Dakini inpowerment
I just finished reading 'Dakini power' by journalist Michaela de Haas. The book narrates the life stories and activities of twelve women “shaping the transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in the West”. The word ‘dakini’ refers to a female messenger of wisdom. Hold on, wisdom in this sense is actually reflected by transcendence of dualities.
“The Tibetan word for dakini, khandro, means “sky-goer” or “space-dancer,” which indicates that these ethereal awakened ones have left the confinements of solid earth and have the vastness of open space to play in.”
Doesn’t that sound vividly free? Want to join?
Thirsty for inspiration, I explored the lives of those women dedicating themselves to the enlightenment of all sentient beings while practicing what Lama Tsultrim calls "inpowerment". Notably, all these women did or do this in their unique, contextualized ways and anchored in centuries old traditions.
My heart filled with courage when I encountered descriptions of intuitive decisions, the role independent thinking, community, dreams and recurring themes had (and have) for these women, how for some being a mother has been integrated in their daily life practice of awareness and connection (!), how deeply cherished bonds with spiritual companions play(ed) an important role in the development of their teachings, and how their personal character can be seen as a signature of the refreshing selflessness that they embodied or embody.
Jumping of joy on the inside, I noticed that some of them actually live and work in Colorado, the state where the next Dabrowski’s congress will be held. Surely, I can’t deny that this feels like a strong symbolic sign that I have to visit some of their retreat centres next year .
Through reading the book I got inspired to design an at-home retreat for the upcoming months, during the period in which I will share my reflections, diary entries and…who knows what? The designing has just started and can’t share details yet, but most importantly it will be an ongoing process – what else could it be?
Today I feel thrilled to be inspired by Lama Tsultrim and how she interweaves her life as a (grand) mother into her daily practice and study of Tibetan Buddhism. Maybe this also resonates with your inner processes and outer challenges, and you want to get inspired by this interview.
Meanwhile wishing you a Lot of love !