Just a quickie to say that I landed safely in Brisbane at dawn this morning and, though having endured a bit of unpleasantness with Australia's extremely vigilant, strict and intractable customs/quarantine agents (note to y'all: if you travel here, don't succumb to a sleepless stupor and space out that you have some citrus fruit in your bag), I'm happily lodged at the little center house in the Tarragindi suburb. It couldn't have provided more of a contrast to Mongolia. Surrounded by native red gum trees and non-native palms, both ardently patroled by aptly-named Noisy Miners, I enjoyed a veggie potluck lunch with the Brisbane sangha -- so delightful, all of them -- while we sweated out steadily more oppresive humidity which finally gave way to a 90-minute tropical downpour. I'm now sitting under a ceiling fan, listening to tree frog love songs, and contemplating a cool shower before turning in.
Please note that I've posted the schedule for my PowerPoint lectures, called "The Buddha Was Only Sleeping: Mongolia's Post-Communist Buddhist Revival," in the sidebar to the right. If you have pals Down Under, I hope you'll pass the info along.
OK, I know you're all on pins and needles, but curiously the first bird I saw in Australia was not a lifer. Cattle Egrets, common in North America, showed off their amazing orange-tinged breeding plumage as they fed in the rain-soaked grass strips next to the runway as we taxied in. The first official Australian lifer was a Straw-necked Ibis flying over the highway as we sped to the southern 'burbs. But the coolest sighting by far was an enormous Australian Brush-turkey wandering into the front yard.
More soon. Australia's amazing and we're gonna have a ball.
mtshungs med dkon mchog nor bu mchog la,
Awesome blog and linked sites, dude! Some time ago I stumbled on the Shambhala construction project in Mongolia. Today I stumbled on your text which provided much intriguing background on the projects creator, among other things. This is great work you're doing -- many thanks.
All best wishes,
YAK
(Yet Another Konchok)
Posted by: Konchok Tashi aka J.W. Pettit | January 06, 2008 at 10:11 AM
There's this T.V show about quarantine affairs at Australian airports, with all kinds of problems occuring. Did you notice any cameras while you were being checked for fruit?
Posted by: Jae-Min | January 06, 2008 at 03:47 PM
Well well well. A genuine Buddhist celebrity chimes in! JW Pettit is the illustrious translator of Mipham Rinpoche's Beacon of Certainty, a seminal text in which Ju Mipham obliterates the accusations that the highest Dzogchen teachings of the Nyngmapa are incompatible with the highest Madhyamika teachings of the Mahayana. Welcome aboard, John! Glad you're enjoying the circus. What are you working on now?
Jae-Min: Didn't notice cameras, though one can be sure they were there. There was a bloke leading a beagle around that sniffed everyone's bags and person, though, and lots of random questioning. I'll definitely be less blase next time.
Don't you love that monks are addressed as "dude" in America? Probably nuns, too.
Posted by: Konchog | January 06, 2008 at 05:12 PM
Speaking of birds, check out my site, blissfuldakini.us
Speaking of miracles, (aren't we always?)....
Move over Jesus on the taco, and the Shroud of Turin, my dog, Barky-sattva, (just joking, his name is Lucky-Tashi) scratched me with his Mandarava nails when I was chanting the Heart Sutra yesterday.
The mottled blue bruise that formed was in the unmistakable shape of a vajra. Modesty precludes a picture, but trust me, the thigh's have it!
Have fun spreading the Dharma, dear friend...and don't forget to spread the sunblock, too.
Posted by: Samaya | January 06, 2008 at 06:49 PM
But clementines are seedless! How could they represent a national threat to Australia?
I guess that arguing botanics with a customs officer is fruitless too...
The good news is that they did not put you in quarantine in order to wait that the ingested imaginary seeds come out!
The ibises are beautiful.
Posted by: Christian | January 07, 2008 at 12:50 AM
Dude, the turkey is awesome! Ibises are cool too. Enjoy the sun!
Posted by: Palzang | January 07, 2008 at 01:02 PM
Holy cow, an international citrus smuggler! Looking forward to your AUS pics. Yes, I must admit I have picked up the unfortunate habit of addressing certain robed sangha as "Dude" but I have to tell you, it's usually only Anis Sonam and Yeshi, and Ani Sonam is the one who started it, dude.
Posted by: dara | January 08, 2008 at 10:24 PM