I was blessed to receive a sweet sendoff when I left Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) after more than eight years as the Volunteer Coordinator to go back to school and become a chaplain. Many of my 260 co-workers came to a potluck organized by the Development Dept. and my supervisor Martha Reyes, Special Events and Grants Manager. This was to celebrate my contribution as part of ACRS, supporting the programs, serving the community and volunteers, and building the volunteer program. It was my last party to wish me well on my journey to becoming an Interfaith Chaplain from my ACRS family.
I wish to tell the story of a particular gift among the many thoughtful presents given to me by programs and individuals during my last days with the agency.
One of my colleagues named Lisa wanted to give me something recognizing our friendship over the years, her appreciation for my work at ACRS, and my future as a chaplain. Part of our connection has been our respective practices of Vietnamese Buddhism in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. At the farewell lunch she shared the story of her gift.
Lisa walked into a Buddhist store in California and spent an hour trying to find the right gift. By taking so much time and care she attracted the attention of the owner. She asked Lisa if she could help find something. Lisa shared about me and the work we do. Then she told her about my leaving ACRS to become an interfaith hospice chaplain. I can imagine she shared about our friendship and connection. Then the owner said she knew exactly the right gift.
She showed Lisa a beautiful set of prayer beads made of wood with Chinese characters on them. Each bead has a line of nineteen intricately painted letters with the connecting bead (with the tie) showing the eight characters of the name of Avalokitesvara’s (the Bodhisattva/Angel of Compassion) Great Compassion Mantra. It feels warm to the touch and running my fingers over the letters is a comforting sensation.
Luckily Lisa accepted the suggestion with relief and took the beads to the counter to pay, but the owner stopped her.
“Wait! I want to get him something!”
The owner returned to the rack and selected an additional set of beads. This person whom I have never met added to the gift a set of black beads for hanging on a wall that includes a small wooden mallet or percussion stick and a kind of wooden “bell” that I became familiar with (moktak) in Korea when I lived in a monastery (Pomosa Temple) there for a year. Extending full length the beads and a tassel are about a foot long with Chinese characters carved on one side of the “bell” and Avalokitesvara on the other side. It is designed as a blessing to be placed on a wall.
Both sets of beads feel well-made and have a lot of love and good wishes embedded in them.
Thank you Lisa for the wonderful gift and to the owner of the store, I bow, heartened and uplifted, in gratitude!
