Notes from my diary: Sept. 6 -2003,
Lama picks out the neck bones from the soup. I had bought a lamb’s neck the other day on a whim, to make bone soup. He says, “In the T’hroma we have to care about the neck bones as well as the bones (of the limbs).” I’m not sure what he means, so I wait for him to continue.
He hands me the knife and tells me to clean off the meat. “We will see how your capacity is. Now you take off all this meat and lets see how you do.” I begin to carve pieces of meat off the bone.
“Rinpoche is always careful about taking off all the meat from the bones. This is why.” I remember watching Rinpoche take out his jack knife and peel off strips of tendons, meat, all the way to the bare bones.
“I thought that was a cultural thing.” I mused. I grab the bones with my bare hands to get a better grip. It is very hot still, but I can get into the nooks and crannies.
“No, its not cultural. He is looking to see the signs.” I still don’t understand what he means. Finally, I’ve stripped away enough meat and he takes the bones in his hands and looks carefully at it.
“What part of the neck do you think it is? I think it is the 4th bone. Look here, you see how they are like the Garuda’s wings? But we can’t see the head yet.” I am getting interested. He goes on to explain how bones are very important substances that have a lot of energy, like blood. In the T’hroma there is a kind of divination of sorts, a way of reading signs and omens, by looking at the shape of the bones from what you have eaten. He explains how Rinpoche is always checking the signs in the bones and that this is a very complex and deep subject.”Now we will cook this until the bones are completely cleaned. Then we will check to see what your capacity is to do the T’hroma.” Now I begin to understand, but I still ask, “But I just bought that at the store. I didn’t have any thought about getting bones for checking.”
“Why you went to that store, and why you bought that particular bone? You could have picked any one, but you picked that one. Why? Everything has some meaning if you know how to look. You not picked a tail bone, no, that would not be a good sign. The neck bone, they have special meaning. Now when we cook this we have to check the shape. All bones are having the shape and signs. If there are eyes (holes) on the Garuda’s wings, then I really know I don’t have to worry about you at all. You are getting the Troma’s full accomplishment.”
Vanishing Point 