Dear friends,
A powa ceremony is planned for Mimi at Kadampa Meditation Center, Washington in Seattle on Saturday, November 19th at 7pm. How fortunate we are to have this special practice to transfer the minds of deceased beings to Buddha's Pure Land. Please join with us in powa prayers if you can, either in Seattle or with spiritual friends in your home city.
With love,
Boswell
In Eight Steps to Happiness Geshe-la says "'Self' and 'other' are relative terms, rather like 'this mountain' and 'that mountain ... 'This' and 'that' therefore depend upon our point of reference. This is also true of self and other. By climbing down the mountain of self, it is possible to ascend the mountain of other, and thereby cherish others as much as we presently cherish ourself."
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Monday, October 31, 2016
Announcement
Hello loved ones,
Mimi died peacefully today at around 2:45am. She was surrounded by caring friends, including her husband Richard and her close friend Kadam Heather from Portland. She had Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's text Joyful Path of Good Fortune on her crown and a mala in her left hand. A powa (transference of consciousness) ceremony was performed in the room immediately after her passing.
Mimi never wavered in her confidence that her next life is going to be better than this one. With this faith and intention, it's certain that her mind moved immediately to the pure land. In Heather's words, "Hopefully she'll send down emanations so that Geshe-la will benefit us all!"
With love,
Boswell
Mimi died peacefully today at around 2:45am. She was surrounded by caring friends, including her husband Richard and her close friend Kadam Heather from Portland. She had Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's text Joyful Path of Good Fortune on her crown and a mala in her left hand. A powa (transference of consciousness) ceremony was performed in the room immediately after her passing.
Mimi never wavered in her confidence that her next life is going to be better than this one. With this faith and intention, it's certain that her mind moved immediately to the pure land. In Heather's words, "Hopefully she'll send down emanations so that Geshe-la will benefit us all!"
With love,
Boswell
The Time Is Very Near
Dear friends,
Late Saturday night Mimi began experiencing excruciating pain in her head and abdomen. After several doses of morphine, a hospice nurse came to the house to offer advice on making Mimi more comfortable. Since then, Mimi has begun to show the signs that death is imminent. Her breathing is somewhat labored and she's in a coma-like state. Word went out to the Seattle community Sunday morning, and throughout the day there's been a constant stream of visitors and friends doing vigil with Mimi. Even now, at 2am Monday morning, three friends are sitting with Mimi, quietly making prayers and chanting mantras. Avalokiteshvara's mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM, is playing by her bedside. The atmosphere has been joyous, reverential and peaceful, filled with gratitude and love.
Thank you for reading these posts over the months, the next post will announce Mimi's passing.
With love,
Boswell
Late Saturday night Mimi began experiencing excruciating pain in her head and abdomen. After several doses of morphine, a hospice nurse came to the house to offer advice on making Mimi more comfortable. Since then, Mimi has begun to show the signs that death is imminent. Her breathing is somewhat labored and she's in a coma-like state. Word went out to the Seattle community Sunday morning, and throughout the day there's been a constant stream of visitors and friends doing vigil with Mimi. Even now, at 2am Monday morning, three friends are sitting with Mimi, quietly making prayers and chanting mantras. Avalokiteshvara's mantra, OM MANI PADME HUM, is playing by her bedside. The atmosphere has been joyous, reverential and peaceful, filled with gratitude and love.
Thank you for reading these posts over the months, the next post will announce Mimi's passing.
With love,
Boswell
Monday, October 24, 2016
Achy Breaky Bodies
Hello friends,
Sorry for the lack of updates recently - I've been fighting off a respiratory illness for over a week now. Yuck! Richard has a cold too. We are lucky, though, we'll get over these illnesses soon enough. Not so much for Mimi. She continues to get a bit weaker every day. She's still eating a little, is also still talking and interacting somewhat. As much as we would like to make valid predictions, we really don't know what the progression of Mimi's illness will be. Due to the fact that she's still taking in some calories, she may still be with us for a while. On the other hand, she may be very close to the end. She's experiencing more pain, enough so that it was decided last week to increase her baseline dosage of pain meds. Nausea continues to be an issue. Please make prayers that everyone throughout the world has a healthy body and mind!
Sorry for the lack of updates recently - I've been fighting off a respiratory illness for over a week now. Yuck! Richard has a cold too. We are lucky, though, we'll get over these illnesses soon enough. Not so much for Mimi. She continues to get a bit weaker every day. She's still eating a little, is also still talking and interacting somewhat. As much as we would like to make valid predictions, we really don't know what the progression of Mimi's illness will be. Due to the fact that she's still taking in some calories, she may still be with us for a while. On the other hand, she may be very close to the end. She's experiencing more pain, enough so that it was decided last week to increase her baseline dosage of pain meds. Nausea continues to be an issue. Please make prayers that everyone throughout the world has a healthy body and mind!
