Before finding Kali Ma and MahaSiddha Buddhism, I spent over 10 years trying out many different lifestyles (soldier, medic, film production assistant) that I realized weren't working 100% in my favor. In 2000 I took Aruna's first yoga class - the first hatha yoga asana class that I really enjoyed. A few months later I got the invitation to join in the newly forming practitioner's house in San Diego, CA. I leapt at the chance, for I knew that if was able to sit and meditate every day, do hatha yoga, eat healthier and live with my friends, my life could only change for the better.
At this point I hadn't even met Kali Ma. My initial meeting of Rinpoche was for the first house meeting. She was approachable, available, present and curious about why I was interested in living in the Practitioners house. "I want to be healthier and more sane and learn to grow." From that day forward, I've been learning more and more what it means to do all those things. After moving in, it wasn't long before I was volunteering as much as I could and working at the same time. Looking back at all the jobs I've had in the past, it appears that they were all leading up to working with Rinpoche, Derrick and MSB. Through my work with them I have been healing myself physically, mentally, emotionally and learning how to work smarter. My work with Rinpoche has had me traveling across the country, internationally and through the depths of my mind.
Every year I'm more and more thankful for the jewels that Kali Ma, Derrick and the community have helped me discover. All the retreats, trainings and "chance" encounters have helped fuel my desire to grow and have inspired me to share my experience of Rinpoche, the teachings and our community with anyone I meet! I feel very fortunate and blessed.
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My journey with Troma Rinpoche began in 2000 in San Diego when I came to the center that she and Derrick had together, but looking back on my life I would have to say that my whole life had been preparation for the dharma and for this work.
As a child, I remember listening to people talking about transcendence, the impurity of our bodies and our world existence, and I remember thinking to myself "hmmm, that's strange." And having the feeling that I was still figuring out how to get here, into this life, into this body and why would I be worried about transcending to "higher" dimensions if I had not actually figured this one out yet. Little did I know then, that it would be a lifetime endeavor to explore the true meaning of what it means to actually be here in this moment, in this body, in this existence or that that endeavor would shape and guide my life in ways that can only be described as magical or mystical.
At that time, I could never have imagined that there was a whole path of how to actualize what I intuited to be true in that moment and that for a thousand years before me men and women of the dharma had felt the same way and had dedicated their lives to demonstrating the innate purity of our existence.
After taking some public classes with Kali Ma, I begin training in
depth and I have been studying full time with her and working for the dharma as a full time volunteer ever since. It has been the most intense, rewarding and breathtaking experience of my life and I owe the quality of my entire life to Rinpoche, Derrick, the teachings, the lineage and the brilliant amazing sangha that I have met over the years who have helped make my dreams a living breathing reality.
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