Unqualifed
There are so many more qualifed teachers than me. I have never wanted to teach if I was not pushed into this direction. I would gladly stop teaching now immediately if I was allowed to. I know I am not a qualified teacher and hence I don’t have what it takes to tame or truly benefit students long term. I am ok with that. I am not in any competition with any other teachers so I am ok to be honest of how I feel of myself. I am not sad or anger, just honest with myself.
If I was qualified, my students would show my qualifiications through their actions. Through monumental growth and through transformation. So it must be me and not them.
Teaching has so much disappointments that are endless, non-stop and from all levels. I can take the disappointments, but what amazes me are people I have taught dharma to and nurtured for years closely and even 5 or ten years down the line, they show very little transformation or as if they have never met the dharma. THAT TOTALLY AMAZES ME.
When I went for teachings decades ago, I would totally reform upon hearing something from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I would self reflect and implement it. I thought everyone did that. But then again I am not Kyabje Zong Rinpoche so I wouldn’t have that effect on others. It’s so so so hard to be a teacher when you are not qualified yet you have to.
Tsem Rinpoche
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I remember once Rinpoche mentioned that being a Teacher is the most punishing job one can take. Being a Teacher requires tremendous amount of patience and although Rinpoche is highly attained but it doesn’t mean that as student, we don’t need to put in effort. Although it is said that we should properly rely on our Teacher but that reliance is totally not the same as just trusting one’s Teacher but without effort. In that case, we might as well believe in God right? Just trust and have faith but without having to work or transform. That’s not the way…
However, as the years passed by and now we can see the fruit of Rinpoche’s labour. Look at the Sangha-to-be, the Pastors, the senior students, those working and living in KFR or Kechara House and so many more. There are many online students around the world. Not to mention, those monks back at Gaden Shatse and etc. So many have transformed and some in progress. Nonetheless, there are those remained stagnant or have left but look at their minds. Even those few days or years that they were in Dharma. Rinpoche touches so many and many more to come through this Blog! And YouTube channel too.
Rinpoche, please be happy always and may the little merits that we have generated and the little bit of mind transformation may hook You back to us as we continue to swirl in this chaotic world and unable to free ourselves. Without Your guidance, enlightenment seems so far. Maybe this is a selfish aspiration but it’s far better than none. Thank you Rinpoche..
1984 Los Angeles-Left to right: Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, monk assistant to Zong Rinpoche and the 18-year-old Tsem Rinpoche prior to ordination. Read more- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/me
I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.
I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche
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Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
Dear Tsem Tulku Rinpoche !!!
Thank you for inspiring us to work !!!
Peter Deunov, the Master of Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov, a Christian Master I like very much, used to repeat “Rabota, rabota, rabota. Vreme, vreme, vreme. Vera, vera, vera …” It is Bulgarian and means “Work, work, work. Time, time, time. Faith, faith, faith…”
I just read these few lines by my Yoga Master, Meenakshi Devi Bhavanani reflecting on the relationships between Masters and students. I will share them with you. All students or would be students and masters benefit on their own level. At the same time:
“The Guru will be attracted to a student in whom he perceives the possibility of Guru-hood. (…) The Guru recognizes another Guru when they meet on the road. The choice is mutual; they understand instantly; the oneness is immediate. The Guru knows that knowledge-wisdom which is his legacy from his own Guru is safe, and may be passed to the next generation. One is always enough. Just one such Chela in a life-time is enough assurance that the light will not be extinguished, that the container is strong enough to hold the flame. The Guru chooses – two souls meet and now they are one.”
Thank you for your work, your inspirations and your good energies !!! Beautiful inspirations and harmonious energies to you to carry out your work patiently and faithfully for the benefit of All !!!
Christoph
Dear Rincpoche, please do not stop sharing with us the precious dharma teachings that you have obtained from your gurus. Without your guidance, we would forever be trapped in the darkness of ignorance. Please, for the sake of all sentient beings, please do not abandon us. Please remain with us throughout our spiritual journey and share with us your profound dharma and wisdom. We definitely need you more than ever.
