Shopping Is Dharma
Yesterday, I took my students shopping for Chinese New Year! It is customary to wear new clothes on the first day of Chinese New Year as it symbolizes a fresh new start to the new year.
Two of them, Khong Jean Ai and Ooi Beng Kooi then wrote an article on it that will be KNN-ed (Kechara New News). KNN is a weekly newsletter sent out to those who have signed up through Kechara’s website. It helps people get updated on all of the interesting happenings of the week in Kechara.
Do read the KNN article that they wrote below….and then check out the photos of what happened on our really fun shopping day!! Hehe
I really believe in taking care of students/staff as much as possible. Some people feel staff needs never end…they are right, but everyone everywhere has the same needs…..There are many young and needy staff whom I take special interest in to make sure they are ok….when I was a struggling dharma student in Los Angeles, it made a huge difference when someone helped me and I never forgot. I will always take care of those students working for Kechara and benefitting others. It touches my heart deeply how much they do and my wish is to take care of them and many like them in the future. I care about every single person who dedicates themselves to our wonderful work in all the depts of Kechara….I care about them very much…May I benefit them tremendously on many levels always…
Working for dharma is for winners!! Our group here in Kechara proves that….
Tsem Rinpoche
Written by Khong Jean Ai and Ooi Beng Kooi
“Running through Sunway Pyramid, flinging our way through countless clothing racks, it was easy to forget why we were there. I mean, we had been told to get whatever clothes we wanted, to help us celebrate the new year. With no budget, who wouldn’t want to shop to abandonment?
But we were not there just to shop, and there was a much bigger meaning behind the whole afternoon.
Living in Malaysia and being the teacher that he is, Rinpoche teaches his students with an understanding of local culture. Knowing the importance of Chinese New Year and our traditions, every year, Rinpoche sponsors new clothes for several students who may otherwise have to go without.
Rinpoche gives gifts for many reasons – to reward hard work, to make people feel welcomed, to heal them, to open their minds, to help them feel recognised and valued. It is never just an act of giving and in fact, for many recipients, it is often the message behind the gift that means the most to them. After all, it means their guru remembers them, and notices what they need. That, in turn, means he cares for their welfare, both materially and spiritually.
So when Rinpoche gives a gift, it is a teaching for everyone involved. Department heads are trained to notice what their staff need and how they live and what makes them happy; staff learn to do the same when they look at their heads, and work harder because they know someone appreciates them. Observers are inspired themselves to give, when they see how happy others are in receiving.
And so in Sunway Pyramid, we went from shop to shop with Rinpoche, who teased us, joked with us, and picked things he thought would suit us. What is a monk doing shopping, you might ask? It was so much more than that – yesterday was a live and complete demonstration of material and emotional generosity, from the formal Dharma teaching at the beginning, to the location Rinpoche picked, to the people he wanted to shop for, to the people he asked to coordinate the event, to the shopping, to the informal teachings between each shop, to the dinner we ended the day with.
By example, Rinpoche showed just how thorough generosity can be. He also showed us commitment to an idea, and how we should see things through from beginning, middle and to the end; Rinpoche showed us how to take responsibility for ours and others’ well-being.
All in all, 29 people attended this fun occasion. There were 17 people to shop for – these students of Rinpoche’s, both old and new, ran from store to store looking for the right dress, right shoes, right trousers, right shirts…everything they needed!
– Shin Tan
– Khong Jean Ai
– Lim Tat Ming
– Albert Ratchaga
– Chia Song Peng
– Louise Lee
– Yvonne Yap
– Justin Cheah
– Jace Chong
– Bryan Ho
– Ethan Chu
– Lanse Chiah
– Kok Yek Yee
– Pat Ng
– Wong Yen Pin
– Becky Yap
There were also 11 helpers on hand to coordinate the different teams, help carry bags, provide fashion advice, and assist Rinpoche in picking items for others:
– JP Thong
– Datuk May Phng
– Pastor Loh Seng Piow
– Chuah Su Ming
– Ooi Beng Kooi
– Phng Li Kim
– Martin Chow
– Monlam
– Andrew Boon
– Yen Ni Law
– Lily Tan
When we ‘balik kampung’ (return to our hometowns) this Chinese New Year, many of us will be carrying reminders that we should always be generous to those around us, with our time, effort, kind speech, gentle action and pure thought. These reminders, in the skilful form of new year clothing, were our real gifts for the day.”
Do watch this really fun video of our shopping trip at Sunway Pyramid!
Group photo in the ladrang before leaving
Arriving at Sunway Pyramid and making our way to the shops..
Everyone splits into three groups
…it didn’t take long for people to start looking through the clothes!!
One of the fashion advisors, Liaison JP Thong, looking for fun belts hehe
Martin Chow was the coordinator extraordinaire!
Phng Li Kim (CEO of KMP) checks out jeans for her Dharma sisters
They sure love their socks hehe
In between shops, I stopped to speak to some students
In Kechara, we don’t take anything seriously unless it is about helping others
Does it….suit her??? Hehe
Ethan modeling a hat I picked out for him
Yen Ni and I, this chef has been cooking very good food for me at the Ladrang lately
Ethan showing me a shirt…what do YOU think? Hehe
Li Kim coordinates with Shin to make sure that everyone has what they need
The girls are ready….and are waiting for the boys?? hehe
Whilst waiting, everyone lends a hand to help sort out the items
When everyone is done, we all head off for dinner
One of helpers…my Andrew, you look weighed down! What a great person for helping others carry their shopping
The group took up half the restaurant…Kechara really make ourselves get noticed everywhere we go!
Martin wants to model Ethan’s hat too hehe
Happy people with their new Chinese New Year clothes
After dinner, I had a few more gifts for some students..
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Kechara students and friends are very lucky and fortunate to have Rinpoche bringing everyone along for shopping. Rinpoche is always very kind and generous to everyone. It’s really very blessed to have a loving and wonderful Guru like Tsem Rinpoche. I really feel happy for all of you! 🙂 Rejoice Rejoice!!! _/\_ 🙂
I was touched watching the video because Rinpoche’s unconditional cares and loves for his students are unlimited. The gifts recieved is a good reminder that we should always be generous to people around us, kind speech, gentle actions and pure thoughts.
Sebenarnya Rinpoche bukan hanya bawa dan mengajur murid-muridnya pada hari raya cina. dia sentiasa menolong bayaran sewa rumah dan kadang-kadang ansuran kereta muridnya, dia pernah tolong kawan saya melalui saya, saya sudah menjadi muridnya 13 tahun, dia sentiasa menolong saya dan keluarga saya, dia bukan hanya tolong saya seorang sahaja tetapi dia tolong semua orang yang saya kenal dan dia juga sentiasa menolong haiwan liar.
Rinpoche taking his students for a shopping spree is not surprising. Rinpoche has been doing it for years. Rinpoche always been giving and caring for his students in Malaysia from the day that he set foot in Malaysia in 1992. During the years when he had not much he still gives and care. Before the Chinese New Year he took a big group of his students for shopping for new clothes and other things that was needed for Chinese New Year. I can see the happiness in the faces of the students that went shopping with Rinpoche. I am sure they will feel very proud and honoured to tell their family when they go back to their hometown for their reunion. I rejoice. What Rinpoche is trying to teach us is the teaching of giving and sharing.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful post and video Rinpoche, and the same for all the others.