The Unexpected Fulfillment of My Monastic Aspiration, part 1

Last Thursday I had my interview with Khenchen Konchok Gyaltsen Rinpoche. My chief questions for him pertained to my aspiration to be ordained as a monk. I asked him when it would be likely to occur and what I should do in the meantime. After we had talked a little while, he told me that it could be done before I went back to Florida. However, my robes were in my chest of drawers in Florida. Nevertheless, I asked and found that there was a bin of "hand-me-down" robes in which I was able to fine all but two minor items. These I was able to purchase quite reasonably from the business from which I had ordered the same items.
Thus in just a couple of days everything came together for me to be ordained so unexpectedly. However, still almost doubting that it would really happen, I hardly told anyone even my Lama. When I did speak of it, I would always preface my statement with "barring any unforeseen problem." Even on the day it was to happen, when other retreatants would ask about it being scheduled, I would say, "That's what I understand."
On the twenty-fifth day of the Fourth month of the Year of the Tiger (the Seventh of June 2010), at 3:45 p.m., I was ordained with the name Konchok Jangchup Dorje. This is a most auspicious day to be ordained into the Drikung Kagyu order, because we celebrated the anniversary of the parinirvana of the founder of the order, Lord Jigten Sumgon. At one point in the ritual I teared up, overwhelmed with joy of the moment.