Geshes at the Dharma Centers

Geshes at the Dharma Centers

Cultural Differences
Date Posted:
October 2009

A Western woman translating for a Tibetan geshe at an FPMT center in Europe wrote to Rinpoche to express concerns about cultural differences between the teacher and herself, both as a Westerner and as a layperson. She commented that the geshe seemed always to be thinking chauvinistically and in terms of hierarchy, and that he was interested in money.

My dear Sonia,
Thank you very much for your dedication and service to FPMT and to benefiting sentient beings. Remember every day that the purpose of your life is to benefit others, and that the highest and best benefit is revealing Dharma to sentient beings. Even for the Buddha, this is the highest way of guiding and liberating sentient beings. Therefore, your translating the Dharma is the most important, most beneficial way for liberating sentient beings and also yourself.

Dharma practice is not the practice of attachment; it is not the practice of self-cherishing thoughts. The practice of Dharma is to devote to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and to practice bodhicitta. This means practicing to be the lowest, as it mentions in the second verse of the practice of the Eight Verses of Mind Training. This means to think, “I am at the service of others. I am here to serve others; this is the purpose of my life.” What service? To free others from suffering and bring them to happiness, especially ultimate happiness.

What is the reason for allowing oneself to be used by others? It is for their happiness. That is the real bodhicitta. That is what letting go of the “I” is: giving the victory, the happiness, to others and taking the difficulties, the sufferings, onto oneself. Enlightenment can be achieved with this practice. If we are unable to do this practice, although we all have Buddha nature and therefore can achieve enlightenment, it doesn't happen.

You mentioned in the letter that the geshes who come to the centers like money. Well, it depends on how we look at it. It is extremely rare to have a resident teacher who is an enlightened being. Even to have one who is a bodhisattva is extremely rare. Even one who is an arhat…just to meet a virtuous friend who is a fully ordained monk is rare. Just to learn the Dharma that shows the unmistaken path to happiness is also rare. There are so many teachers whose methods are meaningless, just a waste of life, and not only a waste, but whose methods will only lead to suffering. The world is filled with so many people like this, even though they are called spiritual teachers.

Even if someone is an enlightened being, it doesn't mean we are able to see the person as an enlightened being. When Buddha was in India, the Hindu followers who were competing with Buddha didn't see Buddha as a fully enlightened being filled with infinite compassion toward other sentient beings. They just saw him as an ordinary being. For 22 years, Bhikshu Lekpai Karma saw Buddha only as a liar.

I understand that you are expressing your personal feelings about the teachers. Well, you know, in the early days, Western people used to have very high opinions of Tibetan teachers, because of having read books about Tibetan Buddhists like Milarepa and other great holy beings, with their talents and powers. For them it was almost as if Tibetan teachers were practically enlightened, free of delusions and karma. Now Westerners are closer to teachers and have more understanding about the culture of Buddhism. However, still, there are many good qualities. Even if teachers are not arhats, even if they have delusions and karma, still they can be very good.

Thank you very much for expressing your feelings. I wanted to chat with you. Thank you for your service. People are very happy with your translation.

So, now we have to enlighten everyone in your country, including the cats, dogs, rats, and cockroaches.

I am happy to receive your kind letter, and also that you expressed your feelings. Therefore, I am talking to you from heart to heart.

With much love and prayer...

 

Letter to a Geshe
Date Posted:
December 2006

Rinpoche sent the following letter to a young geshe after a visit to the Dharma center where the geshe teaches.

Most kind, having wisdom beautified with precious morality, Geshe Monlam,

I enjoyed my stay very much. I don’t think I have benefited the people much, but I really rejoice in the unity, and how harmonious things are from the people’s side, and from your, the resident teacher’s side, as well. I thought everything was well arranged.

The other important thing that I have wanted to mention to you for a long time is I want to have every single instruction on how to make the best dal, which the Tibetan cook makes. Maybe you could send it to me or he can send it to me, if you give him my address.

Thank you very much for everything that you do, which is benefiting other sentient beings and the teachings of Buddhism. It is one way to repay the kindness of our incomparably kind compassionate Shakyamuni Buddha, who has chosen us sentient beings of the degenerate time to bring to liberation and enlightenment. The best way Buddha liberates us is by revealing the Dharma. The best way to repay the kindness of sentient beings is by teaching the Dharma, by example, because the teachings of Buddha are the only way to get rid of the causes of sufferings, which are within. The teachings do this not only through caring, but because they work…if they are put into practice. They contain the complete path to enlightenment.

