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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Back in the robes
» Waikiki
As happy as Rinpoche Rimshot and the monk Lawang were to be reunited with their student, the second Lama Jey Tsong Khapa, they were even more pleased to meet the young girl who had identified herself as the reincarnation of Sam-yung Kunzang Dechen. Nuns were called, for they would provide her formal training, but in speaking with Elizabeth Resurreccion, both of the holy elders believed she was indeed a living Buddha.
It was always a cause for celebration when a Buddha appeared among the people, and thanks were given.
That she had achieved enlightenment on a virtual-reality program designed by the lama and his brother was proof, his teachers believed, that the young Tsong Khapa was fulfilling the first Tsong Khapa's greatness in spreading the Dharma, the teachings of Buddha.
Which was why Te-Wu, the Chinese secret police, had agents downstairs and would have more agents at his meeting with Hawaii's religious leaders at the East-West Center, for which it was almost time to leave.
As Kamasami Khan had pointed out after Elizabeth's moment of enlightenment, given the work of Sam-yung Kunzang Dechen in spreading the Dharma among Tibetans in exile and encouraging women in particular to take up religious vows, the Chinese would probably want Elizabeth dead too. Rinpoche Rimshot and Lawang concurred. So as was done for the young lama 16 years ago, the decision was made, with the full assent of her mother, not to announce publicly yet the reincarnation of Sam-yung Kunzang Dechen. Better to fly under the Chinese radar.
"Sam-yung Kunzang Dechen, that's a big name, you know," the girl said compassionately. "Some people might have a hard time saying it. What should people call me?"
"Sam-yung," Rinpoche Rimshot said.
"Samy!" the lama said with a wink. "Lama Samy!"
The child nodded beatifically.
"And now, Lama Jey," Lawang said, "it is time to leave for your meeting with the Interfaith Council. If you insist on going through with this, that is."
"Of course."
"But after what happened before ... "
Te-Wu had already made two attempts on the life of his stand-in, and it was known they planned to be at the East-West Center.
"As I told our friend Khan, I refuse to be a prisoner of fear. Tsong Khapa did not reincarnate in order to hide. Where are my robes."
They awaited in the master bedroom. Slipping out of the blond surfer boy wig, black East Side Boyz T-shirt, green Quiksilver board shorts and T-Macs, pulling on sandals and the saffron and crimson robes, the young lama felt a shiver. There was no fear in it, he was just glad to be fully himself again, ready to publicly do the work of Tsong Khapa.
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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