September-October 1995

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN FPMT LAMA

Geshe Lhundrup Rigsel – known affectionately as Lama Lhundrup – is abbot of Kopan Monastery in Nepal, the first monastery established by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche in 1969.

At Kopan since 1972, Lama Lhundrup is mother and father to the 200 young monks: Tibetans as well as Sherpas, Manangpas, Tsumpas and others from the mountains of Nepal. He also takes care of the 100 Tibetan nuns of nearby Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery, who also study at Kopan.

Lama Lhundrup has also touched the hearts of the thousands of travelers who have stayed at Kopan over the years.

Ven. Fran Mohoupt asked Lama Lhundrup about his day.

These days it is quite busy here because most of the geshes are not here: Geshe Lama Konchog has been in Singapore and Hong Kong, Gegula is away and Umsela has gone to Sera Je in South India to be chant leader for two years. I get up in the morning at 5:30 or six; sometimes I stay up until 1:30 or two o’clock because of commitments. I just wake up, clean my room, offer different things, do three prostrations, and ask permission from Buddha [to do my prayers later]. Then I go to the morning puja and go around and check if all the monks are following (the nuns do puja in their own gompa), that everything is correct or not, and if it is not, then I make it correct.

At the moment I have to be the disciplinarian and the chant leader as well. The puja finishes maybe 7:30 or eight, then I have breakfast, just ten minutes, then I go quickly to check the boys who are memorizing their prayers and texts.

Then I go to my own class. I teach memorization from eight until nine o’clock, then I examine the boys on their memorization from nine till 9:30, prayers, some philosophy. Then the boys go to their Tibetan class, Tibetan grammar, Tibetan writing, also English.

At 9:30 I teach philosophy to the nuns, and then at eleven I teach philosophy to some older monks. At twelve o’clock we have lunch, then we have a rest. Sometimes I do some of my prayers then.

At 1:45 class starts again, then I go around and check the classes to see if all the monks are there. I don’t check directly, I ask the teacher and he tells me who is missing, then I go and check. I check what his particular job is that day, or if he is sick, whatever. If they are sick, then did he get medicine or not, did he get food or not.

In the afternoon I teach, but also I need some time for myself because I have to study in preparation for class. From four o’clock I teach three philosophy classes, then at seven I have dinner. Then we start again at 7:40 with philosophy class, first some prayers, chanting, then debate. Meanwhile, the younger boys recite what they have memorized and the lama gyupa students, the monks learning the tantric rituals, recite together and learn chanting.

I need to go to debate class from nine until ten, 10:30, to look, to help. They finish at 11 p.m. or so, then they go to bed. I go to my room and I do my commitments; in the morning I have only short time for a few prayers. Often I don’t get to bed until 1:30 or two. In between I see visitors. I try to give them whatever they need.

My main job is to make sure that all the monks have a good education and develop a good attitude, then we are fulfilling Lama Yeshe’s wishes. So in the end, all these young boys, after they finish classes, after fifteen years, they know at least Tibetan language, writing, reading, also general philosophy, so they can become translators, teachers, whatever. I want them to be good quality, to have a good heart; yes, this is my aim. My role is a little bit like father.

I like very much to work, I am very happy working. Before, I wanted to do long retreat, I was planning for that, but I didn’t get the chance. This is Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa’s main monastery; they have no time, so I need to do this work for them. With that I am very happy.

I knew Lama Yeshe in Tibet, we were in the same house at Sera Je. And then in Buxa, Lama has some big rooms, and I asked Lama if I could stay with him, and he accepted. I cooked for him and for Rinpoche. Then I requested Lama to please teach me philosophy. Lama accepted, and he taught me.

Then after Lama went to Darjeeling I went to Mysore in the south, to the new Sera to work. Lama wrote me a letter from Kopan in 1972: “I have some monks, can you teach them? If so, then please come.” I sent Lama a message saying that I didn’t have enough knowledge to teach, but that I would like very much to see him, perhaps for three months – then I could teach effortlessly! So I went straight away.

The abbot at Sera said to me, “You have got permission for only three months, so when you arrive there you tell him that you cannot stay any longer, and then you immediately come back.”

So I went to Kopan, and Lama said, “You must become teacher for the boys.”

So I have stayed for twenty-three years.