New with a specific question.

[Eva]

Hi, I'm new and I'm afraid I know very little about Buddhism.

The reason I joined is because I haven't been able to answer some questions about a gift I received last year and would appreciate some help, as I think my lack of understanding diminishes the gift and the giver.

I'm 20 now but was 18 when I was stuck in Ladakh, the summer (I think) before last, when the flash floods hit the area. I ended up staying with the then five year old Bakula Rinpoche and spent quite a lot of time playing with the little boy (I was and still am highly circumspect about reincarnation but he was a lovely kid). On the second day he gave me a series of blessings, first made out of red string and then pieces of red cloth. I understand that the difference between them is between the blessings for the visitor and the guest (if I'm wrong please say). Later he went inside and brought out a red scarf, made out of the same silky synthetic material as the khatta I saw people present to him. It has symbols down the scarf, including the wheel and the lotus, in rows of three. The monks seemed extremely surprised and offered me hospitality after this.

I have no idea what this object is or what it represents. One teacher I spoke to at the local centre said she thought that it was a gift of welcoming/affection? I also heard it is tied to Bodhisattva vows but obviously I have taken none. I'd really appreciate any advice or information.

Actually any information about the colour red (as I know there were other colours) or food sharing would help (the Rinpoche kept trying to give me his juice/soup and it upset the monk - I thought it was to do with spiritual cleanliness). I will try to put up a picture of the scarf. Thank-you so much.

tl:dr I have a red scarf, khatta material, symbol decorated, given to me by a five year old Rinpoche. Any idea what it is?

[Konchog1]

How did he give it to you? Placing around the neck is a blessing, handing it to you is a friendly gesture between equals.

EDIT: There is actually a thread about the meaning of a red kata viewtopic.php?f=77&t=6208

[David N. Snyder]

Welcome to Dharma Wheel!

[Adamantine]

I imagine it might be the recognition of the young boy that you were connected from previous lives in some significant way.. though this is just a guess, you could say given the fact that he is such a young child and that this kind of presentation to someone he just met may have been uncharacteristic.. -->thus the surprise by the monks may be related to that.. perhaps he also knew they would offer you hospitality after that and he wanted to make sure you were safe from the flooding?

If you are still skeptical of reincarnation you should read the accounts documented by Dr. Ian Stevenson http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bozo-sapiens/201002/reincarnation-the-cabinet-dr-stevenson or the accounts recorded in the book The Way of the White Clouds http://www.amazon.com/White-Clouds-Lama-Anagarika-Govinda/dp/158567785X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0 for starters..