Always focus out
“Everyday, try to help at least one person.”
Regardless of where Rinpoche is, he will always find somebody to help. In the photo above, Rinpoche was distributing food to the poor of Bodhgaya, India. Later on, Rinpoche would say that his experiences as a homeless teenager in the US, and his time in the monastery in India inspired him to set up Kechara Soup Kitchen to feed the hungry and destitute.
Many years later, on another pilgrimage to Bodhgaya, Rinpoche was walking towards the stupa when a voice called out, “Rinpoche! Rinpoche!” It transpired that a rickshaw driver Rinpoche had befriended many years ago whilst on pilgrimage there, recognised Rinpoche’s voice from a distance. So in the middle of the night, Rinpoche paid a visit to the rickshaw driver’s home. As usual Rinpoche did not go empty-handed. He brought with him new winter clothes, bedding, blankets as well as many kilograms of rice, vegetables, sugar, salt and cooking oil.
Rinpoche has been consistently assisting the underprivileged even at a time when he himself did not have very much. In Gaden Monastery, Rinpoche was well known to visit elderly Tibetan laypeople who were without families, to bring them food, gifts and spend some time with them. Rinpoche also raised funds for various social welfare initiatives, for example the Gaden Shartse Clinic as well as this community hall and nursery school in the local Tibetan refugee settlement who erected a sign as a token of appreciation for Rinpoche’s assistance.
All of this took place alongside Rinpoche’s fund-raising for the monastery which included funds to build new accommodation for Phukhang Khangtsen, install water pumps for the monks, and install a new floor for their prayer hall as well as their debate courtyard. Through it all, Rinpoche also continued to provide medical care for sick senior monks, and raise funds for the monastery’s kitchens to ensure the monks were receiving adequate nutrition.
In Malaysia, Rinpoche established Kechara Soup Kitchen which is dedicated to providing food and assistance to Malaysia’s homeless and urban poor. Having lived in Malaysia on an on-and-off basis for over 20 years, Rinpoche wanted to repay the kindness of Malaysians by contributing back to Malaysian society. Thus Kechara Soup Kitchen was born, to serve all Malaysians regardless of their race, religion, gender or creed.
Rinpoche’s activities remain consistent wherever he goes. Whether in America, India or Malaysia, Rinpoche’s car will always carry food, water and clothes for the homeless and hungry. Rinpoche also carries with him cans of dog food, bowls and natural hide bones to feed hungry strays. It is not uncommon for Rinpoche’s car to pull over onto the side of the road, and for Rinpoche’s attendants to come running out to feed a stray! From his actions, many of Rinpoche’s students have been inspired to do the same.
When it comes to developing compassion through action, we need only look at Rinpoche’s example to learn how to focus out.
~ Pastor Jean Ai
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We are all very fortunate to have Tsem Rinpoche as our Guru. He is always teaching us to be kind and to focus out. Rinpoche doesn’t only teach but is always able to walk the talk by helping the homeless and many other unfortunate people wherever Rinpoche is.
Pastor Jean Ai, what you said is absolutely right. Rinpoche is super kind and He is indeed a walking Lamrim. His kindness so spontaneous and effortless. Compared to us who needs to constantly remind ourselves to be kind to others.
Before I meet Rinpoche, I never believe one person can be so caring to others. That’s why I don’t really believe Buddhism before I met Rinpoche. After meeting Rinpoche, I see with my own eyes about the kindness as described in Buddhist stories, and that really inspired me to learn more about Dharma.
The compassion of Rinpoche for those who are less fortunate is truly inspiring.
When we think about others more, we will focus on ourselves less. Only by focusing out, we can see that how fortunate we are compared to some others. We have to be grateful of what we have, and be compassionate to those who are less fortunate. If we do that, we will realise that problems that we have today is less significant.
Chris
Bodhicitta is the highest form of quality one should aim to achieve and here His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche who is the embodiment of everything a Buddha is, truly inspires one to be compassionate. With compassion, harm will be averted, just like the ‘enemies’ of Buddha (not that Buddha considered them enemies) cannot inflict hurt onto Buddha.
Beautiful 🙂
People usually look at the success and wealth of people, Rinpoche’s sees the sufferings of the people around him and will take action to help them. A living Mahasattva.
Kechara Soup Kitchen, every now and then has being mentioned and focus-out publicly as one of the caring NGOs extending assistances to help the Hungry and Homelessness in the Malaysian Society. Kechara Soup Kitchen, a brain-child of our Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, is a registered NGO established in 2006 to offer food, drinks and basic first aid to those in need, especially the homeless, regardness of race or religion. Such was the inspiration of our spiritual Guide, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, who himself has had the suffering and painful experiences of Homelessness and hunger as a teenager. With the blessings of our compassionate Guru, Kechara soup Kitchen was born, not only to help provide food, drinks and first-aid needs to those in need, but also assisting the homeless to find appropiate jobs to enable them to become independent and self-sufficient too! May all caring Malaysians join in to extend assistance to all NGOs, like Kechara Soup Kitchen, to bring an end to homelessness as mentioned by our Honorable prime Minister wife, Che Rosmah at the time of the opening of KSK Building on March 28, 2011. Significantly, Kechara organisation is neither a coinicidence nor a fancy, but a distinct manifestation of an aspect of Rinpoche’s life, and his single minded quest from childhood to fulfill his incarnate purpose as a “Tulku”…. and a living Buddha! OM MANI PADME HUNG.
Thank you Pastor Jean Ai for sharing this with all of us here. I agree with Keng Boon that Rinpoche is one of the most generous people that I have ever met. Rinpoche would just keep giving even if there is nothing that Rinpoche can give.
Rinpoche has showed us as his students how to care for others around us. The kind of care that Rinpoche has for any passerby is just incredible.
I remember there were a few instances that I travelled around with Rinpoche and Rinpoche would ask us students to just feed the strays on the street. This action has made an impact in me where I would try to do my best to do similar actions as well.
Rinpoche truly teach us compassion and care for others through the actions of Rinpoche.
Thank You Pastor Jean Ai for sharing this article. Rinpoche always inspired us to be more generous and developing our compassion via actions.
Thank you admin for posting this. Thank you Rinpoche, your kindness and compassion always remind me to be a better person. Helping people seem like giving benefit to others, actually we are the one being benefited the most, not only we collect good karma from there, but also we feel happy because when we focus out, we do not focus on our problem. Focusing out need to be trained, I must train myself to observe if that is someone I can help out start from now.
Thank You Pastor Jean Ai sharing this article with us. Rinpoche kindness and generosity to help others an inspiration to all of us to be be generous and giving.
By focusing out we are able find the meaning of happiness. Many time we always focus on ourself thinking that that is happiness by fulfilling one’s desire.
Rinpoche is one of the most generous people I’ve known and he has inspired me and my sister to become more generous in giving whatever we can to people who need whatever it is they need.
Thank you, admin, for posting this.
I remember reading these selfless acts of Rinpoche in his biography. 😀
This reminds me of the time me and my sister, Keng Boon, were walking along Orchid Road in Singapore and saw this mute guy begging for money to buy food on the side of the street. We didn’t have small change and thus, decided to go to a nearby Seven-Eleven shop nearby to exchange our notes to smaller ones. However, the shop lady said that we were not allowed to exchange money. So, we bought a sandwich and water instead and gave the food to the guy. The smile on his face as we handed him the sandwich and water was just radiant. 🙂
Me and my sis will always do our best to help people, following by Rinpoches’ actions. 🙂