Please MEET YOUR MEAT - ARE YOU READY?

Please Watch & leave your thoughts in comments for me….

September 24, 2010

I would like you to take 12 MINUTES and 28 SECONDS out of your lives to please watch this video, then scroll down to the comments sections and leave me five thoughts that come across your mind after watching this video. It is my special request to everyone who visits this blog.
I would appreciate this very much.
Tsem Tulku

Source: blog.tsemtulku.com

THE INSANE CRUELTY OF MANKIND

THIS IS SOMETHING I FEEL COMPELLED TO SHARE WITH EVERYONE.

Below is something very graphic and unpleasant but it is very necessary for me to write about it because at some point in one's life, we have to make a stand somewhere somehow, with regards to things that are vital to our lives, our environment or just in the name of humanity.

Forgive me if I am rambling on here. I get this way when I am emotional.

So, here is my first warning. Do not scroll down and do not click play if you have no interest to face the truth.

Somewhere in the world, dogs are being slaughtered for their meat because some people think it is yummy to eat.

Ah yes, this might just be in China or some Asian country whereby such atrocious habits are still being practised and allowed. For some, even encouraged.

But before you go into an emotional rage about the Chinese or the backward thinking Asians, 

I would like to humbly ask you to think deeper.

Yes, reflect much deeper as you watch and read on.

Dog Meat Trade

September 23, 2010

This is not an easy video to watch, but very necessary. Everyone should stop eating meat. If you cannot stand to watch animals being slaughtered, then how can you eat meat? Meat was a conscious being before it ended up on your plate. When you eat it and enjoy it, then you have to ignore the brutal facts of it’s slaughter. The more animals we hurt, the more karma we create for ourselves to be treated in the same way. All actions have consequences.


This old, outdated, peasant farmer’s thinking that if you don’t eat meat, your diet will not be complete and you will be unhealthy is wrong. It is just an excuse people still use to indulge in eating slaughtered flesh.


Never be in denial. Make a stand for important things in your life like saving animals 
and creating awareness for them.


Don’t hurt animals, don’t slaughter animals, and don’t eat animals. Be kind to them, feed them and let them have full lives also.  Share this video with as many people as you can. Save animals I beg you please.


Tsem Tulku

Now that you have watched and read this in its entirety. What thoughts come to mind?

I'll tell you what thoughts came to my mind.

This is the conversation that went on inside my head -

How are we any different when we slaughter other life forms for food such as chickens, cattle, pigs, rabbits, geese, ducks and etc.?

Are we really that different than the killers above?

Is dog meat any different than chicken meat, or pork or beef, etc.?

Hang on a minute, you are saying it is different because you enjoy eating it and you find it acceptable because everyone else is doing it. Hence, that is fine because it is the norm.

Really, Shirley?

How long do you want to stay in denial?

How long do you want to lie to yourself just because you are attached to eating meat?

You know what - meat is meat - regardless of which animal it comes from.

And when you decide to eat meat, you have some part to play in the whole killing game. 

In fact, you are one of its biggest supporter.

At the end of the day, you are too selfish to think about others.

You just want to satiate yourself and your appetite.

That is all you really care about.

Yes, these are the conversations I had with myself in my head.

And it went on and on because I was trying to justify my desire for eating meat.

Personally, I am not a big fan of animals or pets.

I don't keep pets.

I don't even like petting pets.

I don't like taking care of pets either.

But I realised that I do not need to like something in order for me to want to stop killing it.

I don't need to like pets and animals to feel concerned about not wanting to cause them more pain or suffering.

It is really so very un-necessary.

What I do like and care about is respecting life and that means, all life forms. Not just mine.

I'd like to think that we are the crowns of creation and with that comes certain responsibility. 

It is a responsibility to help those who cannot help themselves and speak for those who can't voice their pains / suffering.

We do not go about unloading more pain and suffering onto those who truly can't help themselves. 

No, we do have a choice.

We always have a choice. And we can exercise that choice with love, respect, dignity and kindness.

Because we would want the same for ourselves.

We seriously do not have the natural right to take the lives of others. Nor do we have the authority to dictate who gets to be killed and who gets to be eaten.

WE DO SHARE THIS PLANET WITH OTHER BEINGS.

Frankly, my favourite food used to be tuna.

And I could it eat raw, seared, pan fried, smoked, etc.

But I decided that I would not die if I did not eat another piece of tuna for the rest of my life.

No more animals need to die so un-necessarily for me to continue living.

There are many various choices of food and they are much healthier choices.

In October 2009, I decided to opt for the diet of loving kindness. 

Yes, I became a vegetarian.

I've made my stand - no more killing. Not on my account, please.

I have enough bad karma as it is. I do not wish to add onto that plate much more than I already have.

I believe vegetarianism is a conscious choice, it is a decision one makes to not harm another living being.

As I have said, it is a diet of kindness that is sealed with a lot of love.

Obsession with Tibetan Buddhism? Who, Me?

Someone recently commented that I am obsessed with Tibetan Buddhism, and to this person, it is actually puzzling.

Putting things into perspective - I believe that everyone should be less obsessed with themselves and their own pursuits of pleasures in life, but rather cultivate a real concern for their ultimate benefit in life.

At this day and age, where everyone is chasing after money, sex, relationships, ambitions and temporal pleasures - yet no one seem to say that these are obsessive.

But when someone shows great devotion and commitment towards self-liberation or even self-transformation, that is regarded as obsessive?

Yes, I find that puzzling indeed.

People would condone materialism and the pursuit of materialism, to the point of applauding it and yet, discriminate against someone who is making a genuine effort to better themselves. Very strange.

Then again, our society has descended into this state without accident. All the decades of encouraging capitalism and self-indulgence have certainly cement a certain self-absorbed way of life and mind set.

Hence, those who wish to break free from such a deluded way of life would seem quite starking mad.

I don't think I am obsessed with Buddhism, but I am very obsessed with just becoming a better person, especially after being such a bitch for so long. I think I have earned the right to tell the difference from what's downright bad and what's truly good - for myself, at the least.

Here, being obsessed is not an extreme paranoid case - I mean it with a serious dash of humour.

There should always be a lightness about one's journey of transformation. And this is simply mine. I am seriously committed to it and yet, I am not paranoid about it.

