I am who I am
You know I am a monk and what I do is teach. Not very good at teaching, but gotta do it anyway. Yet ppl still comment on the style, my appearance, speaking style, my weight (?), my background, and so on and so on….and I just think, hey man!! Listen to the actual talk. My whole point is the talk, and it doesn’t matter if I am as big as elephant or thin as I was Kate Moss… If you like what I am saying, great…if you don’t like it, it’s fine…but why not look at who I am for who I am? LoL. Tsem Rinpoche
Dear Rinpoche,
Hope you are feeling better from your flu..
Physical Size doesn’t really matter..The SIZE of the IMPACT to make the person’s mind changed DOES matter. Sometimes ppl only look at the tip of the iceberg…what is beneath is beyond their expectation.
I personally have experienced changes aft listening to the Dharma you preached though you might not be like the conventional saffron robed monk..haha but to me you are still Guru, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha..Thanks for all the great Dharma talks that you have put on You Tube and LIVE appearance to Gompa! Hope to see you again soon!
All human problems are created by the ego or ‘small self’ which is the ‘personality’ you have created for yourself in your mind.
Because you have created this ‘personality’, you feel separate from the rest of existence. You feel alone and vulnerable. It is little old you against the universe.
Because this ego or false personality is so fragile, it tries to bolster itself by collecting ‘things’ around it which make it feel important – money, posessions, relationships, status, achievements etc.
Fundamentally, the ego can never be satisfied, it always wants more as its very separateness from the rest of existence makes it perpetually insecure.
It is only by separating yourself from this mind-made ego that you can ever gain a lasting sense of fulfillment and contentment.
Whenever you are thinking, you take your attention either into the past or into the future, reminiscing / regretting or worrying / visualising.
All ‘problems’ are created by rejecting the present or NOW MOMENT in some way. You remember a past moment that you thought was ‘better’ than the present moment or you wish for a future moment that will be ‘better’ than the present moment. You do not accept life just as it is, NOW.
Because mind takes you continually into the past or future, you miss life as it actually happens, NOW. Your life is spent not in reality, but in your mind.
If you can separate yourself from thinking, from ego, from past and future then you will find yourself in the present moment, The Eternal Now, which is where vibrant life occurs and where there are never any problems. You will be facing reality in its full colour glory. This always feels wonderful.
When you are present and aware, you are able to see your ego or small self for what it is, just an arbitrary collection of habitual thoughts and judgements. Once this is seen, you will no longer react blindly to life’s inevitable challenges, but can respond to them with the power of calm free choice <3
Dear Rinpoche, I like what you are saying. YOU ARE GREAT! I don’t find anything wrong with your style, appearance, speaking style, weight(?????), background, and so on and so on. Thank you so much for your teaching and sharing of resources all for transforming ourselves to be a better person.
Rinpoche, I found your Don’t Embarrass The Buddha video quite by (auspicious) accident a few years ago – so wonderful! Direct, honest, uncompromising and actually, quite full of love. Only a truly kind person is willing and courageous enough to insult our ego’s that we may glimpse the truth – thank you! Please remain as you are – authentic, honest and truly a beacon of light in a very dark age.
Much love and respect.
No problem… You are still tall and handsome… and cool. hehehe… seriously.
Dearest Rinpoche,
Hope You are feeling better today.
Thank You Rinpoche for sharing with us!! It’s because of ‘WHO YOU ARE!’ We are here today…it doesn’t matter how people think and talk negative about Rinpoche.
We are fortunate enough to know and near You as student and follower, we understand Your TRUE MOTIVATIONS BEHIND IT!, WE WILL SUPPORT RINPOCHE ALL THE WAY!!!!
MAY RINPOCHE GET WELL SOON! AND MAY ALL YOUR DHARMA WORK BE FULFILLED AND FLOURISHED ALL DIRECTIONS..!! OM MANI PADME HUM!
You are so kind to teach us rinpoche. U have saved many lives
And you’re cute too
Physical looks are just temporal. What is most important is that Rinpoche has good motivation, is honest, sincere, brave and open enough to use different methods to teach us the dharma and I am grateful for that. I love your style and I love your dharma teachings. It is because of who you are that we Kecharians are here.
Please continue with your style of teachings and remain as you are! You have helped and saved many many lives with your style!
Long Live Rinpoche!!!
Thank you Rinpoche for this post. It is extremely clear and I still continue to be surprised today that people just do not see that same, extremely clear logic.
This was among one of the very first teachings I received from Rinpoche and it made so much sense to me. I liked that Rinpoche was not anything like what we expected a teacher to be – but actually, it doesn’t matter either way, whether someone is exactly the stereotype of a Buddhist teacher, or he isn’t. It’s the teachings that are everything and all the teacher’s kindness and care for you. It amazes me still that above everything else, people choose to talk about the physical appearances of a teacher (not just Rinpoche, but any other teacher), what they eat, what kind of watch they wear, what time they sleep..
OMB, I feel like telling them – you know what? I have a brain, and I’ll use it!
If we have to think of how we look just to please people. We not only have to please one person or a few. But how we are going to please the thousands that is around us. What is more important the benefits you get from looking at the image or the Dharma. The person can give Dharma and help you out of your problems and transform you. The view of a person is impermanent and will fade away. But the Dharma that you get will always be in your mind. It will not lose or fade away. In Buddhism Compassion conquers all like what Dalai Lama says. Isn’t it better to save the world than be selfish and think about yourself. Just looking at an image and not knowing what it portrays is very stupid. Rinpoche you are still the same Rinpoche that I met 18 years ago with the same charissma that has attracted so many people and change their lives and brought them into Dharma.
To those who have misconceptions of how Tsem Tulku Rinpoche should look like or behave, may I humbly propose to read up the article “Fat Monk” (http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2011/02/whenever.html).
“Now if you have in mind that the coming Buddha will be a fat monk then you will probably miss the last bus because the next Buddha will have the full 32 physical marks and wil be just as handsome as the last one.” – Wong Tho Kong, the author of the short text of “Fat Monk”
Dearest Rinpoche,
It does not matter to me whether Rinpoche is fat or thin. What matters to me is Rinpoche’s health. I really worry sometimes about Rinpoche’s health. I often wish Rinpoche is fitter and stronger physically. I believe in the manifestation of KWPC and all of Rinpoche’s good works. These are great visions and they will benefit countless beings. I just think that KWPC and all of Rinpoche’s great endeavours would mean more with every extra minute Rinpoche spends with it. From a more selfish angle, Rinpoche has helped myself and my family very much. It would be weird not to have Rinpoche in our lives. May Rinpoche live long and have stable health whether fat or thin.
With folded hands,