seeing us deeply

by Leila L'Abate

I lived at Lama the summer after the Hondo fire. Leslie MacLean was in charge at the time...Every year Lama would invite Asha's ex-husband, who left her to marry her brother's wife, to speak at Lama. All four of them, were the founders of Lama. At least for that summer, and possibly others, Leslie confided in me that Asha secretly paid for Lama to be able to invite Shayk Nurridin Durkee, Asha's ex...Such selfless love and deep forgiveness still moves me. I know Asha was never wealthy herself.....She was at Lama as a pillar of strength for us after the fire, making sure her Beloved Lama and its residents could go on...She showed us no signs of the heartbreak she must have felt for much of Lama being in blackened ruins...She seems to have given each of us exactly what we needed, and seemed to see each of us deeply...

Picture is of the Urasenke Tea Ceremony workshop the summer of the fire.