DAY 4: “Not Much More!”

Today I wake up very early. I want to sleep longer but at 5:30 am my mind is nagging me. I go to check my email only to discover that the Vajrapani statue donated by Khyentse Yeshi just yesterday was bought last night on our Kickstarter site. I smile to myself how things can change so quickly. We are climbing to our goal, now at $75,000, only 4 days left!  We have a chance—with everyone’s continued support—to succeed.

In the middle of writing, I get up to go out to walk the dog.  When I come back, things have changed again. Another amazing soul has just donated to become an Associate Producer. We are now at $85,000. We are closing in on our target…

Sometimes the world shifts so quickly it is hard to comprehend. One moment you think things are impossible, the next moment they are possible and then you set another goal and they are impossible again. The endless cycle of hope and fear and the impermanence of human life…

I always remember when I first met Chögyal Namkhai Norbu in my mid-twenties, I heard him say something very interesting:

“Obstacles appear when you are trying to do something important” He said, “It is a sign.”

This went against every New Age proverb I had ever heard. Everyone in the spiritual movement seemed to agree that when problems arose it was a ‘sign that the Karma was wrong.’ You should stop doing whatever you were doing.

“No,” Rinpoche told me, “Generally when you are trying to do something important, it’s something new and different. People always oppose what they don’t know. Human beings don’t like change. They like to hold onto the belief that things are permanent. Change is always scary so it provokes opposition and obstacles…”

Ah, my dear Teacher! All these years, Rinpoche’s words have helped me to persevere through many challenges. Whenever I begin a film project, I strive to create something that breaks new ground. But this invariably causes trouble: How can funders and broadcasters know what to think about an idea when they have never seen it before? What reference do they have? Generally making anything new is a process of convincing people that what you are presenting them with will be something that they will enjoy and accept – and be accepted by their peers. Human beings are ‘herd animals’. They feel safe when their peers agree with their choices. All fundraising and distribution is about shifting people’s beliefs in a project—from being unknown, unfamiliar, and outside of their comprehension—to something familiar, important, and acceptable to their world.

With the spiritual subject of MY REINCARNATION we have confronted many obstacles to acceptance by mainstream outlets, but the film’s universal father-son story has slowly changed peoples’ minds. We have also faced many hurtles, trying to cover the films completion costs so late in the project. But now with all of your help the tide is turning. We are succeeding in completing a film that many in the film business said no one wanted, but which now, people are hungrily waiting to see all over the world.  With your help, millions of people will watch this film and have an opportunity to be introduced to this rare tradition and spiritual lineage, set in the most recognizable of family stories.

Yesterday, the Huffington Post published an article about my long journey making MY REINCARNATION. With every step the film – and the press about the film – gets out to a wider audience. With continued work we can keep building this momentum.

Read here: “Buddhist Samaya and the Making of ‘My Reincarnation”.

Today we have 318 backers and have raised $86,000! So many of you joined the boat yesterday, I was overwhelmed. Now we just have to keep going to make it the last step to $100,00 – only $14,000 more to go with 4 days left. I know we can do it.

Please consider donating today — any amount from $1 to $10,000 matters. If you have more disposable income, consider buying this museum quality painting from my personal collection of Vajrapani by esteemed artist and Buddhist teacher Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche. The artwork of Dugu Choegyal Rinpoche hangs in the Rubin museum of Art as well as other collections around the world. He painted the seminal paintings in the Gompa in Merigar, Italy, Rinpoche’s main center. This extraordinary painting is perfect for home or temple.

See Vajrapani Painting here.

Today is the day to pass the word to every person, place and being you can! This campaign is crucial to get MY REINCARNATION completed so it can reach the world.

Click and Share our Kickstarter Site Now!

I am amazed by all your support and generosity!

To be continued.

Love and gratitude,

Jennifer Fox