shone as brightly as a lightbulb. Victoria said there was a Youtube video of it but I wasn't able to find it yet.

Nyingje said that it was a sign from Geshe Konchog Rinpoche that we had done an auspicious deed bringing the tour to Africa and sending blessing energy of the great teachers out for the benefit of beings throughout....like a ripple in a pond. Perhaps it marks a turning point of sorts.

What this means is that Geshe Konchog's energy and probably all the other enlightened beings whose relics were part of the collection were right there manifesting their presence with us in the shrine room all this time. The signs also confirms to practitioners we are on the right path and inspires each of us and together as a group to continue with our efforts towards awareness and loving kindness to all beings.

This sign has changed my way of experiencing reality. It's funny. Just before this, Anna and I were just discussing "intelligent devotion". Unmistakable signs like this have a way of converting partial confidence into full confidence. One needs that full confidence in order to make full commitment. Venerable Samden said that Milarepa practiced so hard because he received signs of the Hell realms and did all that was possible to avoid it!

A profound experience like this leaves no doubts in one's mind about the reality of the incredible truth and of our own potential to realize buddha-nature. The makes us feel that the buddhafields are indeed surrounding us at all times. It is up to us to remove our obscurations to directly experience them.

We are all so fortunate to have been a part of this. I will publish the photo as soon as it is sent to me.

Many Blessings to all sentient beings
Gien