This interview is just one of the many that took place for “A New Generation of Buddhist Young Practitioners,” the cover feature of Mandala July-August 1998:

How did you first get into Dharma?

Greenfield: First we started out in Vietnamese Buddhism and began meditation when we were very young. My mom said ever since we were in her stomach we practiced, and she would pray. Then in 1990 we met Geshe Tsephel and began to practice Tibetan Buddhism.

Greenfield: Every Tuesday or Wednesday we would go into town and do group meditations. And daily recitations. We liked to get the offerings!

How often do you practice?

Greenfield: Almost every night. Sometimes I have a lot of homework and it goes late into the night, so I get a little tired.

Holly: I practice every night because I don’t have much homework.

Greenfield: We do Yamantaka retreat every winter vacation, for two weeks. We have done this for the past two years. We start on a Saturday or Sunday at 5 a.m. At about 8 or 9 my mom would serve us breakfast and we would practice again until lunch. My mom would serve us lunch and we practice again until dinner and again until 10 or so at night. We don’t stay in the temple all the time. We have the mala, and sometimes we would walk around the backyard and pray. Sometimes, if we get tired we would to up into our rooms where we have little altars, and we would do our practice there. We would practice about 12 hours a day.

In the summer we do other things.

Did you not feel so concerned with playing?

Greenfield: We like to play. I mean, sometimes practicing gets a little boring, but we know it is good for us, so we are kind of interested and like it. I have always appreciated this practice.

Holly: We like to do this instead of other things over Christmas because this has a purpose, but other things, like skiing or just playing all the time, don’t seem so important.

Greenfield: I think it strengthens our family to be able to do this sort of practice together.

How do you think your practice helps others?

Greenfield: When I practice, I visualize helping all people, all sentient beings, not just me in particular.

Which sufferings would you most like to take away?

Greenfield: Suffering in general. I just want all of it to be gone.

Holly: If people have some sort of disease or something like that. We pray for all sentient beings and take care of all of them.

What would you all like to do for jobs in the future?

Holly: I want to be a doctor, maybe work with kids.

Greenfield: I want to study architecture.

Do you think your Dharma practice will remain important throughout your lives?

Greenfield: Yes. I intend to keep it continuously throughout my life.

Holly: Yes.

Do you ever want to share with others about Dharma?

Greenfield: Yes. I really want to help people this way. In the texts it says all beings will eventually become a buddha. But if they keep an open mind, the chance to learn will come much easier. But some people are open-minded and some aren’t.

We’ve had a lot of people who have met my mom and have become interested in Tibetan Buddhism and come over every month or week. They come and practice together. Depending on what initiations they have, we help them with the practice. We like to practice with other people.

Holly: My friends don’t really ask me about it, so it never comes up. It’s not a big deal. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Who are you drawn to pray to?

Greenfield: I have a connection with Manjushri and Shakyamuni Buddha. Sometimes I ask Manjushri to help me when I’m studying. And when I see the sufferings of other people I pray to Shakyamuni Buddha. Also, since I see the Dalai Lama’s picture every day it’s like I know him.

Holly: I pray to Avalokiteshvara, and I hope to learn a lot more about other deities in the future.

Why would you pray to Manjushri to help you with your school work?

Greenfield: I visualize myself as Manjushri, and I become Manjushri, and Manjushri is enlightened, so I have knowledge.

Knowledge of what?

Greenfield: Knowledge is what I learn in school, it’s what I experience, it’s what I witness, it’s some things I read in books, or what my parents taught me – it’s everything.

What advantage do you have knowing the Dharma?

Holly: I think when I have Dharma it’s good because in my next life I might have a good life.

Greenfield: I feel it is special because I know I have found the right path. I can deal with problems more easily. I know how to remain calm more, and I don’t get so angry. I can become enlightened faster and end my karma. Also I can avoid suffering and prevent karma. I know what’s right and what’s wrong.

If you could talk with people who had no understanding of what the Buddha’s teachings were about, which part would it be?

Greenfield: I would teach them love and compassion because those are the basis of most religions. They are the whole point of religions – you become enlightened to teach others how to help each other. Love and compassion and sharing are important.

Holly: I would tell them about love and compassion because you have to know about it before anything else.

Why do you think meditation helps?

Greenfield: It’s a good way to reflect on karma and to understand it. You become very peaceful, quiet and calm, and it’s also a good time to learn when your mind is in that state. Some people learn better when they are quiet and calm.

Holly: Because you’re seeing people in that moment, and nothing is disturbing you.

When you do a practice like Yamantaka, what does it mean to you? What is special about it?

Holly: I don’t know much about sutra and tantra, but that practice is really powerful. It helps me reach enlightenment faster.

Greenfield: I don’t know much about it, but any practice is special. I think this practice might be harder, just like fifth grade is harder than first.

Is there any teaching you received from Geshe Tsephel that you find really inspiring?

Holly: I think Yamantaka is really inspiring for me. It takes a long time to do it, but after a while it’s really powerful. I started getting better grades after I finished the retreat.

Is Yamantaka something outside of you?

Holly: I think it’s something inside of me.

What does it do?

Holly: It helps me, like with my grades, and also wisdom, love and compassion – those are important.

If you could meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama, what would you ask or say?

Holly: I would say, “Hi, how are you?” and I would ask him if there is anything I could do to help him. I usually ask Geshe-la a lot of questions, so I don’t know what I would ask the Dalai Lama.

Greenfield: I would ask him if there is a quicker way to enlightenment, or if there is any way to purify my karma without having to pay it off (laughs)! I think I would ask him what emptiness [is], because that is confusing to me.

What part of the practice is most important to you?

Holly: Purifying negative karma and helping others.

Greenfield: All of it, because without one part of it, it wouldn’t be Dharma. You have to have all of it to be able to make everything Dharma.

What is the best way to purify negative karma?

Holly: Practice every single night.

Is there one thing you most like to meditate on?

Greenfield: I like tantric practice because it’s very challenging and I like challenges. The whole thing is very hard, because during retreat it is 12 or 14 hours of practicing.