COMMANDER BROOM AND THE GLASS WIND CHIMES

Javier moved to San Bartolo, a seaside town 50 kilometers South of Lima by the end of year 2,000. He rented a two story house near the Marketplace on Pacific Ocean Street. The house had two bedrooms, a big living room which became the internet place with many computers, and a kitchen. On the second floor there were two other bedrooms: one for Chino Javier Fon, Javier’s partner and another for Maria, the cook. Cathy the secretary , would come by bus every morning. I had a house in Lima, but would come and go and stayed as long as I could. My daughter and her husband Jose took care of my house since they lived with me .

Javier loved Buddhism so much he had asked Hannah for his place to become a Buddhist Center. Hannah had given him permission. So now he had a Diamond Way Center, he needed some people who would come to meditate. He asked Cathy to put up a sign on the wall: it said “We teach Meditation. If interested ask here.”

One day Cathy came all excited saying there was a person who had asked for meditation. There was a room facing the street. Javier had made his office there. We were sitting round a table in the office when this fortyish handsome guy with a small beard came in. He had a broom on his hand. I had not noticed the handle was a flute.

He told us his story: He was Electric Blue Hand, Commander Broom-The strange name came from the Maya Calendar. My Maya name was White Crystal Wind. Javier’s was Tuned Red Hand.

He came from El Carmen del Viboral,  where waters spring from in Colombia.. He was a conservationist who knew a lot about agriculture without pesticides. He had recuperated a place that had been a dump before. Now it was a beautiful orchard. He also recycled objects: from a beer or wine bottle he would make a glass with the lower part. With the upper part he would make a wind chime. He would put a cork at the top and a piece of metal with bird feathers or seashells inside. as clapper. He was strange but cute and I was afraid Javier would chase him out. especially when he started playing his broom-flute. But Javier had also liked him, and we went on to do the Three Lights Meditation. He told us he was living nearby at a friend’s house. He was barefoot and was wearing bathing trunks and a T shirt, but that was what all guys wore in the summer in San Bartolo. After he left Cathy told us he had paid for the time he had used the internet. “He is OK then.” Javier said.

As January went by he visited us often. He would sing the mantra Karmapa Chenno in falsetto and different tones. That was his way of integrating Dharma to his life. He was a joyful fellow. He would bring us small presents: paper rainbows or cardboard leaves. He listened to Javier as he told him about Lama Ole. He had told us the lady who was his hostess was pregnant. When she got close to childbirth he told us he needed a place to stay. In other words, he was asking for Refuge, but a material one.

The house had a garage, and a narrow veranda. Javier had bought an oven to make pizza. It turned out that Commander Broom knew how to make the dough. The garage became a Pizza shop and Commander’s room. In the afternoons he would sell pizza and ask the costumers their birth dates in order to tell them their Maya names. Ladies loved that and people would line up for their pizza.

Numbers had a special meaning for him: he would look at a license plate and would say “Oh great!·or “How bad!” All numbers had a meaning to him., even the time of day or phone-numbers.

Commander was a good cook and when on February 9^th it was Javier’s birthday, he baked a wonderful carrot cake.

Mano, as he called himself, loved the idea of Tibetan prayer wheels. He fabricated out of recycled parts one of his own which said Karmapa Chenno which he gave to Javier. He also gave us a wind chime which Javier put in the veranda. I also had one made for my grandson Jose Alfredo.

Summer was coming to an end and in March. Schools had started already, and San Bartolo was half empty during weekdays. Only on weekends the heat brought a lot of visitors.

Mano wanted to travel South to Chile and then go to El Bolson in Patagonia. That was an area full of hippies like him. Javier obtained from a friend of his, a bus ticket to Santiago for Commander Broom. It was the end of March of year 2001. He promised he would come back, and he did in 2005, when Javier was already living in the Buddhist Center on Ribeyro Street. He said he would keep in touch and put all his belongings in a coarse cotton sack and left.

Sometimes at night we would hear the wind chime and wonder where he would be.”There, hear the chime”-Javier would say-“I wonder where he is now!”

El Comandante Escoba y las Campanas del Viento de Cristal

Javier se mudó a San Bartolo, un pueblo costero a 50 kilómetros al sur de Lima a fines del año 2,000. Alquiló una casa de dos pisos cerca del mercado, en la calle Mar Pacífico. La casa tenía dos dormitorios, una sala-comedor grande que volvieron cabina de Internet con muchas computadoras, y una cocina y un baño. En el segundo piso había dos dormitorios: uno para en chino Javier Fon, el socio de Javier, y otro para María la cocinera. Caty, la secretaria  venía en bus cada mañana. Yo tenía mi casa en Lima, pero iba y venía y me quedaba lo más que podía. Mi hija y su esposo Jose cuidaban la casa porque vivían conmigo.

