Gratitude series (ongoing- #2 posted)
Gratitude series
(This will be ongoing, so check back for new posts)
I will be posting up all that I am grateful for in my life. Though my life has been full of distress, challenges, disappointments, pain, fear, insecurities and a host of other karmically ripened circumstances since very young, many good things happened too. I choose to focus on the good and remember the good because it’s healthier for my mind and body. Healthier for those around me. I choose to remember the good and focus and be grateful for that and learn from the negative and be stronger for it. So many have suffered worse than myself and made it better and they are my inspiration to be grateful always. The world does not revolve around me, but I should take heed of the world. Om Mani Peme Hum. So I will be posting from time to time what I am grateful for in my life as a reminder to myself to be happy, work for others continuously and rejoice. This is ongoing.
I wish to have a positive outlook so I can be of more service to others even if it’s just from a computer keyboard. I have been called a cyber lama, well, I wish to share cyber gratefulness and influence others humbly to be grateful for everything also if I may in their lives. I have no right to do so because so many have endured much more than me and perhaps still enduring and it may be harder to let go or move on, but I beg their forgiveness. I wish to dwell on the positive people, circumstances and events in my life and not focus on the negative. I don’t want to ignore the negative, but simply not give it power. I realize this may not be possible for some as they are still in their circumstances, but it might be possible for many. May I be of tremendous benefit to others and develop the genuine stable compassion necessary and grow within this. May I not blame or expect of others but practice the mind transformative teachings and bring light wherever I go and whoever hears about me. May I overcome my projections and just be and benefit others tirelessly.
Tsem Rinpoche
My 1st post that I have tremendous gratitude for:
His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche
I am grateful I have met my root Guru His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. It was the singular most important event in my life. Meeting, serving and receiving teachings from this erudite master changed my life to a level hard to explain but I can feel it from the core. No matter what hardships, difficulties and obstacles come from within me and from outside circumstances, I will never give up the practice of guru devotion, loyalty towards my lama and all that He stood for. I will never give up any of the practices He taught me. I will honor, love, cherish and practice what my guru has taught me till the very end of my life. His teachings have given me knowledge, wisdom, better perspective and tremendous understanding of the nature of reality, our existence, this world and me. My purpose in life was opened to me by Him. No matter what mood I am in or not in, I will never trade my attachments, anger, doubts, samsara and indulgences away against my guru. I will never listen to my samsara or samsaric friends over my teacher ever. I will always choose my guru and his teachings instead of my attachments, samsara and indulgences. I have and will continue to work hard to benefit others to give honor and meaning to all that I have received from my root guru. I will honor my guru by my continuing to work for others through the methods of the six paramitas. Although I am not near qualified, I will do my best as in the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation teachings. Tsem Rinpoche
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Gratitude Series 2
Ms Kwan and myself back in Taipei, Taiwan. I should be around 4 years old in this picture. I always remembered a beautiful and very kind lady who use to take me to the mountains, bathe me, feed me and give me so much love. She lived in the mountains of Taiwan I found out later with her family at that time.
My mother had gotten pregnant with me from a person who had basically not been honest with her. It was a great stigma back in the 1960’s for a young unwed lady to have a baby. It was a great shame for her and I understand. I am sorry for her. The community and her people were unkind in their views and opinions. She had no choice but to give me up right after birth. My mom told her schoolmate Ms. Kwan (affectionately Kwan Mama) about this and only her. She asked Ms. Kwan to watch over this child. Ms. Kwan was very young also but felt deeply for my mom and me. She even asked my mom if she can adopt this child. My mother refused. I wish she didn’t refuse and I don’t know why she refused. So I was ‘given’ to a Taiwanese family in Taipei who was paid US$50 a month to watch me. Ms. Kwan and her brother Mr. Kwan often came to me to bring food, treats, buy me toys (first toy they got me was a toy Volkswagon beetle that I tugged everywhere), take me out, stay with them on weekends. She did this for years. Her brother also when he was free.
