The Other Shore is not far. Beneath one s feet sand and water abound, yet no oceans to cross, no beginning and end, no within and without. No barriers, no wall, no hindrance. The View from here is perfect there s nowhere else to look. Meditation too is OK, illumining wherever it happens to alight.
Action s free and easy, however it has to be.
Lama Surya Das, Khenpo Rinpoche's foremost American lineage-holder, confirmed and authorized John as Lama Jamyang Dorje, in a simple, beautiful ceremony held after our summer retreat. John Makransky, professor of Buddhism and comparative religion at Boston College, now carries the name of the teacher most of us knew simply as Nyoshul Khenpo. John was a longtime student of his, as well as being also a student of Lama Surya Das. Through practice, we draw ever closer and closer to the towering figures whose names we chant daily, the men and women whose practice made our practice possible. As all stood waiting in anticipation, John and Lama Surya entered the shrine hall in a dignified manner.