Lunch Atop A Skyscraper…Kechara Style!
Everyone has seen the famous picture that has been duplicated into hundreds of thousands of posters…the infamous “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper”. The photo was taken on the 69th floor of the GE Building, New York in 1932.
Fast-forward 80 years later…At Kechara Organization, we have our very own builders on a ledge! Only difference is that they are on the 1st floor of the new gompa hehe.. The gompa is currently under renovation and Jamie Khoo (aka Paris), David Lai, Kok Yek Yee and Susan Lim are lending a helping hand towards the speedy completion of the gompa along side 80 other construction workers!! By getting in the dirt by shoveling grovel they’re being more involved with others and learn more about the other departments.
They were at it for a few weeks…they hauled bricks, sweeped, endured the heat, mixed cement etc…it was a good experience for them to know how hard other people work and how much we need to treasure the wonderful dharma work we are able to do in an air-conditioned room with plenty of food and drinks. Whatever complaints we have is nothing compared to how the rest of the world really works hard and yet hardly get anywhere in life. How fortunate we are to do dharma that gets us someplace now and for our future.
Appreciate what we have, don’t be lazy, make excuses or be ungrateful, BUT GO ALL THE WAY SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT REMINDERS AND DO YOUR WORK SO WELL, IT REMOVES THE BURDEN FROM OTHERS. Always do your work so well it NEVER burdens others.
Tsem Tulku
My first glance at the picture of the 4 Kecharians sitting atop the ledge of a building and the other picture of American construction workers also sitting on top of the ledge on the 69th floor of the GE building New York in 1932. It tells me that there is a difference. The difference is David, Jamie, Susan and Yek Yee are only sitting on the ledge on the 1st floor of our new Gompa which is still under renovation. They are resting on the ledge after helping to carry bricks and shoveling very hard. They are not doing this for fun. They are doing for Dharma and also to accumulate merits. Also to purify negative karma by doing work for the Gompa. At the same time they are doing this to help the consruction workers to speed up the work for the Gompa to be ready before Rinpoche’s birthday.
WOW!! IT LOOKS REALLY COOL!!! YOU GUYS’S HARD WORKED IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!
As Rinpoche’s student, we are very fortunate to meet Him in this life and under His guidance. Rinpoche’s love and care for His students and friends are more than parents. Which I appreciate it very much!
Rinpoche is always very skillful by using difference methods to teach his students. One of the fastest methods to purify body karma and mind transformation is doing Dharma work.
I pray, in this life and all future lives, may my love one, friends and I’ll come under His guidance, learn lots of Dharma, serve others and never be parted from Him, until we achieved enlightenment…. OM MANI PEDME HUNG.
Love, angel
Nice picture, Great contribution. Gompa in fast track to completion.
Oh, I love that photo. David, Jamie, Susan and Yek Yee all looked so cool……This will a memoriable photo for the lucky four as when the new Gompa is finished, they can proudly say,” We did it!!!”
These four KMP liaisons got out of their comfort zone and had a taste of the blue collar’s world, I applaude them with their true guru devotion. No nonsense and no complains but JUST DO IT!!!
Wow from writing books to laying bricks!In Kechara everything also “boleh”. hehe. You guys looked so cool and happy. A great photo to commemorate the opening of new Gompa.
Truly commendable Kecharians! It is not easy switching roles and doing hard labour but you guys did it and your contribution not only lighten the worker’s burden, you guys are also contributing to many many other who will be entering the new Gompa. You have made your mark! Bravo.
I think that they really are true Kecharians. They have shown to have worked very hard for the Dharma. I have seen them carry bricks, shovel cement and many more. This proves that we can do Dharma work in any condition, whether it is an air-conditioned room with a latte or under the scorching sun helping with the renovation of a new Gompa. I think that the things they are doing is also a form of purification such as the hauling of bricks that take so much energy and thus I think that would be causing them to feel exhausted but since it is for the Dharma, their bad Karma will be reduced!
One day, we will see a picture exactly like the “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper picture”, with many Kecharians helping to build bigger Gompas, skyscrapers, Animal Sanctuaries and many more for the spread of the great Dharma that Rinpoche has passed on to us.
This to me shows that everything is dharma if one’s mind is tuned into ‘Dharma’ energy/motivation. even shovelling bricks eating at kopitiam or mamak ( I’m Malaysian as you can tell we talk about food all the time ) . What a fantastic example about everything is dharma!