Day 1
Kerry from Sydney Australia is married to a wonderful man call Greg and mum to two little boys. Kerry studies and teaches Kadam Dharma and this is her second time to Manjushri.
19th July 2011
Leaving day is hard for me. England is a long way from Australia and I find it hard to leave my children who are 7 and 10 even though they are in great hands with their dad. I put on a smile for them and walk them to school. On the way home I remind myself of the example I am showing them by heading to Summer Festival. That we need to move past our fears and delusions to embrace opportunities for growth in all areas of our lives. And that my spiritual path holds great value to me. I pray for their peace and happiness and know that I make this journey for them as well as me.
Wow, I feel I should record this. A few hours into the 22 hour flight and having done Heart Jewel, I am happy. Yes, happy and glad to be heading in this direction for the Festival, seeing friends in London and then home again to my wonderful family and friends. Thank you Geshe-la
22nd July 2011
On the train from London to Ulverston having just spent two days with my gorgeous friends Freda and Phillip. We had so much to share with one another and much kindness, interest and love. It is a crowded train but I luckily found a seat next to a friendly and interesting 18 year old boy named Ed. He used to be Eddie but is changing it for uni so that he sounds less childish, more grown up. He is returning from a week in a tall ship sailing in the North Sea. Sounds like he had a great time. So, how is the attachment to my family going? Pretty quiet really as I have enjoyed London and now feel like the essential purpose of my journey begins.
As the train comes into Ulverston station I am talking with a lady I met called Claudia from Heruka Centre in London. We step onto the platform and the feeling at the station is wonderful. Almost everyone on the train was coming to the Festival. We come out and wait (patiently, of course) for taxis to take us all to Manjushri. When we pull into the circular drive and climb out of the cab I start to feel almost overwhelmed with the positive energy that surrounds Manjushri. The smiles are all so genuine and full of love. The sight of the beautiful Priory as I head to registration makes me smile even more. I bump into a friend from Australia, a lovely nun called Shechog, who gives me a big hug and I feel my eyes fill with tears of happiness and we both start laughing and laughing.
As I climb the many stairs up to my room in the very top of the main building of the Priory, I think of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movie I saw with my family just before leaving home. Inside, even more so as the window in the sloping ceiling opens to the sky and the stone spires at the very top of the building. I can’t wait to tell my boys.
I enter the Temple for tonight’s welcome with Gen-la Khyenrab feeling very, very fortunate. Gen-la arrives and we all stand quietly in prostration. Soon we are all singing the Liberating Prayer together and I know that despite the long journey and being away for a few weeks from my family, I am in the right place and doing the right thing. Gen-la mentions that Manjushri is our spiritual home and this is exactly how it feels. The Festival has begun.