Ajari Tanaka's 2018 Visit Retrospective...

On what seems like yesterday, a small group of Mandala Vermont students gathered to welcome Ajari Tanaka at the Burlington Airport.

And right on schedule, he arrived and his annual visit started.

And very soon thereafter, he was safe and comfortable in his host's home.

On the mornings of Monday and Tuesday Ajari Tanaka oversaw the review of our Gumonji-ho text that we had been working on translating into English for the past three years.

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings he turned his attention to the Dhama Name Ceremony scheduled for Friday evening.

And in the evenings of Monday through Thursday, Ajari Tanaka led meditations at our Burlington Dojo for small but very grateful group of local students and one intrepid visitor.

And on Friday night five students who have made a strong connection to Ajari Tanaka and the Mandala Vermont sangha received their dharma names. 

And now the fruition of this year's visit began... 

Over the next two days, with Ajari Tanaka presiding we transmitted the Gumonji-ho to the authorized students in the sangha. At the risk of being melodramatic, it was historic for our sangha and also Buddhism in the West.

And before long, our practice and study time of the Gumonji-ho was complete. Seventeen Mandala Vermont students were authorized and trained to practice the same practice that Shingon's founder, Kobo Daishi Kukai used to discover his own enlightenment.

The only thing left was some celebration.

And then a day of relaxation, souvenir shopping and fun in Burlington.

But then the time abruptly came.

And we had to say good-bye for another year...