Javier amaba el Budismo tanto que le pidió a Hannah que su local fuera un Centro Camino del Diamante. Hannah le dio el permiso. Entonces ya tenía un centro Budista, pero necesitaba gente que viniera a meditar. Le pidió a Caty que le pusiera en la pared un letrero que decía: “Se enseña meditación. Interesados preguntar aquí.”

Un día vino Caty muy emocionada diciendo que había una persona que había preguntado por la Meditación. Había una habitación quedaba a la calle. Allí había puesto Javier su oficina. Estábamos sentados a la mesa de la oficina. cuando un guapo cuarentón de pelo y barba corta entró. Llevaba una escoba en la mano. No me di cuenta que el mango era una flauta.

Nos contó su historia: El era Mano Eléctrica Azul, el Comandante Escoba. El raro nombre venía del calendario  Maya. Mi nombre maya era Viento Cristal Blanco y el de Javier Mano Entonada Roja. El venía del Carmen del Viboral donde nacen las aguas, en Colombia.

Era un conservacionista que sabía de agricultura sin pesticidas. Había recuperado un terreno que había sido un botadero. Lo había convertido en un hermoso huerto. También reciclaba objetos. De una botella de vidrio de vino o cerveza, la cortaba y con la mitad de abajo hacía un vaso. Con la mitad de arriba hacía una campana de viento. Les ponía un corcho en la parte de arriba y un badajo de metal con plumas de gaviota o conchitas. Era raro pero tierno y tuve miedo que Javier lo echara, especialmente cuando empezó a tocar su escoba-flauta.

Pero a Javier también le había gustado, e hicimos la Meditación de la Tres Luces. Nos dijo que estaba alojado cerca, en casa de unos amigos. Iba descalzo y llevaba puestos una ropa de baño y un polo, pero eso era lo que llevaba todo el mundo en el verano en San Bartolo. Después que se fue, Caty nos dijo que había pagado por el tiempo que había usado la cabina de internet. “Está bien entonces”-dijo Javier.

Durante el mes de enero nos visitaba con frecuencia. Se ponía a cantar Karmapa Chenno en distintos tonos de falsetto. Era su modo de integrar en Dharma a su vida. Era alguien alegre. Nos traía regalitos: arco iris de papel, hojas a colores en cartulina. El escuchaba a Javier contarle sobre Lama Ole.

Nos había contado que la señora donde se alojaba estaba embarazada. Cuando se acercó la fecha del parto nos dijo que necesitaba un lugar para quedarse. En otras palabras nos estaba pidiendo refugio, pero uno material.

La casa tenía un garaje y una estrecha terraza. Javier había comprado un horno para hacer pizza. Resulta que el Comandante sabía hacer la masa. El garaje se convirtió en pizzería y en los aposentos del Comandante. Por las tardes vendía pizza y les iba preguntando a los clientes su fecha de nacimiento para decirles su nombre en el calendario Maya. A las señoras les encantaba y hacían cola para comprar la pizza.

Los números tenían un significado especial para él: miraba la placa de un auto y decía “Qué bueno” o “Qué mal”- Todos los números tenían significado para él desde la hora del día hasta los números de teléfono.

El Comandante era un buen cocinero, y un nueve de febrero cumpleaños de Javier preparó una excelente torta de zanahoria.

Mano, como se llamaba a sí mismo estaba encantado con la idea de las ruedas de oración tibetanas ,y de partes que recogió de distintos lados , fabricó una que decía Karmapa Chenno la cual regaló a Javier. También hizo una campana de viento de vidrio, que colgamos en el techo de la terraza..También me hizo una para mi nieto Jose Alfredo.

Estaba terminando el verano en marzo. Ya había comenzado el año escolar. San Bartolo estaba medio vacío durante la semana. Solo los fines de semana el calor atraía a un montón de visitantes.

Mano quería viajar al sur: a Chile para luego ir al “Bolsón”, un lugar en la Patagonia lleno de Hippies. Javier consiguió a través de un amigo un pasaje en bus a Santiago para el Comandante Escoba. Era fines de marzo del 2001. El prometió volver y lo hizo en el 2005 cuando Javier ya vivía en el Centro Budista de la calle Ribeyro.

Al irse el Comandante dijo que seguiría en contacto, y puso todas sus posesiones en un saco de yute y partió.

Algunas noches escuchábamos la campana de viento y nos preguntábamos donde estaría. “Escucha la campana.”-decía Javier.”Me pregunto dónde está ahora.”

