Textual Healing

There’ll be a Floki update at the end of this post, with surprises, but believe it or not I am here in Mongolia for reasons other than managing a menagerie, and I have big news that I’ve been sitting on for a while.

In the promotional material for our Mongolian Buddhism Revival Project (MBRP) we use this descriptive line: “Cooperating in the Renaissance of Mongolia’s Buddhist Culture.” This was our intention, and much of last year’s activity consisted of a bit of detective work to discover from the Mongolians how this might best be accomplished together.

Based on reports we sent back to my teacher, Jetsunma, she quickly identified two areas that should be given top priority: facilitating the travel and livelihood of promising young Mongolians who wish to train in the Tibetan monasteries in India, and the translation and printing of our tradition’s important books.

Regarding the former, I’m happy to announce that eight boys – six from Eastern Gobi and two from Ulaanbaatar, but all connected to Danzan Ravjaa’s Khamar Monastery – boarded a plane for Delhi on Sunday and by now should have arrived at HH Penor Rinpoche’s Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe. They’ll join the three Mongolians already there for multi-year training in the philosophy, practice and ritual techniques of the Nyingma tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, carrying that rich knowledge back to Mongolia one day.

It’s in the arena of book printing, though, where I can share the biggest news.

Among the many atrocities committed in Mongolia by the Stalinist zealots of the 1930’s was the wholesale sacking and destruction of Mongolia’s incomparable Buddhist libraries. Considering that the National Library still houses about a million texts, it’s safe to say that untold millions of scriptures were lost during that time. This cultural tragedy is almost inconceivable in its scope.

Our primary task here is to assist with the revival of the traditions of Padmasambhava, and during last year’s investigations we had our antennae up to see if any of the basic collections of that tradition’s scriptures had been preserved. After two years of searching, we have not been able to find them anywhere, so Jetsunma said, “OK, let’s print them and offer them anew. As many as we can.”

Working out the details of this has occupied a lot of my time this go-round, and of course one of the details is how to pay for it. One full collection runs to 262 volumes, each averaging about 675 pages. With the printing, creating custom-stamped hard covers, and having cloth wraps sewn by an FPMT-sponsored poor women’s collective, each collection costs about $7000 to produce.

Well, I’m thrilled to announce that a Mongolian family has come forward with an offer to sponsor the entire first collection. All of it! With funds already provided, we have set everything in motion and are on track to offer this set of texts, as is the sponsor’s wish, to Khamar Monastery in the early spring.

It would be impossible to overemphasize how crucial the step of printing texts is to reviving this tradition. The idea of living a Buddhist life is to move from ignorance and suffering to enlightenment and true freedom. These books contain the explanations and practical instructions on how to do just that unusually quickly, perhaps in this very lifetime. They also provide the guidelines for qualified lamas to perform the essential Vajrayana transmission ceremonies that we call empowerments. They’re the necessary prerequisite for lama tours of Mongolia that we are planning for the near future. We want to print several of these collections and distribute them across the country.

And you can participate! The figure of $7000 might be a little daunting and beyond most people’s means (if it’s not, please do send me an email!), but when you break it down, individual texts can be sponsored for just $25. Brother Palzang has been hard at work in his garret updating and expanding the MBRP web pages (check it out). One is devoted to this Nyingma Text Project. It gives more details about exactly what we’re printing and has cool incentives like, for example, if you sponsor two texts, we’ll send you a free copy of Michael Kohn’s book about Danzan Ravjaa, Lama of the Gobi (while they last!). And, of course, the eternal gratitude of your humble author.

Oh, I should mention that we are receiving crucial assistance in this project from the Tibetan Buddhism Resource Center and the Bodhi Foundation.

Floki Update

Had it not been for Vedran’s impassioned plea, I might have named the little guy Augie. You remember the cartoon Augie Doggie and Doggie Daddy? I am so totally Doggie Daddy. Feeding every 3-4 hours, daily baths, responding to whimpering at 2AM, pill dosing, trips to the doc, schlepping out when it’s 10 below to get milk…I have renewed respect and awe for parents. Thought I got off easy being Unka Monk but apparently my karmic debts are not yet paid in full.

Li’l Floki encouraged me by eating like a wolf after his first vet visit, but then he didn’t poop for a day and a half. When he finally did it was the same ickiness as before, so back to the vet we went. Now here’s where I got some new information (my Mongol vet’s English is limited, and you know the state of my Mongolian, so…). Turns our Floki’s leg breaks are not the result of trauma, but this does not mean that his former owner is not still a jackass. He’s got rickets! Yeah, I had to look it up too. Sounds so 19th century! It’s weak bone growth due to calcium and Vitamin D deficiency. Thus, he developed hairline fractures in both hind legs. Not much pain, really, but right now almost useless. The good news is that with enforced rest (literally keeping him in a box), calcium supplements relative to his weight, and hearty chow, he should be a new dog in about a month.