Unbeknownst to my mom and grandmother initially, I was not taken care of well. Not fed well and beaten. Ms. Kwan saw this and took great pity on me. She was very kind and always visited and watched over me very often at her own expense. At 6, I was taken to the US and to another adopted family and lost all contact with Ms. Kwan and her brother for over 35 years. But I NEVER forgot them. I finally asked a helpful friend Ms. Irene Lim (speaks Mandarin) to go to Taiwan to search for a Ms. Kwan. I don’t speak Mandarin. She found her! I was reunited with this lovely and kind Ms. Kwan who was a nurse and retired. I flew over to meet her and her brother in Taiwan and thanked them profusely for their kindness to an abused and scared young boy that was me. We hugged, we cried, we laughed and I offered her and her brother various gifts. She told me again, she has never married or had children and she very much wanted to adopt me back then as I had no one and no parents. I send her letters and pictures and gifts from time to time now to keep in contact. I have introduced dharma to her to repay her kindness. I will never forget her smiling face, lovely kindness and generosity towards me. I will never forget Mr. Kwan either.
We all might have a Ms. Kwan in our life, and we cannot forget them. We must stay in contact with them. I remember clearly all that she had done for me till now. I am grateful to have her and her family help me as a child. I am grateful for her kindness. I love you Ms. Kwan. Tsem Rinpoche
Mr Kwan and myself. He used to bathe me and bought me a green Volkswagon toy car that I tugged everywhere and loved. The funny thing is the 17 years later the first car I used was a volkswagon beetle in Los Angeles! The family watching me for US$50 per month used to take all my toys away and they just disappeared. But I loved the volkswagon. Thank you Mr. Kwan. It was an honor to reconnect with you again.
The lovely Ms Kwan and myself re-united in Taipei, Taiwan. I was so grateful to have met up with her and thank her and her family for all they have done. Their love and presence in my life as a young child made a world of difference within all the cruelty I had faced. I had the honor to meet her brother Mr. Kwan also.
I will post more here and continue…I have so much to be grateful for. Do visit this post again….
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This article is particularly fascinating because gratitude is such a simple and yet refreshing concept. It is interesting to think that something so easy as saying “thank you” can make such a profound differences in someone’s life.
I am grateful for learning something new from this article. Gratitude helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals, whether to other people, nature or a higher power. We should be grateful for the kindness offered to us during the time we needed the most and should repay the kindness by respecting all of them.
Thank you for the wonderful dharma sharing, your thoughts has reinforced and motivated me to continue and remain grateful to all beings in my life journey.
This article is a reminder call for me to be thankful and grateful to those that really love or loved me unconditionally before and now. Never take them for granted.
Guru’s teachings make us a better person, a more grounded person and also help us in mind transformation. Start from home and keep practising the Dharma.
1984 Los Angeles-Left to right: Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, monk assistant to Zong Rinpoche and the 18-year-old Tsem Rinpoche prior to ordination. Read more- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/me
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A poem inspired by seeing a picture of my teacher, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche…
In the sport of correct views,
all that is correct is just a view,
without permanence or substance.
As long as we hold onto views,
our sufferings are gathered
to be experienced without end.
Without the strong methods of emptiness
and compassion, bereft of merit,
we sink deeper without respite.
To arise from this samsara is but
a dreamscape on the deluded mind.
Therefore seek the guru, who confers the yidam,
hold your vows and fixate on liberation
free of new creations. Free of new experiences as
there are none.
~ Tsem Rinpoche
Composed in Tsem Ladrang, Kuala Lumpur on July 7, 2014
I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.
I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche
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Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche is very devoted to his root guru, H.H. Zong Rinpoche.
May I be of tremendous benefit to others and develop the genuine stable compassion necessary and grow within this. May I not blame or expect of others but practice the mind transformative teachings and bring light wherever I go and whoever hears about me. May I overcome my projections and just be and benefit others tirelessly…
…No matter what hardships, difficulties and obstacles come from within me and from outside circumstances, I will never give up the practice of guru devotion, loyalty towards my lama and all that [She stands] for. I will never give up any of the practices [She] taught me. I will honor, love, cherish and practice what my guru has taught me till the very end of my life. [Her] teachings have given me knowledge, wisdom, better perspective and tremendous understanding of the nature of reality, our existence, this world and me. My purpose in life was opened to me by [Her]. No matter what mood I am in or not in, I will never trade my attachments, anger, doubts, samsara and indulgences away against my guru. I will never listen to my samsara or samsaric friends over my teacher ever. I will always choose my guru and [Her] teachings instead of my attachments, samsara and indulgences. I have and will continue to work hard to benefit others to give honor and meaning to all that I have received from my root guru. I will honor my guru by my continuing to work for others through the methods of the six paramitas. Although I am not near qualified, I will do my best as in the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation teachings.
