Mind your language - perceptions of conceptual words

I met someone interested in Buddhism about a month ago. Twice i visited her organic shop, it happened my Teacher, Kunde Rinpoche was arround. In the seconde time, she asked me how i communicate with this Buddhist Teacher who spoke limited simple, sometimes unclear (or inaccurate) pronunciation Mandarin (Chinese).  I told her for the first 3 years, when he visited here, mostly i was driving him here and there, taking care of some of his basic needs.  I have learned much from observing his actions, how he response calmly towards adversities and rude behavors of common people, even Buddhists.  I chatted and asked him many questions as we travelled in my 12-year old automobile. Listening to his lived stories and life experiences are real and practical lessons for me in so called life long learning journey.


Mind your Language - Lived Stories (1)

One of their young Lama who left the monastery in Tibet and studying in Dzogchen Monastery India.  When he was in the monastery, one day one devotee from Australia gave him a sum of cash support for his living.  He did not speak English at all that time. He called one of the Lama who speaks Tibetan to ask how to say 'Thank You Very Much'.  That Lama cheekingly told him 'I Love You'.  He memorized the phrase and went to the kind friend to express the phrase 'I Love You'.  That lady was in her middle age felt so affectionate and held his hands warmly and said 'Thank you, Thank you', showing an expression of very touched by his words. Later he then learned the meaning of this phrase, but luckily it brought much joy to the donor at that moment with perfect cultural meaning in showing affection among people!

Mind your Language - Lived Stories (2)

Last year after published his first translated book in English*, Kunde Rinpoche taught me how to practise Vajrasattva visualization.  He gave a simplied version first and advised to practise progressively as per Dzogchen practice, guided in his Great Perfection book. Almost towards the end of the practice, Kunde  Rinpoche used a term (in Mandarin) '无二无别' (non-duality). He read as 'wu err wu bie'
At that time, i didn't understand the meaning of the terminology yet.  Instead I gave the feedback may be it was better not to use the term to the beginners who do not read much dharma books yet when he was going to guide this practice later in the book launch at Dzogchen Samten Chokling Malaysia .

Lately we had a brief session of Vajrasattva practice (briefly to revise his pronunciation after back to India for nearly a year), after the session, curiously i asked him why he did not used the same term '无二无别' (non-duality) for this session in instructions? He reminded me that i had feedbacked not to use this term as it was not well-pronounced!!!

At that moment, i did not know to laugh or to cry for my own ignorance! - I apologized

Today, i spent more than a hour reading Buddhist teachings online.  I read one very interesting article by Khenpo Cicheng Lodo [my own translations: Praising the Dharma Realm: an abridge translation (?)]. Retrieved: 14 July 2012.
http://www.huidengzhiguang.com//c/2012-03-06/1212.shtml

When i read some of the terms used in explaining Nyingma, and the 'state' of Great Perfection mind training, Ah-huh! - Now i know i was then making the wrong suggestion.  I salute my Teacher's humanity! It also reflect my intellectual 'arrogance'!
Tashi Delek!

* A Garland of Flowers: Questions and Answers on the Highly Secret Clear Light Great Perfection. / H.E. Kunde Rinpoche; Translated by Geshe Lhakdor and Dr. Chok Tenzin Monlam [ ISBN: 978-967-10552-0-5]

An E-Book for Sharing - Dzogchen Practice (by Lodoe Gyatso)

posted by sonam yeshi

This is the weblink given by Kunde Rinpoche that has a free E-book on Dzogchen Practice which was written by his Root Lama, Lodoe Gyatso. [in Tibetan]. (Retrieved from: Dzogchen Monastery, Tibet, http://dzogchen.cn, 8 July 2012):

http://dzogchen.cn/blo_gros_rgya_mtsho_i_gsung__bum_A_2011_edition.pdf

This is a photograph of Lodoe Gyatso & his student Pema Kalsang Rinpoche for sharing:

Lodoe Gyatso & Pema Kalsang Rinpoche

Homage to Lode Gyatso, the Lineage holder of Great Perfection after Jigme Yonten Gonpo (Kunde Rinpoche, p. 68, 2011). _(*)_

May the Merits be Transferred to all Sentient Beings. May the Teachings of Great Perfection (Dzogchen) brings countless Sentient Beings to Enlightenment.

