KOPAN THE MOTHER

By Karuna Cayton

The inauguration of Kopan’s new gompa February 17, [1997] was presided over by the venerable Sakya lama from Boudhanath, Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche. Kopan monks performed Cham dancing throughout the afternoon. And consecration pujas were performed during the next two days by five monks from Gyume Tantric Monastery and Kopan’s own tantric monks. The pujas lasted all day and went late into the night.

On February 17, I went home after a nine-year absence. I returned to Kopan.

From 1975 until 1988 I had lived as a resident of Nepal, except for eighteen months in 1977-78 when I began a master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. Lama Yeshe had asked me to establish a Western studies program for the monks at Kopan. My wife Pam and I taught English to the monks and geshes, looked after the meditation courses for the Westerners, did the accounting, started the Himalayan Yogic Institute in Kathmandu (see “A New Era for Kathmandu Center“), built a house at Kopan, had some babies, and often caused a certain amount of difficulties for the people at Kopan when our cultures clashed. But, like family, we were not only tolerated, we were loved. And as my mother often said, “The one thing you can always rely on is family.”

I had many important things to speak about with Lama Zopa Rinpoche on his recent visit to California – my health, advice about taking care of the young Zong Rinpoche, who has been living with us, the projects associated with Land of Medicine Buddha, my meditation practice – but he ignored them and instead spoke glowingly about the new gompa at Kopan. “It is the best gompa in all of Nepal,” he kept saying. “Ask Roger when the opening ceremony is going to be.”

When I saw Rinpoche again a few weeks later, just before his departure for Nepal, again he spoke about Kopan. I said I was looking forward to seeing the new gompa in April, when I planned to attend the FPMT board meetings, then scheduled to be at Kopan. He turned his back on me and walked away. … Finally I got the message. I booked my flight to Kathmandu, but because of work and other commitments, I could be gone only a week. Only a week! No one goes to Nepal for a week! Well, I wasn’t going to Nepal, I was going home.

My sister-in-law, Dale Davis, drove me to Kopan. She lives in Nepal and is director of Helen Keller International, a non-government aid project. I was nervous. Very nervous. The road to Kopan, a road I had walked, motorcycled, and jeeped for 12 years, looked somewhat unfamiliar. It was more littered and there were buildings and shops almost the whole way. But just below Kopan, after spying the house we had built and lived in for several years, I was struck by a commanding building that was obviously the new gompa. After driving up the newly paved road, we reached the top of the hill and pulled into the parking area. My heart was in my throat and I felt like a little kid being dropped off at his long lost grandmother’s house. Standing on the steps in front of me was Lama Zopa Rinpoche. I offered him a khata, he thanked me for coming and directed me to go look at the new gompa. The next moment my old friend, co-worker and teacher, Kopan’s abbot Geshe Lhundrup Rigsel, affectionately known as Lama Lhundrup, ran out of the office to greet me, saying “Welcome home!”

The gompa is perfect. While its design is traditional, it has many touches of contemporary architecture. I’m not good at describing art or beauty but I can say that the feeling I experienced inside the temple was one of admiration, respect, joy and awe. When standing outside the doors the interior does not look so big. But when a few people are inside, the interior seems to expand. On the day of the inauguration there were 600 people sitting inside, and still there was room for a few hundred more if we had sat Tibetan-style. The carving and painting were as rich and detailed as I have ever seen and yet there was a softness to the aura, perhaps assisted by the beautiful wood floor. The primary statue, of Lama Tsong Khapa, is 25-feet tall.

The inauguration ceremony seemed to go off without a hitch. I’m sure there were thousands of “hitches” for the organizers but here was one event at Kopan at which I was a visitor. It felt strange. I guess it must be a little like when you have grown-up children who invite you for dinner and won’t let you do any of the cooking or cleaning up. Everybody was given a color-coded name tag that had clips that actually worked: yellow for VIPs, red for In Charge, green for Guest, and blue for the worker-monks. Every single person who entered the monastery was signed in and given a name tag. I laughed to myself and pointed out to Lama Lhundrup how years earlier we had tried to get everyone to wear name tags when Kopan hosted the CMPT meetings. The suggestion was scoffed at and considered another stupid Injie [Western] attempt at over-organizing. The difference now, and the beauty of the gesture, was that everyone was wearing a name tag because it was the monks’ idea gained from their experience and knowledge. Again, I rejoiced.

The event was graced by Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Solo Khumbu’s Thangboche Rinpoche, Kopan’s own Gelek Gyatso Rinpoche, and over 500 monks and nuns. In addition there were representatives from Sera Monastery and most of the local monasteries from all four sects of Buddhism; local Tibetans and Nepalis; a representative from the Tibetan government-in-exile, the ambassador from Thailand, and various benefactors from Singapore, Taiwan, the United States and Europe.

Auspicious prayers were first recited by the Sangha. This was followed by an animated debate between two Kopan monks. One of them, Lobsang Sherab, whom I remember as a young boy going off to Sera Monastery to become a geshe, has received his degree and has returned to teach the monks and repay Kopan’s kindness. Another sign that Kopan has become a mature and qualified monastery.

After the debate Lama Zopa Rinpoche expressed his gratitude to the numerous people who made this project possible. Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche, who seems to me to be the very emanation of Maitreya Buddha, gave a speech that was eloquently translated by one of Kopan’s own monks. Again, another sign of success.

Finally, all 600 people presented offering scarves to Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. And Lama Zopa offered a mandala to Chobgye Trichen Rinpoche.

Lunch was another miracle. Kopan fed everyone who came to the inauguration. About forty people were offered a special catered lunch, stainless steel serving platters, ceramic place settings, bottled water, cloth napkins and tablecloths.

Lunch was followed by an exquisite display of traditional Cham dancing. The ritualized dances, which captivated the audience, were performed by the Kopan monks and directed by Geshe Lama Konchog, one of Kopan’s long-time resident lamas and old friend of Lama Yeshe. I was glad to be home.