Karma Relaxes
I grew up in this house in Howell, New Jersey. The house is still there. I left this place at 15 to hitch-hike to California to practice Dharma freely without constraints.
I cannot comment on other religions, but before we conclude so easily on karma, its effects, how it comes, goes and latent karma, dormant karma, you study first. Study the texts on karma and how Buddha describes it for us. It will be much easier to apply to this situation and every situation in your life.
People should go online and listen to the YouTube teachings where His Holiness Dalai Lama has explained karma. It is an eye opener. Do a google search, find and study, read and learn. Make an effort…Take 2-3 years to study the vast teachings of Buddha thoroughly and then debate, discuss and recommend.
Buddhism is the religion I was born into, but I didn’t accept it because I was born into it…but I studied for the last 30 years. I was very lucky to live in Howell, New Jersey nearby one of the greatest living masters of this century (Kensur Lobsang Tharchin) at Rashi Gempil Ling on East 5th Street. This great master even spoke English. I, along with a group of students and some Kalmucks took the time, went there to listen to the discourses and learnt about my religion more. I didn’t want to just pray and I did not want to be swallowed up by the thoughts of mainstream Americans. I do not want to just repeat what mainstream Americans believed in because I have my own heritage, I thought at the time. Nothing wrong with Americans, but I am Kalmuck-Mongol-Tibetan. I have an identity, my forefathers have a deep religious doctrine they brought to America, and I needed to search into my roots, my religion and who I was…I started by studying as a young boy in Rashi Gempil Ling.
Now I accept Buddhism NOT BECAUSE it is my cultural roots, but due to decades of study, contemplation and investigation, I found it quite logical, sensible and it fits me. Especially the doctrine on Karma. It explains SO MUCH. Everyone would be amazed. It puts your mind at rest, answer so many questions, and enough to be at rest with.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Thank you Rinpoche for showing me the beauty of Buddhism which had me changed to be a better person. Learning and practicing this beautiful Tibetan Buddhism is simply amazing for me. Even though I started late yet no regrets and had not stop , going all the way learning bit by bit , more and more knowledge reading most of the blogs. There is always a reason behind it . With folded hands thanks again for bringing Dharma to us. Buddhism is such a wonderful religion indeed. Nor matter what i will never give up.
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
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
Literally, we all know karma is the law of cause and effect in the ethical realm. Karma applies to all sentient beings without prejudice. We are responsible for our own actions. We create our own Heaven. We create our own Hell as well.
The topic karma itself is a profound Buddha’s teachings where everyone should study and contemplate. Many of us believe in Karma which is true. Only when we gain deeper realization or perhaps have a taste before the power of karma that brings huge impact in our life, our mind would transform tremendously.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this short article about Buddhism and Karma. My grandparents until my parents’ generation are Taoist and we just follow what they do and pray which we do not know the deeper meaning to it. My sister and I were fortunate to come to know about Kechara and Rinpoche through Kin Hoe and Wai Meng. The way Rinpoche explains Buddhism does make sense as Rinpoche always give real life examples which we can relate to it. I myself have gone through some issues and I think it is better for us to accept it as our karma rather than blaming why is this happening me? By accepting things as karma, our mind will be at peace.
With folded palms,
Vivian
I was born a buddism but due to my work commitment working i did not got the chance to read buddism books till my retirement.a few years back.I am lucky to come across Kechara Kitchen Soup on social media and got to know about Tsem Rinpoche blog in a google search.
Thank you Rinpoche for bring Buddism to Malaysia .May Rinpoche be healthy always and live long to continue turning the Dharma wheel to benefits more sentient beings.
I was brought up in a Buddhist family, automatically I’m one of them. I was sent to Buddhist centre on weekends to attend dharma classes and to learn how to chant mantra (Heart Sutra) at the age of 4. I did not have much thoughts about what I was doing at that time, but I don’t hate it and I feel okay about it. I learned about Karma by reading a “Karma book” which there are graphics that show one action of our in this life will lead to its’ consequences in our next life. For instance, we kill a chicken for food, the chicken we killed will find his way back to us later and this process go on and on, an endless process.
Coming back to my path to be Buddhist, I was learning with the Buddhist centre until the age of 12. I’ve dropped from learning about Buddhism since then, but I’ve my own principle as a Buddhist which is to follow the The Five Precepts/ Virtues to abstain from harming living beings, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying and intoxication.
Then I went on with life until 2 years ago(2015), I got to know about Kechara and Tsem Rinpoche, my thought about being a Buddhist changed, I’m capable to do more to benefit not only myself but sentient beings around me. And yes, Buddhism is logical and sensible but some of the teachings are just too profound that extra times & efforts need to be insert to understand and then apply it in our lives.
Dear Rinpoche,
Since young Buddhism is the only religion that attracts me. I had been to churches and temples but they just don’t feel right to me. When I started to learn dharma 2 years ago, Karma makes so much sense to me. I really do believe in karma a lot. It explains the questions that i have and really stood out from the other religions.
I am so lucky to be born into an environment that i am still able to practice dharma. When i look around, many people around me are unable to practice dharma due to their commitments and environment. Hence, their life will be without dharma until the day they move on to their next time. It is very sad as Pastor Han Nee had once said: ” Those who died without dharma is the same as a stray dog died at a back alley”. I am fortunate to be reborn near dharma and have the merits to connect to it. I have to strive to plant more dharmic seeds for me to connect to dharma in my next life.