When anything becomes an obsession it is no longer objective and if it not objective, how can it be helpful?

How much anyone would understand from this little post is not dependent on my words, but the level of your maturity and experience in life so far. Whether you relate or not, it is not for me to say. After all, you also have your own issues to work with.

Don't we all?

In any case, I have found my peace and my answers through Buddhism.

I am sure to each their own.

As long as it does help you to become better, it is already a very good thing.

Me - I am just living day by day, doing my best to ensure I do not fall backwards to become a bitch who ought to remain dead to the world.

While she lay silent in her grave, I shall have to face the consequences and clean up the mess she left behind.

We are the same and yet not.

I have moved on - thanks to Buddhism.

She remains where she is until her karma catches up with her.

And yes, karma is very much like old ghosts from the past. They will always find ways to catch up with us.

All I can say is serve me right for being such a spoilt brat in the first place.

Even after much realization, I still have much amends to make.

Now whether I can purify the damage of my past fast enough without incurring more in the present so that my future will not be as bleak - that remains to be seen.

The mind is a maze of sorts. It can play tricks and disguises itself so well.

At every stage, I still have to fight and struggle - nothing comes naturally at this point in time.

It still takes a lot of effort - conscious effort and much reflection - long, deep and hard.

Our so-called reality, which we fight so hard to hang onto, change all the time.

With every new discovery and upon learning something new - our minds expand further and wider.

Frankly, this is all I really care about.

Because this is what helps us grow as individuals.

Fortunately, I found my salvation and solace in Tibetan Buddhism.

And I sincerely hope that everyone will find their own form of salvation or path to a better self.

Whatever works for you, would be the one for you.

In my case, Buddhism totally works for me.

My Himalayan Inspired Home! Welcome!

Hi ya, everyone!

Yes, it has been a while.

I just want to share with everyone something I filmed earlier in the year but it is only out in the tv channels last month.

It was for a local cable network and I had to speak Cantonese most of the time. Well, as you can listen for yourself, Cantonese is not my first language.

Nonetheless, I just wanted to explain that the Interior Design was done by good friend, Ivan Kom. He owns an Interior Design Company with another dear friend of mine, Clifford Tan. They both did a great job incorporating everything that I love, including my Baba & Nyonya heritage.

And all the lovely items and arts that you see in my home is all procured from Kechara Paradise. They have the best collection of Himalayan Arts and Crafts - exquisite and most beautiful. Their statues are so well crafted and refined. You can find out more about them in www.kechara.com

The furniture in the living room is all from Jendela Batik. Yes, a lot of people would be very surprised to know that we can do so much with Malaysian Batik. And the designers at Jendela Batik will certainly be able to create something original for anyone!

Anyways, enough chatter - this is the actual show itself. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-utBqVBcc&feature=player_embedded

Rising from the rubbles

Some days I feel like I have walked out of a battlefield, heavily wounded.
It feels like I have been thoroughly bruised and abused.

There are other enemies, within and without.

Those outside of me can only hurt me physically, but they can't shatter the person I am inside.

Not unless I allow them to.

No one can take away the experience, knowledge, skills, dreams and dharma that I have learnt in all these years.

These will always remain with me.

What doesn't kill me will truly make me stronger.

And stronger here does not mean that I become numb, or care less and start withdrawing within.

They can take a sledgehammer and demolish all they want.

They can win for now.

You can break me all you want, but I am not giving up.

I am just getting warmed up.

I will rise from these rubbles.

Simply because, I AM NOT DONE YET.

And guess what - you are not going corrupt my spirit or rip my heart.

I will still continue to believe in humanity.

I will still embrace friendship.

I will continue to love like there was no tomorrow.

Because compassion and wisdom will never fear the years, tears and labours of toil.

Because compassion and wisdom is the greatest kind of love.

The Journey Intensifies...

I know it has been a very long time since I last wrote.

Well, a lot has taken place and I have taken a different turn at the fork of my spiritual path.

My absence has been attributed to my being in an intensive retreat.

There were days I did not want to continue with it anymore and there were the days when I asked myself what am I doing all this for?

There is so much that I can never probably share with my family members and they may never understand anyways. That is fine.

It does not change how I feel about them and why I would continue in this path.

They always say that the highest gift of love is to give of oneself - completely.

Frankly, I always thought that it was mere B.S.  Because I have never seen someone giving of themselves to anyone - completely.

It is typical isn't it? Just because we did not see something, we will say it does not exist and just because we could not do something, we will say it cannot be done.

We will always measure people and life according to our point of reference and our own personal agenda.

Everyone harbours a motive - there is no such thing as no motive.

On the most ordinary level, someone might do a lot of things for someone because he or she wants that person to like him or her.

On the highest level, we may do things because we truly want to help someone without any expectations. This is when we give ourselves to others.

In our ordinary world and lives, these benevolent acts are rare and they are never consistent.

Because, at the end of the day, we will demand something in return - however subtle or subconsciously it may be hidden.

Over the past two months, I have been thinking about the course of my life and certain decisions need to be made.

I had enough of running and hiding.

I had enough of playing pretense and games, even if it is just with my own mind.

I had enough of chasing after temporal success and pleasures.

I am done with the samsara's brand of lifestyle.

There is always side effects and prices to pay at the end. Worst of all, someone or a few someones would always get hurt in the process. How can that be a good thing, ever?

The longer I deny and take my time, the more I would be wasting.

One day it struck me - how can I claim to love anyone at all when I just refuse to give myself to anyone? Not even to myself?

I say this because I will not even lift a finger to help myself in the real sense.

Everything I have done so far is very superficial. It barely scraps the surface. And I did not want to get my hands dirty - so-to-speak.

I wanted liberation, but only at a distance.

I wanted happiness, but without putting any effort.

I wanted results, but with the easiest and most convenient route to me.

How can I keep demanding everything from my own self-preserved stance?

Then is it any wonder that I did not see any results within myself?

We're talking about real results here. Not those which will change and fluctuate madly like the stock market.

Real attainments and realizations do not go away today and come back tomorrow. They are consistent and real. They will only deepen and strengthen over time. Not the other way around.

So, I took stock of the sum of my life.

That barren landscape of inconsistencies and indecisiveness, marked by intense sloth.

The truth was simple enough and it stared straight into my eyes.

