Word has it that Richard Blum (husband of Senator Dianne Feinstein), who served as an escort to the country’s new first lady during Tuesday’s ceremony, added a Tibetan flair to the proceedings. In a Tuesday afternoon email to a high-ranking Tibetan diplomat, Blum wrote:

I had a kata at my house that His Holiness had given me. I offered it to President Obama before the ceremony. I said that I could get it delivered to him later. He said, no, that he was going to take it and have it with him; in fact, it was in his pocket when he was sworn-in.

Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! As a nonprofit, to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available.

This article is only for Subscribers!

Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else.

Subscribe Now

Already a subscriber? .