My First Cabin in Kechara Forest Retreat
The picture above was Kechara Forest Retreat in the early days when we first found the retreat land. It was tough then, the land was inconsistent and muddy, there was barely any basic infrastructure, and we knew there was a lot of work ahead of us. Fortunately, with hard work and dedication, our Kecharians have managed to build Kechara Forest Retreat to what it is today!
Before the 32 cabin apartments were built in Dukkar Apartments, we only had cement flooring with a handful of cabins at that same location. We started out with just two cabins: one cabin for myself and Pastor Loh Seng Piow (assistant)… and the other cabin for the staff. A few months later, we added another four extra cabins.
Today, Kechara Forest Retreat has developed into a full-fledged retreat centre, ready to host retreat sessions and various other holistic programs for our members as well as for the public.
A short while back, the KFR team have preserved the first cabin that I stayed in at KFR. They found a location and began constructing a cement flooring for the cabin, placed a large awning over it, built a place for people to offer butterlamps and greened up the place. They made it into KFR’s new pilgrimage spot! In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the residence of one’s teacher if preserved serves as a blessed inspiration for the premises and people.
That cabin holds a lot of memories for me… During my stay in there, I made a lot of aspirations and strong prayers for KFR to grow. I hold our retreat centre very precious especially since it has the potential to benefit so many people’s lives spiritually, emotionally, psychologically… and one day physically, with our Traditional Chinese Medicine center. I am glad that my students remembered and appreciated my dedication to Dharma. It fills me with joy to see my students grow spiritually.
I thought I’ll share with everyone some pictures of the cabin, it has been beautifully done by the team.
Tsem Rinpoche
The cabin I used to live in in KFR… it was 20 feet by 8 feet! My students ordered a cabin with super huge windows so that I can look out into the forest…I like it very much.
Pastor Chia, my long time student, explaining about the history of my cabin to visitors at Kechara Forest Retreat.
Below are a few pictures of the new pilgrimage site in KFR. I like how they greened up the whole place filled with trees and small shrubs! Everything inside the cabin was kept just the way it was when I lived in it…
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It’s so blessed to see Rinpoche’s cosy and lovely cabin in KFR. Really wish to be able to visit and offer candle and make aspirational prayers . Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for this short and wonderful sharing.😍👍🙏😘
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
I am so fortunate to finally visit Rinpoche’s first cabin in KFR last 2 weeks. It just reminded me how fortunate we are to have Rinpoche here in Malaysia building Kechara and KFR to benefit everyone. Going to KFR is indeed like going to a pilgrimage. Such a holy and beautiful place. Nothing comes without hardwork and effort. Thank you Rinpoche for your kindness in spreading dharma.
H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche is very devoted to his root guru, H.H. Zong Rinpoche.
Wow, what a beauty! I love the shrubs and the cabin, it’s so wonderful and refreshing… It is very worthy to be a retreat for the Kecharians… God blessed you…
Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) who visits this cabin is always shocked and humbled. They are shocked that so much (the whole of Kechara Forest Retreat) arose from such a humble abode, and they are humbled because Rinpoche suffered the heat, mosquitoes, sun, wind and rain with everyone else to build Kechara Forest Retreat.
Watching Rinpoche served as a very good lesson for me about leadership by example. How can you ask people to build and construct, when you yourself don’t do the same? To be an effective leader, you have to get stuck in just the same as everyone else and be willing to get dirty, dusty, brown if you have to. Of course if other things arise which you have to attend to, that’s fine but it means your team will already have an understanding that you will do what’s necessary to accomplish the goal. You just have other things to attend to and can’t be there to construct; it’s not that you’re avoiding the hard, dirty work. That’s in a secular sense.
In a Dharma sense, there’s no such thing as hard, dirty work. And to see any form of Dharma work as being easier than another, is to reinforce the thinking in our minds that some things (i.e. what we dislike) are impossible and some things (i.e. what we like) are possible. If we approach all Dharma work in the same way – enthusiastically, as another method to serve others – we will never be unhappy engaging in Dharma work due to thinking that one person’s job is superior than another. Then again, is it really DHARMA work when we are approaching it with such a mindset and attitude…
Thank you Rinpoche for granting us so many years of your precious presence,pouring teachings and instructions unceasingly.
