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Note to readers

Dear friends and readers,

I can see a lot of nice feedback and response on this blog and I hope that you enjoy viewing and reading all that’s been posted. Main purpose is to bring some virtuous thoughts and input into all readers and to share what I can offer. So I really hope you all like it. And most importantly I wish and pray that whoever read this blog,may it be able to bring them happiness in their mind and also in their life, create auspiciousness in whatever they do or lifestyle and most importantly inspire them to live a virtuous life. Whether one have the ability to benefit others in a big or small way, sincerely do the best to benefit others especially living oneself as a virtuous person. Embrace a life by being kind, compassionate, loving, respect, sincere, pure, ethical, be a good human being is the least you can contribute if you cannot help others. Live a life without harming any sentient being! With this way of life, may you enjoy good health, long life, prosperity and all the happiness in this life. This is the main purpose of sharing my blog with all.

And I apologize that I was unable to reply to all individually and to those who have send question to my gmail and thru the blog due to my extremely tight schedule. My answer for all is to live a virtuous life and everything you wish for will come through. This will not only bring peace within you but for every single being in the world. I would also like to show my sincere appreciation and countless thanks to the administrative team who help to actualize and create this blog namely Candy, William and Elenie and others who have provided all the beautiful pictures, suggestions and put in willingly immense effort, whole heartedly and sincerely. In fact whatever benefits we are getting it is due to their kindness which I truly appreciate. May every one of us be blessed with a meaningful life.

Phone call to Phuntsok Rinpoche (March 2008)

About one week ago, I called Phuntsok Rinpoche and somehow he was the one pick up the phone. Naturally he asked who I was and my reply to him was “I am your great uncle”. Then I continued to ask him “Do you remember I have plans to test you on some of the prayers I requested you to memorize? I will test you when I see you next time”. Phuntsok Rinpoche then replied “I will do the test now but do you remember what you promise to give me if I pass the test? You promise to give me a toy car.” “Toy car? I thought you were joking” was what I said to him.

He then started reciting for approximately ten minutes all the prayers that I requested him to memorize. It was very shocking and wonderful, at the same time delighting moment for me that he has put so much effort to memorize these prayers. He is doing very well in his studies and so from this year onwards, he will do extensive studies and language memorization. He has also grown up to 5 years old and he is in good health and very happy in monastery that he do not wish to leave the monastery boundary. This is indeed very good and wonderful for him and for all of us too.

To read more about Phuntsok Rinpoche click here

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Plan for year 2008

Now that all the visitors have left LDC, it’s back to our routine schedule. Just like 2007, we are doing the Basic Foundation Course and Mind Training teaching like medication on Lam Rim and we also have teachings held at some Chinese and Buddhist Temples. But it will be great that we organise by semesters and in between each semester there is a 2 weeks break, during which I will be visiting Penang to Choki Gyaltsen Centre to teach followed by some appointments and consultations, visiting member’s houses, sick people...etc.

Time flies without us realizing it as I enter my second year in LDC and I can tell everyone is very happy and doing their best with many changes in people in particularly in their dharma practice. It’s extremely encouraging to see more people coming to the centre and there are many signs that dharma studies is getting into their mind

With the advice of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Dari Rinpoche, it’s necessary for Jangsem Ling to do a very special incense puja composed by guru Padmasambhava as with all the sanghas and some members. We then visited Jangsem Ling together with all the sanghas and some members from LDC and we had a wonderful puja performed with over 60 members participating from Triang town. I also understand that over 1000 visited Jangsem Ling during the Chinese New Year period.

Ven Sonam is working single handily and very hard on the overall administration of Jangsem Ling. The gompa was really magnificent with so many lights and offerings around the altar. The energy there is also very good. The whole centre including the surrounding is so clean, well kept and spacious and I am sure it’s all due to the 20 to 30 local devoted volunteers who are ever ready to assist in anything. These local who visited Jangsem Ling treats this place like their second home, they clean the kitchen, make water bowl offerings, handle the office administration, reception, landscaping, guide and public relation as well. I was shocked and I think it is something that everyone of us should know. All Ven Sonam need to do is say the word and everything is done automatically. It’s a great team. People there love the pujas and blessings. Many of them strongly requested me to visit them, so whenever I get the opportunity I will do so.