– what an excellent prayer for me to start reciting daily.
Remembering the kindness of others and repaying their kindness are the first two steps of the 7 -point cause-and-effect meditation to develop Bodhicitta.
Remembering the kindness of others is a powerful motivation that leads us towards developing love and compassion.As Rinpoche says,the best way we can remember and repay the kindness of others is to intensify our practice and become “highly evolved beings” and work for the benefit of all mother beings.
One of the two people Rinpoche remembers here in this first two accounts in his Gratitude series is his root guru, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. Without Rinpoche’s promise to his root guru,Rinpoche would never have become a monk and would not have come to Malaysia and we would not have found our precious guru, whose kindness and compassion for all beings are unequaled. We would not have had the rare opportune condition of receiving his precious teachings and instructions and advice, and benefited from them.
Mama Kwan, the kind gentle lady who brought the rare spark into Rinpoche’s childhood of dark misery and pain,is the second person mentioned here. Dear Mama Kwan, we thank you for your precious kindness to our Lama.
I myself have much to be thankful for in my life. But I am most thankful to my sister for bringing me to Kechara and introducing me to my most beloved guru, Tsem Rinpoche, to whom i remain eternally grateful for showing me how I can make my life meaningful in service to the Dharma and to all mother beings.
P
Attendees: Gordon Lim, Andrew, Leonard Ooi, Chin Seong, Vivacela Teh, Sharyn Lim and Jacinta Goh.
This week, each members were given an opportunity to share with others the people that they are grateful for. As expected, all of the attendees were grateful to have met Rinpoche’s teachings. Through this, their lives changed tremendously and for the better. Other than parents, some members shared that they actually grateful to the grandparents due to a broken family/adopted. There was one surprise answer though. A member mentioned that he was actually grateful to his enemies. This, so called ‘enemies’ were the one that pushed him to be better and stronger person amidst the difficulties, insults and etc. Gratitude also helps them to dwell on the positive circumstances and events in their life. By remembering others’ good qualities, they learnt to be more forgiving even though at times the very person that they have gratitude for hurt them. Last but not least, gratitude should be shown i.e. by actions.
Reading the stories by Rinpoche reminds me to be grateful to people that have benefited me and treated me good without expecting any returns. It’s a reminder call for me to be thankful and grateful to those that really love or loved me unconditionally before and now. Never take them for granted. And it’s never too late to repay their kindness and show them our gratitude. From there we will transform to be selfless and serve other sentient beings. But I believe everything must start from home which is by showing to our loved ones, parents, siblings ..etc and of course our dear Guru. Guru’s teachings make us a better person, a more grounded person and also help us in mind transformation. Start from home and keep practising the Dharma, from there expand or reach out to more and beyond.
Thank You Rinpoche for always demonstrating the good qualities of you to teach us by “walk the talk”. When I was young/kid, I always think my life never smooth. However, when I met handicapped beggars in “pasar pagi” (morning wet market), I feel I should be grateful on what I have compared to the handicapped beggars or those live in more miserable conditions. At least, I have parents to take care of me and I have healthy body. However, now after studying Lamrim, I should think to use this perfect birth to benefit more people or help more people.
When I was young, I did not have wisdom and my friend always teased my “good motive” to help people. At one point, I was thinking that maybe only “bad guy” is considered smart. Luckily, this thought never stayed with me for long.
Similarly, I have a lot people to Thanks in my life. First of all, I would like to Thank You Rinpoche. You always share your kindness and compassion with us. I only met you once during your birthday in Hall. I really agreed whatever you said on that night, it touched my heart. In your whole talk, I only can not stop nodding my head as your talk is very true. Every teaching and news from you, I always try to think your situation and your kindness/compassion. You are willing to stay in samsara and suffering the severe back pain for us. The only things I can do to pay for your kindness is to transform myself and change all my bad behaviours.
Talking about Kechara and Rinpoche, I would like to Thanks those who brought me in Kechara to receive benefit from Rinpoche’s teaching. They are Patsy, Henry, and Pastor Chia. Patsy is the one introduce Kechara, Lord Setrap and Rinpoche to me. I was not so keen to join Tibatan Buddhism at that time. She kept on message me to urge me to join puja and kept on talking to me. I really would like to Thanks her for all this. Regarding to Pastor Chia, I met him during the Penang Kechara Roadshow, Patsy asked me to talk to Pastor Chia as Pastor Chia knows mandarin. We talked for whole afternoon, Pastor Chia asked me to help up to learn and spread the Dharma teaching. I replied to him that I had no time now but I planned to do it after I retired, Pastor Chia kept on saying “Why need to wait for so long and not now”..Hahah I still remembered vividly. However, he is right:). Thank You Pastor Chia.
