Being in his presence was like an ethereal experience even though he’s very much real. Well, real in the relative sense — the only kind that I understand at the moment anyhow.
I learned of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche through a random video on YouTube. He was talking about how meditation had helped him through a phase of having panic attacks. That resonated with me very strongly and I was instantly curious to know more. I went and bought all his books and started going through them one-by-one; in chronological order of their publishing. I hunted out every video that was available on the internet and found that I could relate to almost all of his teachings.
My initiation into meditation had been through the most non-sectarian programme called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR as it is quite popularly known now. Having an insatiable thirst for more, I learned that while put across in a secular manner, mindfulness had its roots in Buddhism. I’ve always been a bit non-religious and in fact, I run away from all rituals and dogma. So with a healthy dose of scepticism, I jumped into exploring what mindfulness had to offer. I read books by established monks and lots of other people who had been practitioners of Buddhism for a long time. The more I read, the more I saw that I could take full advantage of the tools Buddhism had to offer without getting involved in the religion per se.
This same sense echoed back when I came across any material by Mingyur Rinpoche. His book Joy of Living did indeed live up to its title. I felt so connected with his style of teaching and his tremendous sense of humour. I knew right away that this was one person I had to be in the presence of. Online sessions and books just weren’t going to cut it — I had to attend an in-person session. For a non-believer of manifestation, I got the opportunity soon enough. And on more than one occasion.
It has been a delightful journey so far to have been his student. I have had the opportunity to meet so many people from across the world, interact with so many guides from his organisation, visit and attend teachings in monasteries; I could not have been in better company! The one thing that has stood out to me through this experience has been his generosity of spirit. For someone like me, it’s aspirational; though at a level that I cannot imagine achieving at the moment.
I’ve been touched by how generous he is with every aspect of his being. He sits for hours under the glare of hot floodlights delivering session after session of teaching. There is no hint of discomfort that I can sense from him. He goes through ceremonies like blessing people and accepting offerings that involve a fair amount of physical effort without flinching — in fact, I’ve only ever seen him engaging each and every person with a smile and words they need to hear from him. In a packed schedule, he also accommodates additional requests for various poojas, empowerment and refuge ceremonies.
For most people who are established followers and have been ‘in the system’ for sometime, none of this is probably unusual. I too have been around religious ceremonies where the priest is required to conform to demanding conditions. But I have never experienced anyone do it with so much genuine love, compassion and joy towards other people. He is the embodiment of everything he teaches. He creates an environment which allows me to believe in my own capacities of love and kindness and compassion.
The most surreal of all experiences was running into him at the airport while returning from one of his teachings. There I was, being a random person like any other traveller. Then I see him walk to a seat and sit down in the most unassuming manner; like any other traveller. I battled the urge to go and say hello for all of five seconds and then went up to him. He welcomed the intrusion with a warm smile and chatted with me about all and sundry. We talked till boarding was announced and then went to our respective seats. All through the flight I was on cloud nine, literally and figuratively. Thoughts were rushing through my head, perhaps faster than the speed of the aircraft even. I knew that we’d meet again after landing and there would be an opportunity to interact with him once again. The anecdote that came to mind was of the person who meets a doctor socially and immediately starts telling him about all his ailments, looking for a solution. I was definitely not going to be that guy! So I ultimately decided that the best option was to say nothing at all.
That turned out to be a great decision because it landed up giving me a glimpse into the person he is. There is so much merit in the teachings about learning to be quiet — that is when you can actually listen to what is being said — beyond mere words. Standing by the conveyor belt, waiting for my luggage, I was acutely aware of his presence next to me. All the stoic poise I was channelling turned into a puddle when he gently asked me a question. There I was, babbling away like a schoolgirl again. He humoured me until it was time to part. I wished him well and carried on with the last leg of my journey home.
I think he knew that I would love to keep talking to him, but was resisting it merely to give him space. Space that lives inside him and is so vast that he does not seek it from his outer environment. So inclusive that it had the power to protect me from my own inner conflict. I didn’t realise until later that he perhaps read my mind in his own astute way of showing compassion to all people — no matter what their afflictions. His grace enveloped me and protected me from my own self-judgement. Like I said, I came upon him accidentally and have gone about imbibing his teachings in the most unconventional manner — you could perhaps say, even irreverent. I don’t know too much about reincarnation and the belief systems of Buddhism or his exalted status for that matter. I only know that I was touched by greatness that day — the kind that has the power to change the paths of our lives.
As published by the author on Medium on March 29, 2024