More Early Dharma Press

I was going through old things, long in storage over here, and found the above survivor. My holographic note records that I printed and bound 500 copies of this for Tarthang Rinpoche's birthday, October 10, 1970. I think he would've been 35 or 36 years old, and I am shy to say how old I was.

My memory of this is all quite dim. The library at the University of California -- where I used to abuse my stack pass on a daily basis -- had a complete run of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. The material upon which this little booklet is based first appeared in volumes XXIV and XXV, in 1855 and 1856. I do not remember how, but I managed to take those volumes home, to Prince Street, and typed them out on an IBM Composer.

The little chapbook was not Tarthang Rinpoche's only birthday present. Above is the first -- yes, the very first -- image of Guru Rinpoche ever cast in the United States. I had a number of these done at a fine arts foundry in Berkeley, California, and delivered them to the Hillside gate. I kept back this one -- it is in fact the first one -- as a "master" for future castings. I later covered it in 24K gold leaf -- and somehow, all these years -- have managed not to give it away.

Well... this is as good a time as any for la mordida....

I have never had occasion to regret any effort expended on Tarthang Rinpoche's behalf, nor any of his projects. Indeed, having had the indescribable good fortune to reflect upon these matters for over 40 years, my only sorrow is that I did not do more.

Once each year, Tarthang Rinpoche's Tibetan Aid Project makes an all-out effort to raise funds in support of their programs.

PLEASE DONATE DIRECTLY TO THE TIBETAN AID PROJECT BY CLICKING THIS LINK!

Your money will be well employed, not one dime will be taken to "management," and you will have a direct impact on the welfare of all sentient beings that cannot be surpassed this side of Enlightenment, whatever that is.

If you support one cause this year, let this be the cause. This is the most visible, authentic, honorable, and worthwhile effort in the Buddhist world, so you will have no worries.

I can promise you, upon my life, that the effect will be beneficial beyond the farthest reach of your imagination.