Vedran has saved me from my own peculiar sense of humor. It just popped into my head that I could have also named him Martin, as in Rickety Martin. Or Ricardo.

The vet also confirmed for me that Floki is 100% purebred St. Bernard. Can you imagine? Some day I envision him roaming the Altai Mountains in winter, a cask of fermented mare’s milk strapped to his neck. This is really going to be some adventure.

As a funny aside, my vet clinic is part of the Christian Veterinary Mission. If you can picture it, I was sitting in my robes in their clinic waiting room yesterday, flipping through back issues of Christian Veterinarian Magazine. But to tell you the truth, I don’t care where kindness to animals comes from, and these guys run the best clinic in town.

Oh, and like any dopey new daddy, I’ve been taking lots of pictures. Helps when your subject is so photogenic or, as my little Cuzzin Nicky just wrote me, "...about the most adorable thing on earth":

Comments

[skymermaid]

I love Floki with all my heart from New York in January full moon..wishing only I was there to cuddle up with him..thank you for taking care of him..

[Sarabaite]

Top to bottom, what an uplifting post! You don't need to say much on the subject of keeping important books alive to make this English teacher's day! There's a certain point when a book fan realizes that it's simply impossible to consider herself well-read. For every volume I wrap up, there's several more that come to my attention that should be on my list. Buddhist script has never been checked off my list, I'm sorry to say, which isn't to say I don't respect its value.
Nothing unites people quite like a fuzzy dog, eh? You get attached so fast to their faces, and feel such obligation once you've commited yourself. It's heart-warming to be reminded how we can't stop trying to make a difference, even if it's one fluffball out of all the strays wandering around, or one series of scriptures out of all the treasures of knowledge that would benefit society.
Thanks for the reminder. I was just feeling bummed about a parent who has been sending me hostile E-mails, insisting that I have intentionally thrown away all of her child's homework. I don't mean one mistake on one assignment; she really believes that I have round-filed eight or so of little darling's assignments out of a personal vendetta. There's so many great people who I work with that I need to remember to just take certain people in stride as a little spot in the big picture.

[sisLaura]

Doesn't he need Vitamin D? That's the treatment for human ricketts, and we do indeed see it, and I'll bet some kids in Mongolia have it. Breast feeding without supplementation and lack of sun, so in northern climes, this is not that rare. We see it in NH from time to time, but need to be alert to it. But please find out if Floki (whom you can pack up and send to me at my expense today..) is supplemented with that. Don't know how doggy skin does the sun metabolism thing with Vitamin D like humans.....

[Ariel]

Excellent news about the students and the reproduction sponsorship!!

[Konchog]

Hi Laura -- I'm sure you're right, and the supplement I have is calcium and D. I heard phosphorous is also involved. Anyway, he's so remarkably better already, actually a little playful today. Once we get his gut in order, I think full recovery will be pretty speedy.

[Palzang]

I think the calcium and D usually has phosphorous in it, although it may not say so on the label. Should be OK, like the vet said, with rest and good nutrition. Probably not much sun to get this time of year anyway! What a cutie!

[The Mysterious K]

CT: I'm in love with this puppy. He's got "the face." Glad to hear he's responding to treatment! Are you sure he can't come and live in Seattle with us? Frankie would really like a little (big) brother. (And Laura can have visiting privileges!)

[Konchog]

I also cracked myself up this morning thinking to call him Split -- Rickety Split -- though maybe that'd be better suited if he was an Akita or Pekingese...

[Mel]

I wasn't aware that CVM had a mission in Mongolia, but I suppose I'm not surprised. Since they're not a particularly queer-friendly group, I haven't really had anything to do with them. I have been wondering, though, if there's a need for textbooks, as I have some from vet school that I'm unlikely to use again. Since I'm knitting for Dulaan, I thought I could send them along as well if they're wanted.

[Sarabaite]

That's an awfully nice offer, Mel! How long have you been a vet? Do you have a specialty? I also have a hard time knowing what to do with old textbooks. It seems a shame to throw them away, even when it's unlikely that I'll use them again. There's always Ebay, but that takes a bit of time.

[Pixie]

*Sigh* Im in love! I keep coming back to look at Floki's pics :D :D

Not sure I agree with the vet about the breed tho'. Deffo has the look of a Bernese to me. Still whatever he is, you'll know soon enough!

XXPixieXX