Vietnam

This posting isn't going to be objective; Vietnam is too charged for that. We arrived late last night in Hanoi, and haven't gone out yet but I can hear the birds outside and the faint sound of traffic. The Diamond Cutter book just came out in Vietnamese, and Geshe Michael and Lama Christie came here to promote it, and just to connect with people by teaching and meeting with them. Here's a link to the publisher: *click here*.

We were all looking forward especially to being here, since so many of us grew up hearing about Vietnam in the context of our country destroying theirs, and trying so hard to make it stop. There's a strong heart connection. When I see their faces, it flashes me to faces I used to see in the news, of prisoners, or that little girl running with napalm burns. I'm afraid I'm going to start crying at some inappropriate time.



Some of the local native American Apaches, whose ancestors lived on our land in Arizona, heard we were going, and they were moved, because many of them were sent to Vietnam as young men and came back with broken spirits. They wanted to do something to be part of it, so four of the elders came to Diamond Mountain to bless our trip. They did long prayers and songs, and gave us a feather they had blessed to carry for protection. So I feel in a way that we're here for them too. Tomorrow the lamas will teach.

I took some photos on the street: link