If I truly love the people I claim to love, then I would cease living for myself.

I would start living for them.

And what does that actually mean?

Well, it means doing everything for their ultimate good.

Even if I hated every moment of it. Even if I am lousy at it.

Even if I am dead tired and have reached a point beyond fatigue.

Yes, even if I am not especially happy doing any of it.

You see, when we pledge or make a vow to love someone and give our lives over to benefiting others, it does not matter any more whether we like pink or white, whether tonight we will sleep 5 minutes or 5 hours, whether someone will even acknowledge our efforts or not, whether we will even get a small thank you.

No - none of that matters, because we are not operating from wanting anything for self, including self-praise.

It took me a long while to make this leap.

And I can honestly tell you, I did not leap without kicking, screaming, crying and swearing all the way.

Every DNA in my body rejected the very notion of selflessness.

Every fibre in my being rebuked the idea of going into Dharma full-time and all the way.

If they could, they would have veto-ed my decision.

And I am sure they tried their level best.

I was moody, petty, angry and irritable beyond words.

The times I allowed myself to vent and come undone was while I was driving alone in my car and in my bedroom.

That went on for a while, although it became lesser and lesser as time passed by.

Finally, today - I would just sit infront of my altar and offer up my confession to the Buddhas.

I would "unload" everything infront of them - every scar, every wound, every lie, each hurt and most of all, the joys and gratification of knowing that I am on my way to something much more.

Yes, I want to do Dharma work full-time,

Yes, I want to give my life over to the Three Jewels and dedicate my very deeds to those I hold dear.

They may never know and they may never understand, but this is the one and only time I would be investing on their behalf. This would be the only investment that is worth making and I would use all  of me to achieve this till the day I die.

I want to start living my life for others.

I want to surrender my life over to serve others.

Yes, that makes me very happy - darn exhausting, but it is the only deed/investment that matters.

Well worth every pain, tear and sweat.

I used to think that serving others was beneath me and that I deserve to live out my life in the way I wanted.

Well, what has that really given me or anyone around me?

What can be more fulfilling and joyful than giving up myself for those I love because I want to return all their kindness?

I can't think of anything better.

Seriously, Dharma work is the best job in the world.

Why?

Because while you heal yourself and win every internal battle, you can also heal others and help them win in their own internal battles.

Everyone wins in the end.

And no one is left behind.

Show me another job that can do the same - life after life, and the merits we collect accumulates with each succeeding compassionate act.

Honestly, Dharma is the only career worth investing for all lifetimes.

In Buddhism, I use the word: Dharma. But there are many words in other religions that mean the same thing.

So, once you have found what makes you a better person - then go all the way with it. You will win and those around you will win as well. They will win a much better friend, sister, brother, spouse or child.

This is the kind of happiness that lasts for all times.

So, here I stand.

Here, I surrender myself.

WHAT DOES PEACE MEAN TO YOU?

Peace means different things to different people.

To me, sometimes peace is when I can lie in bed with no worries at all and have a good night's sleep. Other times, it could mean doing what I like to do, and being paid for it. Ultimately, it is about making a difference in our community or our world, in my own small way.

I used to think that it was impossible to make a difference as I am only one person. What I mean is making a difference that has the biggest impact. Usually, I tend to think that my capability of making a difference would not even equate to a drop in the ocean. Hence, how could it ever benefit anyone?

However, since being a part of Kechara and being guided by our Guru, H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, I've come to understand that I can continue to benefit everyone around me by being a person who upholds everything that I have been taught and getting involved with Kechara's activities.

In Kechara, there are 13 departments - so that means, literally, 13 different ways for us to make a difference, learn new skills and start benefiting the people around us, our community and ourselves. There is feeding the homeless through Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK), there is spirituality through arts in Kechara Saraswati Arts (KSA), there is an up-coming animal sanctuary whereby all neglected and stray animals will be taken care of in Kechara Animal Sanctuary (KAS), and many many more.

There is definitely something for everyone and you can find out more about it all in http://www.kechara.com/

This is about making a difference from where you are, by being who you are.

Now, the latest in Kechara's list of projects is its KECHARA WORLD PEACE CENTER (KWPC).

I dare say, this might just be Kechara's crowning glory.

Imagine if you will - a haven that is dedicated to the preservation of traditional healing medicines, natural healing activities and treatments such as Aryuveda, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, the nurturing of the peace within and the peace without, the education of Buddhist philosophy and inter-faith dialogues, as well as a Tibetan arts and culture center within the natural lush environment. We will be fed on organic cuisines, as well as fresh mountain air and taking in the beauty that is un-disturbed by mankind.

This is the Vision that Rinpoche has made into a reality and all of us can take part in it, by creating this legacy of peace together.

So, what does Peace really mean to you?

If it does mean something at all, then perhaps you should do something about it - something real, meaningful and that lasts even long after we are gone.

This is what I mean by creating a legacy together, and building peace together for all generations to come.

A better world might just begin here, with you and me in KWPC.

(Exctracted from: http://bit.ly/9znSRf)


World Peace - by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche
This inspiring video briefly shows my life and the story behind my Dharma organization - KECHARA, which has 13 wonderful departments, each with its own unique way to spread the Dharma.


This short yet informative video also features my ultimate dream - Kechara World Prace Centre (KWPC), a place in the mountains of Malaysia for learning, healing and practicing. Take a look at this video that is done very well by KIM dept.

Tsem Tulku






Please do click on the link below and watch the video. It was first shown to the public on the KWPC Charity Dinner on 18 July 2010.
http://bit.ly/9znSRf

THE MOMENT YOU CAN'T AVOID OR ESCAPE - YOUR DEATH

I have copied and pasted the special prayer below from http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/07/a-prayer.html

I feel that it is something valuable and meaningful that I can share with everyone.

There are so many people in our lives, so many friends, family members and even strangers that we have yet to meet - I asked myself, what is the best gift that I can give to each of them or all of them?

I found the answer in this very precious poem/prayer.

I feel that it is the best gift I can give you because it will help you think, even reciting it will bring much blessings because it is written by the Grand Master of the Gelugpa Tradition. He is noneother than HH Pabongka Rinpoche. You can read more about this glorious Master in http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/07/pabongka-rinpoche-18781941.html

Believe me when I say that the Buddhists in the world cannot have what we have today without this great Master's selfless extraordinary deeds. The Gelugpa cannot have what they have today for sure if it was not for him.

