In November and December I had the great fortune to return to Mexico to teach. I started the tour in Guadalajara at Khamlungpa Center where I had been once before for the retreat Lama Zopa Rinpoche led in 2015. They have a lovely center in a large city that I first visited in 1982! It was a large cornfield in the early 80’s so the students and I shared a laugh over that. Like any area, it has grown over the years into a thriving diverse city.
It was wonderful to meet the students and have a wonderful reunion with Elvia who spent two summers with me at Milarepa Center.
Thank you to Dunia and Ram, the outgoing center director and spiritual program coordinator, for all of their kind hospitality and to the incoming director, Ricardo, and spiritual program coordinator who took me around for a day to see Chapala, a lovely lake area.
From this point on, I was delighted to visit areas I had never been before in Mexico. So I took a bus from Guadalajara to Aguascalientes and Bengungyal Center. Aguascalientes is known for having the friendliest people in Mexico and this was very apparent. Martha, the center director, was so sweet and her mother was a perfect interpreter.
I am so grateful to all of the centers for their help with translation, etc. All very kind.
From Aguascalientes, I flew via Mexico City, to Torreon, an industrial city further north. The weather was lovely and Rinchen Zangpo Center, like the other two centers, is located in a lovely house in a residential area. The center was founded 12 years ago by Canadian Jampa Shaneman and the people were very sincere. Jampa Shaneman then took me on a road trip for 5 days to Durango State where Canatlan is located where he is developing a retreat property, Luz de Compassion (Land of Compassion). I did a short retreat on the property and very much enjoyed the extreme quiet and peaceful beautiful setting.
One evening I taught in the city of Durango, a 40-minute drive from Luz de Compassion at Padmasambhava Study Group. I am very grateful to director Patricia and interpreter César and was very happy to meet César’s great family. Durango City reminded me somewhat of San Francisco with its sloping hills and colorful environment.
I look forward to seeing my sisters and brothers in Mexico during a future visit. Muchas gracias!