CHE JULITO AND THE THEORY OF CHAOS

Sometimes from changes in temperature spring forth recollections of the past. One day at the end of January, Che Julito arrived in the first non stop journey from Misiones , Argentina to San Bartolo, a seaside town South of Lima. Lama Ole was coming to Lima for teachings, and he had come to listen to them and to visit Javier, who then had an Internet place in San Bartolo which was also a Buddhist Center.

Javier was one of the precursors of Internet in Peru and he had a gift for communications,. He had created a Forum in Internet called Budismo Peru, which later became Budismo Iberoamerica because of the amplitude of its participants. One assiduous member was Che Julito, a tall blonde history teacher from Misiones. They became friends with time, and on occasion of lama’s coming he was invited to visit. Julito accepted and got into a bus in his district and God knows  how long it took him, but he made it.

Both characters came to visit me and Julito treated us with a classic: ham and cheese sandwiches on Pullman bread and with tomato, lettuce and a lot of mayonnaise. Lima Center did not exist yet and we met at Carlos Vega’s apartment in San Isidro. Lama’s lectures would take place in Corpac, in Petro Peru’s auditorium. In a previous meeting we met a girl who would have a role in this story. She was called Gabriela. In the car on the way to the lecture she told us she liked Chaos Theory, by which all is subject to change and carbon in our bodies is the result of stardust. Che Julito seemed to like the girl, and the four of us came to my house after the lecture. He prepared his sandwiches. Gabriela appeared to like him too. She put her head on his shoulder and Julito started to ponder on love relations at a distance. Gabriela was talking about her theory and how “anything could happen”.

Late that evening after she took a taxi, the three of us went to take a walk by a nearby park. It was a quiet night with a soft summer breeze. There were no noises. The three of us sat on a bench in the park. Suddenly in front of our eyes (Julito’s and mine since Javier was blind) appeared a totally white owl crossing the sky. We later found out she lived on Henry’s roof, Henry is a neighbor friend of Commander Broom. We were dumbfounded and told Javier. I had already seen Harry Potter.

I don’t know if it was an omen or not. Lama Ole left us his teachings and we were exultant and grateful. Che Julito remained in San Bartolo while his money lasted . The girl did not answer his calls and went somewhere else with her Chaos Theory. Three weeks later Julito set forth on a return trip from San Bartolo to Misiones.

As to the forum, it had to be closed because of jealousy. Some persons invented that behind the Forum was a Venezuelan guy who had appropriated a Buddhism domain, registering it to his name. Lama believed it and Javier had to close it.

A long time after, Javier called Julito on the phone. He was sad and all he could say was:  “so many things, so many things.”

EL CHE JULITO Y LA TEORIA DEL CAOS

A veces la temperatura trae recuerdos del pasado. Un día a fines de enero llegó Julito en el primer viaje directo sin escalas  Misiones-San Bartolo. Lama Ole iba a dar charlas en Lima y él había venido a escucharlo y a visitar a Javier, el cual tenía en San Bartolo una cabina de Internet que dobleteaba como Centro Budista Camino del Diamante.

Javier era uno de los precursores de Internet en el Perú y tenía un don para las comunicaciones. Creó en internet un foro “Budismo Perú” el cual fue ampliado a “Budismo Iberoamérica” por la amplitud de los participantes. Uno de ellos, muy asiduo, era el Ché Juliito, un muchachón alto y rubio; profesor de Historia en Misiones. Con el tiempo hicieron amistad hasta que Javier lo invitó a San Bartolo con motivo de la venida del Lama. Julito accedió y se montó a un bus en su distrito y sabe Dios cuánto demoró en llegar a San Bartolo, pero lo hizo.

Ambos vinieron de visita a mi casa y el Ché nos obsequió con sus clásicos sándwiches: pan de molde blanco, lechuga, tomate, jamón y queso. con mucha mayonesa. El Centro de Lima todavía no existía y las reuniones eran en el departamento de San Isidro de Carlos Vega. Las charlas iban a ser en Corpac, en el auditorio de Petro Perú.

En una reunión previa a la charla del Lama, conocimos a una chica que tendría un rol en esta historia. Se llamaba Gabriela. En el auto camino a la conferencia, nos dijo que a ella le gustaba la Teoría del Caos, donde cualquier cosa puede suceder y el carbono de nuestros cuerpos es el resultado del polvo de estrellas.

A Ché Julito pareció gustarle la mina y después de la charla fuimos a mi casa a degustar los consabidos sándwiches. A Gabriela parecía gustarle él también. Bastó que ella le pusiera la cabeza en su hombro para que el Ché se hiciera toda clase de fabricaciones sobre amores a distancia. Gabriela hablaba como una lora sobre su teoría que “todo puede suceder.”

