Tales With My Lama: Rinpoche Did Not Want to Teach
Pastor David has been a student of His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche for over 15 years and within the ‘Tales With My Lama’ series of articles, he explores his spiritual relationship with Rinpoche, sharing anecdotes, stories, observations and little Dharma nuggets. It is all told to inspire others for their own spiritual relationship with their teachers.
Tales With My Lama: Rinpoche Did Not Want to Teach
Tsem Rinpoche first arrived in Malaysia in 1992 and gave teachings from that time, initially to a largely Malaysian audience. At that time, Rinpoche started to teach because Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, on behalf of the monastery, had requested Rinpoche to go abroad to raise funds for the monastery. Because Rinpoche felt unqualified to teach, it was a request Rinpoche reluctantly complied with, making Rinpoche a reluctant teacher ever since he stepped off the plane when arriving in Malaysia.
Rinpoche was very young at that time and was inexperienced. However, Rinpoche spoke good English, was passionate and had a deep appreciation of the Dharma. In Malaysia, the rarity of English-speaking Dharma teachers at the time made Rinpoche somewhat of an overnight sensation as he travelled throughout the country. Rinpoche taught to packed temples and teaching halls, receiving plenty of compliments, offerings and standing ovations whilst doing so. This allowed Rinpoche to quickly fulfil his initial fundraising goal and so Rinpoche returned to the monastery with the required funds.
Rinpoche felt triumphant and relieved because he thought that his teaching stint was over and he could go back to serving his teachers, and engaging in his practices and retreats. After all, that was all Rinpoche had ever wanted and it is what Rinpoche had joined the monastery for. However, Rinpoche’s teachers had different ideas; they wanted Rinpoche to return to Malaysia and continue nurturing, guiding and teaching his newfound students and friends. And so Rinpoche was sent back to Malaysia to do just that.
At that time, Rinpoche was conservative; the manner in which Rinpoche gave teachings was a serious discourse, in the traditional manner just like how it was delivered in the monastery. One day however, one of Rinpoche’s teachers would change this. Kyabje Gangchen Rinpoche gave Rinpoche a light slap on the arm and told him, “Lighten up! Don’t be so uptight. Otherwise, you will not be able to connect with your future students.” This inspired Rinpoche to evolve his own individualistic and humorous style of teaching the Dharma that was uniquely his own.
Nevertheless, Rinpoche continued to feel reluctant to teach over the years and although Rinpoche sometimes revealed his feelings, the audiences at his teachings never felt it. Rinpoche still and always gave it his all when he taught the Dharma; if you witnessed any of Rinpoche’s talks live, you were enraptured with everything that Rinpoche had to say. This was largely due to Rinpoche’s steadfast devotion to his teachers. Rinpoche had the kind of devotion which meant he would put aside his own feelings and put all of his energy into what his gurus asked him to do. That is why nobody who sat in Rinpoche’s teachings ever felt Rinpoche’s resistance or reluctance to teach. Hence, Rinpoche teaching the Dharma was a true testament of his devotion to his teacher.
Aside from that, Rinpoche often infused humour into his teachings as a means to connect with his audience. Sometimes Rinpoche even told a funny story revolving around some of the people in the audience. Although the story was made up, the characters and their conversations were compelling and believable. The outcome usually sent everyone into fits of laughter and at the same time, drove home a particular point in the teaching. At times, the jokes or stories Rinpoche told were not even related to the teaching at all but simply meant to wake up the sleepy audience, especially if the teachings had been going on for hours. In this manner, Rinpoche was able to give teachings for hours without losing the attention of the audience.
It never ceased to amaze me how Rinpoche was able to give teachings and talk for hours at a stretch. If I remember correctly, the longest teaching I attended was for an entire day. There were breaks for meals, to go to the toilet and so forth but it was still a whole day. And this went on for several days in a row, as part of a series of teachings covering various aspects of that particular topic. In the end, the entire footage of the teachings came up to an astounding 24 hours! Naturally, there were many stories, anecdotes and jokes in between but somehow Rinpoche was able to elaborate and elucidate classical Buddhist teachings in such a contemporary manner. Even someone completely new to Buddhism would be able to grasp a certain amount of the meaning of the teachings from how Rinpoche explained it.
Rinpoche gave teachings that were relatable to the listener and at the same time, contained profound Dharma teachings from various Buddhist treatises without the need for Buddhist terminology. Rinpoche was an expert in distilling timeless Buddhist wisdom and delivering it in contemporary language. Most people understand the teachings Rinpoche gave as concerning ethics, metaphysics or even about psychology but the truth of the matter is that Rinpoche actually reworded the classical teachings to fit the modern individual.
Hence, students who have followed Rinpoche for many years and studied his teachings find that they are able to relate to many of the topics in the Lamrim (Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) without actually studying the actual treatise itself. This ability that Rinpoche had is only possible for one who has already gained complete realisation of the teachings, to accurately capture their essence using modern terminology and concepts which today’s students would immediately understand.
When one has realisation of the teachings, it is not a mere intellectual process. It means that teachings have become a part of one’s mind and intention, and they permeate the person’s actions. In other words, one basically ‘walks the talk’, so to speak. Therefore, when one gives teachings based on one’s realisations, the words become ‘moist with the Dharma’ and the words, no matter how simple or profound, can effect tremendous positive transformation in the listener. Of course, Rinpoche’s teachings have this incredible quality and its effects have shaped Kechara according to Rinpoche’s vision. Thus although reluctant, teaching the Dharma was and became Rinpoche’s main method of benefiting others.
For more interesting information:
- Tales with My Lama: What is the New News?
- Tales With My Lama: Rinpoche Felt He Was More Indian
- Tales with My Lama: What Does Rinpoche Like About Liz Taylor?
- Tales With My Lama: Daily Practice
- Tales With My Lama: Laugh Away Your Ego
- Tales With My Lama: Why Rinpoche Has To Suffer
- Tales With My Lama: Larger Than Life
- Tales With My Lama: Manjushri
- Tales With My Lama: Audience With Tsem Rinpoche
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Having arrived in Malaysia in 1992 , Rinpoche had gave teachings as , had requested by Kyabje Lati Rinpoche, to go abroad to raise funds for the monastery. Rinpoche was young and inexperienced Rinpoche was not keen to go as Rinpoche thought . Somehow with his proficient in English dad attracted many English speaking audience. That’s was the beginning, travelling throughout the country giving Dharma talks to packed temples and teaching halls. Finally Rinpoche had fulfilled his goal and back in India, Rinpoche was requested to be in Malaysia again.
Rinpoche feeling reluctantly to teach but due to his devotion to his teacher , Rinpoche stayed on giving teachings all his life for the benefits of others and that’s where Kechara Forest Retreat is today. We have Rinpoche to thank for what Rinpoche had done, bringing all the lineage teachings to Malaysia.
With folded hands thank you Rinpoche and thanks Pastor David for this sharing for us to understand better of our lama.