Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Dharma Houses
Joy has been a student of His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche for over 15 years. Through the years, Joy has witnessed Rinpoche’s compassion and the unconventional methods he uses to benefit others. Some of the short stories she shares will tell interesting miraculous events that Rinpoche will not mention due to his humility. She hopes these stories will serve as an inspiration in your own spiritual journey.
Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Dharma Houses
To say Rinpoche was a kind guru is an understatement. Rinpoche’s kindness was beyond words because there were so many things that Rinpoche did that were not what ordinary people would do; not what people would usually do to go out of their way to help someone. And even though Rinpoche was a highly attained being and a high lama, all of that did not stop Rinpoche from helping others, especially us students. Rinpoche did not just care about our spirituality but all aspects of our lives, including our living situations which would, inevitably, have an impact on our practice.
One of the very first things Rinpoche did was to encourage us to start living on our own, instead of depending on our parents or family all the time. Rinpoche wanted us to grow up, to be independent. Instead of leeching off or relying on our parents all the time, Rinpoche wanted us to take responsibility for our own lives and in return, be able to help our parents instead of being spoilt and helpless.
One of the members of Panchen House offering serkym (black tea) to the Dharma Protector Setrap
Grown, adult children staying in their parents’ houses is a part of Asian culture and while it is very much accepted in our society, Western society has a different view of this, encouraging children to move out of the family home and be independent as soon as possible. Since Rinpoche had a Western upbringing in America, Rinpoche found it quite intriguing how attached parents in Asia can sometimes be to their children and that living with them is considered ‘good’. Hence, it was quite a challenge to break the concept of living and leeching off one’s parents and teaching us to take real responsibility, such as paying our own bills.
To ease people into this transition, Rinpoche introduced the idea of Dharma brothers and sisters living together, renting a house together and fostering community living. Now that I think of it, I realise that Rinpoche wanted to nurture (or rather, prepare) us to get used to living together as a community so that when Kechara Forest Retreat was built, we would easily adapt into this kind of lifestyle. Rinpoche even started giving names to the houses we lived in. They were all named after an enlightened being such as Tara House, where I lived with a group of other students. Then there were Heruka House, Naropa House and so on. Rinpoche said these houses were named after the Buddhas in order to provide blessings to the occupants, that each time we referred to our homes, we would be uttering the name of an enlightened being. It would also remind us of the qualities of those beings, qualities which we should aspire to achieve or emulate. So this was how ‘Dharma houses’ were created and how some of us learned to become more independent.
This was Setrap House, one of the many Dharma houses Rinpoche kindly set up for his students. Rinpoche never failed to take good care of us.
Don’t get me wrong – although the students were living on their own after moving into a Dharma house, Rinpoche still encouraged them to visit their parents, buy them gifts, take them out for lunch and dinner, and learn to take care and appreciate their parents the right way. It was a better, healthier relationship for both sides, and Rinpoche really did make sure each student always showed gratitude towards their parents. This was something special about Rinpoche that I saw, because Rinpoche’s care extended to the students’ parents and what would ultimately be best for them.
These Dharma houses supported our spiritual journey and experiences while we learned the Dharma. They helped ground us and allowed us to share and learn more about Dharma in a supportive, focused environment and they helped to give us a good foundation. When you live in a Dharma community or with other Dharma brothers and sisters, especially when you are just starting off, it helps give you encouragement in your practice, as well as courage and strength when you are faced with obstacles or when you are down. It helps to know you are not alone on this path; living with other Dharma brothers and sisters can help you persevere, and makes it easier to face and deal with your issues.
Such a living situation definitely encouraged us to focus out, and to care for one another and not just think only about ourselves. This was one of the main things Rinpoche always instilled in us. With strong support, one’s faith will naturally increase as well, especially when you see each other engaging in personal practices, making offerings and doing their sadhanas (daily prayers).
Residents of Dzambala House doing puja (prayers and offerings) to bless their Dharma house before settling in
Therefore, the reason why Rinpoche created Dharma houses was because Rinpoche wanted us students to live in a conducive environment which would nurture not just our minds but our daily activities, and help us re-habituate our lifestyle. It was to teach us how to live with a spiritual motivation in this world, with all of its mundane concerns; to do things with a more Dharmic aspiration that would propel our spiritual development. That is how skilful Rinpoche was, to always find creative ways to get us to do more Dharma. And the more we learn and do this, the better equipped we become at dealing with life and all the problems that come with it.
At the end of the day, Rinpoche only thought about our happiness on an ultimate level. All the things Rinpoche did were always to help us become better, happier, more fulfilled versions of ourselves. This was so that we when close our eyes one day, we will not have regrets and we will be okay.
For more interesting information:
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Cleaning Houses
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Taboo Words
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Cooking For Rinpoche
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Vajra Yogini or Anger?
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – The Assignment
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Change Karma
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Creating The Causes
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Buddha Images and Imprints
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Food and Dharma
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Spreading Dharma in Jonker Street
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – What’s the New News?
- Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Mission Impossible
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Reading this inspiring post through the eyes of Joy Kam had me understand Rinpoche better. Rinpoche cares for others , students or people who had met for the first time more than himself. Whatever Rinpoche did for us is not doubt for our own good. A training for us to be independent and be a responsible person. Rinpoche had introduced the idea of Dharma house. A home is where love resides, memories are created, Dharma brothers and sisters living together, and fostering community living, learning and practicing Dharma together.
Thank you Rinpoche with folded hands for creating Kechara Forest Retreat Centre, a place called home to many.