Esa noche luego que ella tomara un taxi, salimos los tres a dar una vuelta por el parque detrás de mi casa. La noche estaba serena, hacía una brisa suave y no había ruidos. Nos sentamos los tres en una banca del parque.

De pronto ante nuestros ojos (los de Julito y míos, Javier era ciego) apareció una lechuza totalmente blanca, cruzó volando el parque y desapareció.  Luego supimos que vivía en el techo de la casa de Henry, amigo del Comandante Escoba. Nos quedamos anonadados y le contamos a Javier. Ya había visto Harry Potter.

No sé si fue de buen augurio ver la lechuza. Lama Ole se fue y nos dejó encantados y agradecidos. Ché Julito se quedó en San Bartolo mientras el dinero le alcanzó. La niña de la historia no le hizo caso al Ché, no contestó sus llamadas y se fue a otra parte con su Teoría del Caos. Un día cualquiera tres semanas después de su llegada partía Julito de retorno de San Bartolo a Misiones.

En cuanto al foro, dejó de existir por celos de algunas personas que inventaron que el foro exclusivo de Javier lo dirigía un venezolano  que le había hecho daño a Camino del Diamante apropiándose de un dominio budista de Internet. Aunque era una calumnia hubo que cerrarlo.

Pasaron varios años y Javier llamó al Ché por teléfono, Estaba triste y solo decía: “tantas cosas, tantas cosas…”

DO NOT TAKE MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE!

By the end of year 2,000, Javier moved to San Bartolo, a seaside resort South of Lima. He rented a house and turned it into an Internet place, the first one in all the beaches South of Lima. I used to spend the summer there. Javier had taken Buddhism with enthusiasm and he loved to teach people how to meditate. He had put a sign on the wall which said “We can meditate together. If interested ask the clerk. Lama Ole had given him the blessing to make it a Center.

One day I saw in the marketplace a lady I knew. She had come with her husband. She introduced me and told me they had an apartment overlooking the ocean in North beach, close to the main square. I told the Javier lived close by. They invited us to their place the following week. They wanted to meditate too.

Javier was very enthusiastic about our new friends as we walked that afternoon. They had a wonderful view of the bay. We chatted for some time and then the husband suggested that we meditate. I had taken a booklet with Three Lights Meditation. We all sat in different places. When people are beginners, it is too hard for them to sit on the floor with legs crossed. They had meditated before but we all sat on chairs. I was reading the meditation. At some point it started to feel uncomfortable. There was the sensation of some negative energy. At some point it was so strong that it almost hurt. As we finished I felt some relief. My friend invited us some avocado sandwiches and some tea. All I wanted was to leave, and fast.

I asked Javier on the way home if he had felt the negativity. It was like swimming against the tide. “Something very dark” he said. We both suspected of the man, not the lady. She was warm and open and light. He was quiet and ominous. Still, we were not sure yet.

The house Javier had rented in San Bartolo had a garage. He bought and oven and started to sell pizzas. An Argentinian lady we met had given us the information of the supplies we needed for a good pizza and she was the first employee. Later Maria, the cook and faithful servant of Javier would learn how to make the dough herself.

One evening I told Javier my friend and her husband had come to eat pizza. The house had an outdoor patio, and there were a few plastic tables and chairs where you could sit and watch the stars and eat pizza. A little later the lights went out. That was really serious, because of the twenty computers people were using. They took their pizza carry out and left. After that incident, Javier would refer to the man as Gloomy.

Now Javier was sure it was the man. He was blind, but he had developed a sixth sense. Every time they came to visit us something happened. A light bulb would explode, there would be a gas leak and danger of an explosion. And who knows what else.

Summer ended and San Bartolo became sort of a ghost city. January and February it was a happy town, but schools started in March and even though it was hot, people only came on weekends. We did not see them anymore.
In April Lam Ole came and Javier told him about Gloomy. Lama gave wise advice. “Never take more than you can handle” he said.

When you start a spiritual path you may be too enthusiastic. We may have Protection from the Lineage, but there are negative strange things out there. One must be careful and not try one-s luck.

As to the couple, one year later I met the lady in Lima and she told me she was getting divorced from Gloomy. I was very happy for her. We would not have to see her husband again!

RICARDO ON A BIKE

Many years ago, in the mid-nineties, my friend Ricardo and I were invited to a party by a beautiful British couple. They lived just a few blocks away from my house. We decided to go together, and Ricardo, who lived in the same district but some twenty blocks away, came riding his bike. He left it in my house and we walked to the party.

