The past six months have been unusually busy for me, full of transitions and learning curves. While my main project saw some progress, much of my time and energy was spent on a new venture that had been quietly brewing in the background.
I guess it's a good thing that I've been pretty steadily busy in 2023, not having too much time to reflect and write about it. To be frank, it's a daunting task to reflect on all that has transpired in a year, given all the various 'projects' that I am committed to. As it relates to this project, I intentionally didn't interview as many people as in the years past, as the backlog of raw material was becoming unmanageable. Even though I have 'processed' many of the interviews, the real work of digesting the content and building a narrative around it hadn't really begun.
Given the stage of my practice, I am not one to seek many empowerments but when I heard Shenchen Rabjam was visiting the US, I felt the tingle to seek out his blessings. Since the passing of the yangsi of Dudjum Rincophe last year, i felt a lost of connection to the Nyingma lineage and Rabjam Rincophe's strong connection with the lineage was a catalyst for me to seek the empowerments.
So, it's been a little more than a month since I wrapped up my northern tour roadtrip and I have barely touch the photos from the trip. A combination of being busy with my day job and spending more time on the main project that I have little time to edit the personal photos.
Although I experimented with this idea during a trip to upstate NY last year, I anticipate more interesting results this time around while exploring national parks. Weaving dharma into these epic hiking adventures feels appropriate , and incorporating dharma into daily activities has gradually become a regular part of my mind training beyond meditation.