Joy has been a student of His Eminence the 25^th Tsem Rinpoche for over 15 years. Through the years, Joy has witnessed Rinpoche’s compassion and the unconventional methods he uses to benefit others. Some of the short stories she shares will tell interesting miraculous events that Rinpoche will not mention due to his humility. She hopes these stories will serve as an inspiration in your own spiritual journey.

Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Change Karma

In my previous story, I wrote about how a few of us close students were invited to Rinpoche’s newly rented house in Bandar Utama (a suburb of Kuala Lumpur) sometime in 2003. Well, during our stay there, quite a few things happened. One of these included a student of Rinpoche who is now an ex-student and has left Kechara. He went through a purification process during our stay at Rinpoche’s house.

This student lied to Rinpoche or rather delivered a not-so-accurate message to Rinpoche about a comment I made. He made it sound like I had said something negative. Hence, Rinpoche instructed him to confront me and to let me know what he told Rinpoche about what I said. I was shocked at what he said and corrected him. So, he immediately went back upstairs to correct himself and clarified it with Rinpoche. The next thing we knew Rinpoche’s mood completely changed and became wrathful towards this student and asked the student and his wife to pack up and leave the house.

Lamas use wrathful methods, usually using their speech, to help purify a person’s negative karma that will cause them suffering in the future. The emotions a person goes through when they are being scolded are akin to the emotions and experiences they would feel when their negative karma has ripened. Hence, the lama purifies that particular karma in a very controlled manner, in a situation that is safe, so that person will not need to experience those emotions in an uncontrolled environment. If the negative karma was experienced in an uncontrolled manner, this could lead them to do actions that would lead to even more negative karma.

I was quite shocked because it seemed a quiet, peaceful night had turned into a very tense one. As the student and his wife started to pack their things, we tried to ask the student to sincerely apologise and repent for his mistake. Little did I know that everything was premeditated by Rinpoche. The student lied to Rinpoche and lying was one thing that Rinpoche did not take lightly at all. But the worst part was the student was trying to disturb the Guru’s mind and create disharmony. Hence, he and his wife were asked to leave the house and also to leave working for the Dharma. Instead, he was to find a job outside and to earn his keep from there.

Rinpoche is fond of Bionic Woman since childhood and often remarked that she uses her bionic powers with compassion, fairness, love of others, acceptance of all races, acceptance of all creed, spiritually open attitude to deal with each situation that came her way. Rinpoche also liked that she always spoke up or did something in the show when she saw something was to be done to help another. To Rinpoche, taking action is an expression of compassion in action.

It was already pretty late at night and I could not believe that this student had to leave at that hour. It seemed that Rinpoche was very firm and serious about his decision. But the moment they left and got into a taxi, Rinpoche turned around to me and with deep concern and compassion, told me I must help them, I must stop them from leaving. If they actually left, then things would go downhill for them, especially for his wife. So, Rinpoche asked me to quickly go to their place to stop them from leaving. Rinpoche said I had to be quick like the Bionic Woman and that this was what we must always do – be willing to help people any time of the day or night.

I remembered I was shocked, confused and also empowered at the same time as Rinpoche mentioned that “sometimes we need to do things to help wake people up and to help them change their karma.” It was my first time experiencing Rinpoche asking someone to leave and terminating their job and then turning around to tells us how we should help them.

All this was done out of great compassion because Rinpoche did not really want them to leave, and especially in such a negative state of mind. From the way Rinpoche spoke to me, it was clear that Rinpoche was not ‘angry’ but manifested wrath to clear the student’s obstacle and negative karma. Rinpoche had a premonition of what would become of him and his wife, if he did not change his attitude. It wasn’t going to be something nice in the end.

Rinpoche wanted to teach the student a very strong lesson which was not to lie and create disharmony. One thing Rinpoche was highly sensitive about and disliked very much was disharmony in the community because disharmony creates the karma for things not to grow or to be destroyed. Rinpoche obviously could see the negative karma this student would be accumulating from his untamed actions and hence he took action to help purify the karma that he had already generated.

So, off I went with a few others to Kechara Paradise where they were packing their items, to try to stop him and his wife from leaving for good. We had to sit with him for hours to explain and make him see his mistake so that he would apologise for what he did and seek forgiveness from Rinpoche. Finally, after many hours of talking, his ego was brought down and he messaged Rinpoche to apologise and asked Rinpoche to forgive him.

Of course, Rinpoche accepted and forgave him, but the student still had to look for a job outside Kechara to earn his keep instead of being given a stipend from the Dharma shop. This was a way to purify the negative karma he accumulated from his negative actions as it could harm him and others as well. Unfortunately, this student did not have the merits to be with Rinpoche and the Dharma. Ever since he left the Dharma, his karma caught up with him. Now, he and his wife are no longer together and it is as if Rinpoche’s premonition came true, even though Rinpoche tried to prevent it.

People often mistook Rinpoche’s wrath as ‘anger’. In reality, Rinpoche was never angry. Rinpoche showed wrath when his gentle advice was not taken seriously. Rinpoche did not get angry because if Rinpoche was angry, then Rinpoche would not have been so concerned. In this instance, he would not have asked us to quickly go after them to stop them from leaving and help them by talking sense into them. All this was done to purify their karma and to clear some obstacles.

Only highly attained Lamas can purify someone with their wrath because it is motivated by pure compassion, unlike us ordinary beings who motivation is selfish. That means we cannot emulate such actions of Rinpoche, because when we show wrath, it is nothing but anger since our motivation is deluded. Everything Rinpoche did was for the benefit of that student because Rinpoche could see what would happen if the karma was not purified. That is why Rinpoche told us “do not use my methods on my students” because it would not work for us. Instead, we would end up collecting a lot more negative karma for ourselves.

It was the first time I witnessed how Rinpoche skilfully changed a person’s karma by allowing the person to feel the emotional and physical repercussions of their actions in a controlled environment or situation. My mind was so blown away by the whole scenario as I witness how Rinpoche literally changed someone’s karma. Rinpoche also allowed us to experience how we can also help change someone’s life if we care enough for their well-being and how through our care, we can even save lives.

This is what a Boddhisattva does and how they work in helping us out of the suffering that we have created for ourselves due our ignorance. This is why it is said in Verse 2 of the mind training text, The Wheel of Sharp Weapons:
stil

“In similar fashion, the brave Bodhisattvas
Remain in the jungle of worldly concern.
No matter how joyful this world’s pleasure gardens,
These brave ones are never attracted to pleasures,
But thrive in the jungle of suffering and pain.”

Only a Bodhisattva would care enough to remain in our world, which is a “jungle of suffering and pain” instead of attaining Enlightenment for themselves. Instead, they come down to our level, to help us out of our suffering.

For more interesting information:

• Rinpoche Thorough My Eyes – Spreading Dharma in Jonker Street
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – What’s the New News?
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Mission Impossible
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Invoking the Buddhas to Come Forth
• Rinpoche Through My Eyes – Food and Dharma
• Meeting Rinpoche 20 Years Ago
• Stories from a Chela – Spiritual Nourishment for All
• Stories from a Chela – Supernatural Protection
• Growing up with Rinpoche: Necessity, not convenience
• Tales With My Lama : Audience With Tsem Rinpoche

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