Your presence teaches us wisdom and compassion and the clarity of your words helps us to understand what your presence has revealed. This sharing brings flood of memories when Rinpoche were at Kechara Forest Retreat.May Rinpoche’s teachings flourish throughout the world and may we have the blessings to have Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat again.
Dear Rinpoche,
Seeing how much Kechara Forest Retreat has grown since the very first container that was for Rinpoche, the tent city, a few more new cabins and then from all that saw the blossom of a new landmark/accommodation area it is truly amazing how big Kechara Forest Retreat has grown in to as well as how quickly too!
I remember back then even before the new containers arrived we used to until the wee hours of the morning to fill cement on every estimated corners of each container to act as legs to hold up the containers in case of floods.
Looking back then and comparing it to the current Kechara Forest Retreat it is a marvelous sight to see how much it has grown and changed.
It is great that the KFR team found a place and layered cement on to the ground and brought back Rinpoche’s old cabin to be preserved as a pilgrimage site.
Not only is it a pilgrimage site for all visitor to see but it is also a wonderful sight to see every time as it brings back the good pleasant memories of KFR when it first started.
Love
Jutika
Wow Rinpoche, it’s only now that I have seen the previous images and the present images that I can really see how much KFR has improved. And this was all due to the guidance of Rinpoche. I would like to congratulate Rinpoche in his success on this project. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
Thank you for sharing, Rinpoche. It is a bit nostalgic seeing KFR when it was still a jungle considering hwo much it had grown since then. KFR grew because we have a devoted lama who is devoted in the dharma and students who are devoted to the lama.
Indeed…KFR has blossomed from a mere few cabins…to a full fledged retreat area. Even the Vajra Yogini stupa is almost completing.
I will definitely has my wedding shots of Rinpoche’s cabin when I go over to KFR for the wedding shoot. I pray the weather to be good.
Hopefully, through the wedding pictures, I can help spread KFR, Dharma and Rinpoche.
The cabin really brings back some memories. And if it holds so much importance to me…I believe the pioneer batch of Kecharians working at KFR will hold greater significance.
Thank you, Rinpoche.
This has turned into a holy sight for students and visitors to pay homage and make aspirational prayers in front of H E Tsem Rinpoche first cabin home in Kechara Forest Retreat, very nicely done up with flowers and green plants surrounding the cabin. Thanks to the Kecharian Forest Retreat team!
Thank you Rinpoche for your prayers and blessings to develop Kechara Forest Retreat from a jungle land to what we have today. The entire Kechara team, all the Pastors, staffs and volunteers are very hardworking and dedicated to complete the projects on the KFR retreat land. The upcoming Medicine Buddha Hill is another pilgrimage mark which I would love to visit and do my prayers. I am truly fortunate to be able to contribute my small amount of money for KFR projects. Thank you Rinpoche for giving us the opportunity to contribute for Dharma and for all the people.
I remember that cabin it was the only cabin at KFR when it was the early days of KFR. I remember going inside and Rinpoche showed us a documentary about bigfoot, good days :). Now it is out in the open and painted to show everyone. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
I was told some heart touching stories about building of KFR. How Kecharian worked hard under the sun, the moon and rain, and Rinpoche’s love and care for them for example personally bring food to the site for them. These all touches me a lot. I will work hard in my work field in KFR and assist the growth of KFR. I wish more people can be benefited and blessed by Rinpoche’s Mandala.
I was not the first few who lived in makeshift tents before the containers were brought in but I heard fun stories from other dharma brothers like Nicholas and Khoo. It was quite crammed living in our cabin, three to four of us crammed together 🙂 The cabin had no air conditioner, fortunately the weather was cool at night. That was history. Today KFR boasts of 32 containers complete with air cond, fan, beds and mattresses, wardrobes, tables and chairs, carpet, curtains. It’s five stars compared to the old container we lived in, lol! More containers will be used for future expansion in KFR because of its durability and flexibility.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for ur kindness to manifest KFR to benefit all sentient beings, there is much much more sweet memories when Rinpoche stay in the first cabin and look after all the works personally in KFR.
We truly wish Rinpoche may be in KFR soon again, we miss Rinpoche a lot…
Thanks for Rinpoche’sharing. It reminds us many sweet memories when we visit KFR which still is a jungle.. Each time to join voluntary work KFR and see the development of KFR until current stage, all kecharian really show effort and love to KFR. Thank you Rinpoche to create this chance to us. We should cherish this opportunity and do more for Kechara.