Oh you are so HOLY!!!!! - Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

[adpaisley]

very very true indeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scaryethan]

It only shows how much Rinpoche cares!!!

[bhusukumode]

Today's practitioners have a lot of distractions and mostly come from a background of materialism and consumerism. Hence, we find that we bring that sort of attitude towards our practice and our relationship with our Guru. It is sad because in the end, we don't get the attainments because our motivation was wrong.

[Dungkar80]

What is holy and unholy is really subjective because many attribute holiness to external appearances but actually inner qualities like generosity, perseverance, etc etc.

[frozbyte23]

What is holy and not holy to us are merely concepts or conventions to us. Hence, a distant high Lama who comes once a year and only tells us nice things and never challenges us does not benefit us. Then the Lama who teaches us and challenges us all the time and has been very kind to us in so many ways but doesn't have a high throne or title. But he has been very patient and tells us off a lot to improve us. It is to this humble Lama, we prostrate to and pay obeisance.

[frozbyte23]

Conclusion:

This video is about the difference between a high Lama and an ordinary Lama? No difference when they both have compassion. However for us, the Lama who is near us and teaches us is according to his means is kinder than the High Lama who comes once in awhile. So we should stick to our Lamas who are near us.

[frozbyte23]

YSH!!!! You are so holy! - An acronym coined by Tsem Rinpoche to poke fun at those who are superficially holy.

[Dungkar80]

The message we send to our through our body, speech and mind is not as strong as that we send to ourselves. Why? Because what we send to others may be filtered, have double meaning etc. However, we ourselves know what our real intent and that fuels further habituation and we can't never lie to ourselves.

[ntadk]

thank you rinpoche for this direct teaching to our mind, i use to think i am holy like what you talk about in this video, very correct, i think attend few teaching or attend other lama with initiation is holy, which is not actually. i will need to follow what your instruction is, be kind to others, have compassion for others. that most likely is holy.

[Dungkar80]

If we can't see our Lama's good qualities, how can we see him as the Buddha Vajradhara when we actually receive initiations to practices that can alter our karma and decide our next rebirth?

[loafer108]

A real guru-discipline relation, the guru will challenge your mind that obstructed by negativities. The guru is helping us, he is like a mirror, to tell us what is wrong in our mind.

[yap7128]

Thank you Rinpoche, I always think I am holy, until this wake up all. If I don't want to start to learn dharma, I will continue to think I am holy by just attending few talk in a year without close to a guru. without accepting guru's challenge our mind.

[frozbyte23]

So the Lama who criticizes, the Lama who nags, the Lama who is mean, the Lama who is always hot-tempered to you. It means that Lama is extremely compassionate to you. - very touching and true lines. What Lama who has ulterior motive would do that to his students? They should be treasured and listened to.

[awgog]

what is we looking for in dharma practise? we have to think. thank you for this wonderful teaching.

[Dungkar80]

How fortunate it is to be taken cared for by Lama who takes care of us personally. How kind of the Lama and so therefore I heard about H E Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's book Gurus For Hire Enlightenment for Sale. I look forward to reading that book...

[Ninje08]

The real Guru-disciple relationship will challenge your mind whether the guru sits on high throne or not... i think this point is very important!

[parvaeres]

Of course, Callalis, you will collect negative karma. In dharma, it is all about intention. Whilst some may be able to do what looks like a negative action of body and speech but with good intent, no one can do what looks like a negative intent with good intent. Hope that makes sense

[callalils]

So if I am "sneaky" and make my Lama scold me in order to obtain purification quickly, do I collect negative karma instead?

[thedharmaprincess]

Well, the fact that you're being sneaky and undermining your Lama that way isn't very good in the first place!

Also, you burden your Lama by throwing the responsibility to him to purify your karma. Spiritual practice is about taking responsibility, so you take responsibility for purifying your karma also - hold your vows, engage in purification practices, do good work etc.

[thedharmaprincess]

By passing this responsibility back to the Lama help you obtain purification, you reinforce a selfish, lazy mind again that doesn't want to take the responsibility to do it yourself... and anything that reinforces that kind of mind does create "negative" karma because you're just allowing yourself to stay in your rehabituations and increase it.

[redlatties]

As is said in mundane lingo - "a rolling stone gathers no moss". Dedicate your life to practise with one Lama and gain positive results quickly.

[mrsdorjechang]

Thank you Rinpoche for making this topic so clear. You are right, so many of us think we are so "HOLY" going to many gurus when actually, we end up going nowhere!

I read similar teachings like this in your book, Gurus for Hire, Enlightenment for Sale. Thank you Rinpoche also for those teachings - it is a great guide for us trying to tred the thorny spiritual scene.

[nerokrusell]

Rinpoche's students are so lucky to have Him around all the time watching them all the time. True compassion conquers!