I think it’s somehow inspiring from every aspect all our members and students want to please our guru. Kasih Hospice volunteers are doing great and I also got a chance to visit some of Kasih’s patients whom are mostly dying from cancer. It’s heart touching and at the same time, they have put so much effort to attending classes to learn dharma and are applying Buddha dharma way to liberate sick and dying people. And this is very rejoicing. I am sure everything that’s happening in Malaysia in the different centres will definitely please our guru, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Khen Rinpoche and whoever that has affection for us.

This year (2008) from 22^nd to 24^th August, LDC is organizing a short pilgrimage to Borobudur, Indonesia where Lama Atisha met his guru Lama Tserlingpa and received teaching on bodhicitta. The response is overwhelming and I have requested those going to memorise Refuge and Bodhicitta prayers and dedication prayers and certain mantras like Mari Tsemam Mantra “ Om Mari Tsemam Soha”. These practices will be done during our extensive circumambulation of stupa, medication, extensive light offerings, extensive incense offerings and extensive guru puja/tsog offering. Since it’s a very powerful holy place which can bring so much blessing to our mind and to cultivate bodhicitta, we are going to concentrate on bodhicitta prayers and practices. And since the sun rise view from the stupa is beautiful, I suggested we do the practice Mari Tsemam. Mari Tsenam is the protection goddess who resides in the centre of the sun and this goddess has a very powerful protection against enemies, robbery, kidnapping, car accident, when travelling, animal harm such as snake, tiger or mosquito (dengue), falling of cliff, poison, black magic, charm, curse, harm from human and invisible being, and natural disaster like flood, earthquake, fire and wind. We are going to do meditation at sunrise and on Mari Tsenam. We are also going to do the practise of Vajra and fire protection and visit holy places. It s only a 3 days visit but it’s going to be very meaningful and meritorious.

We also have plans to go Bodhgaya from 8^th to 16^th November 2008. This time we thought to start the pilgrimage retreats in front of Bodhgaya Stupa to pledge and start the accumulation of 110,000 long prostration, 220,000 Refuge and Bodhicitta prayer and 110,000 (7 heaps) Mandala Offering. We will do the retreat there and then complete the balance of the commitment that you pledged everyday or within one month, years or life time.

Other preliminary practices we are planning for the coming years will be Vajrasattva, tsa-tsa making, Lama Tsongkapa Guru Yoga, Samayavajra, Vajra Dakha Fire Puja, water bowl offering , etc. Hopefully within these few years, we can complete the preliminary practices and those who have karma to do the three years long retreat.

LDC year end Kopan trip is from 13-23 Dec, 2008. The annual pilgrimage to Nepal teachings will include the annual long life pujas of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and visit to important holy sites. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche has also agreed to give Vajrasattva Initiation (commitment of retreat of 28 mantras daily for life), Tara Initiation (possibly 21 Tara) and Chenrezig Initiation.

This is my tentative plan for year 2008. I also have plans to visit Australia and America in the near future.

Geshe Lobsang Sherab Visits Malaysia

The year 2008 continue to be happening! It was indeed a surprise for Geshe Lobsang Sherab to visit Malaysia through a private invitation for a holiday. I found out about his visit just one or two days before his arrival. I felt very happy that he is in Malaysia as he was the former resident teacher in LDC and I thought it would be a great opportunity to have a reunion among his students and friends and to remember his kindness of his one year service and teaching in LDC and representing our holy guru Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

On the first day of Geshe Sherab’s visit, we did an extensive guru puja especially dedicated to repay his kindness for all that he has done in that one year in LDC. Geshe Sherab participated happily in the puja.

As the present resident teachers in LDC now, it’s my responsibility to remember the kindness of all the past teachers who have thought in LDC as well as the past members who have served the centre. We therefore decided to have a reunion and welcoming dinner for Geshe Sherab together with all exco, old and new members. Geshe-la was very pleased and so was everyone. He also made connection with new students and members here. At the same time there were 2 other sanghas from Sera who’s visiting Malaysia and we also extended our invitation to them. We were friends from Sera and we had some great moments, chatting and recalling our past in the Monastery.

