Question asked by Herald
Hello venerable sentient beings,
1: I am confused on Tsem Rinpoche's lineage, I remember one video (I think the one about him at Gaden Monastery) stated that he was a direct reincarnation of Gedun Nyedrak, but on the Tsem Tulku website, it says that he was a direct reincarnation of Kentrul Thubten Lamsang, which one is it?
2: I also have a dilemma, but regarding karma. Let's say person A hurt person B, did person B's karma FORCE person A to hurt them? Because since WE cause the harm that WE experience, does that mean that WE cause others to harm us, because others can't hurt us, only we hurt ourselves through the force of karma. So again, do we cause others to hurt us? Karma as a whole seems to get more complicated as a I learn more about Buddhism.
3: Is there any way where I can commission a Thangka/Buddha image? Like how Tsem Rinpoche commissioned Indian style artworks of Dorje Shugden. I wosh to commission a realistic indian style thangka of Tsongkhapa!
Dear Herald,
Thanks for your questions.
1. Khentrul Thubten Lamsang was a reincarnation of Gedun Nyedrak. And Tsem Rinpoche was the reincarnation of Khentrul Thubten Lamsang. So in terms of these three lifetimes: 1. Gedun Nyedrak, 2. Khentrul Thubten Lamsang & 3. Tsem Rinpoche. You can read more about Tsem Rinpoche’s previous lives here: https://www.tsemtulku.com/previous-lives/
2. Okay, so person A hurts person B.
Person B created the causes to be hurt by person A specifically in the past. This karma manifests in so that Person A and Person B are put together in a situation together. However, it is still a conscious act on the part of Person A to actually hurt Person B. However, this act can be driven by emotions that Person A couldn’t control, and this is actually a mix of both Person A and Person B’s karma.
In short, yes, karma is confusing. In fact the full extent to which karma works can only be known by a Buddha. However, we should have at least a basic understanding of how karma works, so that we can improve ourselves and transform. If you try to think about it too deeply, it becomes an intellectual exercise rather than something that actually changes our behaviour for the better. Tsem Rinpoche gave a simple yet very powerful teaching here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/discovering-yourself-a-teaching-on-karma-mindstream.html. You can also find out more about karma in the Lamrim teachings.
3. If you would like to commission artwork, please contact KSA : https://www.kechara.com/services/buddhist-art/. If their current artists are able to do something like this, they will be able to help.
Thank you!