This is a story of Macho Kindness:  tough guys with tough machines and soft  hearts, who came to the aid of some helpless birds, the temple, and each other.

It was a dark and stormy night—all over the East Coast on Friday, December 18, 2009.

At KPC in Poolesville, MD, it was snowing up a storm when we heard an engine idling outside in the driveway.  Upon investigation, we found a four-wheel-drive truck with a snowplow on the front and a trailer on the back.  (No picture:  it was a dark and stormy night!)

The driver was glad to see someone.  He had come to repair the generator for the Garuda Aviary and had never been there.   In the dark, he couldn’t figure out where to go.

Now, it happens that he had been asked to repair it some time before, but, for various reasons, hadn’t  been able to get to it.  On that stormy night, he was responding to an urgent plea to see what he could do.  (If we were to lose power in the storm, it would mean probable death by freezing for the birds. And he knew that.) Trouble was—he couldn’t see.  We showed him where the lane went down the hill, and figured that the snow wasn’t deep enough yet to cause any trouble for a truck like that.

Sure enough, he went down and after a while came back, with the news that he didn’t have to haul the generator away, after all—just needed to install a new battery.  He had one at home, he said, and would be right back with it.  And so he was.

Good thing the power didn’t go out that night!  Because it turned out that he wasn’t able to fix it on the spot after all.  He did wind up hauling it out that night on his trailer, taking it home, where he worked on it all the next day.

We didn’t know that at the time, however.  We only found that out when, late the NEXT afternoon, he showed up again with the truck, the trailer, and the generator.  By that time, we will remind you,  we already had fifteen inches of snow.  In fact, we had just been rejoicing about the arrival of our neighbor, with his Bobcat, to plow the driveway and parking lot.

It was still light when we looked outside and realized that the generator guy and the neighbor in the Bobcat were putting their heads together.  We wondered about that .  . . and next time we looked, we saw the generator guy’s truck stuck in the lane coming up the hill from the aviary.  He was shoveling frantically, so we grabbed a shovel and hurried down . . . only to find that our neighbor was there too.  We really wish we had a picture of him surveying the scene:  there was his Bobcat, at the bottom of the lane, in front of the aviary.

Now, this neighbor is an expert with the Bobcat.  We pay him to clear the drive, and he is kind enough to work it in even though he spends long hours clearing roads in a storm like this.  On this occasion, he was just on his way home from a day of plowing the Beltway, all the way to Route 50 and back.  But it was a steep hill, low visibility, and an unpaved lane.  (NOT an area we expected him to plow!)  His machine had tires rather than tracks.  And somehow it had slipped all the way down the hill . . . .  We were just glad to see him, the Bobcat, and the aviary all in one piece.

“All the way to Route 50,” he muttered, “and I wipe out across the street from home!”

So, we all dug, and scraped, and jumped out of the way as the truck freed itself and gunned its way back up to the driveway.  Then everything became clear.  The two guys had been trying to open up the lane enough to get the truck, with the trailer and the generator, down to where it was needed.  And they were still determined to get that generator down there.  Now that the truck was out of the lane, they could drag the trailer down by . . . man power, and install the generator.  And that’s what they did.  In the dark.

And that’s why the parking lot still hadn’t been cleared by Sunday morning.

The rest of the story has pictures.  Here’s what the Bobcat looked like on Sunday.

On Monday morning, our neighbor arrived with his tractor and a crew.

They had a plan, involving the tractor, and chains . . . .

And of course shovels.

It took some maneuvering . . . and some manpower . . .

But it worked!  Our neighbor is pretty happy about it!

The Bobcat is free at last!

It’s time to go now.  We ask our neighbor if it’s okay to use his picture, and he says yes—just not his name.  We ask him if he went down the hill in the storm on Saturday because he knew what it would mean for the birds if the power went out.  “So,” we accused him, “you were being kind, right?”

He looked down at his boots and smiled.  “N-a-a-w . . . !” he said.

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This is what it looked like yesterday at KPC during the Great Blizzard of 2009.

Beginning Friday evening, the snow was unrelenting until late Saturday night. It fell fine and fast, with a pretty good wind behind it at times.

You can see in the picture below what the flags are doing!

The stupa is barely visible . . .

. . . and every bush is wearing its own snow-cone extension!

The bird feeders are too. The winged ones are having a hard time finding food!

Ani Palmo went out to clear the bird feeders and fill them with birdseed.

Now at last the birds can find a footing, and some food. That’s a peanut-butter pine cone she’s waving around in her right hand:  an easy way to get some nutrition out to them.  (That’s right–it’s just what it sounds like!  You smear peanut butter on a pine cone.)  And she took some bread crusts out too, tossing them in a place with some protection from the snow.

At midafternoon, 15 inches of snow had fallen, and it was still coming down.

One of the other nuns, Ani Pema, had to make her way down to the Garuda Aviary (our parrot sactuary) to tend to the birds. The photographer missed Ani-la on her trek–but here’s her trail.

We caught up with Ani Pema later, warm and dry, inside the temple.

Meanwhile, the 24 Hour Prayer Vigil, the heart of our activity at KPC, continues, with the residents tag-teaming on shifts.  Ani Pema did a double shift earlier in the day, four hours.  Here’s Gonpo, arriving from elsewhere on the property, to take a late-afternoon shift.

You can see how the snow is piling up!  It seems we are completely cut off from the outside world.  But wait–here comes help!  The cavalry!  Our neighbor with a bobcat.

It was such a beautiful sight, we think we want to show more of it.  After all, plowing means that YOU can get here!

By the way, you can sponsor the Prayer Vigil and dedicate your support to a loved one or a cherished cause.  Click here to learn more about Prayer Without Ceasing.

