His Holiness Shakya Trizin's Visit

With the blessings of the gurus, LDC members had the merits to invite and host His Holiness Shakya Trizin to LDC on Oct 3. It was such an auspicious day not only for the LDC students but many others. We are very honored & proud to gather over 40 Vajrayana sanghas and members from various centers in Malaysia to come together for the great purpose of interaction, understanding and providing help to each other, secure the pure practice of Tibetan Buddhism and to bring great benefit to thousands and thousands of people who has karma connection. With the blessing and presence of His Holiness and Khenrinpoche, this is the first time any Vajrayana centre have hosted for all different traditions to come in unity and practice for the same purpose.

Thousand Offering Event

WOW!!!!! The thousand offering event was gorgeous. It is simply stunning and the arrangement of the event was one of the best I have ever seen. The success was attributed to the tireless effort of LDC members, students and friends who worked day and night around the clock. It’s really inspiring! This is the first year I see the Thousand Offering event especially under the guidance and presence of the precious guru Khenrinpoche of Kopan Monastery. It has made a great imprint for thousands of people in the 3 days, to ripen their good karma to connect with the compassionate Buddha’s teaching especially to connect with the most astonishing Tibetan Buddhism and those who follows strictly 100% under the guidance of His Holiness Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

This event also benefited a large number of people who passed away by performing very powerful purification prayers and practices and there were prayers also done for different purposes including for world peace. By hosting Buddha’s holy relics and many other holy objects, many were able to accumulate extensive merits by just having a glimpse on the holy objects. All the extensive offerings are so inspiring. There were many holy items for those who were interested to invite into their home and a lot of free dharma materials distribution for different benefits. It has been a great memorable, beneficial, outstanding and wonderful event. It has changed many people’s life in virtue. VERY REJOICING.!

Trip to Kopan (September 2007)

It was a surprise visit to Nepal especially to my beloved guru Khenrinpoche, Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche and many of my other respected teachers such as Geshe Keychog who’s over 90 yrs old and is one of the most senior geshe in Kopan Monastery, my family members, dharma brothers and sisters. It’s was a very tight schedule but I managed to spend some time with everyone.

I also had a surprise companion in the flight with my dharma brother William, Candy and her mother. The flight was full of fun and at arrival we had tea at Hyatt Kathmandu. Due to their merits I also got the opportunity to visit many holy places from my busy schedule and it was a day before their departure to Malaysia when the film director Nati and the photographer Uri, both from Israel arrived in Kopan. That night we all had a wonderful dinner and wonderful chat shared by everyone about their encounters in Buddha dharma.

Nati,Uri and I left for Pokara the next day after William and Candy left for home. We could not get a direct flight from Kathmandu and in Pokara we were delayed for two days because of the heavy rain. However when we arrived in Tsum, we were greeted with bright sunny day which allowed us to have wonderful view of the mountains, rivers and waterfalls. So that made it a fantastic day to land in Tsum in front of Rachen Nunnery. Our tight schedule in filming started that day where we went to Tibet up to Tsolong Kyok (a holy lake). The lake which is located 4,500 meters above sea level posses great challenge for me and the film crew, a total of 15 of us together with many horses. We had to cross the river, high mountains and cliffs. It was dangerous but exciting and we were surrounded by beautiful mountain sceneries. It was great tracking and exploration of a very remote untouched mountain. When we returned some of us fell from the horse including myself. I got thrown from the horse and my hands got scratched. Our manager in Tsum Tenzin Lhundup fell down from the cliff together with the horse. It was a miracle and with the blessing of the Buddhas and the power of the pujas that was performed before the journey, both the horse and Tenzin Lhundup was safe without even a scratch on them. Then on the 15^th I returned to Kopan where we continued our filming till 11 am on the September 17^th. the day I had to rush to the airport and return to LDC, Kuala Lumpur and to receive the arrival of Khenrinpoche the following day.

Lunch With LDC Members

We were blessed with lunch at Dragon-I Restaurant at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Centre and One Utama

Ang Losang's Farewell - July 29th, 2007

Concecration at LDC - July 26th, 2007

Selesa Resort - July 13th - 15th, 2007

Most Recent Encounter With Our Precious Holy Guru Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

June 3^rd this year was truly an amazing day for all of us in Malaysia in particularly LDC as we had the opportunity to offer the most extensive traditional long life puja with Dakinis and 21 Tara Dance performances, the Buddha’s life story and little Tara Dance performance by the Young People Program. One the most pleasing performance was an act of the nine attitudes of guru devotion by our past and present directors, exco members and brothers and sisters from other centers in Malaysia for our most beloved guru showing him our love, devotion and how harmonious and respectful disciples we all are. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche was overjoyed and praised our members, students and friends for their endless effort. Rinpoche said that this centre is very alive and all the study programs are well organized and whatever we are doing here was expressed by Rinpoche as one of the best that he has seen among other centers and he encourages all members and students to keep up with the good work.

