At the 1983 Seminary at Bedford Springs, I took a class in Ikebana. While it was very enjoyable, my work wasn’t much to look at, and one day I was dismayed to find one of my poor arrangements displayed in the Court where Rinpoche would certainly see it.
Some time later, Rinpoche himself gave a demonstration of the art — making a very large, very splendid arrangement on the spot — while we students stood and watched on the steps. He also offered to answer some questions, so I asked him about my flower arrangement — why display something so embarrassing? He looked up at me with a mischievous grin and said, “Sometimes private parts are more interesting than public parts.”
