Back in 98 I was training Kung fu regularly with a Chinese Master who is also a Buddhist teacher of the True Buddha School. One day he called me and said he needed some rubber ink stamps, the old fashioned type with individual letters that you assemble into words to create the stamp.
My teacher didn't often ask me to do things for him so I knew he expected it to be done.I thought it would be easy task to complete because I knew my mother had set of rubber stamps just like he wanted and I could borrow them. So I said "sure no problem" and promptly called my Father who said he would put them in the post. A Few weeks later the stamps had not arrived, and my teacher came to me very angry and said I told you to get me those stamps.He was unusually angry.So I called my Father, and asked about them, my Father was irritated and said why are you bothering me about this when your Mother is ill. I had not known she was ill and it transpired she was very ill , so made arrangements to go home to visit her. (The stamps were never mentioned again). I stayed a few days spoke to her and we agreed I would return to London that weekend for a Medicine Buddha ceremony.(she was quite a religious person)
The ceremony was in a different space to usual , a hired space. There was visiting Master.It was a logistical nightmare to set up the space for the event.The event started late and the visiting Master insisted on chanting the "Medicine Buddha" mantra endlessly , as he did so the letters spelling the name of the Medicine Buddha above the shrine began to fall of the wall.My teacher looked extremely concerned.The event overran causing issues with venue and to top it all it was pouring with rain as we had to pack everything up.When we finally all got back to our Temple space and after we had unpacked the van.We were all standing with our teacher who turned to us and said , "What an absolute nightmare! I have never been to a Buddhist ceremony like that.Even the letters fell of the wall! Something very bad is going to happen!"
At that precise moment the phone rang it was my Father to let me know my mother had taken a turn for the worst and did have long to live.I returned on the train to see see her that evening and she died a couple of days later.
My teacher didn't often ask me to do things for him so I knew he expected it to be done.I thought it would be easy task to complete because I knew my mother had set of rubber stamps just like he wanted and I could borrow them. So I said "sure no problem" and promptly called my Father who said he would put them in the post. A Few weeks later the stamps had not arrived, and my teacher came to me very angry and said I told you to get me those stamps.He was unusually angry.So I called my Father, and asked about them, my Father was irritated and said why are you bothering me about this when your Mother is ill. I had not known she was ill and it transpired she was very ill , so made arrangements to go home to visit her. (The stamps were never mentioned again). I stayed a few days spoke to her and we agreed I would return to London that weekend for a Medicine Buddha ceremony.(she was quite a religious person)
The ceremony was in a different space to usual , a hired space. There was visiting Master.It was a logistical nightmare to set up the space for the event.The event started late and the visiting Master insisted on chanting the "Medicine Buddha" mantra endlessly , as he did so the letters spelling the name of the Medicine Buddha above the shrine began to fall of the wall.My teacher looked extremely concerned.The event overran causing issues with venue and to top it all it was pouring with rain as we had to pack everything up.When we finally all got back to our Temple space and after we had unpacked the van.We were all standing with our teacher who turned to us and said , "What an absolute nightmare! I have never been to a Buddhist ceremony like that.Even the letters fell of the wall! Something very bad is going to happen!"
At that precise moment the phone rang it was my Father to let me know my mother had taken a turn for the worst and did have long to live.I returned on the train to see see her that evening and she died a couple of days later.
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