Young tulkus give contemporary advice
Young tulkus give contemporary advice
Ven. Tenzin Rabchog from South Australia recently filmed interviews at Sera Monastery in South India with four young tulkus – Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, Ling Rinpoche, Charok Rinpoche, and Gomo Rinpoche. They offered young people practical advice for overcoming problems, finding happiness, and making the most out of their lives. In excerpts from these interviews by contributors Allys Andrews and Ven. Roger Kunsang, we see snapshots of lamas-in-the-making, just beginning their ascension as future lights of the tradition yet already blessed with remarkable insight.
Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, 22, is studying toward his geshe degree at Ganden Jangtse monastery in South India. He is the reincarnation of Kyabje Tsenshab Serkong Tugse Rinpoche (1914 – 1983) who was born in southern Tibet and whose father was one of Tibet’s outstanding masters.
He spoke to Allys Andrews about drugs and alcohol:
Allys Andrews: Rinpoche, sometimes young people are influenced by friends who are engaged in negative activities, like taking drugs, smoking, even criminal activities, and it can be very difficult for them to take themselves away from that situation. Does Rinpoche have some advice about how to develop strength to stay away from friends who aren’t helpful?
Serkong Rinpoche: All of this comes about because some people really don’t know themselves very well. Some people don’t get what they want, and some people do it because they have lost their hope. But the best way to avoid this is to think deeply before doing what they are going to do.
Even if you are not happy, drinking alcohol might make things okay for a while, but by the next morning your time has gone quickly, and you have to face the problem again.
It’s really difficult to answer this because people who do this are not that stupid. They really know that they are wasting their lives. Even if they know it is inappropriate or illegal, if you ask them when they are engaged in the action, “What are you doing, do you really want to do this or not?” they say, “I really don’t want to do it, but I can’t stop myself because of my background and my problems.” The people who engage in negative actions need to recognize that if there is no other way, then okay, we have nothing to say, but in fact there is something they can do to solve their problems…
This article is an excerpt of the full article printed in Mandala
