Inside the Tibetan temple complex the pleasant nun we had met yesterday tells us to wait in the back courtyard. After a few minutes we were brought around to a small side entrance where we left our backpacks and were frisked by plain-clothes security guards. A long dark staircase ended at the roof where we sat some more in the open air on red lawn chairs with oriental design backs. We had another wait up another set of stairs further up on the roof where we sat directly above the main assembly area of the temple below. We waited there for at least another half hour before the group ahead of us came out, took a group picture and left and we were ushered forward.

We nervously lined up, taking off our shoes and laying our silk prayer scarves loosely over our hands. Rounding a cement divider, we passed more walkie-talkie toting security guards while two men held back opulent silk door coverings revealing a dark room beyond. We crossed the threshold into the room and as our eyes adjusted we were met by the Karmapa Lama, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, favored as the next spiritual leader of Tibet, who blessed our scarves and placed them over our heads, draping them over our necks. Thus our private audience began.