I had designated tomorrow a get-outta-the-city mental health day. One Brother Andreas from Germany wrote in, saying he would be in UB during January and could we go out birding sometime? Brother Brian and I thought that was a swell idea and rigged it up, recruiting an aspiring Mongolian birder to come along. Then I just looked at tomorrow’s forecast. High might struggle up to 1F (-17C), but with a stiff breeze that'll make it feel like -31F (-35C). Tomorrow will be a day, to be sure, but I think I need to scrub the “mental health” designation, even fortified with Abbot’s Choice Dark French Roast. Also worried about squelching the enthusiasm of our Mongolian friend. On the other hand, there’s a fair chance of spotting the very handsome Père David’s Snowfinch, so...
Anyway, assuming I thaw out in time, not at all certain given how they’re screwing around with my building’s heating lately (decidedly off at the moment; I’ve strapped The Mooj to my head for warmth), on Sunday we will resurrect our Ulaanbaatar Dharma Practice & Study Group. Lama Bayantsagaan of Lam Rim Datsan (located south of Gandan Monastery on the east side, below Ikh Khuree) has kindly offered a room for our use, so anyone here in UB is welcome, along with friends and family, to come at 3pm. For this inaugural gathering, I’ve had two short chanting practices translated/transliterated into Mongolian, dedicated to the Buddhas Amitabha and Chenresig. In addition to chanting those, we’ll practice a little meditation, I’ll offer a short teaching (in English with Mongolian translation), and we’ll have some time for discussion. Not sure yet about coffee and donuts. The intention is to make this a weekly affair.
Laughed. Out. Loud. at the Mooj thing.
Posted by: Ryan | January 09, 2009 at 01:09 PM