Again, thank you very much. We need many young geshes like you, all over the world. You are not only a teacher; you work together with the people, help them, and inspire them at the same time with compassion.

With much love and prayers...

The Master's Program
Date Posted:
November 2006

Rinpoche sent the following letter to the resident geshe, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Italy. The geshe was leading the seven-year Master's Program in Buddhist philosophy there.

Dear Geshe Jampa Gyatso, who has crossed the oceans of extensive scriptures of the Buddha, who is incomparably learned, incomparable in purity, unstained by vices, like a lotus unstained by mud (even though it is living with mud), beautified by the ornaments of the three higher trainings, with a well tamed mind, and who has an incomparably good heart, compassion, and loving kindness, like soft, very pleasant cotton, most incomparable kind, virtuous teacher of the FPMT organization.

Dear very devoted, dedicated and good hearted assistants, having expansive knowledge of Dharma, of course not only expansive (but can also be expensive, too), like the ocean or sky.

Great Olympic champion international translators, probably you have even a little more than what Manjrushri could do.

And to all the students who grew up at Lama Tsongkhapa Institute like chicks, starting from the egg, and then being brought up by the mother, having deep knowledge of Dharma like the ocean, the most important knowledge among any knowledge in the world, which is the only one that can liberate oneself and others forever from the oceans of sufferings of countless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras, and all the intermediate stage beings, by eliminating the causes – delusion and karma.

Now the chicks have developed everything, their wings, so they are capable of flying away wherever they want to go and obtain a means of living without depending on their parents feeding them, from mouth to mouth. So, with this knowledge, the students of the Master’s Program are able to liberate themselves and countless sentient beings, are able to show the lamp of the path to enlightenment that is shown by our compassionate Guru Shakyamuni Buddha. They have this incredible, most unbelievable, opportunity to benefit all. Having Dharma knowledge and understanding Dharma is like a clear crystal, not only that it is also enriched with compassion and a special attitude, like bodhisattvas who take full responsibility alone to liberate countless sentient beings from the most unbearable oceans of suffering of samara, whose only thought is to obtain happiness for others.

From the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you very much to the teachers for teaching the program and to the students completing the program. This is an incredibly successful accomplishment of the FPMT organization. The success is the Dharma education – the most important knowledge.

This is also fulfilling the wishes of Lama Yeshe, whose name is difficult to mention, who founded this organization and who wanted to start this master’s program, along with the support of Geshe Jampa Gyatso. So, this is actualized through the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and in particularly Lama Yeshe, as well as the kindness of the main teacher of the program, Geshe Jampa Gyatso, who is the main supporter, the rest of the helpers, teachers, Lama Tsongkhapa Institute, the people at the Institute, the translators, and of course the students, who had the wish to do this course and continue and complete it.

Regarding whether to have a final examination, which is what I suggested at the beginning, I would like to leave the decision up to Buddha. I thought an observation could be done in the traditional way (tagdril) in front of Buddha. Geshe-la can do the rolling in the presence of the Buddha statue, with all the teachers and students and everybody in the gompa.

Start with refuge and bodhicitta, blessing the ground and the offerings, offer the short seven limb prayer, make a mandala offering, and recite the Three Principles of the Path, the Foundation of all Good Qualities, or any lamrim prayer. Then do the rolling. These are the three questions to write on the paper for the dough ball mo:

  1. Not to have the last examination
  2. Have a choice – who wants to do it can do it
  3. To do the final examination

If it comes out number two then the people who make the extra effort and do the examination should receive more recognition.

Roll three pieces of paper (exactly the same size) with these three questions on, and wrap them in very delicious tsampa dough. Every dough ball should be exactly the same weight. If not, and there is a lighter one, it will come out first. That is how Communist China prepared the examination of the Panchen Rinpoche incarnation.

Then request Buddha that whichever is more beneficial comes out. In this way Buddha decides, I don't.

Thank you very much to everyone, and I hope to meet you just before you get enlightened.

With much love and prayers...