Bob, the host was a nice fellow and he had invited many people I knew. His wife Hillary was a nice hostess and we had a great time. It was summer and the weather was pleasant, so we stayed till very late.

Ricardo had gone upstairs to the terrace. There they could smoke. I saw him come down to the kitchen and his face lit up when he grabbed a bottle of Vodka. I enjoyed the reunion, and as people started to leave I saw Ricardo come down into the kitchen. We said good/bye and headed for my house.

Ricardo was heavily drunk and he swayed and staggered as he walked. I suggested that he sleep in the guest room since I felt he could not ride home. Alas, he insisted in riding his bike. We finally arrived home and he rode off.

I had drunk a little, but was sober enough to be scared for him riding home so drunk. It was the early morning and all I could do was go to sleep and wait. I had never seen anyone make S movements on the sidewalk before. I slept off. When I woke up, the first thing I remembered was Ricardo on his bike.

I called his home and his mother answered. I asked if he was there and she told me he was sleeping. I felt so relieved I could cry.

Some days later, we met and he told me about his ride. He had fallen asleep on his bike. Goodness knows how he got home, but he had no recollection. Some of his friends who were sitting in an outdoor table in a restaurant on the way saw him go by fast asleep at the wheel.

Ricardo always made Lopong Tsechu laugh. They were close and he had given him many blessings. Only a great Protection made him come out of this one alive!
   

COSME’S DREAM

I quit writing on this blog because in April 2014, I found an editor. In July 2014 a book based on this blog called Lamas en Lima, was published and presented at the Lima International Book Fair. Months later I was supposed to travel to the city of Piura, in the North of Peru, to present the book in the Piura Book fair.

Cosme Saavedra is a Peruvian writer. He lives in Sullana, twenty minutes away from Piura. One night he had a dream. The world was at war. There were bombs and shelling. Among all this distress and violence, a small girl stood in front of him. She said “Help me.” He was moved by her dark eyes and asked her name. ”My name is Tara”, she said. He had never heard her name nor did he know anything about Buddhism.

A couple of weeks later, he received a phone call. It was a Lima editor who wanted him to speak on the presentation of a book. This editor had published a novel of Cosme in July. He was flattered and agreed to do it. As a local writer he thrived in book fairs.

He received a copy of the book by e mail and started reading it. It was about some Tibetan priests called Lamas and a Danish disciple who had come to Lima. He looked the name TARA up and it turned out she was a Buddhist Bodhisattva. He even learned she had a mantra OM TARE TUTARE TURE SOHA.

Cosme had only received half the book by mail. As I arrived in Piura I called him and we agreed to meet in a café called El Chalán. It turned out that we had met in Lima at the Book fair. Both our books had been presented together. That was a happy coincidence! As we had coffee I gave him a copy of my book so he could finish reading it.

The next day we had a nice presentation of my book in Piura’s main square. He did not tell me anything about his dream. He really liked my book. We parted friends.

I did not see him for two years. I recently returned to Piura to present another book of short stories and a book for children. He had agreed to present my book. We met, and in Piura’s main square he told me about his dream.

It made me wonder. We do not think about the consequences of our actions, but Bodhisattvas like TARA are always watching over us. The world today is a dangerous place, but with Buddha’s teachings it could become a better place.

EL SUEÑO DE COSME

Dejé de escribir este blog porque en abril del 2014 conseguí un editor. En julio de 2014 se publicó un libro basado en este blog. El libro se llama “Lamas en Lima” y fue presentado en la Feria Internacional del Libro de Lima. Meses después yo debía viajar a la ciudad de Piura, al norte del Perú a presentar el libro en la feria del Libro de Piura.

Cosme Saavedra es un escritor peruano. El vive en Sullana, a veinte minutos de Piura. Una noche el tuvo un sueño. El mundo estaba en guerra. Había bombas y fuego de artillería. En medio de toda esta violencia y tribulación había una niña pequeña parada delante de él. Ella le dijo: “Ayúdame.” Sus ojos negros lo conmovieron y le preguntó su nombre. “Me llamo Tara”, contestó ella. El no había escuchado jamás ese nombre, ni sabía nada sobre Budismo.

Un par de semanas después el recibió una llamada telefónica: era un editor de Lima que deseaba que el presentara un libro. Este editor había publicado una novela de Cosme en julio. Es se sintió halagado y accedió a hacerlo. Como escritor local disfrutaba las ferias de libros.

Cosme recibió una copia del libro en archivo por correo electrónico y empezó a leerlo. Era sobre unos sacerdotes tibetanos llamados “lamas” y un discípulo danés que venía a Lima. Buscó el nombre TARA en un buscador: resultó que era una bodhisattva  budista. Hasta aprendió su mantra: om tare tutare ture soha.

