Rinpoche's wife, Jane Tromge, is enjoying her "Travels with Chagdud Rinpoche" and is blessing us with epistles worthy of Steinbeck. Dateline southwest France: In a highly uncharacteristic move, Rinpoche stops at a street market. Near the market, where the sight of the lama turned one or two stoic French heads, is a huge network of Buddhist centers. Along a high ridge outside of St. Leon are the centers of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa, H.H. Khyentse Rinpoche, Gendes Rinpoche, Tulku Pema, and many more. Sogyal Rinpoche has rented a medieval village for his 250 retreatants. As Jane says, 'The place is called Les Ages (The Ancients) and is usually used for equestrian events. People are sleeping in horse stalls and the teaching room is a revamped dressage rink–it is really a wonderful place." And one that no gentleman from Kham could fail to appreciate, at least if the horses were still there.
Jane goes on to describe a landscape of "wind-swept hills, gardens filled with summer flowers, hollyhocks and rows of poplars, and sand-colored stones and rust-colored mortar of the houses, red tile roofs–rosy and inviting against the blue sky."
She recounts a long audience with the Sangyum, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's widow: "She uses her voice like an instrument running through cadences of emotion, the most astonishing of which is in fact astonishment–her eyes flash and her voice goes up, then cuts off." The Sangyum related her dreams preceding His Holiness' death, and Chagdud Rinpoche imparted the oral history of the establishment of Chagdud Gonpa in the West. Finally, at the end of the second interview, Sangyum Kusho asked Rinpoche why he doesn't cut his beard. Then she paused and blinked her eyes three times. As Rinpoche reached protectively for his silver wisps, she continued, 'Or why don't you braid it?’. He turned and looked at me with an abashed grin. Rinpoche looks more disheveled than usual these days, but very beautiful."
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is apparently as enamored of motorized prayer wheels as is Chagdud Tulku, and Jane describes a gigantic one in the main room of the house. The wheel, five feet high, three in diameter, spun at 180 rpm and was not balanced, with results that hinted peril to the immediate surroundings. To the relief of everyone in the house, it has now been adjusted.
Jane reports that much wonderful translation work is being done by Khyentse Rinpoche's students, along with those of Tulku Pema. She says that Khen Rinpoche and Damcho are fine.
Finally, "Rinpoche wants me to close this letter. 'This kind energy, why not book making?' ... I look forward to the time when we will all be together again, at the Tara puja after Thanksgiving. But we are never apart."
Stay tuned for news from Tibet.
Cary Groner
Rinpoche's wife, Jane Tromge, is enjoying her "Travels with Chagdud Rinpoche" and is blessing us with epistles worthy of Steinbeck. Dateline southwest France: In a highly uncharacteristic move, Rinpoche stops at a street market. Near the market, where the sight of the lama turned one or two stoic French heads, is a huge network of Buddhist centers. Along a high ridge outside of St. Leon are the centers of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa, H.H. Khyentse Rinpoche, Gendes Rinpoche, Tulku Pema, and many more. Sogyal Rinpoche has rented a medieval village for his 250 retreatants. As Jane says, 'The place is called Les Ages (The Ancients) and is usually used for equestrian events. People are sleeping in horse stalls and the teaching room is a revamped dressage rink–it is really a wonderful place." And one that no gentleman from Kham could fail to appreciate, at least if the horses were still there.
Jane goes on to describe a landscape of "wind-swept hills, gardens filled with summer flowers, hollyhocks and rows of poplars, and sand-colored stones and rust-colored mortar of the houses, red tile roofs–rosy and inviting against the blue sky."
She recounts a long audience with the Sangyum, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's widow: "She uses her voice like an instrument running through cadences of emotion, the most astonishing of which is in fact astonishment–her eyes flash and her voice goes up, then cuts off." The Sangyum related her dreams preceding His Holiness' death, and Chagdud Rinpoche imparted the oral history of the establishment of Chagdud Gonpa in the West. Finally, at the end of the second interview, Sangyum Kusho asked Rinpoche why he doesn't cut his beard. Then she paused and blinked her eyes three times. As Rinpoche reached protectively for his silver wisps, she continued, 'Or why don't you braid it?’. He turned and looked at me with an abashed grin. Rinpoche looks more disheveled than usual these days, but very beautiful."
