Photo Album: Malaysia – My Early Years Teaching
I first came to Malaysia in 1992 under the instruction of my Guru, the late H.E. Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. I came to Malaysia to teach and gather help to build the monks’ quarters for my khamtsen in Gaden. From 1992 to 2003, I traveled back and forth between India and Malaysia before settling down in Malaysia. During this period, although Kechara House had been registered in 2000, there was no official premises for Kechara House yet, so I conducted pujas and gave Dharma talks in the houses of students and friends.
These are photos of my earlier days in Malaysia long before Kechara House came about. These photos are taken everywhere, because I was teaching…everywhere.
Tsem Rinpoche
This photo was taken when I first came to Malaysia in 1992. I toured everywhere and met as many people ...
I was so skinny and I looked malnourished because I had very little to eat in the monastery. I didn't ...
When I first came, I met many Malaysians and they were very generous and helped me raised the funds I ...
My Malaysian friends in general are very friendly and generous to me. They even brought me on little trips to ...
I was very young when I first came and was very inexperienced, but I had to learn fast and adapt ...
I was really such a chicken when I first came and it sure wasn't easy being a teacher here in ...
I was very formal when I was younger, but was advised by my Gurus to loosen up so my students ...
I love giving gifts, and for many of the gifts I give, I make a prayer that the gift will ...
I went to many Mahayana Buddhist centres to give teachings. This is one of the many that I went to.
I initially came in and out of Malaysia, but my Gurus in the monastery eventualy told me to stay in ...
I met a lot of people during those initial first few years and I am truly grateful to many of ...
I took this picture with Anila, was known to me as Mama Jenny at that time, and Adeline Tan from ...
In 1999 I went to Haadyai for a short retreat and during the visit I had an audience with Ajahn ...
Naturally, I went to meet Ajahn Tong with some of my friends and students so they got a blessing as ...
After the audience with Ajahn Tong, there was rainbow that could clearly be seen, I thought it was an auspicious ...
If I ever had kids I would love them so much, train them, and make sure they will be alright ...
I love my robes but the weather in Malaysia makes the thick robes a little uncomfortable especially during long Dharma ...
Due to some strange karmic connection, some of the very first people I taught were Malaysians, so here I am ...
When I first came to Malaysia, Buddha images of the Tibetan tradition were hard to come by, so I had ...
I always ensure that puja items are easily accessible, so I got my students to set up this little section ...
I got all the Buddha images made in Malaysia for my students and friends to invite
During this period, I gave teachings, rituals, and blessings in people's homes and offices, like a gypsy
In this picture, I am making a mandala offering. I think all the good things I enjoy in my life ...
I have learnt to put humor into my teachings so the lessons learnt are a lot more palatable
I love Buddhas in general, but I am partial to a few particular Buddhas and one of them is Tara, ...
There are many people who come into my life and there are a few that have left. I still think ...
Rainbows seem to appear a lot at crucial moments in my life and I imagine that the local deities residing ...
In 1992, on the instructions of my Guru, the late HE Kyabje Lati Rinpoche...I came to Malaysia for the first ...
I came to Malaysia initially on a teaching tour with the purpose of raising funds to build monk quarters in ...
From 1992 up to 2003, I was traveling back and forth between India and Malaysia.
Before Kechara House was established, I performed many pujas and gave many Dharma teachings in the houses of my students ...
I even performed a special Tara blessing on a newly married couple in Grik (in the state of Perak) when ...
I performed many blessings in business establishments just like in this coffee shop
This is a makeshift altar at the coffee shop that my assistants set up for me so that I could ...
I was giving many Dharma talks in different students' houses until 2000 when Kechara House manifested.
This Dharma talk was in one of my long-time student, Ruby's home, now Dato' Ruby Khong.
In 1999, I gave a Manjushri initiation to a public crowd in one of my student's home in Petaling Jaya.
After the Manjushri initiation, I met almost every single person individually so that I could talk to them.
For almost all of the Dharma talks that I gave back then, people came through word-of-mouth. There was no formal ...
After a Dharma talk, I would usually meet with the people who attended the talk. Some would tell me their ...