Cosme solo había recibido medio archivo. Cuando yo llegué a Piura lo llamé y quedamos en encontrarnos en un café llamado “El Chalán” en el centro. Resulta que nos habíamos conocido en la feria del Libro de Lima. Nuestros libros habían sido presentados juntos. Esa era una afortunada coincidencia. Mientras tomábamos café le di una copia de mi libro para que pudiera terminar de leerlo.

Al día siguiente tuvimos una bonita presentación, pero el no me dijo nada de su sueño. Le había gustado mi libro de verdad. Nos despedimos amigos.
No lo volví a ver en dos años. Regresé a Piura recientemente a presentar otro libro de relatos cortos y un libro para niños. El iba a presentar mi nuevo libro. En la Plaza de Armas de Piura me contó su sueño.

Eso me hizo meditar. Nosotros no pensamos sobre las consecuencias de nuestros actos, pero Bodhisattvas como TARA están vigilándonos siempre. El mundo hoy en día es un lugar peligroso, pero con las enseñanzas del Buda podría volverse un lugar mejor.

…AND THE BIRDS KEPT SILENT

One day, my daughter Stefanie came home with a cage: it contained four parakeets. She had been downtown and felt compassion for the birds, and bought them. We decided to hang the cage under a tree in the small garden I have at the back of the house. Anytime you went into the garden you could hear the parakeets chirping away.

There was a table next to the tree, and we would always sit on the chairs around it. Javier would always sit there whenever we came home and I had to change clothes or do something else. He would wait there for me smoking a cigarette or meditating.

I guess at the time he must have been practicing Dorje Sempa. He realized that whenever he started reciting the one hundred syllable mantra, the parakeets hushed and kept silent until he finished the meditation. As soon as he dedicated merit, they would resume their chirping.

He told me this and at first I didn’t believe him. The next time I stayed with him and he started a meditation. The parakeets went mum. I witnessed they kept silent until he finished and dedicated merit.

I still wonder what could have happened: either meditation sends mind waves and the birds get them; or the sound of the mantra is so powerful it stuns them.

Change is constant in Samsara. Now my daughter lives in Texas and she gave away the parakeets when she left. But the tree is still there, and whenever I sit under it, I remember Javier meditating while four parakeets kept silent.

DEATH WITH HIS TEACHER (PHOWA HAS GOOD RESULTS)

Javier Geigner was the life of the Buddhist Center in Lima where he lived, for many years. He answered the phone, opened the door, taught the different meditations to newcomers, and was well loved by all. Being blind was no problem for learning. His friends would get for him different conferences of Lama Ole, and he would listen to them over and over. Then he would say ten minute eggs based on what he would hear. He was very keen in practice, and he was almost finishing Ngnondro when Lama Ole came to Lima and told him:”Javier, you are a great Yogui.” That he told him in private, otherwise it would have awakened some people´s envy. That time he also told him “You and I will always be together.” In the months that followed we would find out how true that would come out to be.

By 2010 I first noticed he was losing weight. We checked this and planned a diet that would make him gain weight. Then in January 2011, he told me he had a pain in his lower back. I took him to the doctor. The X=rays showed some scoliosis, so we thought that was that. Later since the pain continued, I took him to my acupuncturist. After a month of treatment with no good results, she told me we had better take him for a general checkup.

We did and after a long week having all sorts of tests, we found out he had a very big tumor in his left lung: it was cancer. Javier had smoked one pack of cigarettes a day for more than fifty years, and he had always known that could happen to him. Even lama Ole had asked him to quit smoking so he could live longer. Needless to say, he started a treatment after a positive biopsy.

Lama Ole came to Lima and we had a retreat in a hotel in Miraflores. We had morning and afternoon sessions, but people slept in their homes or their hotels. By then Javier was in so much pain he stayed in the Center and listened to the sessions by Skype. Finally one afternoon he made an effort and went. As we were leaving, as soon as we reached the street, he lighted a cigarette and I was really upset by that.

The other people living in the Center were very respectful and put up with his coughing and fading strength as he got chemotherapy. The time came when I got an early morning call from Javier. He didn´t want to wake me up, but he thought he was bleeding. I drove quickly to the Center and after calling his doctor and making him a blood test, I took him to the hospital. That was on a Wednesday morning end of August. He had been feeling better the two previous days. We had been making plans for the following days. He wanted to write a letter to Lama Ole, and another to the Sangha who were being so nice to him.

In Europe, Monday of that same week Lama Ole had a dream about Lima Peru. He told that to Natalia, and both thought something might happen to Javier. Lama Ole asked Natalia to call Alfonso here in Lima and have him arrange communication by Skype for Lama Ole with Javier. He had something to tell him. Alfonso had something important to do and forgot all about it. He would soon be sorry.