Reference: H.E. Kunde Rinpoche; Translated by Geshe Lhakdor & Dr Chok Tenzin Monlam. (2011). A Garland of Flowers : Questions and Answers on the Highly Secret Clear Light Great Perfection. ISBN: 9789671055205

Life lessons learned from my Spiritual Friend (1)

Lately, my Spiritual Friend, Kunde Rinpoche la arrived with a young Lama friend.  Personally, i prefer learning practical dharma from Buddhist Spiritual Friends via their presence in persons.  Though i also find reading dharma teachings websites, blogs, microblogs, youtube, real-time webcast could be very helpful and inspiring.

The recent lessons learned when i was trying to serve Kunde Rinpoche la:
a) A childhood story shared:
One day i was trying to serve fruits after a meal.  I gave good bananas just bought from the coldstorage store. He laughed after he had taken. He said that when he was a little boy, one day he went to a nearby town and he saw 2 chinese ladies eating bananas. At that time, this was the first time he saw the fruits people eating without knowing the name :)-D. Thus he might had been looking on with curiosity while these ladies were eating. Then both ladies threw the banana skins towards him and hit his face, they laughed and left. Rinpoche narrated in such childlike, while i was hearing, i did not know to laugh or to cry.
I asked what did he do with that? He said that he did not react, he cleaned his face. Later, he went home and narrated to his mum, his mum explained and later bought him the fruits - bananas.

In our modern culture, i would perceived the ladies who did that was like 'bullying' a child, even arrogant! Later i contemplated on this childhood story, Kunde Rinpoche la had shown me a lived lesson - there is no advantage to react to afflictive emotions shown by others towards us.
Having said that, as a lay person with little Buddhist practice, at this point, i think if i meet such arrogant act, i will pick up the ramnants and threw back! :)- Then i guess my spiritual friend may still gently and tell me that i am fierce! In reflection, i have much to practise watching my own emotion and anger then :)_-D.
Having seen my own mind after the story, the next whole week i practice the four foundations contemplation daily till today - perseverance, perseverance, patience, patience...

2) The magic of A Gift Box
After i returned from Kalachakra in January this year, one day i bought a 'proper' cold jacket for my Spiritual Friend  (after witnessing he treasured the 'worn-out' jacket which other practitioners had reminded him of the perceptions of others towards him. But eventually, a kind Rinpoche exchanged his jacket with him before he left to Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery after the festival).
I kept the new jacket in a square big plastic box which i have been using it to keep gifts for full-time Buddhist practitioners thus far. When i took out that box and presented the gift to Kunde Rinpoche la, he gently reminded me that i should not have bought that for him, and saved  the spendings for my study.
Then Kunde Rinpoche narrated to me that his grandfather (Yeye), Lopon Pema Dechen had such a gift box. His grandpa had not lost any temper thus far (till he passed away). When he was a child, sometimes he was curious and may refused adults instructions. If he cried or 'showed stubborness' in following adult's instructions, Yeye would birng him to his magic box - open his Gift Box to ask him to choose whatever he likes.  He would then choose something (a toy) and happily play with it.  Later, when he had done with it, Yeye would put it back inside the magic box! - Thus anger from adults was saved from this child's playfulness.
That day, after i heard this heartful story of Yeye, i posted this timeless photo i had with him in 2011 at my facebook to share with my Buddhist friends. Here i would like to share with readers who have affinity of this picture of a saintly grandfather that i encountered with altruisctic joys, which was such overwhelming till made my tears flowing down for quite a while without knowing any reason - but truly timeless encounter...This encouter might have changed my life...

[Lopon Pema Dechen (late) 2011]

May Lopon Pema Dechen gained Enlightenment! May His Kindness, Wisdom, Compassion and Patience be the Inspirations to all who had met him in this lifetime striving in practising good.

May all Sentient Beings be Well, Happy and Peaceful.

Tashi Delek 扎西得勒