In HEARTSPOON - Pabongka illustrates for all of us to see and contemplate on the real meaning of our lives - beyond the fun, excitement, wealth, pleasures and etc.

He brings our minds to the truth and that is, at the end of it all, we all shall have to face the moment we cannot escape, or hide, or run from. No, we cannot avoid it. It is the only sure thing in our lives - that is, our moment of death.

In other words, if we do understand DEATH - we will understand LIFE. Only then, we will begin to live a life that is filled with purpose, passion, conviction and joy.

Otherwise, we are merely chasing after temporal pleasures and illusions or delusions.

WE will never know the true meaning of lasting happiness.

So, I would like to share this priceless poem and prayer with you in hope that it will become the guiding light in your life. As I cannot be there physically to listen to your problems or comfort and console you, may this bring you much solace and blessings.

Read it a few times if you have to, it is worth it.


HEARTSPOON by Kyabje Pabongka Rinpoche
Ah, the hurt!

Kind Lama, look to this pitiful one—

How I behave and how I’ve cheated myself my entire life.

Please, look upon this mindless one with compassion.


The essential advice to give yourself—Heart-Spoon—

Keep it deep within your heart.

Don’t be distracted; don’t be distracted!

Reflect upon the state of your life from the essential drop at your heart.

Since beginningless cyclic existence, which hasn’t ended up to now,

Though you’ve experienced countless cycles of rebirths—

Just so many variations on happiness and pain—

You’ve achieved not the slightest of benefit from them.


And though at present you’ve attained leisure and fortune so difficult to find,

Always till now, they’ve finished and been lost, have been empty and without meaning.

Now, if you care about yourself,

The time has come to practice the essence of future happiness— virtuous actions.


You appear so capable, smart, and clever, but you’re a fool

As long as you cling to the child’s play of the appearances of this life.

Suddenly you’re overwhelmed by the fearful Lord of Death

And, without hope or means to endure, there’s nothing you can do.

— This is going to happen to you!


Because you think, “I’m not going to die for some time, I’m not going to die for some time,”

While you’re distracted by the never-ending activities of this life,

Suddenly the fearful Lord of Death arrives,

Announcing, “Now it’s time to die.”

— This is going to happen to you!


Though you make arrangements, saying “tomorrow” and “tomorrow,”

Just then, suddenly, you have to go.

— This is going to happen to you!

And without choice, leaving behind in disarray

Your left-off work, left food and drink, you have to depart.

— This is going to happen to you!


There’s no time other than today to spread [your bedding] and go off to sleep;

Upon your last bed you fall like an old tree,

And others, unable to turn you with their [lily]-soft hands,

Tug at your clothes and blanket.

— This is going to happen to you!


Even if you completely wrap [your body] in last under and outer clothes,

Still you have no freedom to wear them other than just today,

And when [that body] becomes as rigid as earth and stone,

You behold for the first time your own corpse.

— This is going to happen to you!


Though you struggle to speak your last words,

Your will and expressions of sorrow,

Pitifully your tongue dries up, and you can’t make yourself clear—

An intense sadness overwhelms you.

— This is going to happen to you!

Though others put your final food, holy substances, and relics

With a trickle of water into your mouth,

You’re unable to swallow even a single drop,

And it overflows from the corpse’s mouth.

— This is going to happen to you!

Though surrounded by a circle of close relatives, heart-friends, and those near to your heart,

And even though they’re loving and distressed at the ending of your being together,

While crying and clinging,

Just then, you have to separate forever.

— This is going to happen to you!

Though you [experience] horrific hallucinations like a turbulence of waves

And are overcome by unbearable, excruciating pain,

Pitiful though you may be, there’s nothing to be done;

The appearances of this life are setting [like the sun].

— This is going to happen to you!


Though with unbearable compassion your lama and vajra-friends

Plead in your ear for a critical virtuous thought to arise,

And even though they do so with loving minds,

There’s no hope; it’s unthinkable.

— This is going to happen to you!

With an [expelled rasping] sound, “sor…sor…,” [at the time of death]

The movement of your breath builds faster and faster,

Then breaks like the string of a violin

And the end of your life has come to its close.

—This is going to happen to you!

There’ll come a time when your cherished and sadly lost lovely body

Is called “corpse”—disgusting and rotten,

And a time when your body, which can’t bear even rough bedding and mattress,

Is laid out on bare ground.

— This is going to happen to you!

There’ll come a time when your body, which can’t bear even a thorn,

Is chopped to pieces and [from the bone] its flesh is torn,

And a time when your body, which can’t stand even fleas and lice,

Is devoured by birds and dogs till nothing’s left.

— This is going to happen to you!


Though you [go to so much trouble blowing] “pur…pur…,” in dressing your body in the finest of clothes,

There’ll come a time when that body is placed within a burning house,

And your body, which can’t tolerate even the fire of [a glowing stick of] incense,

Must be burned in the midst of a fiery conflagration.

— This is going to happen to you!


There’ll come a time when, entering into roaring flames, all your flesh and bones are burned

And [reduced to] a pile of ash;

Or a time when your body, which can’t bear even heavy cloth,

Is wedged tight in a hole in the ground.

— This is going to happen to you!

There’ll come a time of the announcing, “the deceased, _______, him- or herself,”

At the beginning and end of your sweet name.

— This is going to happen to you!

And a time when the area is filled with the sobbing sounds

Of your affectionate, close companions and circle of servants.

— This is going to happen to you!

There’ll come a time when your clothes, hats, possessions, and livestock will be divided up

With nothing left in the four directions and corners,

And there’ll come a time when, in total despair, alone,

You reach the passage to the intermediate state.

— This is going to happen to you!


The terrors of the four fearful enemies descending upon you are going to come:

The appearance of being trapped under a mountain of packed rock and rubble,

And buried beneath a furious avalanche of earth— what to do?

The appearance of being set adrift on the surface of a vast sea

And carried away by violent, swirling waves—what to do?

The experience of your heart and ears being split open

By the sizzling and crackling sounds of a fiery conflagration— what to do?

The fearful experience of being enveloped and swept away

By the swirling dark winds of the end of an eon— what to do?