It was very unfortunately that I was so busy with the Losar and Chinese New Year schedule that I didn’t manage to spend much time with Geshe-la but I am certain he enjoyed himself to the fullest with his fun packed activities of visiting friend’s houses performing house blessing and pujas and holiday around the island of the east coast of Malaysia.

Geshe-la has now left for Singapore for about five days then will head back to Kopan Monastery. We all wish and pray for Geshe-la’s good health, long life and may he come back again and again to Malaysia.

Here are some pictures taken during Geshe Sherab’s visit.

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2008 Losar Celebration

This year Losar falls into the same date as the Chinese New Year and it was one of the most memorable and meaningful new year celebration which was celebrated in LDC Malaysia. Due to the 15 merit multiplying days, we took the opportunity to invite more sanghas from overseas. This year we invited four nuns from Kopan Monastery for the benefit of world peace, peace in Malaysia including harmony and spiritual progress in our centres especially centres in Malaysia and to bring about great compassion into every living being’s heart.

We have initiated to construct a Chenrezig sand mandala and was successfully completed within 15 days. Over 100 people came to view and received blessings, made circumambulation and offerings. Since there was so much benefit even to view, we decided to keep the mandala for the whole year so that people can continue to view and make offerings. We plan to construct a mandala on an annual basis and next year we plan to construct a Medicine Buddha mandala.

At the same time, in the last 15 days of Losar, we perform extensive pujas and prayers such as Tara Puja, Medicine Buddha Puja, Protector Puja, Guru Puja, various recitation of sutra and mantra and teachings on the benefits and meanings of different prayers, extensive light offerings conjoined with circumambulation and prostration to the holy objects. It was amazing throughout the 15 days without any break. Sixty to hundred people attend each night.

It was really meaningful to see people are serious about accumulation of merit and purification and this was especially done by taking advantage of the miracle days. I sincerely rejoice and felt that this is something very wonderful. It wasn’t just me but many others felt the same with blessings granted and they have also expressed positive changes in their lives.

At the same time, we performed four to five pujas daily at member’s, friend’s houses and in LDC, not just here in the Klang Valley but also in Penang and Triang. All these were done with the help of the nuns from Kopan Monastery and sanghas of LDC, conjoined with the full support and assistance of centre members. Everything was perfect!

The nuns truly admire, appreciate and rejoice in this whole month, every day from morning to night performing prayers, constructing mandala, performing pujas and all these were done without any complain. Instead they express their happiness through their smile and mind. I was rather worried about their health as these nuns are small eaters and even when I asked them to take a break, they continued with their work. And due to Buddha’s blessings, I am very happy that they are healthy. Not only do they work hard, they are also very talented in all the different prayers and knowledge in dharma. I think this is my first time I spend time with my sister, who is the chanting master, Losang Drolma. I have heard a lot of good things about her but somehow due to my busy schedule in the past with my studies and now overseas, I don’t even have the chance to know her but now I had the whole month to do so. I am truly happy and admire her knowledge and her humble down to earth demeanour and that was really the best gift I ever received from her. Same goes to the other nuns, they are really wonderful.

At the same time, LDC sanghas worked very hard from their side assisting in whatever they can and without hesitation. Members also made tremendous effort to assist during this period when they could be having their holidays instead. I rejoice and rejoice and rejoice!

The nuns have left Malaysia and they are constructing another sand mandala in Buddha Tooth Relic Temple in Singapore, China Town. They will then go to Thailand to construct a sand mandala in a Thai Temple.

This time I regard the Kopan nuns have open their doors to the Eastern countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. In the previous years, they have travelled to Europe, Australia and America annually to perform different prayers and different arts like lama dance, cho dance and creating sand mandalas. These were all done to gain publicity and receive some financial assistance for the nunnery. and So this first visit of theirs went very well and they created much auspiciousness and I am sure this will bring them to the Asian countries. I can say the invitation of Kopan nuns is very successful and it has lead to many great benefit for their future. Khen Rinpoche appointed Chung Han as the coordinator in Malaysia, Benny Soh as coordinator in Singapore and Irene as coordinator in Thailand.

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