Another person is Henry, he knew I was in the KP in Wang Utama to invite Dzambala statue, he purposed called up to ask me to wait for me. He gave me a lot of pearls for my mandala offering and his book. He even invited me for tea. During coffee shop, he straight asked me if any doubt I have with Setrap. He always urged me to invite Lama Tsongkhapa to my house for praying. Although, I did not invite Lama Tsongkhapa statue home that time, but this idea was kept with me all the time, eventually, I invited Lama Tsongkhapa home and now I am working on my Tsongkhapa Retreat. Thank You Henry.
Even now, I am continue receiving help from Pastors (Pastor Han Nee, aPastor Seng Piow, Pastor Adeline,Pastor Shin…), my Kechara Dharma friends from other centers(Johor, Kuantan, Ipoh etc..), Kechara Peers from Penang group… Thank You for you all to encourage and correct me all the time.
Another person I would like to Thanks is my father, he passed away in 2000 due to heart attack. It always pain in my heart. He has used his whole life saving for my education in USA. I always think to pay him back after his retire but the day never come. He even wanted to buy a watch for me a few days before he passed away. I hope I do have chance to introduce Buddhism to him. In fact, he is the one who brought me to Buddhism. I reconnected to Buddhism again due to his funeral. I hope I can introduce Buddhism to my mother before it is too late.
Let us always focus on gratitude and learn from all the negative experience we have encountered. It is not easy but we should try..
Thank You Rinpoche and hope your back pain will be recovered soon. I do wish to meet you once again.
Cheers,
Soon Huat
Thank you Rinpoche for reminding us about being positive in life and to be with positive people . To be grateful for the kindness offered to us would be a blessing for us to repay the kindness that has been showered on us. We should repay the kindness by being kind to all beings. Be kind and grateful for the peace and harmony in our lives.
Thank you Rinpoche for teaching us Dharma.
That is the least that we can do, to say “Thank you”
Thank you mama Kwan and Mr. Kwan who take care Rinpoche when he is at that young age, most of us grow up with a lot love from our own parents I can imagine a young like Rinpoche also deserve it no one in the world like to be mistreat everyone of us want to be love . Once again thanks Mama Kwan and Mr.Kwan who give unconditional love to our beloved guru.
Gratitude is said to be an essential part of the act of workship, and a part of every aspect of a religious practioner. Well Rinpoche certainly, has such positive outlook, geniune compassion, gratitude with a service-oriented nature, and will be of tremendous benefits to so many, many others. Even as of this moment, Rinpoche through Kechara Organisation as its Founder/Advisor has brought light and happiness to endless multitudes of people through Dharma, and have been also benefitting others tirelessly with so many necessities of things, including food! Rinpoche has not forgotten any kindness he has had received and is determined to “pay-back” by becoming highly spiritually elvoved to be of better service to others. May Rinpoche be blessed with a healthy long life to continously focus his desire in benefitting all beings. Om Mani Padme Hung.
When i was a small child, my 3 older sisters and i from time to time were cared for by a woman of African decent and i remember that i felt very strange when i learned that this woman would leave her own children so she could care and watch over us. i always wondered who was taking care of her children. i always had a big place in my heart for Africa and i think itis from her kind care when i was very little.
Being grateful is being appreciative and remembering the kindness of what the person did impacted us in a good way. I feel it’s an important attitude and value so we will be inspired to do the same to others. Rinpoche being grateful to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and make Rinpoche work even harder to benefit more people.
The care from Ms Kwan and Mr Kwan gave a strong mark in Rinpoche’s life to treat people even better, with love and with care.
It’s really nice to see Rinpoche reconnect back with Mr and Ms Kwan after so long.
Gratitude series 2
Thanks Kwan Mama giving the unconditional love to the super adorable boy when the moment He need the most. May Kwan Mama blessed by 3 jewels always. Grateful to Kwan Mama!
An un-ordinary childhood is not an obstacle to Rinpoche towards Dharma practice to benefit countless beings.
