Activities at Kechara Care Dept
Dear Rinpoche,
I’m now in KC meeting up with Carmen and her friend Jay who is interested in donating furnitures to us. Young boy and he is pleasantly surprise at our organisation and the people especially.
KC is not in operation yet and there are so many activities today. Pls see pics.
Thank you
Su Ming
Our members practicing for a show they will be performing for Kechara World Peace Centre.
Busy reading my blog and posting comments.
Martin, carmen and her friend Jay.
Our new dept Kechara Care is opening soon in a matter of days as renovations nearly finished. Even though it’s not opened yet, it has been bursting with activities as you see in the pictures.
Kechara is very proud of this new dept whose function is to nurture new people to Kechara House. We get so many visitors and so many new people, so a dept has been developed to take then on tours, answer questions and introduce them to our various activities.
Much Care,
Tsem Rinpoche
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[…] 克切拉亲善部刚刚在金双威商业中心新佛殿隔邻开设了一间自在坊，这是一个让大家放轻松、跳跳舞、唱唱歌及品尝饮料的地方。亲善部开张至今已经为不少朋友举办别开生面的生日会、茶会及各种庆祝活动。接下来的日子，我们会继续在自在坊主办更多的 佛法派对及活动。 […]
Kechara Care (KC) was initially formed as a dept to take care of newbies and was housed in Ladrang with Su Ming and James as the main staff. It was supposed to be a Gift Section where gifts are stored and to be given away by Rinpoche. But now we have a different version of Kechara Care. A Kechara Care with different activities. When Kechara Care moved to their premises at Sunway Mas. Kechara Care has changed into a Lounge with Karaoke where KH members and there friends can relax in the evening. Apart from Su Ming and James there are also increase of fulltime staff to help in Kechara Care like Nicholus Yu, May Ong, and Bryan and some volunteers.
Once the floodgates open KC will be busy the whole time managing all manner of newbies to Kechara. KC is very pivotal in the ‘after sales service’ of people connecting to Kechara. Can’t wait to go sing Karaoke there 🙂 .
Hope KC can serve food real quick and creative ones at that.
Kechara aims to cater to a large cross section of people of different ages and with differing interests. At least in this part of the world, Buddhist practice is usually associated with older people. Many young people defer spiritual practice till later in life because they think they have a whole life ahead of them and they want to “live life to the fullest” and do all the things they want to do without being put on a guilt trip. They fear that becoming involved means they have to give up their fun. Spiritual practice and fun are viewed as total opposites. So if they have any interest in spiritual matters, they hope to put any practice on hold till they get older. They would rather “enjoy life” first.
However, at Kechara, we learn that fun and dharma are but 2 sides of the same coin. You can have one with the other, but guided by certain principles. Young people are driven by the pop culture (in my case rock culture). Music moves them. That’s why churches with live pulsating music attract young people by the droves as compared to serene mantra chanting in temples.
But it’s during those young adulthood years when they are rash and inquisitive. They want to experiment on everything that life has to offer with their new found freedom and insist they will do so with no regrets. In the process they make mistakes and some of the negative effects impact them for life. Some of us live to tell the story!
So rather than prohibiting them from their fun, which won’t work as they will go ahead anyway, give them the avenue to express themselves in this way, but in a safe, clean environment. So a dharma “watering hole” is so “in”, so apt and so spiritual. There you have it, both sides of the same coin. When my kids grow up, I’d rather they hang out here (at least most of the time) rather than some club somewhere and worry about what they are up to.
IMHO, as long as the Kechara Care Lounge (perhaps find a more hip name than this?) remains open to the public instead of becoming some sort of private club, the aim that was set out to be achieved (to attract the younger-set to dharma) would be realized, otherwise its reach and full potential would not be maximised.
It looks such a fun place to visit that i fear i would not leave, and that wouldn’t be that bad would it!!!
Kechara Care will play a vital role in the growth of Kechara House as this organization is established solely to benefit people. Therefore, taking care of its people is naturally the essential motto.
In their zeal, the “oldies” forget that new comers do not know the Dharma in depth and have limited knowledge about Kechara as an organization. It can be overwhelming to grasp “advanced” conversations about rituals, Buddha names, the many Kechara departments etc.
