(By Tsem Rinpoche) Vajrayogini in the Gelug Tradition It is said that Vajrayogini was Je Tsonkhapa’s (1357 – 1419 C.E.) innermost yidam. There is no evidence for this since the Gelugpas had paid attention to Vajrayogini/Vajravarahi only as the consort of Chakrasamvara being one of their three principal yidams (gsang bde ‘jigs gsum;...
Posted in Vajra Yogini | 31 Comments »
Dear Rinpoche, Thank you for this video. I enjoyed it very very much. This one is definitely better in video, not audio! I find these teachings to be extremely clear, concise and very useful for beginners to tantra and even those who are not so new. But what struck me the most from the...
Posted in Students & Friends | 6 Comments »
Dear Friends, I have uploaded here very precious audio and video teachings by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. They are very rare and even to hear the voice of this great master is a tremendous blessing. The teachings on Tantra you can listen to if you have the initiation otherwise please do not listen....
Posted in H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Videos | 21 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Swee Keong's altar in his home is so beautiful. In Gaden the monks always have a Je Tsongkapa set like this with Gyaltsab Rinpoche on the left and Kedrub Rinpoche on the right. Mantras and relics will fill the statue...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 9 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Thai forest monk Thanissaro Bhikkhu, a frequent contributor to Tricycle, sends the following: It never ceases to amaze me that scholars—who should know better—keep repeating the idea that the Buddha lived in a time when everyone took for granted two principles: (1) that rebirth happened, and (2) that karma had an...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 19 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Thich Nhat Hanh is an expatriate Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk. A teacher, author, and peace activist, Nhat Hanh was born in central Vietnam on October 11, 1926. He joined a Zen monastery at the age of 16, studied Buddhism as a novice, and was fully ordained as a monk in 1949....
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 38 Comments »
When the Chinese Zodiac reached Japan, it met with a very strong and positive response and became very popular among the Japanese...
Posted in Horoscopes | 27 Comments »
This picture says it all…How kind our mothers are to us. How kind our fathers are to us. How kind our teachers are to us. All of us have someone very kind in our lives that nurtured us. Never forget their kindness. Never live your life like you did it on your own…impossible. Repay...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Inspiration & Worthy Words | 33 Comments »
Dear friends, Today I visited four large Buddhist Temples here in Kelantan State in East Coast Malaysia. Afterwards the blog team and I went to the Beach (August 8, 2011) to film a Paranormal episode, teachings on the Yoga of Tsongkapa in abbreviated commentary and also a story about the attitude behind Dharma work...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Me, Transcripts, Tsongkhapa | 55 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Concentration is important in both Dharma practice and ordinary life. The Tibetan word for the practice of concentration is zhi-nay (zhi-gNas). Zhi means peace and nay means to dwell; zhi-nay, then, is dwelling in peace or being without busyness. If we do not carefully watch the mind it may seem that...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Great Lamas & Masters | 16 Comments »
Here is an update from our study group in Johor Bahru (Southern most state in Malaysia). The Kechara Southern Jewel Chapel (KSJC) is very much a part of the Kechara family. Whenever we have an event in KL, there would definitely be someone from KSJC who would come and join in. The chapel members...
Posted in Study Groups | 12 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Angulimala’s life story is especially famous within the Theravadan school. His story shows how it is possible to change your life for the better...
Posted in Books & Poetry, Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 22 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) I’ve just received a multimedia message from Susan and I’d like to share this news with you. Susan and a few of my students have recently been selected by the Trusol group to join the team. Today, they are out and about to purchase ritual items and also get their uniforms...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice | 10 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) The lineage of the Lamrim originated from Buddha Shakyamuni himself. Buddha Shakyamuni taught the profound stages of the path (the wisdom of emptiness) and the extensive (method) stages of the path which forms his 84,000 teachings and the source of the Lamrim. The profound part of the teachings was passed to...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Great Lamas & Masters, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche | 17 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) This is my very precious image of the most powerful person in the Universe-Vajra Yogini. I’ve had this sacred image for nearly one and a half decades now. It was gifted to me while I was in Bodhgaya, India. Yes, Bodhgaya is the place where Shakyamuni was enlightened. It is a...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Vajra Yogini | 58 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear blog friends, Earlier at Tsem Ladrang Ven. Gen Losang taught our group some more pujas. Today it was how to consecrate mantras for insertion into precious statues. After insertion the puja to consecrate the holy images. I decided to go downstairs and give an explanation of the benefits of pujas, from whence they come from, the...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Students & Friends, Videos | 10 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Soon Kechara House will be having a Lamrim retreat in our gompa. At my request, Liaison Yap Yoke Fui has very kindly brought together a committee to organise this retreat. The goal is for 8000 recitations of the Lamrim to be completed by the first quarter of 2012. The Lamrim is...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Kechara - 13 Depts | 27 Comments »
List of Prayers A Short Daily Sadhana Eight Verses of Training The Mind Offering The Mandala Other Preliminary Prayers Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta The Four Immeasurables The Nine Attitudes of Devotion to the Guru Advice from Atisha’s Heart Light Offering Prayer General Prayers 50 Verses of Guru Devotion Long-life Prayer by Kensur Konchok...
Posted in Prayers and Sadhanas | 63 Comments »
(By Tsem Rinpoche) Dear Rinpoche, I have a picture of tangka of the Medicine Buddha from your site and I’m very interested about any information about the wrathful forms of the Medicine Buddha depicted below Him. Can you tell me please their names and practices or any information about them? Can their practices or...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Etc | 10 Comments »
Wesak 2011 (By Tsem Rinpoche) Yesterday was Wesak Day, a national holiday in Malaysia. Malaysian Govt recognizes the important spiritual holidays of all religions…it’s beautiful. Wesak Day was the date Lord Buddha chose to take rebirth, enact enlightenment and also enter Paranirvana. It is the holiest day in the Buddhist calendar. I had the...
Posted in Buddhas, Dharma & Practice, Kechara - 13 Depts | 18 Comments »