Photo album: Los Angeles â Where I First Met My Spiritual Guru
I met my root Guru, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche at Thubten Dhargye Ling (TDL) in Los Angeles, USA. During Zong Rinpocheâs six monthsâ stay at TDL, I was Zong Rinpocheâs personal attendant. I cooked for Zong Rinpoche and his entourage, cleaned their dishes, cleaned and tidied Zong Rinpocheâs room, assisted Zong Rinpoche in private audiences and Dharma teachings and massaged Zong Rinpoche. I did this in addition to all my other duties in the centre and I also had 3 jobs outside the centre to support myself.
Zong Rinpoche recognised me as a incarnate Tulku and invited me to stay in Zong Ladrang in Gaden. I accepted. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche said if I was to do any work in front of the camera like acting, I would be very successful. I wanted to as I had offers to model and act a few times. But I didnât pursue because I wanted to get ordained as a monk, as I promised Zong Rinpoche. I did think about acting though, as I could use the money to support the centre and Gaden.
Do look at these photos, they bring back a lot of happy memories to me…
Tsem Rinpoche
I did jobs and it was hard but I did them so I could serve my Gurus at Thubten Dhargye ...
I can't really comment about my previous lives but I do notice that Dharma has been the strongest passion I ...
The red string I wore around my neck was given by the HH The Dalai Lama and I wore it ...
Making a fashion statement with my scarf? This is one my best friends in LA and we certainly had a ...
See, I was skinny and gorgeous once!
Hehehe still working the scarf look. After Kyabje Zong Rinpoche passed away, I was determined to go to India to ...
Even as a teenager I was always very serious. I think it was because I had a very difficult time ...
Another picture of me and Susie and Audrey. I remember I used to tease Susie whenever she would babysit me, ...
This is the photo of the Laundromat that I worked in and that phone is where I received the worst ...
This was taken in Los Angeles. I did not really like to smile in photos I don t think it ...
Also taken in Los Angeles. I was so much happier there because I could practice Dharma freely and serve and ...
In LA, I worked in 3 jobs and one of them is this Photomat kiosk. I worked here and worked ...
Hehehe my modelling days started early
Those jeans look tight, I wonder how I got them on I sure won t be able to get them ...
I look like I was thinking about something very important!
In Los Angeles, wearing a shirt of The Doors. Their lead singer was Jim Morrison who was very controversial. Apparently ...
Still serious as a teenager
My cool cousin Lizzie who now lives in New York. Lizzie was Susie's sister, and for a time, we all ...
With Susie a few moment after the other photo with LizâŠshe has Farah Fawcett hair!
Yucca Valley, attending an initiation given by His Holiness Zong Rinpoche. There are many things I miss about LA but ...
My time in LA was most happy not because of the clubs, friends and freedom but because I met Kyabje ...
That is my Uncle Giga on the far left. Uncle Giga is Sara s father, and Aunt Matza s beloved ...
WOW! Those look like TIGHT jeans! I wonder how I could breathe!!!
I think I stopped smiling for photos when I was a young boy; I don t smile much in my ...
I loved acting and being in front of the camera but this passion is not as strong as I have ...
In Los Angeles with my now infamous red boots hehehe
In Yucca Valley to receive initiation from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I help many members of the center with the rituals ...
On my third attempt to runaway from home, I finally managed to get from New Jersey all the way to ...
My Guru, Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen invited Kyabje Zong Rinpoche to teach at TDL and I knew that he would be ...
This is my altar in Los Angeles. I didn't have any money for statues at that time but I printed ...
When Zong Rinpoche came to live with us, I vacated my room to provide Zong Rinpoche's entourage a place to ...
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche with me in Yucca Valley, California. We were there for two blissful weeks to receive empowerment of ...
Kyabje Zong Rinpoche's divination indicated that I have powerful karma to be a successful actor but if I became a ...
In this photo, I had the honor to meet HH the 14th Dalai Lama in Los Angeles. It was here ...
During this shopping trip, Zong Rinpoche bought many toys, some of which were given to the children of his students ...
This picture was taken before Kyabje Zong Rinpoche left for India in 1984. That was the last time I saw ...
My Guru Kensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche had recognized me as the reincarnation of the 72nd Abbot of Gaden Shartse. His ...
When the newly recognised Kyabje Zong Rinpoche first met me at Gaden Monastery, he immediately waved at me, called me ...
I offered a Manjushri statue to the newly enthroned current Zong Rinpoche. I saved money for months to purchase this ...
I carried the current Zong Rinpoche on my lap at a Dharma teaching of H.H. the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala. ...
I met the current Zong Rinpoche again in 2006, when I led a group of 63 pilgrims to make offerings ...
I prostrate to the indisputable reincarnation of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, my root Guru who is also an emanation of glorious ...
This is a picture of His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and myself in Yucca Valley, California. I was his assistant ...