Stories from a Chela – Real Transformation
A ‘chela’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘student’. In particular this word refers to the student of a spiritual teacher. Within this series of short posts, I will be sharing stories about His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche. Hopefully through these stories, you will get a glimpse of how Tsem Rinpoche and the Dharma that Rinpoche shares has not only benefited me but countless others.
Real Transformation
In his article, “The Famous Pick Game”, Pastor David touches upon the reason behind Tsem Rinpoche’s famous game, to see where the student is mentally by asking him or her to choose between seemingly improbable choices. The quick-witted, split-second, side-splitting choice game is a gauge that Rinpoche uses to look into the inner workings of the mind, revealing the attachments and aversions a person has. Using this knowledge about a person, Rinpoche is able to help them create real transformation. But this is not the only method Rinpoche uses to affect this change.
Rinpoche’s drive to create a lasting mental change in a person’s life is nothing but pure compassion. Rinpoche certainly doesn’t get anything out of the person changing to become a better person, in fact, it often takes an emotional and physical toll on Rinpoche himself. Yet, Rinpoche goes out of his way to help his students and others to the best of his ability. Rinpoche does this in a number of ways, I’ll only touch on a few:
Formal Teachings
While we all know Buddhist masters teach the Dharma, the way in which it is conveyed and relates to the audience is something unique to each guru. Whether written (as in this blog), audio or even video (click here for Rinpoche’s YouTube channel), I have found Rinpoche to be unique in the very manner he is able to teach the Dharma in a formal setting. As practising Buddhists, we know that the Dharma can change our lives for the better, but for most, it is difficult to understand how to apply the Dharma in our daily lives. But many times, I have come of Rinpoche’s formal teachings with another tool or method that I can actually put into practice to affect real change.
No matter how Rinpoche teaches, he always affects change in people’s minds.
Counselling
After Rinpoche has gauged a person’s behaviour through interacting with that person, he is very well-known to come out with accurate descriptions of a person’s internal workings. Using that knowledge, just by talking with a person, Rinpoche is able to release years of pain, frustration, anger and other emotions that may be affecting a person’s behaviour. While these emotions may not even surface day-to-day in a person’s life, deep down there is hurt, pain and suffering. Through Rinpoche’s many years of learning the Dharma, teaching and meeting all types of people, he is able to do this skillfully, enacting change in a person’s life in a manner that I have never seen possible by anyone else. Rinpoche has compassionately done this for me, and many other students in Kechara.
Assignments
When you are a student of Rinpoche, you will surely get an assignment. While sometimes the assignment may seem illogical, non-sensical or outright strange, it will always help you in transforming yourself to become a better person. Whether you are too reliant on others and Rinpoche gives you assignments that you need to carry out yourself; whether you do not have enough compassion, so Rinpoche gives you the assignment to cook for someone every week; or even if he asks you to go out into nature and maintain the sacred grounds of Kechara Forest Retreat in order to appreciate what others do, each and every assignment has a valid and compassionate reason behind it, even if at first we may not be able to realise what that is.
Casual Encounters
There have been many occasions where Rinpoche is out and about, and literally changes a person’s life. I remember we were at a diner in the United States. We had just come back from shopping for offerings when Rinpoche thought to treat us all to a nice meal. The waitress serving us was an older woman, kind, sweet and friendly. But Rinpoche sensed that something was wrong. So, as we finished and went to the car, Rinpoche asked us for a bouquet of flowers that we had bought. Rinpoche told us to wait in the car, while he went back inside the diner and called the waitress out to talk with him for a while. As they sat on the bench outside, Rinpoche gifted her the bouquet of flowers. She was taken aback but accepted them. Over the course of 15-20 minutes as Rinpoche talked with her, we could see tears streaming down her face, but by the time the conversation had ended, she was smiling and cheerful again. A simple act of kindness and a heartfelt conversation, however, had moved something within her it seemed and by the end of it, she seemed much lighter. When Rinpoche got into the car, he told us that she had always struggled to make ends meet and to take care of her family. Rinpoche said a simple act of kindness and a conversation can take a load off people’s minds, and can help them with whatever they are going through. While this may sound simple, how many of us actually do this in our daily lives? And how many of us actually see the impact of doing so?
No matter what action Rinpoche does, I have observed over the years that Rinpoche’s motivation is based on nothing but compassion for another person, and that is why Rinpoche has the ability to affect real transformation in a person’s life.
For more interesting information:
- Stories from a Chela – Za Rahula and Strange Habits
- Stories from a Chela – Spiritual Nourishment for All
- Stories from a Chela – The Lama that Builds
- Stories from a Chela – The Teaching in the Tea
- Stories from a Chela – Incense Offering That Saves Lives
- Stories from a Chela – Supernatural Protection
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A person who has found his/her lama is a very fortunate person. It takes a lot of merits to be able to meet one’s guru who is qualified to guide the students to enlightenment. Tsem Rinpoche is a high lama, the close students must have accumulated a tremendous amount of merits to be close to Rinpoche and to serve him.
Thank you for sharing with us how Rinpoche gives guidance and advice to students to help them transform to become a better person. The state of mind and the behaviours of the students are the concern of Rinpoche. Without the right state of mind of behaviours, we can take rebirth in the three lower realms easily. This is what Rinpoche does not want to see.
In order to help the students to transform their minds and not create the cause to end up in the three lower realms, Rinpoche will often give students assignments that can help them to improve and transform. He knows what we need in order to succeed. No one concerns about our future lives more than our guru.
We are very fortunate to be able to learn dharma from Rinpoche. Rinpoche’s teaching is very direct and straight to the point. Rinpoche is very skillful in teaching and sharing dharma in various method to cater to everyone who comes from all walks of life. Learning and practicing dharma from Rinpoche will change one ‘s life for the better no matter how Rinpoche teaches. Rinpoche casual encounters with the sad and depressed waitress’s story tells us that a simple act of kindness and a heartfelt conversation brings happiness to her. However, learning dharma is not enough as we need to apply in our daily practice and then we will see our mind gradually change for the better. Actions speak louder than words. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Niral for sharing this lovely highlight???☘️???
Thank you Pastor David for this beautiful sharing of how Rinpoche unique teachings brought happiness to those Rinpoche met. Rinpoche teaching strategies is a way to help students take more responsibility for their own learning ,understand better and letting go of what affecting the student’s behaviour. Learning and practicing dharma from Rinpoche will change one ‘s life for the better nor matter how Rinpoche teaches. Rinpoche casual encounters with the sad and depressed waitress’s story tells us that a simple act of kindness and a heartfelt conversation brings happiness to her. Rinpoche ‘s assignment for his student has a supportable and compassionate reason behind it.What we learn , practice have to put into action and to get our mind transform . Actions are more revealing of one’s true character. Actions speak louder than words, after all.
Rinpoche is very skillful in teaching and sharing dharma in various method to cater to everyone who comes from all walks of life. We are very fortunate to be able to learn dharma from Rinpoche. Rinpoche’s teaching is very direct and straight to the point. However, learning dharma is not enough as we need to apply in our daily practice and then we will see our mind gradually change for the better. Thank you Rinpoche and Pastor Niral for sharing this article.