Javier was bleeding internally. By Thursday he was very ill. The doctor told me he may die. Friday morning he was taken to Intensive Care. Carmen had come to keep us company bringing a bag I needed. We were having coffee when he died. As we went to the floor where he had been I was told to go to the doctor´s office. We rushed down several floors down the stairs and went into his office. There he told me Javier had passed away. I called Sonia, his first wife and also his nephew. Carmen called the Sangha. Lama Ole found out about it half an hour after Javier had died. As generous as always, he wanted to help him and looked for him in Bardo, but he was nowhere to be found. Lama says he had gone straight to Dewachen. He had allowed us to have Javier´s wake in his room in the Center. As we gathered round him to meditate, we could sense there was no energy there. Later one of his daughters arrived from Argentina. I took her inside the room and she also sensed there was no one in the room but us two.

We cremated Javier on Sunday morning. All the Sangha attended. That evening I had a dream. I was in a place where there was a Gompa. They wouldn’t let me in, but I could see Javier sitting in a garden in the sun. He was smoking. Then they all gathered in the gompa to recite mantras. I could hear the most beautiful masculine voice singing a sadhana. As I woke up and sat in bed I could still hear that voice. I will never forget it. I was nor the only one to dream about Javier in a gompa. Other people also did. Javier had another daughter who lived in Madrid. She later came and took the urn with his ashes to Karma Guen in Malaga, as Javier had wished.

Now, how could Lama Ole be so close to Javier he could sense something might happen to him? Javier had done several Phowas and he had taken Buddhist practice very seriously. He had even met Karmapa and had a very moving exchange of words. So if you are a good practitioner you can even skip Bardo. I have had a few dreams with messages from Javier. All I can tell you is he is having a great time. I guess all it takes is a great teacher and a good student to go straight to Dewachen.

You can see Lama Ole´s yearly schedule in the internet. So when is the next Phowa near you? Don´t miss it!

====================================

LA MUERTE CON SU MAESTRO

Javier Geigner le daba vida al Centro Budista Camino del Diamante en Lima, donde vivió por ocho años. El contestaba el teléfono, abría la puerta, enseñaba a los nuevos las distintas meditaciones; y era muy querido por todos. El ser ciego desde los cincuenta y tantos  no era un problema para que el aprendiera. Sus jóvenes amigos le conseguían distintas conferencias grabadas de Lama Ole Nydahl y él las escuchaba una y otra vez. Luego solía hacer charlas de diez minutos basado en lo que había escuchado.

Javier era muy aplicado en su práctica diaria y estaba casi terminando en Ngnondro (Prácticas Preliminares) cuando Lama Ole vino a Lima y le dijo: “Javier, eres un gran Yogui.” Esto por supuesto se lo dijo en privado, porque si no hubiera despertado la envidia en algunos. Esa vez también le dijo “You and I, we shall always be together” (Tu y yo siempre vamos a estar juntos.)En los meses siguientes averiguaríamos cuán cierto eso podía resultar.

Por el año 2010, me di cuenta que Javier había perdido peso. Lo comprobamos con una balanza y planeamos una dieta rica en calorías que le hiciera engordar. Luego en enero del 2011, me comentó que tenía un dolor en el lado izquierdo de la espalda. Lo llevé al doctor. Las radiografías mostraban una leve escoliosis y entonces pensamos que eso era todo. Como el dolor continuó, lo llevé  a mi acupunturista. Después de un mes de tratamiento sin buenos resultados, la doctora me dijo que sería mejor hacerle un chequeo general. Eso hicimos por mayo y después de una semana de someterlo a todo tipo de pruebas  le encontraron un tumor muy grande en el pulmón izquierdo: era canceroso.

Javier había fumado una cajetilla diaria de cigarrillos por más de cincuenta años y siempre había sabido que esto le podía ocurrir. Hasta Lama Ole le había dicho: “Deja de fumar amigo, vivirás más tiempo.” Demás está decir que comenzó un tratamiento después de una neumonía y una biopsia que dio positivo.

Lama Ole vino a Lima y tuvimos un retiro en un hotel de Miraflores. Teníamos sesiones por la mañana y por la tarde. La gente se iba a dormir a sus casas o cuartos de hotel. Por ese entonces Javier tenía tanto dolor que se quedó en el Centro y escuchaba las sesiones vía Skype. Finalmente una tarde hizo un esfuerzo y llegó allá. Al momento de retirarnos, apenas llegamos a la vereda delante del hotel, prendió un cigarrillo y me molesté mucho por eso. Más adelante dejaría de fumar. Las otras personas que vivían en el Centro eran muy respetuosas y toleraban el ruido de su tos y que le disminuyeran las fuerzas como resultado de la quimioterapia. 