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is apparently as enamored of motorized prayer wheels as is Chagdud Tulku, and Jane describes a gigantic one in the main room of the house. The wheel, five feet high, three in diameter, spun at 180 rpm and was not balanced, with results that hinted peril to the immediate surroundings. To the relief of everyone in the house, it has now been adjusted.
Jane reports that much wonderful translation work is being done by Khyentse Rinpoche's students, along with those of Tulku Pema. She says that Khen Rinpoche and Damcho are fine.
Finally, "Rinpoche wants me to close this letter. 'This kind energy, why not book making?' ... I look forward to the time when we will all be together again, at the Tara puja after Thanksgiving. But we are never apart."
Stay tuned for news from Tibet.
Cary Groner
Rinpoche's wife, Jane Tromge, is enjoying her "Travels with Chagdud Rinpoche" and is blessing us with epistles worthy of Steinbeck. Dateline southwest France: In a highly uncharacteristic move, Rinpoche stops at a street market. Near the market, where the sight of the lama turned one or two stoic French heads, is a huge network of Buddhist centers. Along a high ridge outside of St. Leon are the centers of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa, H.H. Khyentse Rinpoche, Gendes Rinpoche, Tulku Pema, and many more. Sogyal Rinpoche has rented a medieval village for his 250 retreatants. As Jane says, 'The place is called Les Ages (The Ancients) and is usually used for equestrian events. People are sleeping in horse stalls and the teaching room is a revamped dressage rink–it is really a wonderful place." And one that no gentleman from Kham could fail to appreciate, at least if the horses were still there.
Jane goes on to describe a landscape of "wind-swept hills, gardens filled with summer flowers, hollyhocks and rows of poplars, and sand-colored stones and rust-colored mortar of the houses, red tile roofs–rosy and inviting against the blue sky."
She recounts a long audience with the Sangyum, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's widow: "She uses her voice like an instrument running through cadences of emotion, the most astonishing of which is in fact astonishment–her eyes flash and her voice goes up, then cuts off." The Sangyum related her dreams preceding His Holiness' death, and Chagdud Rinpoche imparted the oral history of the establishment of Chagdud Gonpa in the West. Finally, at the end of the second interview, Sangyum Kusho asked Rinpoche why he doesn't cut his beard. Then she paused and blinked her eyes three times. As Rinpoche reached protectively for his silver wisps, she continued, 'Or why don't you braid it?’. He turned and looked at me with an abashed grin. Rinpoche looks more disheveled than usual these days, but very beautiful."
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is apparently as enamored of motorized prayer wheels as is Chagdud Tulku, and Jane describes a gigantic one in the main room of the house. The wheel, five feet high, three in diameter, spun at 180 rpm and was not balanced, with results that hinted peril to the immediate surroundings. To the relief of everyone in the house, it has now been adjusted.
Jane reports that much wonderful translation work is being done by Khyentse Rinpoche's students, along with those of Tulku Pema. She says that Khen Rinpoche and Damcho are fine.
Finally, "Rinpoche wants me to close this letter. 'This kind energy, why not book making?' ... I look forward to the time when we will all be together again, at the Tara puja after Thanksgiving. But we are never apart."
Stay tuned for news from Tibet.
Cary Groner
Rinpoche's wife, Jane Tromge, is enjoying her "Travels with Chagdud Rinpoche" and is blessing us with epistles worthy of Steinbeck. Dateline southwest France: In a highly uncharacteristic move, Rinpoche stops at a street market. Near the market, where the sight of the lama turned one or two stoic French heads, is a huge network of Buddhist centers. Along a high ridge outside of St. Leon are the centers of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa, H.H. Khyentse Rinpoche, Gendes Rinpoche, Tulku Pema, and many more. Sogyal Rinpoche has rented a medieval village for his 250 retreatants. As Jane says, 'The place is called Les Ages (The Ancients) and is usually used for equestrian events. People are sleeping in horse stalls and the teaching room is a revamped dressage rink–it is really a wonderful place." And one that no gentleman from Kham could fail to appreciate, at least if the horses were still there.
