Good Karma Music Stories

I have often been weary of personal contact especially with those that I do not know very well. There is a new student staying our pagoda and at first glance and talking to him I was quite intimidated. He is very wise, he has a deep voice and it seems that he does not need any help from anyone. He attended a retreat that was held at our center the following weekend after he arrived and soften up. I guess I also soften up and realized I, like him, try to be “strong”. In our retreat I realized how lonely I had become because of this pattern of mine. The next day he approached be and asked if I wanted a CD and I scowled and said I don’t listen to music. I then realized how I had missed the opportunity to both get what I want and give him what he is looking for, a friend. Realizing this I hugged, I held him and I broke through my usual tough persona. I was, I guess you could say weak but I won’t say it. It was nice and the warm smile on his face made it worth my while.

A dharma sister Ani Drolkar passed away within nine month’s of being diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer. None of her immediate sangha nor her family could adopt her twelve year old granny calico kitty. Although we have two male cats of our own, I knew I had to take her in to join my morning and evening prayers and meditation as she did with my dear friend Ani. I play a Tibetan animal liberation mantra CD for her repeatedly for the sake of her long life and for her own future rebirth.

Well, it was time for lunch offering and I was pretty hungry and tired from working on the farm. On the way to the Buddhahall a nun needed help carrying heavy boxes of books to the bookstore. Then Mr. Lao stopped a called for help at TM to unload a truck. I assured the nun I would be back. After unloading a bunch of food off the truck near TM, I went back to the bookstore to find the nun and help her. The cart was way to heavy for me so we got a visitor (Tourist) to help out. Two kindness stories in one! anyway, the cart didn’t collapse over, we got the books to the store and the nun was very happy. Oh, and I made it for lunch too! Phew!PS According to BEDMAS rules the sentience test would be 2.5, but I figured that wasn’t it. 😎

Mine is not really a story but so many stories that happened to me this summer. I was one of the fortunate ones who was part of the international team of World Harmony Run in Europe. I was running through Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and later Poland, the Baltics, Finnland and Sveden our main purpos was to bring the idea of friendship and the feeling of one big family to everybody. It really worked!At least in our team, because we were from different countries and we could work together happily on the same project and became very good friends.Our motto was “Harmony begins with me.” I take this run as a pilgrimage, the most intense prayer for a better world,like harmony in action.We met so many good people along the way while running and every day was a real miracle, trusting ourselves on God .And in Warsava we had a beautiful meeting in your Buddhist Monastery,for me it was so thrilling, and uplifting,i think i will remember this wonderful day forever. Thank you for the beautiful song that you sang for us, i loved it!I appreciate your work for a peaceful world, it inspires me so much!

I recited the Pure Land Mantra 108 times, and dedicated all the merit to world peace and to all soldiers and civilians who have sacrificed their lives in conflicts throughout the world.

I vow to implement a library software for the books available at Gold Sage Monastery. The literature made available there is truly a treaure trove. In this day and age, when every library has a web interface to search, reserve and track books, the library at GSM should have such a software too. This is a action that has not taken place yet, but it will be done.

There has been some times when i have been waiting for the bus somewhere in Helsinki or Espoo (city next to Helsinki in Finland) and all the passengers from that particular stop have already boarded the bus and the bus has been ready to take of. Then i have seen somebody appearing somewhere around the corner or up the hill etc. and very spontaneously without thinking too much i have raised my hand to stop the bus from leaving or gotten into the bus to inform the driver about some persons still coming onboard. This has happened perhaps three of four times in the last years. The people running have then not missed their bus. Not all the times her/him has really noticed what took place. I remember at least one time being thanked for this action. I felt really good afterwards and realized from this experience that one should not hesitate when there´s a chance to help someone -just do it. Your body knows what it is doing.