Kechara Care will be perfect to overcome this situation, as it will take care of our new friends. Similarly, Su Ming is the ideal caring, warm and passionate leader to head this department. This is speaking from experience as Su Ming took care of me and has taken care of anyone who comes to Kechara…even when she is not asked to do so. One of the reasons I am drawn to Kechara is because I see Su Ming as a “product” of Dharma and Kechara and I admire her qualities.
Blessings for the new department. It is good for the older students as well. They must know the subject matter well! Another facet of Kechara opens.
Kechara Care rocks! Imagine a place designed to fit today’s modern distracted generation, cater to their need for socialising, chatting over a coffee, watching a movie, hanging out and simply being FUN FUN FUN but with a much deeper purpose.
Just like ANYTHING that Rinpoche does, Kechara Care will be full of Dharma from beginning, middle to end. And even the ‘swans’ practicing there today are also full of Dharma- what better way to kill the ego by making unlikely candidates dress up in white and black tutus to perform in front of 800 people at a charity dinner???
And I must say that Thierry is a natural – a towering pillar of grace, poise, elegance … and feathers of course!
Not just that they’re booking it, but how comfortable everyone looks! Nicholas and Ethan look sooooo at home sitting on that sofa!
Thierry, I saw you really focusing hard on getting your moves right. You are a natural! It was really happening just now. I didn’t want to leave but I was getting distracted looking at Mr Ngeow, Fat Monk and Tat Ming flapping their “wings”, Su Ming and I had to move to e-Div to continue our meeting. Very funny.
I am very excited for KC to be completed. In future, I can invite my friends and family over for coffee like how we used to hang out. Very casual and doesn’t look hard sell because we’re just chilling. So it appears! Cover line 😉
This place is really going to be the forefront to attract newbies and convert their attachments to a deeper meaning in life.
I SAW a sneak peak of you THIERRY, in your element, on tiptoe, very poised and beautiful, I must say…. Kechara really does bring out the best in everyone.
I’m loving the fact that we haven’t even moved in yet and everyone is booking KC’s space for activities. hehehe Imagine when the new GOMPA comes up – it’ll be like a 24 hour disco going on in SunwayMas (especially as Kechara people never sleep and have boundless energy – loves it).
I’m really happy to hear that Jay loved his visit to KC and “especially the people” because this is what Kechara Care is all about – connecting to people, by people, and bringing Dharma to others in action.
Hey Andrew, I can’t wait to see YOU in a tutu… LOL…
I am very excited… tonight I am trying my tutu!
How wonderful that we get to be part of a spiritual practice that, indeed, engages in activities that outwardly would seem rather awkward for a buddhist center to engage in. Well, I hope this is not only for fun lah, I hope it makes people think about what spirituality is, about what the buddhist teachings are. They certainly are not teachings that tell us, we should not wear a tutu or high heels.
I wish that many are inspired to engage in a spiritual practice by seeing us wearing heels or dancing away in a tutu.
Countdown to Kechara Care’s Lounge Opening!!! It is going to be the first of its kind. Who has ever heard of a Buddhist Organization having a social, hip and happening Lounge as part of their various departments? If you had not noticed already, at Kechara – we always do things differently and we like it that way!
Now, this is really Dharma as you are – Kechara style, of course.
I LOVE IT! LOVE IT, LOVE IT!
Am I excited? DUH! Can’t wait to throw parties, etc there. How wonderful it is that Rinpoche constantly thinks outside the box and pushes us in the right direction through very skillfull means.
This venue for KC will be an incredible “tool” to help draw in the young as well as the not so young… hehehe.
It will be great to have a place where we can all hang out that is NOT the mamak, some stinky coffee shop or overpriced cafe. It is important and crucial that we have the venue to interact socially within a Dharmic support as our secular lives are just too alluring and we need the support of our Dharma family and friends to help us cope… Well at least that is how I feel!
Kechara Care finally have a place where visitors can come in to have a chat or to hang around in the Buddhist centre. It is a lounge cum party area. It is a cinema where visitors can view “movies” like Star Wars. It is for Introduction to Buddhism in English and Chinese. It can also be a vegetarian “bar”. They are versatile. Its a place for everyone.