[jeanai1986]

Dharma is about looking inwards, to transform ourselves inwardly. If we guru-hop, we don't need to do that because there is no one to check us or scold us...we protect our ego by running around and by proclaiming this high lama and that high lama are our gurus. Ppl who don't know better will be impressed by that. Ppl who do know better will see through the show.

And when those people see through the show and expose those 'dharma' practitioners, they'll magically disappear to another centre! ;)

[jeanai1986]

Rinpoche has taught in the past that guru-hopping is a way for us to avoid facing ourselves. It is a reflection of our minds - our minds go this and that way. It cannot stay still and focus, cannot decide. We're selfish because we avoid having to devote ourselves 100% to any lama and to dharma.

[LTashi123]

Tashi Delek Rinpoche. I agree with what Rinpoche said. Rinpoche talks about real Dharma practice that many Tibetan Buddhists failed to understand, especially those who run from one centre to another. Rinpoche please live long and turn the wheel of Dharma.

[dabeisyin]

i hope someday i meet a really compassionately rude dharma master that can take my crap... in person.

[greatcanon]

since young my parents always take us to different temples and gurus for blessing, after watching Tsem Rinpoche teaching, i realise its better stick to one guru and master your knowledge, instead of 'shopping' around. I think its better to commit to one guru one teaching then 'wondering' without direction and clear objective!

[teliael]

same here!! it was more like visiting temples for fun rather than to learn the Dharma. Despite all the visits, my mind still never transformed and I was still a monster to people around me. It was only when I followed my Guru all the way that my mind started to transform. This video is so true, it's creepy...

[jeanai1986]

Yes definitely. We can get so confused by information from everyday sources because they appear to conflict one another, and we can make bad decisions based on that conflicting information. How much worse would it be to receive diff. teachings from many diff. gurus, and then ASSUME they are conflicting each other, when really it is us who doesn't t have the capacity to understand that they are actually the same teachings...and then we make bad decisions based on the non-existent conflict?

[jeanai1986]

If you see Rinpoche's other video teachings, or you check out the stuff on tsemtulkuDOTcom, you'll see that he has never encouraged guru-hopping. He has no hang-ups about whether you take him as your guru, or if you take refuge with someone else - it is not his objective to have thousands of students and many centres to gain praise for himself. He would much rather you found someone else who is your true root guru, take your refuge vows sincerely and devote yourself to him / her 100% :)

[redseb86]

why look for a lama that is far away, whom you only meet once a year when there are others who are nearer to you, who can train you up and give you more teachings? Wouldnt it be more intresting and more helpful to devote yourself to a teacher who is near and serving him as much as possible? neonlama(dot)com

[marinkun99]

If you have a lama that nags you, scolds you, shows you harshness and black face, ridicules you and put you down, then the lama is very kind because he is doing all those in order for you to change your attitude, while risking his reputation and your trust in him. He is truly selfless and kind!! so dont run away when he treats you like that!! neonlama(dot)com

[kyorantenshi]

to me it is very obvious that the Lama that is closest to you physically, which means a lama that you can meet and visit every day, or even better, a Lama whom you are serving as an assistant will help you transform your mind the fastest and is the most precious lama of them all. With such a Lama, there is no need for another. tsemtulku(dot)com

[redseb86]

It is not to say that it is wrong for people to keep running to a teacher, one after another, but it shows that they are not stable as they are unable to stick to one teacher. And mental stability is the key to stability in other parts of our lives. neonlama(dot)com has a lot of teachings that can be helpful in understanding the methods to be mentally stable.

[marinkun99]

Guru Devotion is so important but so many people keep forgetting about it. This Rinpoche has been so kind in reminding people about the kindness of their Lama, and how to repay it through his set of teachings called Gurus For Hire, Enlightement for sale at kechara(dot)com and neonlama(dot)com.

[kyorantenshi]

if the lama is always mean and extremely hot tempered to you, it means that the Lama has extreme compassion because what would he get out of doing that to you? He can always have new students when you leave. so think deeper whenever you feel that your lama has hurt you.

[Exorcist86]

now i understand why the Buddha didn't want to teach the world....

[teliael]

it's tough. there's all kinds of weird people out there and they'd probally misintepret all of the Buddha's teachings. This is why we have to be mindful of what we do and put in more effort to practice.

[Exorcist86]

i think the easiest way to start is to follow the advice of monks who can keep their 227 (theravada),250(mahayana)and 253 (vajrayana) precepts well. monks who find excuses to not follow the precepts are only making conveniences for themselves.

[teliael]

if you understand the basis of having vows, you would not use it as a yardstick. I'd rather use Dharma anytime and observe the actions of the teacher and see if he has the 10 perfections. That would be smarter.

[Exorcist86]

sometimes i think we laypeople are even smarter than the Buddha himself. He did not even use the word paramita/parami/perfection when he was alive. Nowadays, we can find his disciples outsmart him in many ways. even if we're to forcefully find "perfection" in any teachers, the first requirement is that the teacher must have "no self" or is an Arahant.

