On the 25th day of the 4th month of the Year of the Tiger (7th of June 2010), at 3:45 pm, I was ordained with the name Konchok Jangchup Dorje. Just like dates being BC or AD or historical documents saying “In the fifth year of the reign of king so-and-so...,” this will is the demarcation point for major changes in my life. The character of these is such that they deserve that a new blog be begun. This is particularly appropriate, since much of what concerned my “Journey through Cancer” is now past. While I have not received the “all clear” from the oncologists yet, the aftereffects of the treatment have almost completely cleared up and my PSA readings continue to decrease in spite of the one higher reading which would be regarded as a “ bounce,” a common phenomenon in the second year after radiation.
In the two months since my ordination there have been notable changes in my life with respect both to the reaction of others to my new status and to my own adjustments to the commitment that I have made. Khenchen Konchok Gyaltsen Rinpoche's advice to me with regard to benefiting others, considering the unlikelihood of my becoming a lama at my age, was for me to keep my vows. While it is obvious that I should keep my vows, the value of that may not be so obvious nor is the keeping of them so easy. Nevertheless, in the weeks since my ordination my sister has commented that I seem happier and more content than she has seen me in many years.
When it came to choosing a title for this blog series that starts with my ordination, my place at any gathering of monks keeps my perspective on my place within the whole order. Therefore, in keeping with the prayer in which we refer to “The Great Drikungpa, Ratnashri...” I recognize that I am “ the Least Drikungpa.”
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