Reflections on Kyabje Lama Zopa's visit

Well, Rinpoche has come and gone back. I managed to accumulate about 105,000 Tara mantras for Guru's long life. And also 500 mantras of Long Life Sutra and 18 days of Vegetarian pledge for both Guru and His Holiness the Dalai Lama's long life.

During the visit, I manage to ask Geshe Tenzin Zopa about the Dorje Khadro fire puja and he adviced me to get a oral transmission of the mantra from Rinpoche. Rinpoche agreed and said he will call me. On the last day of his visit before going back, he said he will call me from the capital city. As he did not call me, I take that as he thinks I may not be ready yet for this practice. However, due to his kindness, someone from Wisdom Publications offered me a book at no charge on The Essential Nectar. It is a book by Geshe Rabten and teaches the Lam Rim meditation in detail. Previously I had been trying to source for this book, even from Amazon. The Amazon sellers donot ship to my country and I even asked my US friend to buy for me. However, he had to leave the USA the next 2 days. So, he had no time to buy for me.

Haha...now I think fortunately he had no time. Otherwise, i would have to pay him. Then things started to turn around. Previosuly someone from Wisdom Publications told me they had no more copy left and it was out-of-print for many years already. Suddenly someone found a copy and decided to offer it to me due to it was adviced by Rinpoche to me. I thanked him so much.

So, you see, with proper Guru devotion, your Guru knows how to plan things for you, including your future realisations. After consulting Geshe Tenzin Zopa, he thinks that Rinpoche is trying to ask me to join the 3 years retreat. Geshe-la says I have so much prostrations and fire puja to do, and other things that it is better I do a long term retreat to finsih the preliminaries. Now that Geshe-la mentioned it, I think so too.

And after a lady friend from Drikung Kagyu let me see a video "Yogis from Tibet", now I realise I want to do a long term retreat. Maybe I will start with short ones, then one month, then 3 months, slowly increasing to 3 years.
In his letter, Rinpoche did ask me to do retreats. He saw that it is good for me. So, now I thank him profusely for his kindness and for taking care of me. But I must also take care not to rush things. Otherwise, everything may crumble.

All said, May my precious Guru live a long healthy life and may all his wishes be fulfilled immediately!