A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN FPMT LAMA

Sera Je Khensur Kangurwa Lobsang Thubten was resident lama at Buddha House in Adelaide, South Australia, for six years until early 1995. Rinpoche returned to Adelaide this year at the strong request of his students there.

I was born in Rongba-dsa, in Domay region of Kham in Eastern Tibet in 1924. At the age of seven I entered Dhargye Monastery to train as a monk, and at 18 I left for Lhasa to enter Sera Je Monastery. There, my main teacher was Geshe Ugyen Tseten, and I also studied with other teachers such as Geshe Lobsang Tuktok and Geshe Dondrup Tobgyal. I took both novice and full ordination from Jamgon Phurbachok Rinpoche. While at Sera I had many students of my own. In 1959 whilst studying Abhidharma, I fled Tibet with many other refugees. Until 1966, I remained at Buxa within a group of 500 monks from the three great Gelug monasteries as well as the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya traditions. Also that year, after 24 years of study, I completed the lharampa geshe degree.

In 1972, I was selected by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to give the oral transmission of the Kangyur, the Buddhist canon, in Dharamsala. The transmission is done once or twice a generation and takes about six months, and approximately 400 people attended. In 1973, I became the master of discipline at Sera Je Monastery, once it was established in south India, as well as founding the Sera Je School as its first principal and took charge of the training of new students. In 1978, I undertook a three-year Vajrayogini retreat.

In 1982, I taught for six months at Tushita Meditation Center in Delhi, and at this time Lama Yeshe asked me to teach at his center in England. However, I was appointed abbot of Sera Je Monastery by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I held this position for five years, and the following year went to Kopan Monastery where I taught for six months. Lama Zopa Rinpoche then requested me to come to Adelaide, South Australia in September of 1988. I taught at Buddha House for six years, traveling to other states as well. I returned to India for two years, and came back to Australia this year.

In teaching Westerners, a different approach from the monastery is necessary. In general, it is better to give brief pithy instructions of more immediate benefit. In that regard, teachings of lam-rim, mind training, and brief expositions of emptiness are beneficial. Deity practice, such as Chenrezig, Tara, Manjushri, Heruka, Cittamani Tara, Vajrayogini, etc. are also recommended.

When teaching in monasteries, it is possible to study the five major topics in great depth, because students are not hampered by language barrier, interpretation difficulties and they have a lifetime of experience in Buddhist philosophy. Especially in the debate environment, it is possible to explore the meaning of scripture in great detail. Since Western students are intelligent and energetic, in the future it is possible that their studies will improve and develop to incorporate the five major areas of Buddhist studies, and they will be qualified as Buddhist masters similar to the current system of geshe.

At present, conducive conditions for the survival of monks and nuns are incomplete in the West, and it is difficult for those ordained in the West to maintain their studies and practice. I hope that support for the ordained community will increase so that they can continue. Further, it is good to support both those whose studies are progressing well, whether lay or ordained, male or female, for the general benefit of the growing Buddhist community. Such people are a resource to the community and should be encouraged, supported and assisted.

I get up between 4 and 5 a.m. and make water bowl offerings, prostrations, recite prayers and commitments. Then at 7 a.m. I take tea and breakfast and until 10 a.m. continue with meditation. From 10 until noon I read texts. At 12 I have lunch and then a short rest. In the afternoon I have tea and then attend to other duties such as writing letters. On Monday afternoons from 4:30 until 6:30 I have interviews; Tuesdays teachings from 7:30 until 9:15 p.m.; and then occasional retreats, pujas, weekend courses, interstate tours, blessings of houses, flag raising ceremony (creating awareness in Australia of the situation in Tibet and the refugees in India and the importance of preserving the wisdom culture of Tibet). I recently consecrated wealth vases at the meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Geshes’ Conference in Melbourne at Tara Institute.

I was a panelist at a recent gathering of Western philosophers at the University of Adelaide on the subject of Mind and World: Cognitive Science and Buddhist Philosophy. Other panelists included Professor Jay Garfield (Head of Philosophy, University of Tasmania) and Gyuto Khensur Lobsang Tenzin Rinpoche. At the conference, the questions were excellent, and centered on psychology and consciousness. Since within Buddhist Dharma the nature of the mind is very clearly explained, especially the function of the main mind and secondary minds, it is of great benefit for those within the scientific community to examine the Tibetan tradition of Buddhist mind training. It is also important to properly translate the various terms describing states of mind in Tibetan to English to grant access to those interested in these topics.