When you’re driven by the powerful red winds of karma

And swallowed up by a terrifying darkness—what to do?

When you’re bound with a lasso by the messengers of Yama

And, in total despair, are led away—what to do?

When you’re tortured in so many detestable ways

By ox- and scorpion-headed karmic agents—what to do?

When you’re before the Yama king, the Lord of Death,

As he weighs up the whites and blacks—your virtuous and non-virtuous actions—what to do?


When Yama exposes your lie of having spent

Your human life in attachment, hatred, and deceit— what to do?

When at Yama’s court the punishment that is the ripening effect

Of your negative actions [is meted out]—what to do?


When your naked body is stretched out on the glowing red-hot iron

ground in the fires of hell—what to do?

Though your body is cut to pieces by a rain of weapons,

Still you must experience it without dying—what to do?

Though you’re cooked in molten iron until your flesh falls away and your bones disintegrate,

Still you must experience it without dying—what to do?

Though your body and fire burn inseparably,

Still you must experience it without dying—what to do?

When your body is pierced by a freezing cold wind

And cracks into a hundred thousand pieces—what to do?

Having fallen into the miserable state of a hungry ghost with its hunger and thirst,

You have to starve for many years—what to do?

When you’ve become one of those stupid, dumb, unfortunate animals

That eat each other alive—what to do?

When the unbearable sufferings of the evil-gone realms

Have actually befallen you—what to do?

Now! Don’t be distracted! [With the sounds of hurrying] “la…ur…la…ur…,”

Right this moment is the time to steel your will.


It’s not only time—it’s almost too late.

Right now! Right now! “La…ur…la…ur…,” [apply yourself with] great force!


Holy precept of the lama, kind father;

Heart of the authoritative scriptures of the Victorious Losang;

Practice of the pure path of complete sutra and tantra;

It’s time to place real experience upon your mindstream.


Who’s the faster:

Yama, the Lord of Death,

Or you in your practice of realizing the essence of your eternal dream—

The welfare of both yourself and others—as much as you can each day?

Unifying the three doors [of your body, speech, and mind,

Put the whole of your effort into your practice.

COLOPHON

In response to a request in the past from Ngawang Nyandrag, who singlepointedly dedicated his life to practice, and a recent request from the manager of the Potala, Pelshi Kunngo Sönam Kunga, I was persuaded [to compose] for myself and all others "Heart-Spoon: Encouragement through Recollecting Impermanence". I, with the incarnation name of Pabongka, wrote this text at Tashi Dechen Monastery at Drula in the district of Kong.
[It was translated into English from Tibetan by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Gelong Jampa Gendun at Chenrezig Institute on the auspicious occasion of its twentieth anniversary, September 1994.
Whatever merit may have been accumulated through the translation of these profound holy vajra-words of Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo—Heruka in human form—may they immediately and completely fulfill all his vast and profound wishes. And may anyone who touches this text, sees, hears, recalls, or practices it receive the blessings of holy Pabongka upon their mindstream and may they and all other sentient beings have the realization of impermanence in terms of death—the basis of the Lesser, Perfection, and Vajra Vehicles—and, quickly actualizing bodhicitta, may they all swiftly reach buddhahood.]


MAY GOODNESS AND VIRTUE FLOURISH


( A wonderful prayer to do daily to help us remember reality. Anything by Kyabje Pabongka would be tremendously beneficial. He never existed for himself but only for others..How fortunate we are to even hear his holy name.... Tsem Tulku)

Personal Thoughts to share:-

Now I know that I definitely did not understand life or death because I have taken so much for granted and thought that I could get away with it all. I had no regard for Karma because I thought it will all end at death. How foolish I was! Yes, I was a fool to think that I could just waste myself away and not face the consequences.

I no longer wish to waste one life after another. I truly would like to retain everything that I have the good fortune to learn, and take it with me to my next life. I would like to begin my next life with a 'head-start'. No more time and energy wasted in getting lost and then finding myself. This is the reason I want to go all the way. Hopefully at some point, I will begin to be less of a burden, and more of a benefit to everyone around me - including myself.

Heartspoon is beautiful, moving and precious. It is indeed the spoon that scoops the most prized jewel from the heart for us to 'digest'. As Pabongka wrote it with his heart to benefit others, Rinpoche has shared this from his heart to benefit us all.
We are truly well loved by so many great Masters. It is time to act and practice with all our might and heart.

Twenty-Seven Verses to help transform or train our mind

As my "100 days with If Not Now When" is coming to an end, I have thought of something to do and share with everyone.

Below is the 27 Verses on Mind Training which is composed by the incomparable Lama Tsongkhapa.

So, I thought it would be great if I take each verse, each day and contemplate and meditate on this and then write my thoughts on it. If you would like to join me from where you are, that would be fun.

Tomorrow will be my day 99. Then a new beginning starts!



Twenty-Seven Verses On Mind Training


Composed by Lama Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419)


1) With body, speech, and mind fully aligned, I prostrate fervently before those rare beings, who are victorious over all notions of limitation, and before their spiritual daughters and sons. May a cosmic celebration of pure poetry, perfectly expressing the most subtle teaching of these victorious sages and the inheritors of their wisdom, now burst forth like an infinite garden in perpetual spring.



2) Gaze calmly with the clear eye of Prajnaparamita (Perfect Wisdom) upon universal manifestation, this beginningless tapestry woven from vibrant karmic threads of conscious beings, and listen to the harmonious symphony of interdependence. Purify entirely from the slightest shadow of negativity this boundless expanse of apparent struggle and conflict. With diamond-clear intention, instill faith everywhere. With mirrorlike wisdom, stabilize all chaotic minds.



3) If shadows of negativity are not dispelled immediately, these strange insubstantial absences of light gain immense potency with every new action, until even those who understand the dangers of negation will not have enough power to choose the way of Clear Light. Even those who study philosophy and speak eloquently are unable to release themselves from illusory darkness.



4) The full spectrum of struggling and aspiring humanity, from immature persons to advanced contemplatives, suffers the painful delusion of clinging to these empty shadows as they become filled with affective power by self-centered action and intention.



5) This apparent bondage, this clinging to shadows, is constituted by reactions of pleasure and pain, obviously or subtly rooted in self-serving motivation. By those rare beings who have gone beyond, who throughout all time abide in bliss as Buddhas, the true nature of reactions and their results is clearly known to be insubstantial. But the boundless expanse of self-oriented beings, who bind themselves inexorably to selfish motivation, therefore cannot liberate or even distance themselves slightly from egocentricity.



