Being in the Presence of Pema Chodran

One of my goals this summer was to attend the Omega Institute in Rhinecliff, New York.  So I selected the weekend that worked best in my schedule which was a weekend with Pema Chodran teaching us about Tonglen Meditation.  The workshop on compassion and loving kindness.  What I did not realize before I got there was that to the 550 participants (and the 200 who could not get into the workshop) Pema Chodran was a high spiritual being.  I went off on this adventure by myself and I realized I was lucky to have been there!

In a way, I felt as if I were at a Grateful Dead concert.  Even though I have not been to one, the stories of "dead heads" who follow the band around are well known.  They camp out and follow them on their tours from city to city.  This event had a similar feel in the sense that the workshop coordinator reminded people to not camp and stake out territory, but to remove all belongings after each session so that others might be able to move closer to the front of the hall.

Each time when Pema entered the room, there was complete silence and everyone stood until she sat down.  Then we all sat down.  This was a spiritual event where everyone was respectful.  The dynamics were so different from any professional workshop or conference I have attended in the past.  In fact, for almost three days, I only heard one cell phone ring and only saw a handful of people on their phones in private places.

It was an experience that I am still processing and I will continue to share my insights.  It was a sacred weekend where I learned a lot about myself.