The Usual
From Valerie Lorig
During 1985 and 1986 I attended Rinpoche weekly. Upon entering his
room, there was often a vast sense of space. This particular day,
not unlike other days, he wanted me to sit right next to him and
proceeded to stare at me for a long, long time. The space felt
dense as he fixed his dark eyes upon me. I looked back at him for a
short while ... then looked away ... looked back again, only to
return to his piercing gaze. This was not the first time I squirmed
under his intense inspection, but this time I came up with what I
thought was a great question. I said: "Sir, What do you see?"
Without the slightest hesitation he answered in a flat voice: "The
usual." It took me aback. I must have been hoping that such
scrutiny would yield something a little more exotic. Never have I
met anyone so deeply inquisitive about "the usual."
http://www.chronicleproject.com/brief39.html