Gattuso - The lotus still blooms: sacred buddhist teachings for the western mind

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Table of Contents

JEREMY P. TARCHER/PENGUIN
Published by the Penguin Group
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014,
USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Canada Inc.) Penguin
Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland,
25 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd)
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124,
Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books
India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017,
India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632,
New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South
Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices:
80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

Copyright 2008 by Joan Gattuso

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or
distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please
do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in
violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Published simultaneously in Canada

Most Tarcher/Penguin books are available at special quantity discounts
for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and
educational needs. Special books or book excerpts also can be created to
fit specific needs. For details, write Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gattuso, Joan M.
The lotus still blooms / Joan Gattuso.
p. cm.

eISBN : 978-1-585-42637-9

1. Religious lifeBuddhism. 2. BuddhismDoctrines. I. Title.
BQ4302.G
294.3dc22

Printed in the United States of America
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

BOOK DESIGN BY AMANDA DEWEY

While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

http://us.penguingroup.com

To His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Acknowledgments

With a sincere heart, I acknowledge and thank:

My always loving and supportive husband, David Alexander.

My brilliant and skillful agent, Anne Sibbald.

Joel Fotinos and Sarah Litt of Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin for endless support and patience with all of my questions.

My closest Buddhist teachers with whom I have studiedHis Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sogal Rinpoche, Thich Nhat Hanh, Lama Chonam, Sangye Kandro and Robert Thurman, and the various Buddhist nuns and monks who have paused briefly on my path.

My spiritual sojourner, Reverend Linda Spencer.

The fellow Unity ministers with whom I walkReverends Sandra Hymel, Stan and Barbara Smith, Ric Schmacher, Joann Landreth, Suzanne Stover and Ron Stover.

My precious lifelong friends Susan Miller Schwabe, Nancy Miller, Courtney Lang, Dr. Minner Bowers, Dr. Ileana Pina, Adrienne Gerspacher, Barbara Hill, Bob Javorski, Dr. Keith Jordan, John Broad, Ronn Liller, Karen Karsh, Peter Clancy, Dr. Jacqueline Rogers and Sandy Deck.

My departed friend Georgia Drakes, who first introduced me to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

My familymy mom, who I am so grateful is still with us; my brother Jim and his wife, Vicki; Grady and his family; Sabrina and her family; and my precious and loving stepdaughters, Robyn, Lisa, and Julie and their families.

My staff members, who are more like family than staff: Felicia Martinez, her three daughters, and Rudi Barnes.

Last, but far from least, our three precious four-legged daughterstransplanted Hawaii kitty Petite Noir and Yorkies Honey and Tara, each of whom brings joy to every day we share.

All great religions have methods for overcoming suffering.
Buddhism is just one example.

HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

Introduction

WHILE I WAS ON A BOOK TOUR in Los Angeles, a totally unexpected and life-expanding event began to unfold. I had a free afternoon in which my childhood friend Ginna, then the chef at Deepak Chopras healing center, was coming to fetch me for the day. She was temporarily on leave from the healing center, living in the Los Angeles area and working as the personal chef for an action-movie hero while he was getting in shape for his upcoming movie.

Ginna offered me a choice: Would I prefer to go to his movie set, or would I like to see his home in Bel Air? I instantly chose his home, a spontaneous decision for which I remain grateful to this day.

The Bel Air area is most luxurious, lined with manicured estates. We pulled through the gates of a grand home. Upon entering we were greeted in the kitchen by the young live-in girlfriend, who appeared to be a little upset. Ginna, multitalented artist, chef, earth-mother goddess personified, said she needed to talk with the young woman. Did I mind being alone for a while? Of course I told Ginna I did not. It was fascinating sitting in the kitchen observing the famous movie stars domestic life filled with two nannies, a cook, a helper and a chauffeurall in the kitchen at the same time. I took in a very animated conversation in the midst of the unpacked groceries that were everywhere. Then the unexpected occurred.

Through the kitchen doorway two Tibetan monks in robes and wearing mala beads entered the kitchen. I immediately stood and bowed to them. They bowed to me, while my brain raced to comprehend this increasingly bizarre kitchen scene. The monks took seats opposite me at the kitchen table. We introduced ourselves. They were guests in the actors home while they were studying English at UCLA. The older of the two barely understood English, while the younger was fairly fluent.

After only a few minutes the younger one asked innocently, Do you want to come to my room?

I was for a fraction of a second taken aback, not having received such an offer in many a year, let alone from a young Tibetan monk in saffron robes. Okay, I guess so, I responded haltingly. This is how I met Lama Chonam, my most precious Buddhist friend.

We walked through the great rooms of the mansion and up the stairs to the second floor. When we reached his room, the young monk opened the door and we entered. It was more like a sanctuary than a bedroom. It consisted of a beautiful altar with many butter candles burning, artistic figures of the Buddha, and various Taras and bodhisattvas.

He placed two chairs near the altar, and we sat at a right angle to each other. In the depths of my being I knew this was a significant occurrence. He opened his heart to me that afternoon, telling me of his arduous escape from Tibet over the Himalayas and into Nepal. His tales were spell-binding. He was amazed that I had been studying with the Dalai Lama for several years and had married my Western spiritual education to my Tibetan practices. We sat together for two hours deeply engaged in conversation, like two lost friends who had finally found each other again after many years or lifetimes of being separated.

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