I am glad that many who received Manjushri initiation were young children. Manjushri is excellent for everyone especially children studying ...
Many people came for the Manjushri initiation and received Manjushri's holy mantra.
In 1999, I gave a Ngesung Kundrol initiation in the same venue. Ngesung Kundrol practice protects us from taking rebirth ...
After the initiation, I listened to everyone's requests and queries so that I could help them find solutions...It could last ...
When I was meeting with different people, I would give them pictures of their deities to pray and meditate on.
My students and friends busy filling the stupas with blessed and precious items before I consecrate them. This was in ...
In this picture, I am consecrating a whole bunch of wonderful stupas (representation of the Buddha's mind). This is so ...
Before Kechara House was built, I gave Dharma teachings in students' houses and sometimes in students' offices. We were like ...
I was invited to give a Dharma talk at Ksitigarbha Temple in Singapore.
I would encourage my students and friends to liberate animals to create the karmic cause to extend their life span.
This stall setup is what my hardworking students did to promote Kechara Paradise (the first Kechara retail outlet) every week ...
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Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for compiling and sharing these beautiful collection of Rinpoche’s photos from the good old days in Malaysia. Miss you very much Rinpoche. Hope you come home to Kechara Forest Retreat asap to spread and teach dharma again. 🙏😘🌹🌈
Today Kechara House is rated as the largest Tibetan Buddhism centre in Malaysia. Kechara has grown from very humble beginnings with its Founder, H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche’s hard work, perseverance and determination to benefit Malaysian Buddhists.
History tells how authentic any founder of an organisation is, and the hard work and conviction to succeed.
Through Rinpoche’s enduring commitment to benefit Malaysian Buddhists, the growth of Kechara will continue and viewing this pictorial account of its beginnings, there is no doubt that Kechara will become a centre to benefit more and more people.
It’s nice to see pictures of humble beginnings. Wow, 1991, I was in grade 2 back then. The only familiar face I recognized was Pastor Chia’s, very nice to see that he is still with Rinpoche! Such a loyalty! Wow!
I rejoice for the people who stuck around and students who got the chance to meet Rinpoche very early on.
Looking at these pictures i realized how hard Rinpoche has worked to become this big.
From going to other people house all the way to a really big center!
Rinpoche worked so hard and you should see what we have today.
Thank you Rinpoche for working so hard just for our benefit.
Wish to met Rinpoche in my very young age, and follow Rinpoche for the way to do Dharma works. These photos make me feel that i has been follow Rinpoche for very long time. ( Just Feeling )
Best Regards : Eric kksiow
Wow looking through this album brings back so much memories of how Rinpoche started and how I came in to Buddhism because of Rinpoche. Yes we were gypsies then moving from one location to the next and I don;t even have any idea how I ended up here and what I did to deserve all of this, and to still be here.
Rinpoche has most certainly come a long long way in teaching and advising so many people non-stop and it is incredible to see the sequence of events that led to where we are today. It feels like almost a dream and all those hard work Rinpoche did, look at the results now – KFR. I cannot believe it because it felt like only yesterday I met Rinpoche. It is amazing how much we have grown due to RInpoche real love and care of wanting to benefit others and spread the Dharma.
I now understand and feel the disappointments in Rinpoche when Rinpoche sees me or any student who has been with Rinpoche long, have not or very little transformation, because look at the vastness of how much Rinpoche has sweat, spent and given precious time that cannot be bought or give back to us both worldly and spiritually. I sometimes think, what great merits does this country have to be able to have some one like Rinpoche here to teach? And how much Rinpcohe has given, how have we reciprocated and given back?
Rinpoche recently gave a few close students a teaching and what Rinpoche said was that Rinpoche is not trying to introduce Buddhism in to Malaysia but more revive Buddhism in Malaysia. So in the past there must have been strong Buddhist practitioners here that collected some merits for the fruits to be ripened now for us. Hence we as students must not take this opportunity for granted and work hard because we have the potential, otherwise why would Rinpoche’s Guru advice Rinpoche to spread Dharma here? We must think.