Tonight I went to a mindfulness class led by Tara Brach. It was only about 10 miles from my hotel, and I left early in case the traffic report was in error or I made a wrong turn. The class, held regularly every Wednesday, is held at a Unitarian church. As I pulled into the parking lot, the cars were pretty much what I expected: small, eco-friendly, and bearing bumper stickers such as “My other vehicle is my mind.”

Inside, there were tables set up with flyers and books and CDs for sale. People milled about and chatted with each other. Chairs were set up in the church arranged around a small platform and some candles and a statue of the Buddha. Off to the side, a smaller group of chairs were set up below a sign saying “Newcomer Orientation.” At seven o’clock, people gathered in the chairs for orientation. A volunteer whose name I forget gave a short talk about meditation, the class, schedules, logistics, resources… most of it I was already aware of through my own practice or from the IMCW web site. I did learn that Tara Brach pronounces her name “Tar-a,” rather than “Tear-a” like we do.

After orientation I found a seat and watch others chatting, sitting quietly, or doing yoga. Eventually the lights dimmed and the crowd quieted. Tara entered and took a seat on the platform¹. She led a sesshin of about half a hour, much like many others I’ve heard. Then, she gave a dharma talk on the anxiety of feeling imperfect. Like in her recorded dharma talks that I’ve heard, she quoted such varied luminaries as the Buddha, George Carlin, modern Buddhist teachers, and Maurice Sendak.

After the class ended, there were a number of people waiting to talk to Tara, and I waited in line while people introduced themselves. Coincidentally enough, the girl in front of me was telling Tara Brach about how her name was also Tara, and my jaw dropped when I saw her point out her mother and her twin sister Anna[1]. While her mother was talking to Tara Brach, I mentioned the coincidence to the girl. Soon, the girls and the mother departed and I spoke with Tara. I felt clumsy and nervous and I probably came across as a total nutcase, but I told her about the time I first heard Radical Acceptance on tape and the profound effect it had on me. When I got to the point of telling her that we named our daughter Tara she stopped me and said “I just need to pause and appreciate this.” She took a breath and I could see the joy and awe her eyes, and I continued. She asked my name and Jennifer’s name asked me to pass along greetings to the rest of the family, then she gave me a hug and thanked me for telling her. All I could to was to thank her and smile.

¹ The volunteer had explained this was so we could see her. She’s a tiny little woman.

² Actually I suspect it was Ana; she said it was short for some Persian name.