The Passing of Norman Hirsch

Norm was one of the first three Dorje Kasung to take the lifetime oath Feb. 1976 . On that occasion he was given the rank of Dorje Rupon and command of the “white guards,” who reported to the Vajra Regent.
I still carry the first Dorje Kasung Vajradhatu Security Guard I.d. card (#01) which includes Norm’s name, rank and phone number. I assume his card would have read #2 or #3.
In the True Command,
Gerry HAASE , honored to have served as the first Dorje Dapon
E MA HO

I met Norm Hirsch in the early 70s when we both were living at the old town house on Euclid Street in Boulder. At that time Norm was an aspiring doctor. I remember distinctly his book called “12 operations in six easy steps” that scared me: It seemed pretty much, according to that book, that if you had a can opener and a towel you could fix just about anybody.

Norm exuded a secret elegance despite our very scruffy lives in those early sangha years. We called him The Prince behind his back!

Brad Upton was with my dad when he passed. When I left my dad's side for a brief meeting I was comforted that Brad, in particular, stayed with him. Here is what Brad sent me an hour or so later. This has given me and my family deep comfort:

I simply showed up to practice and had no agenda other than supporting Norm’s path. I didn’t have the slightest idea of what his timetable was. I went to open my heart to him, his son, his teacher Trungpa Rinpoche, and his family. That day turned out to be very profound for me.
At noon I had completed a 10-day Vajrakilaya retreat and headed into Boulder soon afterwards to see Norm and Xander. I was deeply touched by my auspicious connection with Norm as Vajrakilaya is revered for dispelling obstacles and Vajrasattva resides in his heart. When Xander, his partner Stephanie, and his aunt Connie left the room for a meeting with hospice personnel, I changed seats to look directly into Norm’s eyes and began saying the Vajrasattva mantra out loud to him and he began to look into my eyes. Within 23 minutes he left very peacefully.

I have been blessed to attend other friends’ passings and Norm left very beautifully.

Thanks Xander for your tribute/poem to Norm! It's so good to be reminded of him, even through this poignant news of his death. And thanks to Gil for your expansion, and to Suzanne (Townsend?) for the photo, and to Rob. Reading people's memories and history of Norm is gratifying. (This helps spark my own memories.) I'm assuming that Norm was about 80 years old? Late 70s?

Norm and I were friends from the
”early days” with CTR. He was easy-going and laughed easily. I'm very happy people found pictures of him. I’ve been a bit sad for days, checking in and seeing a blank box. Travel well old friend

I talked to my dad about CTR a lot this year. It was strange to me at first, because my dad was obviously the one that told me about his teachings the most throughout my life, and suddenly I was the one trying to remind him about things that Trungpa said and wrote, but I think it helped my dad. For instance, whenever he told me that he was feeling fear, I would first talk to him about it, try to get him to "locate" where the fear was coming from, then I would do my best to comfort him, and finally I would read him passages out of the wonderful book 'Smile at Fear'.

Hi everyone, it's Norm's son, Xander.
Thank you so much for the stories about my dad. They are absolutely priceless to me.

Here is something that I wrote, in calligraphy, for my father after he helped through a dark time in my life, as he always did throughout my life. I don't consider this to be a poem, so I'll call it a tribute for now:

MY FATHER

Is my best friend
My greatest teacher
My doctor
My therapist
My confidante

My father
Is my rock

We have an unbreakable bond
Our love is pure and eternal

- Xander Hirsch

Norm and I started a small microcomputer company in late 1977, it was called Diamond Microsystems, Inc. We were officed in a professional business complex called the Diamond Hill Office Park, where we assembled all of the computer hardware and software by acquiring all of the components from different third party sources; such as the motherboard, chips, memory, diskette drives, console monitor, keyboard and even had the (all metal) desk customed made to our specifications. The operating system called Forte, was licensed from a couple of “mountain” programmers who also created the business application, a medical billing system.
When we were in the process of making everything work, we invited Rinpoche and the Regent to our office for a demo and presentation of our creation. They both came, along with entourages, and listened as I presented the demo. Rinpoche asked questions and offered some advice.
A few days later we asked Rinpoche if he could recommend a name for our computer… and without hesitation he said call it the GES 18. Norm and I were silent, we looked at each other… not knowing how to react. Then Norm asked him, “But Rinpoche, what happened to the other 17? Why start at 18” “Oh,” he said, “you’ll understand that later.”
A few years ago, while visiting in Boulder, I met up with Norm, had lunch downtown and then took a stroll down Pearl Street. We found a bench facing the door to 1111 Pearl Street and sat there reminiscing about the old days and telling stories about our personal experiences while in the Vajradhatu center at 1111 Pearl St. Then I asked him if he had ever figured out why Rinpoche had named our computer the GES 18… he shook his head, “not really,” he said. “And you?”
“I think so,” I said, “I think it was his sense of humor.” Traditionally, it is taught, the 18 dhatus are the result of our afflicted consciousness… and the digital intelligence of our computer was limited and buggy and so I felt he assigned a flawed digital “consciousness” with the number 18… so I surmised.
He looked at me, a little stunned at first, then he snickered… then we both broke out into roars of laughter. He was shaking his head back and forth and then he said, “All this time! He knew!”
The company, Diamond Microsystems, sold 16 full systems within months of launching the GES 18. But it was forced to take back every sale when the computer’s operating system and business logic failed in dramatic crashes causing all of the accumulated data to disappear. When we reached out to the mountain programmers for repair, they disappeared and we were left with a problem that we could not fix.
I miss those days. I miss Norm. And I have several Norm stories, but I think this is enough.

I remember meeting Norm and Gil Figueroa late '78 when I was first encountering Trungpa's teachings. Norm and Daisy talked me into going on a blind date with Daisy's roommate around April '79 (to the Ballet Trockadero, of all things), and lo we're still together these 46 years. So many thanks for that, Norm. We'd see Norm over the years at the Takacs Quartet, but life takes us all on so many diverging courses, we lose track. Somehow, in this lineage, I have a feeling we'll meet again.

Norm and I were roommates in North Boulder in the late 70s or maybe early 80s. He had started a computer company but I forget the details. He was the perfect roommate -- reclusive! He was as devoted to CTR and the dharma as anyone. He had a dry humour that I loved. I teased him into a rare goofy-faced smile for this photo and I'm so glad I still have it! It's how I remember him.