Gratitude series 1
Dear Rinpoche, thanks for the powerful teaching to remind us the Gratitude to Guru. Most of us are know the meaning of Gratitude but when we want act to show Gratitude is not so easy due to our Ego and Ignorance mind.
I m grateful to HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche because without Him we will unable to meet Rinpoche in beautiful Malaysia. I m extremely grateful to my dearest Guru, Tsem Rinpoche that bring Holy Dharma and Lord Tsongkhapa Lineage to Malaysia to benefit us. Thanks Rinpoche, without Rinpoche i will unable to be a better person, hence i will keep up my practice hopefully i may “pay back” Rinpoche kindness and help to me by helping in all Rinpoche projects.
May Rinpoche stable health, long life (with folded hands)
From the photos can felt the little boy in great smile who received unconditional love from Kwan Mama and brother. It was touching reading the story. The true love and care bring in impact on other which is unforgettable. I wish I will share the same love and care for other who in need.
Dear sons be the men that will change the world for the better do not fill your bag with money fill your mind with joy
you can do it my dear children when you study all that needs to be studied
when you see this i will be gone all that is me belongs to you
love you guys
Dad
It is so wonderful for Rinpoche to reconnect back with Ms Kwan and Mr Kwan.
I can imagine all the fears and scars of a terrible childhood, if not for the kind Ms Kwan. Every child will be afraid as we were all once young and defenceless.
Thank you ,lovely Ms. Kwan, for taking care of our precious Rinpoche.
I am a huge believer in the power of gratitude.We need to live in gratitude.I offer my gratitude for Rinpoche’s willingness to “take us on”For Rinpoche’s wisdom,humor and patience with us.I offer my gratitude to Rinpoche for coming to my life as a spiritual friend at this lifetime.Thank you for this beautiful sharing and may I too be of better service to others spiritually.Thank you Rinpoche.
dear Rinpoche,
Thank you very, very much for posting and reminding ourselves on gratitude. It has certainly reminded me of showing gratitude which I have taken for granted for far too long. You have set an excellent example of not only gratitude to our loved ones, but more importantly guru devotion. Thank you again Rinpoche!!
It is indeed a very happy moment for Rinpoche to reconnect back with Ms Kwan and her brother Mr. Kwan. To be able to repay someone’s kindness is a golden opportunity to show our gratitude and appreciation. May Ms Kwan and Mr. Kwan continue to meet with Dharma and Buddha teachings in many future lifetimes.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for reminding all of us to be grateful for what we have, who we meet, and the circumstance we occur. I agree we should focus on the positive than dwelling on the negative. We should not feed the negative and give it power…totally agree.
I am grateful to HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, otherwise, I will not have met my guru, root guru, only guru, HH Tsem Tulku Rinpoche 🙂
Rinpoche has displayed such remarkable guru devotion, and I as your student, will follow and devote myself to my guru and not be swayed by samsaric influences and friends.
Thank you Rinpoche, for compassionately teaching us to have gratuity even in negative situations and focusing on positive matters.
Thank you Rinpoche for all your Dharma teachings. Through your beautiful and beneficial blog, I have learnt and try to practise all the good qualities in Buddhism as much as I could. Without listening and learning from Rinpoche’s teaching, I am sure I will suffer more than now with much attachments, delusion, hatred and jealousy, although I still have the 3 poisons now. May more and more sentient beings receive blessings and teachings through the kindness and compassion from Rinpoche.
You’ve been a source of inspiration to me Rinpoche la through your teachings of the Dharma and gratitudehas made my understanding so simple.I always watch your videos and listen to them with great interest.Wish you well.~~Om mane Padme hum~~.
” His teachings have given me knowledge, wisdom, better perspective and tremendous understanding of the nature of reality, our existence, this world and me. My purpose in life ….”
This is exactly how I feel about the Dharma; it is so powerful and magnificent I cannot describe it. With Dharma in my life, things have become clearer, like looking through a clean piece of glass rather then before, where vision was generally blur and obscured.I have a super long way to go before attaining any qualities, but just having this comfort of a “better vision” is something I am extremely grateful for. All these was only possible cause I had the great opportunity to meet a wonderful Guru as Tsem Rinpoche, who tirelessly bring Dharma too all sentient beings. Thank you dear Rinpoche.
