Respected Yangsey Rinpoche la, Today, I find myself missing you a little more than usual. Although it has been merely two months since Rinpoche’s departure, there has not been a single day when I have not missed Rinpoche’s presence. I miss playing basketball with Rinpoche, and small things that once seemed ordinary, like fixing the HDMI cables, helping with the Gmail accounts, and attending to the countless little matters that naturally became part of daily life around Rinpoche. Looking back, I realize that these simple moments were precious blessings that I often took for granted. I know that Yangsey Rinpoche’s journey for further studies is not for personal gain but for the benefit of Buddha Dharma and countless sentient beings. Yet, as an ordinary and defiled person who remains under the influence of the three poisons, especially attachment, I am having a difficult time accepting Rinpoche’s absence. While my mind understands the greater purpose of Rinpoche’s studies, my heart still longs for your presence. I know that this attachment is a fault within myself, not a fault in Rinpoche’s departure, but nonetheless it makes the days feel longer and the distance seem greater. Perhaps this feeling itself is a teaching. It reminds me how deeply fortunate I have been to spend time in Rinpoche’s presence and how much I have come to rely on Rinpoche’s kindness, guidance, humor, and companionship. The emptiness left behind by Rinpoche’s absence reveals the immeasurable value of what we received while you were here, respected Yangsey Rinpoche la. May your learning flourish, may your wisdom increase without limit, and may your aspirations for the Dharma be perfectly fulfilled. Until the day I have the merit and fortune of seeing Rinpoche again, please know that you are deeply missed, respected Yangsey Rinpoche la. With deepest respect, Your foolish ata Kunga. - @kungakp