6) We should meditate carefully and thoroughly upon the inevitably binding nature of negativity, learning to discriminate sensitively and unerringly between the actions which negate the preciousness of others and actions which affirm and judiciously care for others. From this clear viewpoint, renounce all negation and strive with the total commitment of your being to become entirely affirmative of all life everywhere.



7) The seeds of action are positive and negative intentions. Any intention consciously rooted in selfless motivation, desiring only sheer goodness for all conscious life, will establish the stable ground of goodness and will universally generate rich results of goodness. Any intention even slightly weakened by selfish motivation undermines both the ground of our life and its fruits. Intention is the sole creative force of existence.



To cling to the intention of triumphing over another, the desire to prosper at the expense of any being or to indulge in the slightest bias against any being because of personal feelings of attraction or repulsion, these alone are the causes for whatever suffering exists in personal lives and in the universe as a whole. We should meditate ceaselessly on this revolutionary truth, remaining conscious of it during every moment of existence.



9) Those who attempt to deceive with words of advice that in any way exalt selfishness and depreciate selflessness become hopelessly lost in narrow-mindedness, obsessed with their own selfish interests. Such persons create the only error in the universe: diverting our precious care and concern for others to ourselves. This deception not only expresses hatred for Buddha's wisdom but is the absurd attempt to destroy universal Buddha nature.



10) To avoid decisively this disastrous way of hatred, bring to birth within your stream of awareness the maternal mind of totally positive intentions toward all beings as toward cherished children. This mind of kindness, supremely skillful in loving care, unveils the infinite value of every single life, demonstrating compassion as the meaning of existence. But the clumsy negative mind, operating blindly without concern for the preciousness of others, drains the nectar of meaning from human life. Cultivate diligently the selfless love that transforms every thought and action into tangible help for conscious beings.



11) The method taught by awakened sages to develop this skillful mind of kindness is to cut the root of all selfish projections by repeatedly and intensively studying Perfect Wisdom, meditating single pointedly on its essence in a state of contemplative stillness and stability. With the clarity and honesty of such concentration, projected worlds of self-serving desire will melt in the sunlight of meditation, like structures of ice, revealing the magnificent secret of our existence, its total significance and absolute justification, which is active compassion for all conscious life.



12) Such meditative practice brings to light the mind which envisions only the well-being of others, which is constantly grateful to all beloved beings for the immeasurable kindness they have poured forth through beginningless time as mothers, fathers, children, friends, benefactors, and teachers. This mind of goodness knows only the ceaseless longing to benefit all these blessed beings without exception in whatever manner and on whatever level imaginable.



13) To remember vividly during every moment the kindness that has been expressed by all beings, and to cultivate an intense and constant longing to return even a small portion of this kindness, unveils the true significance of life in all worlds. The person who fails to respond wholeheartedly to this call for universal kindness and concern is on a lower plane of development than animals, who are capable of experiencing immense gratitude.



14) Those who unhesitatingly embrace and tenderly serve all suffering creatures during this degenerate age, just as a loving mother painstakingly cares for even the most wayward of her children, they alone are the teachers of the holy life who authentically walk the Buddha Way.



15) The mind that faithfully and tirelessly serves and elevates conscious beings is sheer goodness, constantly giving the gift of itself, its faith in ever-expanding goodness, to all other minds thereby benefiting them in the most direct way. Of all possible forms of benefit on any level, the highest is to teach this practice of love, this indomitable faith in universal goodness, by the direct transmission of selfless awareness flowing transparently from mind to mind in accordance with the need and capacity of each mind. This is true teaching, tangibly transmitting the living energy of universal goodness, which becomes perpetually active in the recipient, even during the most pressing times of crisis, never evaporating into mere words or concepts.



16) During this blissful practice, continually cultivating the wonderful, ever-expanding mind of goodness, even the slightest lack of sympathetic joy disappears and awareness becomes more concentrated and selfless, while the selfish emotions and conceptual projections which compose this narrow conventional world are gradually effaced, and we are completely liberated. The brilliant sun of Great Compassion shines unobstructed. The spirit of wholehearted love in every thought and action constitutes the spontaneously radiating sunlight, effortlessly melting the mist of self-centeredness, vastly strengthening our constant efforts for all beings.



17) Beings benefit each other, consciously or unconsciously. Even enemies become profound benefactors in subtle ways. Those who clearly perceive this radical principle find no isolated object for hostile thought. They can discover and encounter only friends, benefactors, and inseparably related beings. This insight avoids aggressive thinking and allows the mind to expand endlessly into wholesomeness, generosity, and sympathy.



18) Never offering the slightest encouragement to hostility, never hesitating to embrace the concerns of others, pay complete attention to every altruistic impulse that arises in the stream of pure awareness. Contemplate the teaching of selfless compassion, calming and clarifying the turbulent flood of egocentric mind with the sweetest meditation. Renounce the meaninglessness of selfish life. Become devoted to the true meaning of existence: the spontaneous, active compassion for all living beings. If one does not refute self-centered motivation, the subtle tendencies of the mind can never be free from the gross or subtle disposition to negation.



19) Transform the intense activity of daily life into the harmonious expression and teaching of truth by affectionately reminding and being reminded that the bitter dark fruits of negating others are poisonous, to be most carefully avoided, while the sweet bright fruits of affirming others are life-giving, to be thoroughly enjoyed. Authentic delight exists only in serving others, and suffering springs only from harming others or insensitively ignoring the needs of living beings, all of whom are as intimately related to us as our own precious mother and father.



20) So sensitive an ecology is the interdependence of all, that the slightest attention and assistance to others creates moral elevation for ourselves and humanity, while the slightest indifference or neglect toward others creates moral harm for ourselves and our civilization. The faintest spark of ill will toward other beings can burst forth into a terrible forest fire, consuming vast expanses of sympathetic joy. Even the faintest negative reaction or malicious wish opens wide channels throughout our entire being for life-destroying poisons of negation and life-obscuring shadows of self-cherishing.



