I volunteered in the Garuda Aviary for awhile when it was located in Arizona. In 2004, we took in an Amazon parrot named Skipper. Everyone loved him. He and I became quite close—I think I probably resembled his former owner—and he stayed with me whenever I was working. Within a couple months he developed a breathing problem. When the avian vet said Skipper couldn’t continue to live with so many dander-producing birds, Jetsunma allowed me to adopt him.

I had him for several months and as he reached maturity and began to test his dominance, it became clear that I did not have the “alpha bird” qualities to be the leader. He began biting and becoming more unruly. He had been very well-socialized, and I knew that my weakness would ruin him.

Thankfully a woman named Bernadette—who had volunteered at Garuda Aviary for some time and had adopted several of the birds who also couldn’t stay in the aviary—was happy to adopt Skipper.

During the last two weeks with Skipper, I began to have flashes of a yellow bird in my mind. As if that didn’t seem crazy enough, I sensed that he needed me. At some point I realized it was a cockatiel. Each day it got a little stronger and I had a feeling of urgency about finding the bird. I started looking at cockatiel rescue websites and checking out local pet stores.

I was to bring Skipper to Bernadette’s home in the early evening. That whole day, the sense of urgency grew so strong that I finally went into my prayer room and prayed deeply to Jetsunma, “I don’t know where this bird is and don’t know what else to do. Please plop him in my lap.”

That evening I drove out to Bernadette’s home with Skipper in a travel cage. It was a difficult trip because I loved him so much. It was like giving up a child. We got Skipper set up and Bernadette gave me a tour of her many rescued birds, sharing their life stories. They were mostly large birds.

When she finished the tour I said, “I have a general question about cockatiels.” Before I even asked my question, Bernadette interrupted, “I’m going to give you Trickster. He’s a cockatiel who needs a home, and you’re the perfect person to take him.”

I was speechless. I hadn’t said anything about looking for a cockatiel, the yellow bird, nothing. And during her tour, she hadn’t even mentioned that she had any cockatiels.

She led me out to the backyard in the pitch dark, and we walked down a dirt path to an outdoor aviary. She shined the flashlight on a small flock of cockatiels all bunched up on a long perch. She quickly grabbed one, stuffed him under her shirt and led me back in the house, saying “This is your bird.” For a moment I thought I should be the one choosing my bird, but then I remembered the prayer I had made to Jetsunma and how weird this whole thing was.

When we got inside, Bernadette pulled Trickster out of her shirt and put him in Skipper’s travel cage. There he was—a bright yellow cockatiel! Bernadette said he was a rescue who’d come with the other 11 cockatiels. But unlike them, he was a “people bird” and wasn’t thriving without a lot of human interaction.

I renamed him Konchog Birdy. He is pure joy. Many times when I’ve felt depressed he’ll say, “What’re you doing?” and then “I love you!” It always snaps me out of it.

Ani Sangye Drolma

In commemoration of the 21st anniversary of the enthronement of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo on September 24, we are presenting testimonials from Jetsunma’s students about her impact on their lives.

Part 4

I could continue – tell you of the miracle small dog who barely survived the Hurricane, and upon picking her up – Jetsunma realized she had given up hope. This is a dog I noticed among 130 other dogs, and she was completely SHUT DOWN. She would not eat, walk, poop, sniff. She sat in her pen and stared blankly into some unknown darkness.

I moved her to a quieter place away from the noise of all the other dogs and pointed her out to one of the lama’s attendants simply so somebody other than me knew there was a dog that seemed so lost and sad.

The next day, Jetsunma had an interview with the Arizona Republic to discuss why we Buddhists had converted our retreat center into this pet refugee camp for Katrina survivors. During that interview, I happened to look down from the upper runs of the dog pens and saw Jetsunma lovingly holding the dog that I was so worried about. I almost burst into tears, knowing about the rarity of that type of direct connection to a being recognized as a reincarnate lama. As I observed this scene, my heart opened to the miracle of this one dog – who through a horrible storm, met with a being so rare as Jetsunma. As I turned to continue feeding the hundreds of other dogs, the lama’s attendant appeared next to me and pointed to the dog that Jetsunma had held in her arms only moments ago…

“Jetsunma says that dog has all but given up hope, she is overwhelmed and shut down. She needs to be taken inside and we have to find her a home quickly.”  Without thinking twice I said “please, let me take her in!”

Challenge after challenge, this dog, who we named Joy as an aspirational name at the time, has become the embodiment of that word. She has been a trooper through awful medical needs and still wags her tail and looks so lovingly at John and I every day with her one good eye. She finally not only stopped growling at Sarah every day but became a loving little sister to her. She is my second child and both Sarah and Joy were gifts from the miracle of our connection to Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.

John and I had separated as a couple long before the Hurricane. And once again, by introducing a dog into our care – Jetsunma was about to bring John and I together again!

I have therefore seen with my own eyes all the miraculous proof I need that not only has this teacher provided the nuts and bolts of the unbroken lineage of accomplishment through the Palyul lineage, but the daily application of compassion in our very American lives. The miracle of kindness is something that she not only teaches, but lives – with every fiber of her being.   

Rescue Me:  An Animal Rescue Benefit Concert will take place at 2pm on Sunday, August 16  Cafe 611 in Frederick, MD.  The concert featuring nine local bands will benefit local animal rescues including the Frederick County Human Society, Days End Farm Horse Rescue, and the Garuda Aviary.  Admission is $5.

Rescue Me was the inspiration of KPC’s own Nathaniel Waggoner.  For the complete story, check out the Frederick Gazette article.

Everybody come out to support these great causes!