My Precious Teacher.

Kadam Ace Remas

I have been thinking about my meditation practice more and more lately. I have been Buddhist for about 8 years now. My teacher Kadam Ace Remas from all that time has just stopped teaching in our area. I know things always change, but I thought he would teach us for a very long time. I had never thought about him stopping. Very spoiled we are though because all the other centers in our tradition change their teachers many times. He gave two last teachings, one in Sacrament and one in Petaluma. He gave us very good advice on doing Lamrim and practicing in our daily life. Because we are all Buddhist we are practicing non attachment to him. But we will all miss him and his teachings. His teachings would always be about what I was experiencing. Helping me far beyond what I could imagine. So I thank him from the depths of my heart. He introduced me to Buddhism, to Tara the great mother. When I first started I practiced Tara all the time. So much my children got sick of it. I started to wear headphones.

Ace teaching as Tara not intentional I'm sure.

Tara painted by Edward see doesn't Ace look like this?

He was there for me like a long lost Guru. Introducing me to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

 my root Guru a living Buddha. He came here to help us become free from suffering. I am so grateful for his help in opening my eyes to compassion. Thinking about others, cherishing others as if they were me. Wishing them happiness and love. One time he said wherever you go just love others, all the people, birds and insects, wish them happiness. I did this for a while and it really changed my perspective. It's true everyone really only wants to be happy! What a difference a smile makes, a friendly hello, an acknowledgement and saving the life of a bug.

Ace encouraged me get to see Geshe-la in England, NY, and Brazil. He was always there at the festivals to help me whenever I had questions. He was like a protector of my mind. Helping me see the way Buddha saw things, as pure. I will miss his teachings and his wisdom. I wish him all the best in his future adventures.

Ace and myself in the play at the Brazilian Temple. We were Tibetans, can you tell?

I do know one thing for sure I am practicing more these days that Ace is gone. I will always have him to remember in my imagination.

He also has a few books  From "From The Back Porch" and "Precious Time" that I have read not Dharma related but they do have a bit of the idea of Dharma in them. From The Back Porch is about when he raised his children how they taught him how to be a better person and the other is about this old guy who is trying to sort his life out and the help he gets.

In Dharma,

Chandra