Dear Paul,

Nice questions.

1. Kechara cannot be compared to any other centres in the world. Any centre cannot be compared with another centre. You have cultural, geographical, and mindset differences. Each lama/centre will have to work through these uniquely.

2.His Holiness the Dalai Lama has indicated he is a humble monk and wish to be humble, yet look at his activities and his word is the final word for me and many. Although I am very far from the Dalai Lama, when you work hard to open a centre and you have put your energies, youth, time, effort, resources into a centre and it is fledgeling, you have to keep a close watch to make it thrive. Would you let others raise your children when they are very young? Of course not. As your children grow, mature, and become adults they will come across many teachers in life and they are ready/stable for it. Anyone from Kechara can leave at any time. Some have left, many have stayed. It is ok.

3.My relations to Gaden Shartse is not distant. I have had a very close relationship with them for many years and raised tremendous amounts for their sacred projects. I am sure they are very grateful to me and Kechara for the tremendous service we have done for the sangha. And we have tremendous gratitude for being allowed to serve the sangha. I have brought over 280 students to Gaden Shartse and I still send students to Gaden Shartse from time to time. I do have visiting monks also, in fact one is coming soon. Visas, language barriers, permits, and culture add to some travel plans at times. Because of my presence in Malaysia and Singapore four other centres directly affiliated with Gaden Shartse has sprung up over the last decade. I rejoice in this. I do not wish to open centres in other parts of the world at this time although requested. I rather build a learning institution that will continue after my death rather than many centres dissolving.

4. FPMT no doubt is a great organization. But in the beginning decades ago, Lama Yeshe had to work very hard to get it to what it is now. The rules, regulations and procedures were all set out by him very firm and clear initially and everyone followed. It is only in the last two decades you see more and more teachers from Sera being invited to help with the many centres around the world as it is too much for a few persons to handle.

5. If you see Tsu chi organization which has over 800 chapters in the world is run, operated and conducted by one single nun in Taiwan. Her sacred name is Rev Chen Yen. Her centres/cafes/relief places throughout the world and here in Malaysia only carry her teachings/ practices and doctrine only yet they are not incomplete. It has worked out very well. That is her style. Same as was Mother Teresa’s. I like this style for the East.

6. I know of many other lamas and centres that are only affiliated with the teachings of their lama and not so much their Monasteries as it suits them. I know of lamas/centres who are affiliated with their Monasteries and that works too. There is no hard and fast rule. So I do not presume any nor judge.

7. Whatever structure I have set out for Kechara and my students is through 17 years of experience here in Malaysia. I’ve taught and travelled to so many dharma centres of all lineages all over Malaysia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong. I have concluded it is best to respect all lineages, encourage others toward their own lineages and encourage them toward strong guru devotion towards their teacher and be stable and firm in that. I have met hundreds of people who have recieved countless initiations from lamas they cannot remember the name nor the practice and are very worried. I have met people who go from one centre to another and another year after year not benefitting the centre nor themselves. I have very firm ideas and very firm direction. My projects are not pet projects but stem from a strong vision of how to benefit society from my lifetime experiences in various ‘sufferings’. I will make the depts grow and become very beneficial and that is for sure. That is my unique style and those who have aptitude and affinity may join. Again Kechara is not the best for everyone, but Kechara is wonderful as Kecharians make it wonderful.

The teachings I share in Kechara come from a firm basis, true lineage and has confirmed results..they are not a narrow range of Gelug teachings. Even the great monks at Sera, Gaden, Tashi Lunpo, Tashi Kyil, Gyuoto, Gyume, do not go to other lineages to study or get practice. Nothing wrong. The great Sakya, Kagyu, Nyingma Monasteries do not come to Gaden, Sera and Drepung to study either and that is very ok. They are all nearby eachother also. Even within Gaden we have many great teachers, but we do not go to all the great teachers for teachings. We stay and serve our teacher and learn from him. When we have exhausted learning the knowledge he has, then he will send us somewhere else..and that would be near impossible.. But we respect all teachers in Gaden and their students.

Will you ever see Gaden Tripa giving a Vajrakilaya initiation? Will you ever see a Kagyu throne holder give a Je Tsongkapa initiation and explanation? Will you ever see Gelugs going to a Kagyu Monlam or vice versa? No you don’t and that is ok. Once you graduate from Harvard PHD, you do not need to go Cambridge. It is fine. Both Ivy leagues are fine. All lineages of Tibetan Buddhism teach the authentic path and each one is fine. Even in Gaden, many monks do not know the full corpus of Gelug teachings as elucidated by the Incomparable Tsongkapa, and they spend all their time in the dharma. How do expect lay people here, who have family, work, bills, entertainments, doubts, heavy karma, distractions, fun to learn even a fraction of what I have shared with them here, let alone, the whole corpus of teachings of Tsongkapa and forget about the other sacred teachings of the other lineages.

I do not recommend my students to participate in other centres and I strongly discourage other centre students to participate in other centres and in Kechara. I strongly discourage centre hopping. I encourage everyone to stick to one teacher, one lineage, one practice, one direction. Avoid confusion and avoid overload.

I have thought this through thoroughly and consulted my teachers. And yes this is the best direction for Kechara. It may not be the best for others, but not everyone needs to join Kechara. Kechara is not right for everyone and that is alright. Hence there are so many centres, traditions and lamas and everyone is free to choose what you like. Once you choose, stick to it all the way. Be loyal.

I will remain humble, because everything at death is left behind, even my reputation, so by contemplating on the senselessness of many worldly activities not motivated by the dharma, I gain great fear at wasting time on anything else besides bringing dharma to others in a short, concise and simple way. I am humble, because my only aspiration is for dharma and I feel very fortunate to be blessed to meet the Buddha’s teachings and great masters that have set my direction over 30 years ago. Humility is knowing you are just an instrument and not the source and that is what I am.

Remember, I never chose to be a dharma teacher. I do not want to be a dharma teacher. It was H. E.Kyabje Lati Rinpoche who insisted I do so. I respectfully debated with him regarding this in Pukhang Khangtsen over a decade and a half ago and he chided me. Even last year, I wanted to bring a senior monk from Gaden to take over and I wish to retire into retreat in North India, Nepal or Chiang Mai, but my teachers did not accept.

Whatever I do is not perfect, but I do the best I can. I am not the greatest dharma teacher in the world, but I do have genuine concern for those I teach and 100% have trust in the Buddha Dharma.

I thank you for your questions. And I hope my taking time to reply you will make you and many others understand better.

Tsem Rinpoche