I pray day and night for Rinpoche’s long life and whenever I get the opportunity to speak to Rinpoche on the phone, the only thing I request is for him to live long and may all his holy wishes be fulfilled without any hindrances and without any delay even for one moment. I also request Rinpoche to visit us in Malaysia as many times as possible on a yearly basis and if possible stay with us for a long period of time.

A few days ago I got a call from Rinpoche. It brought a lot of laughter to Rinpoche when I updated him all the auspicious and happy reports on his students in Malaysia who are all practicing sincerely and wholeheartedly in the teachings of Buddha under the guidance of Rinpoche and they are members who serve the centre day and night tirelessly sometimes up to 3 o’clock in the morning. With so much compassion to benefit numberless beings and servicing with a sincere wholehearted devotion to His Holiness Dalai Lama and Rinpoche, making LDC a more efficient centre with all the teachings and dharma activities so that it can benefit thousands of people. I also mentioned to Rinpoche that I learned a lot from his students in Malaysia on how to devote to guru wholeheartedly and tirelessly. This really inspired me and I am certain this centre can actualize the many task of Rinpoche’s wishes especially in Buddha’s teaching. And I also mentioned to Rinpoche that since we are still in ordinary community there are so many things we need to improve until we become Buddha and we will all come together to work very hard to benefit ourselves and the numberless beings and to please our holy gurus mind which is the only source to accumulate merits and extensive purification. With this full understanding we will serve day and night, wholehearted, tirelessly with full conviction and faith and we will never let Rinpoche down. We will surely have small obstacles being in the ordinary samsaric world but we can handle ourselves. What we want from Rinpoche is to keep an eye on us, have his presence, teachings, advice, guidance, blessings, prayers and for him to be in good health and happiness. Rinpoche kept replying that he is very pleased with us and he expressed again and again that his prayer is with us all and he specifically reiterated what I said earlier “My eye is always on all of you every moment”. So I think we are the luckiest disciples, not only in LDC but around the world, who have got the karma to connect with Rinpoche and our organization. Thousands of his students in Malaysia are praying day and night for his visit in 2008.

Life As A Resident Teacher In Losang Dragpa Centre

It was after I was given the Geshe title and confirming my date of graduating when Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche (Rinpoche) advised me to go to Losang Dragpa Centre, Malaysia to be their resident teacher. So on the first day of Chinese New Year (2007), under the instruction of Rinpoche as an auspicious day of dharma relating to LDC students, I came for a day visit. Rinpoche asked me to start my service from that day but due to my responsibilities in Sera and Kopan plus my graduation on the way, I had to go back. I was very happy to come to Malaysia to fulfill the holy wish of my gurus and to benefit others through dharma. No matter whatever lineage, I will provide my dharma brothers and sisters who had karmic link with blessing and knowledge with the same lineage gurus especially when a large number requested me to come a few years ago. I felt sometime ago my dharma karmic link with others is very much in Malaysia. Even when I was studying in Sera, Rinpoche advised me to visit LDC once a while to help with teachings and rituals or whatever help I can offer. In fact I have dharma connection with Malaysian even before I was officially appointed as the resident teacher. So for me to come to LDC is not like I am going to a new place or meeting strangers or coping with unfamiliar culture..etc. Since I am so familiar with everything and everyone here, it actually felt like it was in my genes so that made me even happier that Rinpoche decided to send me here. After all, I am sure he has to send me somewhere and I am quite sure it’s not going to be in the cave. So LDC is a right place and at the moment I can say that I am enjoying my time here. I felt that I am doing something which I am supposed to do and I got this opportunity to use my past efforts such as in studies, receiving proper lineage teachings and relying on very rare precious gurus. All these services that I can provide in complete way and I receive great courage and support and response that they appreciate.