21) Cast far away from all precious humanity these lethal doses, these ominous shadows, by cultivating instinctive admiration and love for those who practice the way of selflessness. Adore such bodhisattvas for their irreversible vow to remain intimate with the struggle of living beings as beacons of love and as the light of panoramic vision.



22) Once identified with this luminous way of life, you will experience every moment as soaked in bliss, tasting the delight of compassionate responses to even the most negative actions of other beings. I have composed this poem of rapturous affection further to strengthen the diamond-sharp conviction of those already faithful to the path of wisdom.



23) Gazing back over these exuberant verses, I perceive an abundant banquet of poetry, easy to assimilate and to understand clearly. Entirely in accord with the teaching of the sutras and with the deep realization of awakened sages, these words are full of subtle nourishment. To contemplate their various levels of meaning is not only to taste the nectar of wisdom but is to walk the sublime path of compassion.



24) This surprising poem condenses into a few verses the profound and extensive teachings of my lineage. I have composed these melodic lines, like heavenly wish-fulfilling gems, to benefit the minds of all beloved beings. Those with strong capacity for meditation in action will deepen their insight into the nature of Reality by following these words into the heart of Buddha.



25) Some authors tie complex knots of philosophical terms, while others rave incoherently like mad persons. In the most beautiful hermitage, the snow mountains of Tibet, this poet, known as Ever-Expanding Mind of Goodness, has attempted to write with richness and lucidity.



26) May the bliss of the mystical fusion of transcendent wisdom with tender compassion fall like sweet summer rain from dark blue clouds, the motivation of goodness, skillfully and gracefully opened by lightening flashes of selfless awareness. May conscious beings in every realm and condition enjoy their glorious existence as the dynamic play of Lord Buddha's four modes of manifestation: transparent, universal, heavenly, and earthly.



27) Having become, through the medium of this poem, the powerful and eloquent speech of Divine Manjushri, speaking directly with the harmonious and melodious voice of the transcendent Wisdom Deity, may I and all my relations and companions, from small insects to tenth-level bodhisattvas, attain the blessings of primordial Buddha nature: infinite bliss, infinite fulfillment, infinite perfection, and universal conscious enlightenment.

The Road Map to Your Complete Emancipation - A Blow by Blow Account

What does total freedom actually mean to you?

Do you imagine it to be having loads of cash so you can buy whatever you want, whenever you want?

Or is it having absolute power so you can do whatever you want, whenever you want with whoever you want?

Or is it both?

Personally, I see liberation as having complete mastery over myself. To me, that is true power and not just strength or absolute power. And it is definitely something all the money in the world cannot buy.

Why?

Because until we have total mastery over ourselves, we can’t be free in every sense of the word – even if we have shit load of money and unlimited authority.

The money and authority would just turn us into bigger jerks, and make us more arrogant than we already are. They are just means to hide (or shall I say, bury) our insecurities and real issues even deeper. At best, they become tools to inflate our egos beyond recognition.

IF you are really interested in true liberation and not some shallow delusional version of it, then please read on.

I have extracted a recent post from H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s blog: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/06/starting-on-vajra-yogini-now.html and posted it below for your easy reference. In this particular blog post, he elucidates – step by step – on how we can start practising NOW to gain our true freedom.

I am sharing this because this is applicable to all of us - yes, I do mean, all of us.

After Rinpoche's Blog post, I will expound on how it truly relates to our lives in today's context.

Look at it this way, someone must really care for you to do this eventhough we have not met or will never meet. It took me four days to complete writing this post, because I had to think and re-think about everything I wanted to write.

I really want to share something meaningful and of value with each of you.

Now, I am sure this is the very same reason my Guru wrote his blog post too.

So, please read with an open mind and heart.

Starting On Vajra Yogini NOW!

The best anyone can do if not enlightenment for now, is to gain mastery over taking rebirth coupled with developing Three Principle Paths. Where you want to take rebirth can be determined by yourself if you practice the sacred Vajra Yogini Tantra thoroughly.


*

Start now before you are awarded the Vajra Yogini empowerment by:

Holding vows and commitments.

Be honourable and have integrity.

Whatever work or practices you've been assigned, do it diligently and happily.

Develop contemplations on the good qualities of one's lama again and again.

Never give up.

Practice the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation.

Make it a point to get along with everyone or as much as possible & be forgiving.

Study Lam Rim, Wheel of Sharp Weapons, Bodhisattvacha-avatara by Shantideva, Lojong, 50 Verses of Guru Devotion by Ashvagosha.

Commit to one practice that is light and easy yet profound such as Tsongkapa Guru Yoga daily without fail.

Follow your Teacher loyally and all the way.

*

Then next step:

Engage in the preliminary practices slowly but surely and finish.

Guru Yoga

Vajrasattva

Mandala

Prostrations

Water offerings

35 Confessional Buddhas

Don't start practice only when you get Vajra Yogini's empowerment, because you can start now! Prepare for the empowerment immediately by engaging everything I mentioned above. You have Vajra Yogini now. She is everywhere and She is ready for you. If you wish or if your teacher says start, start in this way that I've written. Start now. Don't wait. Nothing happens when we wait. It gets harder the longer we wait.

Obtain a sacred image of Vajra Yogini on your shrine and do all the practices I mentioned 'directed' or focussed towards Her. All the practices, readings, contemplations use Her as your Universal Buddha. The Buddha that encompasses all Enlightened Beings as your focus. Hence you create powerful affinity with Her this way. So you should be starting now. If you do as I have mentioned, then when you finally recieve the Empowerment of Vajra Yogini, you will be READY to practice Her sacred Tantra and reap the results much quicker!! Reap the results quicker because you have prepared for it well and thoroughly. Don't recieve a sacred empowerment of Vajra Yogini without doing the preparatory practices now when you have the chance.

Good Luck!

Don't waste time and procrastinate due to excuses that arise from empty reasonings.

Tsem Tulku

(Just a short & quick advice)

 

 

DAY 84: The Unbearable Delusion of Being

DATE: SATURDAY, 12TH JUNE 2010


DAY: Eighty-Four (84/100)

PROSTRATIONS: 80

DAILY SADHANAS: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Yes, my laptop is back and I am slowly recovering my life’s work. Although I have to say, a lot will be lost forever. (So kind of karma to unload crap on my behalf. Considering most of the crap is basically my own bad writing.)