Sunday, October 16, 2016
Stormy Weather
Dear friends,
The major storm predicted in Seattle turned out to not be such a big catastrophe. Hope that everyone prepared well and were secure during the wind and rain we did have. And thanks to Mimi's sister Melissa for her kind hopes that we stayed indoors and safe during the worst of the storm. We did!
Mimi's friend and spiritual advisor from Portland, Kadam Heather, was here this weekend and spent time with Mimi. Heather has quite a bit of time of experience spending time with the dying, and she observed evidence that Mimi is now actively dying. Her face and limbs are showing signs of approaching death, and her bodily functions are shutting down. She's experiencing mild hallucinations, but her mind continues to be happy and content. Heather sent me this text yesterday while she was spending time with Mimi: Mimi woke up and I showed her a picture of Vajrayogini and her whole face lit up and she smiled and nodded "yes". Then she pointed to Manjushri and said "I want to understand her mind." Mimi has also been periodically holding her mala in her left hand, which is one of the things she requested for the end of her life. How wonderful that Mimi's many years of spiritual practice are coming to fruition at this time. It's encouraging to observe that her inner weather is peaceful and calm.
As always, many, many thanks to those who have been spending time with Mimi and Richard, and also to those who have shared their thoughts and prayers from afar. Your support means so much!
With love,
Boswell
The major storm predicted in Seattle turned out to not be such a big catastrophe. Hope that everyone prepared well and were secure during the wind and rain we did have. And thanks to Mimi's sister Melissa for her kind hopes that we stayed indoors and safe during the worst of the storm. We did!
Mimi's friend and spiritual advisor from Portland, Kadam Heather, was here this weekend and spent time with Mimi. Heather has quite a bit of time of experience spending time with the dying, and she observed evidence that Mimi is now actively dying. Her face and limbs are showing signs of approaching death, and her bodily functions are shutting down. She's experiencing mild hallucinations, but her mind continues to be happy and content. Heather sent me this text yesterday while she was spending time with Mimi: Mimi woke up and I showed her a picture of Vajrayogini and her whole face lit up and she smiled and nodded "yes". Then she pointed to Manjushri and said "I want to understand her mind." Mimi has also been periodically holding her mala in her left hand, which is one of the things she requested for the end of her life. How wonderful that Mimi's many years of spiritual practice are coming to fruition at this time. It's encouraging to observe that her inner weather is peaceful and calm.
As always, many, many thanks to those who have been spending time with Mimi and Richard, and also to those who have shared their thoughts and prayers from afar. Your support means so much!
With love,
Boswell
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Not Long Now
Dear friends,
Time for another remote update on Mimi from Toronto. We're more than halfway through fall festival and the blessings are raining down. Thanks for keeping Mimi and Richard in your prayers here in Toronto or wherever you are this week. I've been talking with Richard on the phone every night and he's in fairly good spirits. Friends in Seattle who aren't attending fall festival are taking good care of him. Thank you, wonderful friends!
Last week Mimi started missing doses of her regular meds, sometimes because of having a hard time swallowing, other times missing a dose due to an untimely bout of nausea and vomiting. Missing any of her pills could be problematic since they're all working together to control her symptoms, but this was especially a concern with two of her medications: an anti-nausea pill, and the glucocorticoid (steroid) she's been taking to control brain swelling. The anti-nausea medication can be delivered via a different route, so that was easily fixed. The anti-inflammatory steroid was a bit more tricky. We were concerned about her suddenly stopping the steroid because sudden withdrawal of a glucocorticoid can cause adrenal crisis with symptoms like severe pain and vomiting, fever, convulsions, psychosis, dehydration, etc. So, to minimize her chances of experiencing adrenal crisis, the decision was made to taper off the steroid. She just took the final dose yesterday. The fact that she's no longer taking the steroid, in addition to some other signs Richard is seeing, lead us to believe Mimi won't be with us for much longer. Kadam Heather from Portland is coming to visit and provide spiritual support to Mimi this Friday. I'll be back on Friday as well, and will continue to keep you posted about the progress of these final stages of Mimi's life.
During this festival I've been contemplating the vast loving kindness that Mimi has shown to her family and friends around the world, and the amazing example she has shown in cherishing others. Mimi's an aficionado of English literature, and I happened to come across this Emily Dickinson poem that describes a small fraction of the kindness that Mimi has shown to living beings in her lifetime. And who knows, maybe she has even helped a fainting robin ;)
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
In the comments or by email, please feel free to share your stories about the ways that Mimi has cherished others.
With love,
Boswell
Time for another remote update on Mimi from Toronto. We're more than halfway through fall festival and the blessings are raining down. Thanks for keeping Mimi and Richard in your prayers here in Toronto or wherever you are this week. I've been talking with Richard on the phone every night and he's in fairly good spirits. Friends in Seattle who aren't attending fall festival are taking good care of him. Thank you, wonderful friends!