[teliael]

If lay people are smarter than the Buddha, then they should not be unhappy, even for a single moment when their posessions get stolen or when their loved ones die.

It sounds easy that we need to find an arahat to be our teacher, but how would you know how an arahat is supposed to be like? Many masters have said time and time again, that even if the Buddha were to appear, what makes you think you can identify him?

[Exorcist86]

I didn't say we have to look for an Arahant. All I said was to look for teachers who keeps their precepts well. Learning and "believing" monks who do not even keep their precepts will is suicide. As told by a monk, this kind of teacher will not bring you to Nibbana but instead he will bring you hand in hand to hell.

[teliael]

but then again, how well versed are we in the monks' precepts? because some precepts are provisional and can be changed with a council of 5 monks, while some cannot be changed under any circumstances. As laypeople, how can we determine or judge? In the Tibetan System, all monks have to be certified and approved by the abbot of the monastery. If the monk is okay with the abbot, then there is nothing wrong.Please do not confuse those of other cultures and traditions with tibetan Buddhism.

[Exorcist86]

I'm not talking about the tibetan tradition. I was refering to the "tradition" at the time of the Buddha. Haha, as laypeople we certainly do not have the power to determine monks' attainments but we definitely can use our eyes and ears to see and hear if they are keeping the precepts. for example, monks with extra possessions like cars, laptop or even money ( this isn't new, it's one of the reason why the sangha split more than 2000 years ago).

[teliael]

that's again a cultural barrier. I seem to get the same reply from theravardans around. It also stems from the lack of understanding of another tradition. In the Tibetan tradition, you are expected to offer up whatever you find the most pleasing to your teacher, so what is wrong with offering your teacher with cars and laptops? Of course this looks funny and out of place if I were to offer these to a Thai Monk, but to tibetans its something that is given.

[teliael]

from another point of view, the Buddha himself had to fit the Dharma within the cultural barriers of the Indians at that time. He had to put nuns at a lower status because to put them equal with men would be scandalous and outrageous at that era. With this in mind, we should examine what belongs to indian culture that becomes irrelevant in other cultures instead of accepting everything blindly and trying to live in the bibilical times.

[Exorcist86]

the buddha never belittle nuns, the sangha was treated equally. in mahayana, nuns or females are perceived as less capable than males either in sutras or talks. however, in the original tradition there was no such thing. therefore, the buddha was condemned for forming monastic nun sangha. if you want to know the real events or teachings please refer to the tipitaka. not the mahayana tipitaka. there are quite different even though they have the same name.

[redseb86]

If you have then you should that a senior old nun should pay respect to a young male novice. This is clearly stated in Theravardan scriptures and observed strictly.

[Exorcist86]

please refer to the most original tipitaka. sad to say that even the tipitaka today is polluted. for example, paramita was never mentioned by the Buddha but it found its way into the tipitaka under the abidhamma. there are many other things that we still need to filter out.

[redseb86]

what's with your obsession with purity? if you filter out all the cultural and dogmatic trappings, all you get is emptiness, the 4 noble truths and 12 dependent origins. The words and all those doctrines in between serve to bridge the gap between practice and theory.

You can have the purest teaching, but it benefits you not even one bit if all you do is hold on to it and not practice. When you practice, the purity of the teachings becomes somewhat irrelevant.

[nekoboy86]

that is why I find people who cry when they meet some high lama and run all the way to meet them but refuse to even go near lamas near them, and claim to be very spiritual blabla very funny and stupid. Also equally stupid are people who think "oh, my teacher is too hard on me! he's not the right teacher!" because they're too chicken to face themselves.

[signin24]

In case anyone else is wondering... the video's not broken, it starts with a slideshow!

[dabeisyin]

thanks.

[Bonjournina]

Rinpoche's teaching are always interesting and it's easy to understand. I've never thought dharma talk could be so interesting!

Thank you Rinpoche for all your teaching!

[dabeisyin]

i love this one too.

[heavydiesel]

Nice one Rinpoche :)

[sofia6lim]

Tsem Tulku is sincere guru. thk u !

[tktru]

Haha....Mr. Mao.

[nekoboy86]

it's mr ngeow

[ramblingvine]

Yeah, Tsem Tulku tells it like it is. This is really good stuff.

[pathrhino]

To have a real guru that knows you, not once a year, or once a week sitting quietly in the back. I recognize this superficial quality in myself. This teaching is valuable although a bitter pill for me to swallow. Thank you for being so direct in your point, it is well taken.

[Ataden]

I feel the same way too sometimes. It depends... our Lama doesnt know me, but the Nuns do cause I've attended their teachings. If I need additional or more detailed information I go to the Lama's teachings.

[redseb86]

the lama actually knows you the minute he or she knows you but then again if you cannot see him yet chances are you still need to purify some obscurative karma.

[Ataden]

It has nothing to do with purifying karma I could visit anytime but I dont have the money to go to nuns courses and lamas courses.