Lately, I have been having this feeling of heaviness - like an unshakeable sense of weariness.

Everything I see around me is just a constant repetition of the same ol’ thing, over and over again.

Connecting back into the cyberworld, such as Facebook allows me to see Samsara in FULL H.D. That is, High Definition. And I am not just talking about other people’s thoughts and activities, mine as well.

Not too long ago – I’d be FB-ing about the places I have been, yet to visit, all my exploits, feastings, adventures, escapades, tantrums, parties – it’s all about desire, desire, desire – all mine, of course.

And I look at some friends around me – they are still doing just that. Yup, their lives revolve around just that.

There is nothing wrong with having fun – but if that is all there is to one’s life, then it is rather sad, no?
One big party after another, shopping, holidays, spas, slimming centers, the new diet, the new boyfriend, the new girlfriend, the new car, the new watch, the new house, the new jewellry, the Birkin Crocodile bag, etc ?

This is the sum of one’s life and we are actually proud of it?!


This is why we work so hard all our lives, even at the cost of shortening our lives, the risk of being in debt – it is all for these?

I am sorry but I could not help but wonder who is the ‘genius’ that started all this ‘delusional slave-driven lifestyle’.

Oh yes, I do say it is slavery at its best – because it is making us all work our asses off, and we still have no clue as to why, because we are too pre-occuppied with buying into the ‘delusions’ that they are marketing – from the ‘lifestyle’ to the very products that carry huge important logos on them because they validate our success in life.

This modern-day slavery – the best kind ever – whereby we keep working for a system that feeds the richest in the lands, while we keep struggling to make ends meet so that we can buy more of whatever they are manufacturing. And because they market them so well that we are so convinced that we actually need all these crap.

So, buying never ends.

The ‘feeding frenzy’ never ends – from credit cards, to housing loans/mortgages, to car loans, etc.

This sums up what it means when we say, we’re ‘surviving’ in this world.

Surviving for who, actually? How?

What real beneifts have we truly received?


Even after so–called buying everything we thought we really wanted, we then begin another new process – MAINTENANCE of all these crap.

Don’t get me wrong – I am not trying to sound holier than thou here.

I was the best regular customer of this “delusional slave-driven system”. (I may have even been a shareholder!)

From the Silver, I got upgraded to a Gold, then onto the Platinum, and now, finally, they have a BLACK card?!

What’s next? Invisible card? Because you are so well known and such a high net worth individual, everyone ought to know you by name and face recognition already?

As I have said earlier, it’ll never end. It's an addictive merciless cycle.

And yet they can give IT all such sweet sounding names like - healthy competition, enterprising, entreprenuerial, in search of excellence, raising the standards and quality of life, giving consumers more or better products...yes, it is all very convincing.

If every single thing that has been created is meant to make our lives better, then why are more people getting stressed out, various mental illnesses, angersome, more impatient, and feeling less connected with the rest of their community.

It seems that we have done a great job in creating and developing outer technology but we have not developed much of our inner technology. We seek the external to compensate our internal lacking.

Results speak for themselves. Take a good look around you.

And whatever we seem to create spawns worse side effects – from pollution to illness, to violence, greed, hatred, war, and etc.

Oh yea, there are all these fine prints and clauses in the whole deal. No freebies! It's pleasure with a terminal long term payment.

If those things that we so proudly create and claim to own are truly good for us, then the results should be good for us all. There should be more peace, more harmony, zero-stress, no pollution, a more balanced distribution of wealth, food and resources shared amongst one another. But the results are not as such, are they?

To put it simply and directly – we are all addicted to Samsara and its products of Grand Delusion.

So much so that to live without any of them would seem impossible and down right, painful.

We simply can’t and won’t.

The delusion has become our most beloved attachment.

I admit I have developed a strong distaste against all things material.

I admit that I do not buy into the ‘feeding frenzy’ as I used to.

And it is not because I am better or have turned so goody-goody. Fat chance!

I just hate being trapped in a maddening cycle that repeats itself day in and day out.

And what's worse, I am forced to maintain that ruthlessness. Then is it any wonder that I become a ruthless predator myself in due course!

These days, even if I do BUY ANYTHING now, it would be for a whole different purpose.

It’s definitely not to make me feel better because I certainly do not need them to justify anything in my life, or my very being. Yes, it would all be related to the Dharma work and lessons that I am practising.

In any case, whatever we have and want to accumulate or buy will only last for a short while. We can’t take anything with us when we die.

And we will all die at some point.

H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche wrote a truly mind-blowing blog entitled, “The Beginning” about life on earth, and how we truly own nothing. And the only thing we can take with us is our minds. Do have a read at http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/2010/06/the-beginning.html.

I do warn you first, ya. It might be hard for some of you to ‘stomach’. Especially, the pictures Rinpoche had posted. But then again, the truth is always difficult for us to swallow.

I don’t know why that is so.

May be it’s because we have been put into a comatose state of delusion for way too long.


Reflection for the last nine days from "IF NOT NOW, WHEN?" – Here we go. I close my eyes and I picked out page 099.

Quote from Page 099 for Day Eighty-Four :

“Why run away, avoid and deny? Why not give in to concern, acting for others, great love, generosity, offering of time, effort or care for others, acceptance, patience and calm abiding? That is who we really are...If Enlightenment is not within, then where might it be?


Don’t look for love. Create it with whoever you meet.


Don’t have ill motive for money, gain and possessions from others and you will gain others’ trust, confidence and help.


Don’t find and magnify your own endless problems but solve, listen to and find solutions for others’ turmoil.


Then you will grow within and without.”




Personal Thoughts and Feelings:

Great beautiful words, as always.

Sadly, many may not even relate to them or identify with them.

The caring and selfless make up the minority in today’s world.

I guess, in a world of self-serving delusional beings, the selfless truth seekers/upholders might seem like a bunch of stupid, mad, useless idealists.

Similarly, in a world intoxicated with madness, the sane few would look completely deranged.

Sobriety is a dirty word today.

As for me, I am still in rehab – recovering from my utter state of ‘drunkenness’.

Becoming awake is both painful, darn right exasperating and dreadfully challenging...I fall back and forth, up and down, some days I don't know if I winning or losing, but then I realised that waking up is the only thing worth doing.

Because this is the only thing I can take with me, life after life.

I rather invest in that.