Remembering kindness and having gratitude to all that have benefitted us empowers us to stay humble and grounded. Who are we without all these wonderful beings who have passed our way ? Be it a bad or good experience, something positive always comes out of it if we learn to look at it positively. And yes, this is where the great teaching of Mind Transformation comes into play . Thank you Rinpoche for giving us this teaching and many many other valuable precious teachings !
Dear Rinpoche,
Kudos on the your starting of this Gratitude Series. Every single person in this world has at least one reason to be grateful for and many of us have thousands of reasons to be grateful of.
I am really looking forward to more installations to this series and I would like to thank Rinpoche in advance for taking time out for doing this wonderful series.
Looking forward to the future posts!!!
Love
Jutika
Fantastic! i was replacing everything You said about Your Root Guru with the Name of my Root Guru. i all too often take Dharma for granted. i don’t remember to think and reflect enough on all the kindnesses She has shown me. and how much my life has changed because of Her. this post is helpful as It spurred me to stop and reflect on that.
This especially i have trouble and difficulties with – “I will never listen to my samsara or samsaric friends over my teacher ever. I will always choose my guru and his teachings instead of my attachments, samsara and indulgences.” because i don’t practice the Eight Fold Path well enough (particularly Right Mindfulness and Right Effort, but they should all unfold together like petals of a Lotus opening not one at a time but simultaneously). And also because i have not thoroughly examined the faults of cyclic existence or meditated on the 4 thoughts that turn the mind as well as the 18 freedoms and endowments (tibetan – Dal Jor).
thank You!
P.S. this made me laugh out loud – “Although I am not near qualified” …lol!!! funny joke! good job being humble i guess but if you are not qualified, then who is?
Gratitude is not just a key part of Buddhism. It is one of the most important things in life. If you want to be healthy mentally (and also physically), create a list like this. I have a mental list in my head 😀
Thank you Rinpoche’s to be grateful for what we have. Indeed, most of us are so fortunate to have a Lama who provides so many avenues to practice Dharma and reminded through the blog as to what is important, as it is so easy to get caught up in the activities of Samsara. Through your constant teachings, we remain grounded and guided. Thank you.
Dear Rinpoche thank you for teaching us about gratitude it actually remind me without Rinpoche we will not know about Dharma we will not know why we need to be benefits others and most important is for some of us who took the vegetarian vows if without Rinpoche we will not know why we need to take a vows I truly and sincerely thank you Rinpoche for all your hard work in teaching us to be a better person in life .
Dearest Rinpoche, this is such a touching post. It is also a teaching of what a real Guru Devotion means. Rinpoche have so much love, respect and gratitude for HH Zong Rinpoche. We would not have known HH Zong Rinpoche as a great being if not from Rinpoche’s stories and continuous recollections told to us during public teachings or in a more private /smaller groups’ teachings. Every time Rinpoche talks about HH Zong Rinpoche, I can see very clearly how much devotion Rinpoche have for him. It is not only from the words spoken by Rinpoche but from your expression and sparkles in your eyes and the sadness from the same eyes later when remembering him. Rinpoche, you are like HH Zong Rinpoche to me. My life will be meaningless and without purpose if I have not met you… Thank you Rinpoche _/|\_
I wish I had learnt gratitude much, much earlier on in life. It would have made it me a much better person. One of the things I am thankful and grateful for is having found my precious Guru in an extraordinary being like Tsem Tulku Rinpoche Thank you so much with folded hands for each and every teaching you give. With your teachings and blessings, may I be a better person and bring much benefits to others.
In the Lama Chopa, written by the Great 4th Panchen Lama it says:
“We make our requests to you, O compassionate Refuge-Protectors;
Even a single hair from your pores
Is for us a Field of Merit more highly praised
Than all the Victorious Buddhas of the three times and ten directions.”
By being service to our Lama in any way, shape or form will grant us so much merit that it is difficult to fathom. Our Buddhahood is indebted to the Lama entirely. Rinpoche has been consistent in His devotion to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche from the day he met Rinpoche until today. This is a great sign of not only devotion for the Lama but also Rinpoche’s gratitude towards Zong Rinpoche and the infinite teachings he received from Zong Rinpoche.
To have gratitude will help our mind and attitudes to be more healthy and this will rub off on people around us. It also is necessary for spiritual attainments so you are absolutely correct. For any spiritual growth, we need to recognize all the benefits we have recieved and be grateful and expand from there. We must not forget any kindness we have received and be determined to ‘pay back’ the kindness by becoming highly spiritually evolved to be of better service to others. Thank you. TR