Misty Mind andMountains
by
Mitch Wiewel
My Lama said, “My dear Dharma friends, practice great effort in not being disillusioned with samsara. Put great effort into non-attachment.” As my usual experience has been, during this refreshingly humble and wise Tibetan Lama’s teaching, I feel as though he is talking right to me. Of course he isn’t, but there is definitely that feeling--like I’m told exactly what I need to hear.
I am reminded of my problems with attachment on the drive into Chino Valley, Arizona. On the gravel road to seemingly nowhere, there is a calm in the environment. Maybe the local farmers flying by in their pickup trucks don’t feel it, but it’s there. And that calm feeling hasn’t failed me yet. The landscape has an effect on me. The rolling hills--some like giant cones, others more like domes--are mesmerizing. It’s something out of a Dr. Seuss book--cartoony, but so real. Going up and down, over the swells in the road like a roller coaster, is like a lullaby for the mind. It either forces me to focus, or it zones me out. Either way, it’s relaxing, calm, and peaceful.
At the Garchen Buddhist Institute, there is a short walk up to the first building--the temple--where, if the calm, good vibe of the place hasn’t sunk in yet, it will now. It’s a view so vast and breathtaking, you’ll want to stand still for a long time and take it all in.In the distance one can see the San Francisco Peaks looming in the sunset. (The Peaks remind me of this crayon color I used as a kid called Purple Mountains Majesty.) They are surrounded by misty fog and wisps of clouds. In the opposite direction is a plateau mountain range, which is just as alluring.
Typically, I come to Garchen in a fog, cloudy in the mind from everyday minutia. But once I bring myself to the present moment, everything gets clear. The misty mountains in the distance are comparable to the state of mind I leave behind. Now I am in the clearing, at this place that is generating positive energy and clarity. All the thoughts that I, and most people, tend to get caught up in, fade away. Anxiety seems impossible.
Just being in the presence of Monks and Lamas is rewarding. The example they set is something to aspire to. They are just like everyone else except at such mental ease; they walk in life joyfully--like an innocent child’s glee--with such depth and rich wisdom to share. They truly are upholding the Buddhist ideal. I can’t imagine a more pure display of Dharma. Through them, I learn how to find a mind of contentment. (As I’ve learned, in life we always encounter what we do not want. Even when we get what we want, once it is lost we suffer again.)
My Lama taught me that “once we have entered Dharma practice, [we must] practice perfectly. Find contentment, lose worldly attachment or we engage impure Dharma. Do not indulge with concerns of this life.” Again the words of this Lama resonate deep within. I know my faults, and here in this place I am able to expose them to myself for what they truly are. No more justifications needed; the teaching here has reaffirmed my reasons to change. I have never done anything that didn’t prove itself, and following the advice I gained at this place has only proven itself recurrently.
Sitting outside on the cement steps, taking in the view, is my favorite place to be. I love that I am able to take this state of mind, this contentment and happiness, with me when I leave. But as the days push on, the old state of mind does too. And though it’s hard to remember, there is a way to hold on to that feeling absolutely anywhere you go. With practice, you can feel contentment.Many Tibetans who have been to Garchen in Chino Valley have commented on its similar essence to their homeland, Tibet. Chino Valley is so stunning it can inspire change just in the view. It’s the feeling of renewal that seems natural in both places. With its rolling grassy hills and mountains, Garchen is a place I will visit over and over again. It’s the place where the mist of my mind is lifted, and where I go to become a better person.