Rimpoche

Last night I was fortunate enough to be able to hear Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan speak in Tulsa at Congregation Fellowship Church. Rinpoche is an honorific title in the Tibetan language which means, "precious one." This particular Rinpoche is the Abbot of the Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in India which is the main monastery of the Dali Lama. As far as Tibetan Buddhism goes, this lovely fellow is one of the most exhalted of spiritual leaders living today. The teachings that he transmits have been handed down over hundreds of years from Lama to Lama in an unbroken lineage and are as close as one can get to the original pure form of Tibetan Buddhism. What a privilege it was to hear him speak!

Rinpoche is an elderly gentleman who bears a STRIKING resemblance to my own late grandfather, Wayne Mix. He speaks English with heavy Tibetan accent, which I was able to understand by sitting on the front row and listening very intently. Dressed in red and golden robes, he walked up to the stage, beaming like Miss America the entire time! He removed his shoes before going up on stage, but kept his fluffy red socks on, walked to the lounge chair in the middle of the stage, and curled up in it cross-legged. Next, he opened up his brown, cloth bag and took out a shiny, gold lamay, spiral-bound notebook, and a bright, golden, cloth-wrapped something-or-other. After arranging everything on the table before him, he put on the microphone and proceded to greet us with a bow and an invocation prayer in Tibetan. Finally, he unwrapped the mysterious gold cloth covered package. Inside was a book, bound in what appeared to me to be green leather. From the front row (yes, I'm a TOTALLY nerdy, front row student) I could see the writing on the pages and recognized it to be Tibetan. The book was longer and narrower than a typical western book, and when he opened it up to read from it, I noted that the spine was lying horiontally, rather than virtically. He flipped the pages up and down instead of side to side.

Rimpoche began by reviewing what he had already covered in two previous lessons, which I was could not attend. Then he began the body of his discussion for the evening. His taught his lesson with eloquence, humility, joy, humor, and an absolute sense of conviction born of decades of personal experience of walking the path of Tibetan Buddhism. Although he taught much more than I can write in this blog, I would like to relate two of his key concepts. First, there are no things outside of us that cause suffering. There is only the EGO within us which causes the suffering in reaction to events. Second, EVERY time that we experience a negative emotion, we should say a quick prayer of thanks, because it is through experiencing these little burrs under our saddles that we are reminded to get back on the spiritual path, the point of which is to end suffering! Some consider the end of suffering to be enlightenment... in case you were wondering ; )

For Rimpoche and every PRACTICING Buddhist with whom I've ever been acquainted, these teachings are not simply something to be heard and believed with blind, unquestioning faith. Rather, everything taught in Buddhism is meant to be practiced, lived, experienced and KNOWN! Rimpoche's talk for me was a beautiful reminder of teachings which I had once studied and, for a time, practiced quite regularly. Somehow, over the course of the past few years, I've gotten sidetracked from the study and practice of Buddhist teachings and meditations; however, much of these principles have stayed with me and have become a part of my character, makeup, and way of relating to the world. I've been fortunate to be able to pursue many avenues of spiritual growth and development. The conclusion I've reached is that if I'm not moving forward, I'm sliding backward. The more effort I put in, the more peace and serenity I receive. The more I give, the more I get in return. I guess in conclusion, what I really mean to say is, "IT WORKS IF YOU WORK IT, ERIC!"