Humbly,
Chris
Thanks Rinpoche for not only accept Buddhism but also bring Buddhism and holy Dharma to beautiful Malaysia hence we able to meet and receive Rinpoche teaching in Malaysia.
May Rinpoche long life, stable health and continue turn the wheel of Dharma…
Thank you so much for bringing Dharma to us. Buddhism is such a wonderful religion that i am still learning now…
Whatever we have learned will be outdated and replaced by something new or better, the worldly knowledge always get updated and current knowledge become old knowledge. People spend vast amount of time and effort to equip with new knowledge, new ways of doing things. On the other hand Dharma remains the same, it is timeless. It is also irreplaceable. The time and effort spend to learn and practice Dharma will stay with us and usable even we become old.
It is so true, Karma is logical and sensible. We are but our own karma, our own creation. At the same time liberation is in our own hands too! And Buddha has shown us the way to go. What is left is our tenacity to follow.
I was baptised when I was one month old, my mum is a Christian and she took me for the ceremony. I was educated in a Christian school since young but had never been interested in the bible and would always like to argue with the teacher during bible class. I always questioned while there was only one mighty God. And if God loves all his children, then why God does not give every single one of us an equal start….
And the wisemen at the church would tell me then this is becasue God loves those and want them to be stronger and so the challenges are bestowed on them. I wonder then why God not do the same to everyone??? Since God loves all…..I was never satisfied with the answers from these wisemen then.
Then when I met Tsem Rinpoche some ten years ago, all the years of doubts, confusions, and un-answered questions were lifted during one of his teachings on karma and merits.
I clicked instantly and felt much affinity on the logic behind buddha’s teachings. If one wants to be reminded of karmic consequences, the “wheel of sharp weapons” is a very good read.
Like what David said above, Buddhism is very practical and offers a lot of tools and means for self reflection and improvement.
I like the following quotes form Albert Einstein and would like to share with you all :
“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity.” -Albert Einstein
“If there is any religion that would cope with modern scientific needs it would be Buddhism.” -Albert Einstein
Both my parents practiced different religions. My father is Buddhist while my mother is a Christian. When i was growing up, I was brought to Sunday mass at the Church and eventually I went through all the Christian rites of initiation.
I first came across Buddhism through the many free distribution booklets my dad brought back from the Thai temple in Jalan Gasing. The chief monk of another Theravaden temple, Ven Dharmananda wrote prolifically. However, due to my age, I couldn’t relate nor understand many of the concepts defined by this great monk. At this time, I found Buddhism spartan and technical. Nevertheless, I found it to be intriguing. I only rediscovered Buddhism when I attended a talk by Tsem Rinpoche. It answered so many questions, doubts and opened my mind up to much possibilities.
Buddhism is very practical and it offers a lot of tools for self-reflection and self-improvement. I am not the best proponent of it but I do see and I get inspired by many who have embraced it, found meaning and have made tremendous strides in it. Thank you Rinpoche for the Dharma.
You are right about studying, I agree.I am currently reading Liberation in the palm of your hand and I am so happy cause with every page I understand more, and after 2 or 3 weeks , if yo go back on what you read you understand even more …
You are saying that you do not acccept Buddhism because of Your cultural roots but because of study , contemplation and investigation; still, I think there is also the affinity, which in the beginning when one is not very much aware presents itself as attraction; so, I think it is fair to say that it is a cobination of bouth affinity and study.
Keep being the inspiration You are,
Raluca
Dear Rinpoche,
I feel very much the same with Buddhism. I grew up in an environment where religion wasn’t really practised at all. At school we learned about God and I attended Sunday school for a while, but it all felt like simply going through the motions. I don’t think I’ve ever attended an actual church service. In the end though, I was put off religion because of the lack of clear explanations, and also because of the idiotic conflict, divisions and violence that occurred between protestants and catholics.
But I was always fascinated by spirituality (though, I didn’t know that’s what it was, when I was younger) and always believed there was much more to life than people saw and experienced around them. I studied Christianity, and briefly Islam and Hinduism, but these, for me, had something missing – holes were too easily picked in places.
When I studied Buddhism, it seemed straight-forward. Anything I contemplated or put into practice straight away, the expected conclusions and results were there. There are elements of Buddhism that don’t resonate with me (mainly the esoteric practices and rituals – but that’s simply a cultural difference), but the teachings of Buddha are very simple, very easy to understand and extremely clear.
What I like most about the Buddha’s teachings are his encouragements to always investigate for yourself and take whatever works for you (Kalama Sutta). The freedom that exists in Buddhism, with respect to other religions, seems to lack in others. There is no “you must…” but only, “here is why…check for yourself…”
I feel very fortunate to have found your teachings online and find inspiration through them to establish roots in Buddhism in the hope that I can continue to better myself through application of Buddha’s teachings. I agree with the Dalai Lama – religion isn’t essential, but as you’ve said, it’s possible to learn to drive without an instructor – eventually you get there – but you’ll learn to drive far quicker if you have someone there to guide you along.
For all that you’ve done, Rinpoche, I’ll always be grateful. I’m also grateful for those great masters who passed the teachings onto you, and also to the great masters from all the traditions and lineages (such as Ven. Ajahn Chah and Thich Nhat Hanh) who have helped spread the Dharma to many people and continue to do so.
Kind regards,
Sandy