In Zimbabwe with Drupon Rinpoche
An account of my time with Drupon Rinpoche in Zimbabwe (by Kunga)
Over the last nine or so years I have travelled with Drupon Khen Rinpoche Karma Lhabu to various countries but this recent trip to Zimbabwe was particularly memorable, so I thought I’d share a short account of our time there and a few pictures.
This was our first trip to Africa but, considering the people’s enthusiasm for Rinpoche’s teachings and the Dharma in general, I don’t think it will be the last. Rinpoche long suspected that the basic living conditions endured by many of the poorer communities of Africa, paired with their firm belief in that which is beyond the material, might make them particularly receptive and able to practise the teachings of the Buddha.
We arrived in Harare on the evening of September the 7th having concluded a week of teachings and retreat that lunch time in the Tara Rokpa Centre of Groot Marico, a couple of hours drive from Johannesburg. We (Rinpoche, Lama Katen, Jampa Dorje and myself) were met at Harare airport by several friends who we had spent a lot of time with in Samye Ling over the years, but also by a highly revered spirit medium called Sekuru Mutota. We pulled into the driveway of Samye Ling Harare to be met by a group of Congolese Buddhists who had just arrived following a long and gruelling 36 hour drive from Kagyu Samye Dzong Lubumbashi, situated in the south of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They, and a small group of people who run and attend the Harare temple, welcomed Rinpoche with traditional songs of greeting, followed by Buddhist mantras chanted in local harmonies.
The more people we met who were attending the teachings the clearer it became what wonderful work and connections Akong Rinpoche had established during his trips to this part of the world.
On the first day a group of four people who had travelled 400kms along rough and rocky roads to attend the teachings came to talk with Drupon Khen Rinpoche. They explained how they had come to the city for education in their youth and having graduated were advised by Akong Rinpoche to return to their communities to learn and maintain their local traditions. They have received mindfulness teachings from Rob Nairn and run two meditation and mindfulness centres in their home region of Chikukwa. The love they feel for their ancestral traditions and their firm belief in the practical benefit of the Buddha’s teachings is palpable. They shared a fascinating story of how one of them, a spirit medium and community head, was unable to shoot straight over the distance of a few meters when called upon to kill a cow, even though he was previously known for his hunting skills. When astonished at his inability to aim straight, he was reminded by a friend that when he took refuge vows from Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche, he had taken a commitment not to kill. Thus his faith in the power of the Three Jewels is based in first-hand experience. Other members of their community wished to travel to attend the teachings but lacked the resources to do so.
The group who had come from the Congo were receiving Rinpoche’s teachings through Jampa Dorje’s translations from Tibetan to French. Their joy and enthusiasm for the teachings, prayers and practice were infectious. They can recite many of the daily prayers from memory and are extremely committed.
There was a real sense of community among the different groups attending the teachings, despite the geographical distances separating them across Southern Africa (mainly Zimbabwe, South Africa, D.R Congo and Zambia) and their related Samye Dzongs, Lings and meditation centres. This was demonstrated by the generosity and care of some members of Samye Ling Harare who had raised money to sponsor the travel and stay of those coming from the Congo.
What became particularly apparent over the duration of our stay in South Africa and Zimbabawe, is the wonderful work Rob Nairn has done over the decades in bringing meditation into the lives of many who would not have encountered it otherwise. Drupon Rinpoche, knowing that Rob was not in the best of health, was keen to visit and meet with him, but the distance to travel was just too far; so a conversation over the phone had to suffice.
On the final day of the teachings thanks giving songs were offered to Rinpoche by the people of Chikukwa, which all of the local black and white people of Harare also seemed to be familiar with. Following this celebration of the Dharma and our time together, Rinpoche gave lay Buddhist vows (genyen/upasaka vows) to those who wished to take them.
Drupon Khen Rinpoche was very interested to meet and see the indigenous people of Zimbabwe and their lifestyle, so on the morning of our last day in Zimbabwe, Sekuru Shumba invited Rinpoche to his village for lunch. Sekuru Shumba is a highly regarded spirit medium who was very close to Akong Rinpoche and was pivotal in assuring local people that Akong Rinpoche’s intentions were kind and compassionate. Sekuru Mutota, who is one of the most important spirit mediums in Zimbabwe, was also invited to Sekuru Shumba’s village with Drupon Rinpoche.
Once we had arrived in the village, Sekuru Shumba’s family offered a traditional welcoming and Rinpoche and the spirit mediums had a fascinating discussion about the phenomenon of mediumship and divination, and the parallels between them as they are found in their respective countries, Zimbabwe and Tibet.
Before lunch was served, Sekuru Shumba showed us around the village and took us to a spot where Akong Rinpoche had given refuge vows and a Chenrezig empowerment to over two hundred people! Considering the remoteness of the area (we had seen no more than 20 people since we had arrived in the village) it was difficult to comprehend how so many people, who one would assume to have no obvious historical links with Buddhism, would convene for such an event. It serves as another example of Akong Rinpoche’s remarkable ability to attract and inspire people.
The two Sekurus and members of Tara Rokpa in Zimbabwe accompanied Rinpoche to the airport to wish him farewell.
Our time in Zimbabwe was so brief that we only had chance to witness a fraction of all the good work Akong Rinpoche and his students (Rob Nairn, Trish Swift, Dave Sheehan, to name but a few) have started in this region; whether it be charity and community work, the Tara Rokpa programme of therapy, and the centres of Dharma teaching and practice.
I left Zimbabwe and South Africa with a sense of great hope in the potential of the people there for Dharma and all the wonders that brings.
I will take this opportunity to thank everybody who made Rinpoche’s visit possible and pray that your activities of bringing the qualities of compassion and wisdom to those who seek them be effective and fruitful.
Kunga
