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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
The Buddha hand jive
>> Liliha
The shrine at the boyhood home where the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa realized his Buddhahood 16 years ago was shrouded from view by huge palm fronds, stood upright and leaning together at the top. Fortunately, from HPD Detective Sherlock Gomes' point of view, the service to dedicate the shrine was quick and simple -- something to recommend Buddhism after all.
There was a little chanting, some incense burning, some ringing of bells and cymbals, a few words from dignitaries, a little more chanting, then members of Kagyu Thegchen Ling, the Tibetan Buddhist center in Nuuanu, were removing one-by-one the palm fronds, at last revealing a statue carved in black lava and polished, of the young lama sitting on a lotus throne while meditating. At its base was a brass plaque listing pertinent details.
The crowd cheered, the media moved in for better shots, insisting the lama pose beside the statue of himself.
"Do that hand jive thing," a TV cameraman called, "like the statue." Which held its left hand cupped just below the navel, thumb curled into the palm, right hand held at shoulder level, thumb and forefinger touching, the other three fingers raised. Smiling, the compassionate lama obliged.
"Your lamaness," a grizzled Gannett guy called, "cudja comment on the Bank of Lhasa's new investment fund in your name?"
The lama's stunt double, Michael Tenzin-Campbell, thanked his lucky stars, and Joe Kharma. "This," he said, repeating words dictated to Joe by the real lama, "is the first I've heard of it. But we appreciate peace and generosity from anyone associated with the Communist government."
Fon Du started to protest that the Bank of Lhasa was independent of the Chinese government, but was drowned out by other questions. The statue really did look like him, Gomes was thinking. Excellent workmanship. The good Catholic boy in him, though, wondered if this was the kind of graven images the Old Testament warned about. Something to think about -- later, because right now things were about to start happening fast. Rimpoche Rimshot, the lama's mentor, thanked everyone for their support, said it was time to go because a joint session of the Legislature was awaiting the lama. Gomes would be attending.
"I'm afraid," columnist Cruz MacKenzie said, stepping forward with a cell phone to one ear, "that it's just been canceled."
"What?! Why?!" multiple voices replied all at once.
"According to our Capitol bureau," he said, paused, listening, "the Chinese government officially protested the visit -- interference in China's internal affairs, a dangerous insult to Chinese sovereignty, a serious blow to the growing business ties between China and Hawaii -- and Democrats on both sides caved. They just voted to cancel your appearance, your holiness. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but it's what I do for a living."
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Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com