Genla was just finishing his oatmeal this morning. His spoon struck the edge of his bowl. It made a ringing sound. I looked up.

He beamed back at me. Holding the bowl in his left palm, he began to rap on the inside of it with his big silver spoon.

*dingdingdingdingdingdingding!*


Genla and I have used the same two bowls every morning for over a year now. "I never knew it made a sound like that," I said.

Genla replied, "Sakya Pandita says,

'mkhas pa brtsad cing ma dris pa
de yi bar du gting mi dpogs
rnga la dbyu gus ma bsnun pa
de srid gzhan dang khyad ci yod"

Then he translated for me,

"'If you don't seek out and question wise people,
their depths remain unfathomed.
Until you beat a drum with a stick,
how will you know
what difference it has from others?'"

and smiled.