Lama Lee

 

82 years old, North Island New Zealander, orphan raised in a Catholic orphanage, adopted age 11, 13 year military career, some of which living among the headhunting Pygmies of Borneo, 20 year business career owning and running an upscale limousine service with ex-army buddies as drivers, married and divorced from an indigenous Maori woman, 1 son and 1 daughter whom he raised alone as their mom up and left when they were quite young (drugs, alcohol, trauma), mysteriously attracted to Tibetan Buddhism around age 52.

Why? he asks the Lama at the local monastery in Aukland. "You've come here to learn how to die" he's told. Ok then. 

Roof over our heads

plenty of chai to warm us

Dear community

Took refuge and did the traditional 3 year, 3 month retreat there, hence officially a Lama, but NOT, he's quick to affirm, a teacher. He's still learning his religion himself.

Lee is a lovely man, worldly, with a life in said world lived to the full, been through the mill and around the block more than once, etc. Now he likes to spend half the year here at Sherabling (Stupa Guest House, where he has his own apartment), and half the year in Australia with his daughter and grand kids. 

To hear him tell it he's largely responsible for the development of Stupa Guest House from the time when there was nothing here, having conferred with Nyima and Tsering over the years to design, advise, supervise, fund raise (quite significantly), donate his own funds even to this day, and generally direct its vision and construction. Hence he has something of an exalted and honored position here. Since he's never spent the winter here before now, I've not run into him on our previous visits, although Nancy met him in one of the years that she came here without me while I remained in Thailand.

These times we live in now!

Find an authentic mirror,

reflect your goodness

I've been cooking Nancy's Tibetan herbs these last days in Lee's kitchen since we have no cooking facilities in our room. When I express my hesitation about asking him for this favor, saying that I hate to intrude, he grabs my hands with a broad smile and assures me that it's no intrusion at all, and just come on in, don't even knock, and do what needs doing. Today I did just that when he wasn't even home, much to his delight.

Kindness knows no bounds

This, with wisdom, can heal us.

Commitment to Truth

Many thanks, Lee.