Last week Mimi started missing doses of her regular meds, sometimes because of having a hard time swallowing, other times missing a dose due to an untimely bout of nausea and vomiting. Missing any of her pills could be problematic since they're all working together to control her symptoms, but this was especially a concern with two of her medications: an anti-nausea pill, and the glucocorticoid (steroid) she's been taking to control brain swelling. The anti-nausea medication can be delivered via a different route, so that was easily fixed. The anti-inflammatory steroid was a bit more tricky. We were concerned about her suddenly stopping the steroid because sudden withdrawal of a glucocorticoid can cause adrenal crisis with symptoms like severe pain and vomiting, fever, convulsions, psychosis, dehydration, etc. So, to minimize her chances of experiencing adrenal crisis, the decision was made to taper off the steroid. She just took the final dose yesterday. The fact that she's no longer taking the steroid, in addition to some other signs Richard is seeing, lead us to believe Mimi won't be with us for much longer. Kadam Heather from Portland is coming to visit and provide spiritual support to Mimi this Friday. I'll be back on Friday as well, and will continue to keep you posted about the progress of these final stages of Mimi's life.
During this festival I've been contemplating the vast loving kindness that Mimi has shown to her family and friends around the world, and the amazing example she has shown in cherishing others. Mimi's an aficionado of English literature, and I happened to come across this Emily Dickinson poem that describes a small fraction of the kindness that Mimi has shown to living beings in her lifetime. And who knows, maybe she has even helped a fainting robin ;)
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
In the comments or by email, please feel free to share your stories about the ways that Mimi has cherished others.
With love,
Boswell
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Letting Go
Dear friends of Mimi,
Greetings from Toronto! It's been wonderful seeing so many of you here at the New Kadampa Tradition fall festival, and receiving your loving concern, well wishes and prayers for Mimi in person. I'm concentrating strongly on visualizing both Mimi and Richard here with me during the festival empowerments and teachings, and I'm sure that many of you here are also doing the same. How wonderful and powerful that we can carry our friends and family into this remarkable mandala with us!
I had a long phone conversation with Richard this evening, and he updated me on a few developments with Mimi. As you know, the gross levels of Mimi's body and mind are greatly deteriorating. However, a few of the things that Mimi has said recently indicate that she's still using her subtle mind. For example, during a visit yesterday from a hospice massage therapist, Mimi said, "I've lost the path and I can't seem to find my way back." Given the experiences she's been having lately with her body and mind, this statement seems to suggest that Mimi is actually forgetting about how her gross aggregates function. In fact, at times she even seems to be unaware of their existence. Also, when the massage therapist had first arrived at the house, Mimi told Richard that she needed some time to get herself together. Richard took this to mean that she's dissociating her identity from her ordinary body and mind. She needed a few moments to remember how to attach her "I" to the collection of parts that everyone else agrees are Mimi. These are such good signs to have as death approaches: she'll be ready to let go when the time comes.
While a large number of Mimi's local friends are here at fall festival, many others are stepping up to support her and Richard. We are so grateful for their kindness! Wherever you are in the world, I hope you can feel the cherishing and blessings coming from Seattle and Toronto.
With love,
Boswell
Greetings from Toronto! It's been wonderful seeing so many of you here at the New Kadampa Tradition fall festival, and receiving your loving concern, well wishes and prayers for Mimi in person. I'm concentrating strongly on visualizing both Mimi and Richard here with me during the festival empowerments and teachings, and I'm sure that many of you here are also doing the same. How wonderful and powerful that we can carry our friends and family into this remarkable mandala with us!
I had a long phone conversation with Richard this evening, and he updated me on a few developments with Mimi. As you know, the gross levels of Mimi's body and mind are greatly deteriorating. However, a few of the things that Mimi has said recently indicate that she's still using her subtle mind. For example, during a visit yesterday from a hospice massage therapist, Mimi said, "I've lost the path and I can't seem to find my way back." Given the experiences she's been having lately with her body and mind, this statement seems to suggest that Mimi is actually forgetting about how her gross aggregates function. In fact, at times she even seems to be unaware of their existence. Also, when the massage therapist had first arrived at the house, Mimi told Richard that she needed some time to get herself together. Richard took this to mean that she's dissociating her identity from her ordinary body and mind. She needed a few moments to remember how to attach her "I" to the collection of parts that everyone else agrees are Mimi. These are such good signs to have as death approaches: she'll be ready to let go when the time comes.
While a large number of Mimi's local friends are here at fall festival, many others are stepping up to support her and Richard. We are so grateful for their kindness! Wherever you are in the world, I hope you can feel the cherishing and blessings coming from Seattle and Toronto.
With love,
Boswell
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