Rinpoche’s wish is for all his students, spiritual sons and daughters to come together to practice the entire Buddha’s path, support and help each other and to be in one family plus give opportunity to those new people who has karmic connection with Buddha dharma and Lama Tsong Khapa’s teachings, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. I have seen really all these things are actualizing within these few months. All LDC students come together in their dharma practice with good progress in realization. Rinpoche also wish for a large number of new comers coming into contact with dharma. In fact, we have new people coming into the centre everyday. On average I have 10 – 15 appointments a day, consisting consultations, meeting people and pujas conducted in and out of the centre. And many people from other towns and countries come to consult and get some advice. Some want to know about Rinpoche and his qualities or about His Holiness Dalai Lama. I also receive a lot of calls each day pertaining various matters. I become known to many through our centre, LDC website, Mahayana magazine, the press, public events such as Thousand Offering event and public speaking or teachings in other centers. I also have many friends from all over the world where we met in Kopan and through them I get linked to their friends as well. I received emails and calls from all over the world such as America, Europe, Hong Kong , Taiwan, and Singapore …etc on a daily basis. They try to get some help from me and are all dharma related.

I felt LDC is doing great job because from the people I’ve attended to, 99% of them come back with great appreciation after they receive some help. This is exactly what Rinpoche wants me to do, help the sick people, those who have karma but waiting for condition to ripen to meet dharma, those with a lot of personal problems pertaining to relationship, business, financial, education..etc. So with the blessings of my gurus even though I don’t have any realization or any knowledge, I try to provide my service to them wholeheartedly and 100% sincerity. As Rinpoche’s wish is for dharma to reach all types and ages of people similar to my philosophy, and since death is certain for everyone and time of death is uncertain for everyone, at time of death only dharma can help to bring better rebirth. I always like to provide the dharma teachings and advises in every level and ages of people such as the complete path such as Lam Rim to kids and that’s what we are doing in LDC. There are over 40 children that have completed learning preliminary practices such as refuge, set proper motivation, seven limb practices, six perfections and now they are into learning the graduated path to enlightenment (Lam Rim). They are aged between 3 to 17 and there are also a number of adults who join in the young people program to learn the simple ways of Buddhist practices, all totaling up to 50 in the class. I am very happy to see the good progress in the kids.

To upgrade their knowledge of senior students, we have complete the studies in philosophy such as Buddhist Tenets conjoined with Ground and Path, Mind and Reasoning and now we are strictly practicing the actual purpose of Buddhist teaching such as to transform our ordinary mind. This subject strictly follows all the past Kadampas teachings which are the different teachings on mind training. We have covered 8 Verses of Thought Transformation and we are now doing the 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas which strictly follow the graduated sequence in the path of Lam Rim. All the verses categorized into the stages of the path from preliminary to the teachings on the 3 capable being’s path and especially emphasizing on conventional and ultimate bodhicitta. We are getting into the teachings on six perfections and we will continue with Kadampa teachings of mind training which always conjoined with stages of the path (Lam Rim).

We are doing introduction to Buddhism for the new comers in various topics such as refuge and the basic practice of Buddhism in particularly Tibetan Buddhism. It is very encouraging as there were a large number of turnouts both old and new students who attended the class. We also have plans to provide Buddhism conjoined with science seminars or dialogue sessions targetted to college and university students. It’s also important to reach the people who live a life as a Buddhist by praying to Buddha and deities by introducing Lam Rim to them. I pray and wish that next year we start a one year Discovering Buddhism Program and a two years Basic Buddhism Program.

In short, all of us here including myself are to accumulate extensive merit and do great purification of past negative karma by relying of great gurus such as His Holiness Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. All senior students here therefore should feel this centre as your second home, encourage new comers with your knowledge and realization and upgrade realization up to Buddha hood by making the centre strong and complete in every aspect. It’s the great responsibility of the senior students as a great service and practice to your guru and for your spiritual development. I feel its very fortunate for the new comers to be able to link with this centre because their purpose to get into Buddha dharma is to become Buddha themselves. By knowing this centre and meeting the purest teachings of the Buddha which is the great complete pure lineage of Buddha’s teaching of Lama Tsong Khapa, a complete form of study with contemplation, meditation and blessings by the perfect qualified enlightened Mahayanic gurus such as His Holiness Dalai Lama and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. This is the centre of their lineage, this is the centre of great tradition, this is the centre which has proven to be a qualified pure Tibetan Buddhist centre and a valid spiritual organization under the guidance of them both. The connection of this lineage is definite one link to Buddha hood. So I rejoice to those whose karma has ripened meeting LDC, the precious teachings and precious holy gurus for your benefit of enlightenment and I pray for your good karma to ripen without delay.

photos at LDC courtesy of Ven. Osel and others by Candy