Llegó el día en que recibí una llamada de Javier muy temprano. No me quería despertar, pero pensaba que estaba sangrando. Manejé con rapidez al Centro y después de hablar con su doctor y hacerle una prueba de sangre lo llevé al hospital. Eso fue una mañana de un miércoles a finales de agosto. El se había sentido mejor los días previos. Habíamos hecho planes para los siguientes días. El quería escribirle un correo a Lama Ole y otro a la Sangha( el grupo de practicantes) los cuales habían sido tan buenos con él. Estando sus dos hijas fuera del país, ellos habían sido como una familia para él.

En Europa, el lunes de esa semana lama Ole soñó con Lima, Perú. Se lo contó a Natalia Rivas y ambos pensaron que algo le sucedía a Javier. El martes, Lama Ole le pidió a Natalia que contactara a Alfonso en Lima para que concertara una comunicación por Skype con Javier. El lama quería hablar con él. Alfonso tuvo algo urgente que hacer y se olvidó del encargo. Pronto se arrepentiría.

Javier estaba sangrando internamente. El jueves estaba ya muy grave. El doctor me dijo que podía morir. El viernes por la mañana temprano lo toqué y estaba helado. Lo llevaron a cuidados intensivos. Carmen, una compañera del Centro había venido a la clínica a acompañarme y a traerme un maletín que necesitábamos. Estábamos las dos tomando café en la cafetería cuando Javier murió. Sin saber nada subimos al piso y me dijeron que fuera al consultorio del doctor. Bajamos rápidamente varios pisos por las escaleras y entramos .Entonces me dijo que Javier había fallecido.

Llamé a Sonia, su primera esposa para que le avisara a su hija mayor, y también a su sobrino. Al rato me llamó Sammy, la otra hija desde Buenos Aires. Carmen le avisó a la Sangha. Lama Ole se enteró que Javier había muerto, media hora después. Con su generosidad habitual, el lama lo quiso ayudar en ese trance y lo buscó en el Bardo (estado intermedio después de la muerte), pero no lo pudo encontrar. El lama dice que Javier se fue derecho a Dewachen (Paraíso). Nos permitieron velar a Javier en el que había sido su cuarto en el Centro. Cuando nos sentamos todos alrededor del ataúd podíamos sentir que no había energía alguna. Nos reunimos a hacer el ritual del Phowa por él, pero no era necesario. Más tarde llegó Sammy de la Argentina. La hice entrar a la recámara y ella también sintió una gran ausencia. Solo estábamos las dos. Para los Tibetanos el alma permanece en el cuerpo a la altura del corazón por tres días después de muerta la persona. En los velorios normales hay una “presencia”.

Cremamos a Javier el domingo por la mañana. Todos los amigos y practicantes acudieron. Esa noche tuve un sueño: yo estaba en un lugar donde había un templo. No me dejaban entrar, pero podía ver a Javier sentado en el pasto de un jardín bajo el sol. ¡Estaba fumando! Luego todas las personas que estaban allá entraron al templo y empezaron a decir mantras. Pude escuchar la voz masculina más hermosa cantando una sadhana. Cuando me desperté y me senté en la cama podía todavía escuchar la voz maravillosa. Nunca la podré olvidar. Yo no fui la única en soñar con Javier diciendo mantras en una Gompa (templo). Otras personas cercanas también lo hicieron.

Javier tenía otra hija, la cual vivía en Madrid. Ella vino después y se llevó la urna con sus cenizas a Karma Guen, un lugar de retiros budista cerca de Málaga. Allí hay un templo muy grande y viven algunos lamas tibetanos. Allí vivió varios años el lama Mipham, padre del Karmapa Thaye Dorje. Descansar allí era lo que Javier hubiera querido.

Ahora ¿Cómo Lama Ole pudo estar tan cerca de Javier que presintió que algo le iba a pasar? Javier había hecho varios Phowas ( el primero en 2002) y tomaba su práctica con mucha seriedad. Hasta había viajado a Karma Guen a conocer al Karmapa Thaye Dorje y había tenido un intercambio de palabras muy emocionante. Entonces, si eres un buen practicante ¿te puedes saltar el Bardo?

He tenido otros sueños con mensajes de Javier. Solo les puedo decir que la está pasando muy bien. Creo que toma un gran maestro y un buen discípulo para ir directo a Dewachen. Lama Ole Nydahl tiene su agenda anual en internet. ¿Cuándo será el próximo Phowa? Habría que averiguarlo.