Palyul Times (PT): Tashi delek! Venerable Khenpo, firstly, would you please give us a brief introduction about yourself?
Khenpo Tashi Tsering (KTT): To say something about myself, my birthplace is in one of the four sacred places concealed by the “Lotus-Born” (Guru Padmasambhava) that is situated near a place called Kimlung, North Nepal. I was born there in 1958. I stayed with my family till the age of nine. At about the age of nine, I met with the master Tsewang Norbu, who was one of the close disciples of Bodtrul Dongak Tenpei Nyima, a great master from the nineteenth century. He took care of me and until the age of nineteen I learned to read and write, and did some nominal practices on the generation and completion stages of the heart essence teachings and others. At the age of twenty, I had an opportunity to meet and have an audience with my master of many lifetimes, the wish-fulfilling jewel,[1] His Holiness Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche.
Under the compassionate guidance of His Holiness, I have received many empowerments and oral transmissions of the canonical teachings, treasure teachings and the teachings from pure vision from the two great abbots of Namdroling monastery and other great lamas from within and outside of the monastery.
I studied for nine years at the institute founded by the wish-fulfilling jewel of all, H.H. Penor Rinpoche, with utmost interest. However, I could not get the best from my study due to my dull intellect. Nevertheless, during the nine years of study, I didn’t receive even the smallest punishment from the disciplinarians. This is a fact that I feel proud of because among my Dharma friends there was no one who had not received a punishment.
During my stay at the institute, I did not spend my time in leisure. Starting from small work like cleaning, I tried to render service to the Buddhadharma. I also served as a chopon,[2] assistant chant master, japon,[3] cook, head disciplinarian, restaurant manager and kyorpon.[4] After the completion of my studies, I was appointed as the treasurer, and later on as the vice chairman and the chairman of the board of the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute.
I taught for a long period of time at Namdroling Monastery and after that, till today, I have been trying to render service to a small monastery of the Palyul lineage with about one hundred monks and to the Ngagyur Memorial School with about five hundred and thirty students.
PT: Generally, before the twentieth century, it is very clear that there were many noble beings who upheld and propagated the Buddhadharma widely in the Himalayan regions. However, these days it seems as if most of the activities are focused on building structures like monasteries, stupas and statues of buddhas as an outer display. So, it is very rare to find a person whose age and spiritual accomplishments are balanced. Therefore, would you please share your thoughts on this and what might be the cause of such an environment?
KTT: It is true that there appeared several noble beings who upheld the Buddhadharma by rigorous practice and meditation before the twentieth century. Nevertheless, even today, there are many masters who are silently practising. We encounter them in the caves of snowy and rocky mountains and valleys.
Maybe due to the lack of technology, there were not many constructions of religious sites before like there are today, even if some people wished to do so. But nowadays, the development of outer materials is substantial and highly effective. So, I feel it is very important to build the three sacred objects of reverence[5] because through this we can accumulate worldly merit, and also building sacred objects falls under the action wheel of Dharmic activity out of the threefold practice of Buddhism. Therefore, it doesn’t contradict the teachings of Buddha.
However, I feel that due to so much focus on the outer display there might occur some faults in the inner practice and meditation.
PT: Today the study of Buddhism has reached its peak; however, there are many monks who disrobe and become laypersons. May we have your opinion on whether this is because of the inability of Buddhist study to provide a real livelihood? Or are there other reasons?
KTT: I think it might be due to the different mentalities of the monks of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
Before, whether the monks received the certificate of lama, tulku and khenpo or not, there were very few of them who disrobed to lead a worldly life. Instead most spent their lives as monks, accepting a poor and simple lifestyle.
The situation of the monks of the twenty-first century is completely opposite to the former one. There is no certainty that one will be given the title of lama, tulku or khenpo even if one stays in monastery for a long period of time and even after completing the studies, the monks don’t receive valid certificates. Moreover, the monks think that their respective government won’t recognise the certificates given by their monastery, so, the number of monks abandoning the monkhood increases.
The remedy for this, in my personal opinion, is that every monastic administration should, at all times, try to produce a certificate in accordance with the tradition of the contemporary world that is acceptable to one’s government without contradicting the monastic discipline and Dharma practice.
PT: In today’s world, it seems that the other traditions put exceptional effort into gathering monks. Do you feel that our monastery is failing in this aspect? Please share with us your concerns on this subject.
KTT: In my opinion, generally there is no big difference in gathering or not gathering monks since this would not make much difference to them.
However, if the monastery provides an education relevant to the modern world and if the certificates dispensed by the monasteries are accepted by their governments, then the monks will naturally gather around.
PT: Since Khenpo has been away from this monastery for so long, could you please tell us about how other monasteries and communities look upon Namdroling Monastery?
KTT: It is actually true that due to the unsurpassable force of the wish-fulfilling lord, Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche, practitioners of other Dharma traditions usually utter words of praise. Moreover, the one with supreme authority, the saviour of men and gods, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “Namdroling Monastery of Mysore is magnificent in terms of its outer structures and inner education. It is splendid both outside and inside.” Moreover, when His Holiness Drubwang Penor Rinpoche was alive, his sincere students invited many chief lamas from outside in order to confer empowerments. They also invited learned ones who firmly established the tenets of the Ngagyur Nyingma by giving teachings to the monks.
Since we are the followers of the Ngagyur Nyingma and H.H. Drubwang Pema Norbu, we should give priority to the practices of monastic rites and rituals, ritual dance, drawing mandalas, chanting practices and others that accord with the way of our tradition. The monks studying in the institute must invite the scholars and enthusiastically strive to minutely clear up the difficult points of the teachings in general, and particularly the teachings of the omniscient Longchen Rabjam, without just piling up the texts in front of their altars. I feel that it is time for the monk officials, whether high or low, to work hand in hand, bearing this responsibility equally.
PT: About five hundred lopons and khenpos have been sent to different parts of India, Nepal and Bhutan to teach. How are they affecting the regions and communities of the Himalaya?
KTT: If we take into account the Buddhadharma, surely they are bringing great changes. This is because even if the people of the Himalayan regions are mostly born intelligent, due to the lack of good leaders and guidance they have been falling behind. But now, because of the kindness of learned scholars, most of the individuals are able to find the rungs of the ladder and step up. This is a great result and I feel that if our intelligence is accompanied by good guidance, we can lift our spirit.
PT: Although there are many khenpos and teachers who have completed their studies, it is still a bit small in number if we think from the perspective of the larger communities and institutions of the Himalaya. Therefore, do you feel the need to boost and upgrade the number of graduates and khenpos for those who are in shortage of them?
KTT: In order to boost the quality and number of scholars, all the graduates must work together. I personally feel that if they could start a PhD course on Longchenpa’s tenets of Mantrayana in general and particularly of the Heart Essence teachings of the Great Perfection, through which we could independently establish the distinct view of the Mantrayana, then there would be an upgrade in the quality and quantity of the scholars.
PT: Finally, we
would like to thank venerable Khenpo for sparing time for this interview
session. May you benefit the Buddhadharma and sentient beings without
obstruction. Thank you!
[1]. Honorific way of addressing a highly respected person.
[2]. An assistant who helps in making offerings during rituals.
[3]. A person who is assigned to blow the trumpet during certain rituals.
[4]. A learned student who provides review for the lower classes.
[5]. Those of body, speech and mind: temples, statues, and stupas.