We received this message from our members in Australia:

With Jetsunma’s blessings, six Australian retreatants attended a three-day Ngondro retreat in Canberra, Australia, in early November.  Ngondro is Preliminary Practice for Vajrayana Buddhists, the first stage of committed practice on the path to enlightenment.  Retreatants came from Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra.

We were fortunate in being able to have the retreat in Sakya Lama Choedak Rinpoche’s Centre on the outskirts of Canberra. Canberra is the capital of Australia and is surrounded by beautiful bush land–and lots of kangaroos! We had good weather and a full schedule from 7:00 in the morning until 9:30 at night, with breaks in between.

The retreat focused on the practice of Ngondro (Refuge and Bodhicitta) and the opening practices of the New York Palyul Retreat. We also listened extensively to Jetsunma’s teachings on Refuge and Bodhicitta.  We started and finished the retreat with a Tsog offering.  We were very grateful to have the blessings of the Lama for this retreat.

A KPC group Ngondro practice has not happened for many years in Australia and we hope this retreat is the beginning of new growth and beneficial change. Even a local kangaroo who was inspired to do at least one prostration!

Having His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche on the throne at KPC reminded us all of his predecessor–and our mutual teacher–His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.  (Karma Kuchen Rinpoche was raised as his heart son.)

That is Penor Rinpoche’s picture behind him, with the light beautifully reflecting as if from his heart.  In fact, seeing Karma Kuchen Rinpoche on the throne felt like being with Penor Rinpoche as a young man.  As Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, KPC Spiritual Director, remarked, His Holiness seemed to have “mixed his mind with that of Penor Rinpoche.”

His Holiness offered four empowerments:  Guru Rinpoche (or Precious Teacher), Vajrakilaya (wrathful remover of spiritual obstacles), Dorje Phagmo (the feminine mind of enlightenment), and Amitayus (Buddha of Long Life).  Here two Palyul monks, accomplished musicians, blow the long horns to signal the point at which the empowerment is transferred to those present.

People approached the throne to receive the blessings and empowerment substances.

Jetsunma was able to visit extensively with His Holiness.  Here they are, preparing to sit down for a long discussion.

His Holiness was very pleased with a gift that Jetsunma brought:  an empowered miniature stupa with a crystal  bhumpa .  The crystal contained a precious relic, carefully sealed inside.

When His Holiness asked to see the relic, Ani Dawa, who had sealed the stupa herself, started to tell him that it wasn’t possible.

“It’s permanently sealed . . .” she started to explain, then, seeing that it had yielded immediately to his hand, she trailed off,

“ . . . or not.”

His Holiness easily and securely re-assembled the stupa once he had looked inside.

The incident reminded observers of a story told about his predecessor, Penor Rinpoche, as a child.  He is said to have dropped an ancient, sacred vajra (a ritual instrument) and broken it.  Appalled, he quickly applied saliva to stick the parts together again—and successfully mended it!

Speaking of young people, they also came to visit.  Elizabeth and Riley were running a bake sale for the benefit of the Garuda Aviary, to which they are devoted.  They offered the first cupcake (it was the first one–right, girls?) to His Holiness, who seemed very pleased.

Not to be left out of the gift action, photographer Manny Garcia presented a portrait he had crafted of His Holiness.  (One of Manny’s photos of then-candidate Barak Obama became the basis for the famous “Hope” poster.  Now THIS would make a great poster, wouldn’t  it, Manny?)

At the end of the empowerments, Manny herded everyone outside for a group photo with His Holiness.

Of course, some people don’t need to be herded!  We’ve watched Ani Dolma (a former  U.S. Army major, now retired) organize a crowd!  Here she seems bemused by the goings on.  (TEN HUT!)

Finally, everyone was ready, and pictures were snapped.  We particularly like this shot:  look carefully at His Holiness, making the peace sign—and young Robin, in front of him, unconsciously but perfectly framing his gesture with her exuberant arms!  May we always act in such harmony with our teachers!

We rejoice in the arrival of His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, the head of the Palyul lineage, at Kunzang Palyul Choling.  Yesterday was a joyous day.  Here are some photos that captured the event.

It started with chalk drawings of the eight auspicious symbols.  This is a traditional part of a greeting for a Rinpoche.

As His Holiness arrived, we tossed flower petals

We also made smoke offerings of cedar

Jetsunma and Ani Sonam awaiting the arrival of His Holiness Karma Kuchen

Welcome Holiness!

Sangha offering katas to His Holiness Karma Kuchen

Jetsunma giving a blessing to a small visitor

The sangha has been busily preparing for His Holiness’ arrival at KPC.  Here are some proof pictures of the gang at work!

Ani Samten dusting the crystal stupas in the Prayer Room

Michelle polishing the Guru Rinpoche statue on the Palyul Lineage altar.

Claire getting ready to hang prayer flags

Gonpo getting ready for a dump run

Sandy weeding the path around the Enlightenment Stupa

Recently, following Ani Kunzang’s visit to Australia, Lungtog, Kunzang and Wangmo took the opportunity to circumnambulate a 13 foot (4 metre) high consecrated statue of Guru Rinpoche blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The statue is the first statue to be be built as part of the first stage of The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion being built in Bendigo, Victoria under the direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The statue of Guru Rinpoche, resplendantly covered in gold leaf, will no doubt remove obstacles of all kinds including obstacles to the completion of the Stupa. During our visit we prayed for the long life and good health of our kind root teacher and all sentient beings. As well as circumnambulating Guru Rinpoche we also practised Guru Yoga together at the base of Guru Rinpoche and during that time, for a moment, the rain and wind ceased. Here is a picture of Ani Kunzang gazing up at the statue of Guru Rinpoche. the statue is housed in temporary accommodation while the rest of the Stupa is being built.

Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC) Australia