I don’t know you on real life, only from web but I practiced some small things or hints from your teachings that I considered relevant for me, and it worked. When I found you on the internet I saw not one teacher, but a whole lineage talking trough you and this lineage was what I was interested in. Maybe you are not qualified but the lineage that you represent for sure it is 😀
I found you in a moment of my life when I after more then 10 years of spiritual practice I was to the point of totally quiting and becoming a materialistic person, but you and the rest of lineage represented by you, touched me and put me back to spiritual life.
I confess I trusted more on your lineage, and in the fact that you were recognized and send to teach, but I do think that you represent your masters in a perfect way for the people from Kali Yuga (age of darkness):).
Hi Rinpoche,
I had not meet you before. Yet i had heard so much about you from Patsy and benefits so much from your Dharma talk CD.There are so many gurus out there, and each have their own style of teaching. For me, your style work the best and pls continue to teach. Not all ppl will be able to transform, but at least if there is one or two thta transformed along the way, it will be worth all the effort in the world.
Thank You, My kind guru.
Someone has to try, someone has to make the effort, it’s not a waste, it hasn’t been a waste, and it will never be a waste. There’s few things worth doing in life and this is one of them.
May all your Dharma efforts have quick results and you never be disheartened!
Dear Rinpoche,
I don’t like reading this. I don’t like reading this and thinking of what has motivated the post.
I would like to say that you are wrong, i could give many examples of positive effects your influence has had on me, infact only today i received a private message on an engineering forum that i post on (i am an air con engineer by trade) saying “**** you are reason enough to visit the forum…. polite and eloquent but most of all a different perspective applied to many claims and groans”, there had been some dissagreement and bad feeling between some members and i sought to calm things and hopefully get them to see things from another point of view.
But i also have to admit that i could do more, practice more, be consistant. I am lazy, i put things off till later, and sometimes i put them off so long that they don’t get done, i fall back into old habits…
It pains me to read your post and know i am in my behaviour part of the problem.
Thankyou for highlighting this for me to think on.
John 🙂
It’s easy to listen to a Dharma teaching, enjoy it and think that it makes complete sense. However, when it comes to reflection and implementation, many of us do fall short, myself included definitely. I did think about why we find it difficult to reflect and meditate on a teaching deeply and I came to a conclusion that it must be due to our selfishness of not caring enough to change so that we do not hurt and cause harm to them. Consequently without the reflection and meditation, we do not gain any realization that would give us a shift in attitude. The truth hurts especially when we realize it after we have made a mistake because we did not transform and cause damage to others. Saying sorry and having regrets after a damage is done and other suffer because of our carelessness and selfishness is really pointless. Therefore, before we even come to that stage we should think of others and reflect and meditate on how we should change our attitude so that we do not cause harm and suffering to them.
Dear Rinpoche,
In my heart at least you are Vajradhara and an unfailing spiritual guide that i can rely on. You are more than qualified for us. Your kindness have changed me from a delusional, bitter young man whom even his parents found him unpleasant to be with into someone who is more approachable and sociable and less delusional.
If i had not met you, i would have continued believing that i am a good ‘buddhist’ because i know so much knowledge but continue hurting others with my demented actions, speech and thoughts. Meeting you helped me saw what i was really doing, allowing me to stop it as well as understanding what Dharma is.
And there also students like David who has changed a lot since meeting you…
this lowly student would like to beseech you to continue turning the Wheel of Dharma…
“Thinking of how you show the excellent unmistaken path to me, an unfortunate wretched being, abandoned by all the buddhas – reminds me of you, Lama.” – Calling the Lama from afar, Pabongkha Rinpoche
When you finally “qualified” then there will be no “people” for you to teach anymore. Cheers…
You’re the best person for teaching Dharma!
For me You are the best! For me you are better than anybody else, even better than Buddha. You are my Master, please accept my devotion for You.
Whatever You do, whichever way you act, You are my spiritual guide, my real Father.
OOh, so sorry for you. Well, I am far away, but I am trying to apply what u r teaching and I respect you, and have u always in my prayers!