Wesak Day gift from Shirley Tan
People are so generous and thoughtful. I’m always recieving gifts. I am embarrassed, but I deeply appreciate every single gift so much….I fold my hands and thank everyone past, present and humbly the future also..
On Wesak day, Shirley Tan offered this to me. I was amazed. I wanted to share the beauty of it with everyone. This is a Tibetan ritual vase (bumpa) and look how beautiful it is. She took it to Kechara Saraswati Arts Dept (KSA) and commissioned them to stick beautiful clear/red crystals on almost every part of the main body of the vase. Surrounding the red crystal in the centre is multitudes of clear crystals if you look carefully… And pearls also. KSA is really good in their handiwork and arts/crafts…very unique in this region.
I thank Shirley for her kind and thoughtful gift that was done so creatively coupled with love. How kind and I appreciate it very much.
Tsem Rinpoche
The beautiful bumpa
Shirley Maya Tan is a very generous person. She has been helping Kechara from the first day she joined in whatever way she can. She writes beautifully and has great screen presence. I thank my student Shirley so much and wish you every spiritual awakening and happiness.
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Wow this is a very beautiful bumpa. It is so creatively done with all the nice pearls and crystals on it. Your thoughtfulness to Rinpoche is a good reminder to all of us. Always offer the best to our Guru and Buddha.
This is such a beautiful thoughtful offering from Shirley. I am happy for her that she could offer this ritual item to Rinpoche’m happy she will get the merits every time Rinpoche uses this item. Rinpoche has always said, we must offer the best to the Buddhas when making offerings as it is by doing this that we give up our attachment to our greed, desires, things we wish for ourselves at the expense of others no matter how small an item. Basically it’s about offering those things we find the most difficult to part with. Every mind is different. For some its money, others it could be sleeping in the morning, others still it could be cigarettes, you know what your attachment is, so give it up and make your life that much better.
Really though, what a great job done by the artists of kechara saraswati arts (ksa) will make some time this week to drop in for a visit. Maybe roll a few mantras or 2, chill out in the chill out room and watch the fishes while listening to one of Rinpoche’s teachings.
Wow! How creative to put all those crystals and pearls on it and Kechara Saraswati did fantastic job in making it look so good. We are very fortunate to have everything under one roof in our organisation. We have a publication with Kechara Media and Publications, a vegetarian restaurant with Kechara Oasis, retail stores of our Dharma items and books with Kechara Paradise, a video production arm with Kechara InMotion, our own charitable arm with Kechara Soup Kitchen, our arts department with Kechara Saraswati Arts and the list just goes on! All this arose from Rinpoche’s own brilliant mind.
On the hand, this very special gift of a bhumpa is really unique and a bhumpa is basically a ritual vessel to hold sacred water that can either be poured and offered via the spout or it could be poured onto the feather and flicked to consecrate an item or the feather itself can be lifted with its underside wet with little droplets that can be fliced to consecrate an item. As far as I remember, there is a deity that is associated with a bhumpa and that is Maitreya.
Maitreya usually seats in western style on a throne with two lotus stems that grow from his hands in the gesture of teaching the Dharma to either side of his shoulders where the lotuses blooms. A bhumpa rests on the left side and a Dharma wheel is usually on his right. Maitreya is currently residing in Tushita awaiting for his time to descend onto earth by taking rebirth as a human to manifest full enlightenment just like Shakyamuni Buddha when the teachings have all disappeared.
Dearest Rinpoche,
I am so happy that Rinpoche likes the Bumpa. Kechara Saraswati is amazingly talented. Mitra did such a fantastic job! I am afraid I did not do much at all.
In the beginning when Rinpoche created all the different departments, I was already panting and out of breath because it was hard keeping up with Rinpoche – from just opening and setting up one department, another mushroomed! And I was wondering how we were going to sustain all these departments. I was already experiencing “fatigue” of all sorts. But now, seeing all 13 departments in full action – it is like witnessing miracles upon miracles unfolding before my very eyes. In Kechara, I get to not only work on what I lack (which we know is a whole lot!) but also, what more I can add to my knowledge and skills. From Kechara Saraswati, I learn more about arts and can develop my ‘dormant’ artistic side. From Kechara Soup Kitchen, I learn how to practise compassion and appreciate life as a whole. In KMP, we learn to use our writing skills in a way that touches people’s lives and benefits them – not just be all wrapped up with just “THE WORD”. Haha. In Kechara E-Division – which is a personal favourite because I myself is a beneficiary of all the digital teachings and talks. I remember in july 2005, that was exactly how I ‘met’ Rinpoche – through the emails. And at that time, I was in the pits of my depression and was not even interested to leave my own home. Had I not have the internet as an outlet to reach out for help and found Rinpoche, I seriously do not know what I would be now. So, all the different departments have their beautiful and meaningful ‘individual’ value to someone out there. And over the years, I have come to fall in love with each department because they each bring out different parts of me and have enriched me in so many various ways. I could not be “whole” without any one of them – so to speak. So, Rinpoche, on Wesak Day, this Bumpa is just my own small way of saying, THANK YOU, for making such an amazing impact in my life. Above all, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING SO MUCH my otherwise one dimensional life. With folded hands and love, Shirley
Tashi Delek Rinpoche!
So, this bumpa was meant for Rinpoche!
I saw Mitra, who was also assisted by Nani at KSA some time ago, skilfully adorning and decorating this bumpa with their expert and deft hands.
I rejoice with Rinpoche and Shirley for this beautiful and wondrous Dharma gift on the thrice sacred occasion of Vesak!
Sadhu!Sadhu!Sadhu!