We are now receiving teachings from our fourth and final mediation teacher, the Venerable Lausang. He is a half-Indian, Oxford educated Englishman turned Tibetan Monk. He is completely different from our first three meditation teachers, and he is also probably completely different from anyone I’ll ever meet.
Our first three teachers had a few things in common. All of them spoke English as a heavily accented second language. All of them had distinct, wonderful laughs and all of them laughed often. Sometimes they were the only ones who knew why they were laughing, but it hardly mattered. It wasn’t awkward. Our first teacher, Ulah Myint, taught us Vopassana meditation in the Theravada tradition. He had an angular but demure face and would speak incorrect English in a way that was somehow more poetic and easier to remember because of its incorrectness. If he laughs he laughs at the beginning, middle and end of a phrase with gasping laughter, as though he were holding back.
Akai Sensei was our Zen teacher. He has the kindest face I’ve ever seen — his eyes are shaped like two tear drops inclined toward each other, and the laugh lines and eyebrows and cheeks echo the shape of his eyes perfectly. He laughs from his gut, a bubbly, Japanese sound, and he laughs for a long time. Chokyi Nyima Rimpoche, our first Tibetan Buddhist teacher, came with a group of 25 followers and a translator. When he did speak English, he had no trouble saying what he wanted to say. When he laughs he sounds like a baby bird.
Venerable Lausang is also teaching us about Tibetan Buddhism. He speaks perfect, British English, with a few Hindi pronunciations of Buddhist words thrown in. I have not heard him laugh once, although he does make very good jokes. It was oddly grounding to hear him say “and now for something completely different,” before beginning to read from a new text. He quoted the final line of The Great Gatsby as well, to explain how difficult it is to escape the mental burdens of our past. His dignified, slight British presence beneath his bright red and gold monastic robes is like a Monty Python or Great Gatsby quote in the middle of a Dharma talk in India. He is familiar, but in a new way.
Although I can describe these teachers’ mannerisms, it would be a mistake for me to try to describe their teachings right now. It’s a little overwhelming, spending so many hours each day learning about Buddhism from three traditions, which are in many ways very different. As of now, I don’t have many opinions that I’m certain of. I am certain that Buddhism is deadly serious business. I suppose that all religions are. I also think it’s true that every aspect of reality as we know it is impermanent, and that as we recognize this more, our lives will become better. Beyond that, it’s hard to know what to think. All of these teachers make strong impressions, but it will take a while for the teachings to sink in.
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