Jane goes on to describe a landscape of "wind-swept hills, gardens filled with summer flowers, hollyhocks and rows of poplars, and sand-colored stones and rust-colored mortar of the houses, red tile roofs–rosy and inviting against the blue sky."
She recounts a long audience with the Sangyum, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's widow: "She uses her voice like an instrument running through cadences of emotion, the most astonishing of which is in fact astonishment–her eyes flash and her voice goes up, then cuts off." The Sangyum related her dreams preceding His Holiness' death, and Chagdud Rinpoche imparted the oral history of the establishment of Chagdud Gonpa in the West. Finally, at the end of the second interview, Sangyum Kusho asked Rinpoche why he doesn't cut his beard. Then she paused and blinked her eyes three times. As Rinpoche reached protectively for his silver wisps, she continued, 'Or why don't you braid it?’. He turned and looked at me with an abashed grin. Rinpoche looks more disheveled than usual these days, but very beautiful."
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is apparently as enamored of motorized prayer wheels as is Chagdud Tulku, and Jane describes a gigantic one in the main room of the house. The wheel, five feet high, three in diameter, spun at 180 rpm and was not balanced, with results that hinted peril to the immediate surroundings. To the relief of everyone in the house, it has now been adjusted.
Jane reports that much wonderful translation work is being done by Khyentse Rinpoche's students, along with those of Tulku Pema. She says that Khen Rinpoche and Damcho are fine.
Finally, "Rinpoche wants me to close this letter. 'This kind energy, why not book making?' ... I look forward to the time when we will all be together again, at the Tara puja after Thanksgiving. But we are never apart."
Stay tuned for news from Tibet.
Cary Groner
Rinpoche's wife, Jane Tromge, is enjoying her "Travels with Chagdud Rinpoche" and is blessing us with epistles worthy of Steinbeck. Dateline southwest France: In a highly uncharacteristic move, Rinpoche stops at a street market. Near the market, where the sight of the lama turned one or two stoic French heads, is a huge network of Buddhist centers. Along a high ridge outside of St. Leon are the centers of H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa, H.H. Khyentse Rinpoche, Gendes Rinpoche, Tulku Pema, and many more. Sogyal Rinpoche has rented a medieval village for his 250 retreatants. As Jane says, 'The place is called Les Ages (The Ancients) and is usually used for equestrian events. People are sleeping in horse stalls and the teaching room is a revamped dressage rink–it is really a wonderful place." And one that no gentleman from Kham could fail to appreciate, at least if the horses were still there.
Jane goes on to describe a landscape of "wind-swept hills, gardens filled with summer flowers, hollyhocks and rows of poplars, and sand-colored stones and rust-colored mortar of the houses, red tile roofs–rosy and inviting against the blue sky."
She recounts a long audience with the Sangyum, H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's widow: "She uses her voice like an instrument running through cadences of emotion, the most astonishing of which is in fact astonishment–her eyes flash and her voice goes up, then cuts off." The Sangyum related her dreams preceding His Holiness' death, and Chagdud Rinpoche imparted the oral history of the establishment of Chagdud Gonpa in the West. Finally, at the end of the second interview, Sangyum Kusho asked Rinpoche why he doesn't cut his beard. Then she paused and blinked her eyes three times. As Rinpoche reached protectively for his silver wisps, she continued, 'Or why don't you braid it?’. He turned and looked at me with an abashed grin. Rinpoche looks more disheveled than usual these days, but very beautiful."
H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche is apparently as enamored of motorized prayer wheels as is Chagdud Tulku, and Jane describes a gigantic one in the main room of the house. The wheel, five feet high, three in diameter, spun at 180 rpm and was not balanced, with results that hinted peril to the immediate surroundings. To the relief of everyone in the house, it has now been adjusted.
Jane reports that much wonderful translation work is being done by Khyentse Rinpoche's students, along with those of Tulku Pema. She says that Khen Rinpoche and Damcho are fine.
Finally, "Rinpoche wants me to close this letter. 'This kind energy, why not book making?' ... I look forward to the time when we will all be together again, at the Tara puja after Thanksgiving. But we are never apart."
Stay tuned for news from Tibet.
Cary Groner
