There's No Way But Up

Bouddhanath Stupa                                             Kechara Lounge @ Bouddhanath Some friends just returned from Nepal and they got me dreaming about Nepal. I would like to go to Nepal too but I guess I can't afford it…

(This account of Gaden Monastery was given in Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen's biography in http://www.tdling.org/teacher. The description is so vivid, I had tears well up in my eyes just from reading it. Wow!) Geshe-la set out on the thirty-three day trek across twenty-five mountain passes, the only monk in a party of fifteen merchants and pilgrims. Near…

I love Christmas. I know it is over along with Boxing Day and I know some of you guys are still reeling from a hang over after all the drunken binges, partying and holidaying. Well, I myself didn't get much of a chance to party except for a nice massage on Christmas eve. That was…

Last Saturday, Kechara Paradise had a stock party of all the Buddha images and stuff that they have brought back from a recent trip overseas. It was held at the new Kechara House Gompa. It was really exciting and beautiful collection of sacred statues. Here are some of my favourite statues that I wished I…

Here is the grand audience room of H. E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche in the new KH Gompa. This is where he meets guests and so the throne is knee-high to make it more 'accessible' to talk with people privately. The silver staff on the left side is a monk's staff to denote the Lama is…

After the brief visit to the Arowana fish farm, we had a delicious vegetarian lunch and planned our visit to Kek Look Tong cave temple. We were rather worried because it started to rain midway through our meal but it died down not long after. So, Seng Piow armed with his GPS 'thing-a-magic' led the…

Enshrined within the new KH Gompa are three large statues of Lama Tsongkhapa, Vajrayogini and Setrap. Combined, there would be a staggering 493.4 billion Buddha images within these three statues. These images are actually stored upon 27 hard disks collectively and placed within the statues.  Here are how the actual Buddha images (stored within the…

I was at a fantastic Liaison’s meeting yesterday and just before the meeting began, Rinpoche gave a wonderful little explanation about how the Buddhas will manifest on the very same spot and how we can connect with them in our future lives. He said Buddhist thought matches scientific explanations of the Big Bang and the…

Lady luck must have been shining down on me because I received an sms invitation to H. E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s ‘cave’ last night. (I know Rinpoche would probably laugh at my apparent enthusiasm!) When I got there, he told me that I will be joining him in a Medicine Buddha puja for sick Mumu…

Alas, Paris and Sharon Saw are back in KMP office today after a 3 week hiatus. Naturally, they were touring America like a rockstar troupe. Well, not everything is rock’n’roll as they were doing some serious interviews and research on Rinpoche’s background in America. The research, video footage, photos and contacts would lead to amazing…

Back in school, I learned during history class that Hindu-Buddhist beliefs were once widespread throughout the Malay archipelago (that includes modern-day Malaysia). The Indian traders and merchants brought over their beliefs, culture and religion as they were blown over by the Indian Sea winds. All that changed when the king of Chola from India attacked the…

We just celebrated Rinpoche’s birthday last night at the main Kechara House’s prayer hall, which is also affectionately known as KH1. The hosts for the event, Margaret Lee and Dino (for Chinese) pointed out that it would the last major event held at KH1. I don’t know about everyone there but I felt a wave…

My friend shared that his siblings were giving him a hard time because he just joined Kechara as a full time staff a few months back. They were Christians but they didn't use the religious card. However, they harped on his financial capability to support his kids and their future. At this point, he was…

1.  I recently had a nice interview with Jojo Struys in Kechara Paradise Bangsar store. She is a pretty girl, speaks well, is street-smart and seemed deeper than her makeup. It is part of StarProperty's efforts to have us in it with her talking about Buddhist art. I love Buddhist art, especially Tibetan Buddhist art….

  His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche was the Junior Tutor to H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama ( This is an amazing account of the leading Lamas of the last century. Many teachings, scriptures and Tantric lineages survived because of this great Lama. Spiritually, we consider him an emanation of Vajrayogini and Heruka. He is a…

  The best anyone can do if not enlightenment for now, is to gain mastery over taking rebirth coupled with developing Three Principle Paths. Where you want to take rebirth can be determined by yourself if you practice the sacred Vajra Yogini Tantra thoroughly. * Start now before you are awarded the Vajra Yogini empowerment…

Check out the wonderful design!!!! It is so beautiful! Lama Tsongkhapa's sacred practice will now be disseminated through out the world in style! Lama Tsongkhapa's practice condenses the efficacy of 3 great Buddhas: -  Manjushri for wisdom & intelligence                              + Avalokiteshvara/…

Recently Kechara House has been engaging in a Lamrim recitation retreat to create the cause for the new Kechara House Gompa to arise. Just imagine KH1 and KH2 combined together to form into one massive temple in Sunwaymas! Yup, that’s whats going to happen in the near future. Such a massive project require certain pujas…

Prince Siddhartha’s renunciation is often interpreted as removing worldly clinging to his wife, family, inheritance, power and glory. He knew he couldn’t really help his wife and family from the ravages of sickness, old age and death. So, out of great compassion he has towards his wife and family that he went out to the world and sought a…

I just had a wonderful dream last week and fortunately, I could still remember it. In my slumber, I was transported by the power of my dream to a strange place.  As I tried to orientate myself to the new location, I realised that I was in a sort of waiting lounge of an airport….

Last weekend, Rinpoche gave an amazing talk and bestowed refuge upon a very fortunate bunch of refuge-seekers. It brought back some warm and fuzzy memories for me as I recalled my own refuge. It was many years ago and the funny thing was that I didn't receive refuge with Rinpoche first. That was because I…

This is extracted from a fantastic teaching that H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche gave in 2004 at a  Dzambala retreat. Dzambala was a yaksha, a type of being that existed before that is very fat, very short and very stout and very strong. They are celestial and they have the power of wealth. They are very, very…

The other death that I heard recently was of Kyabje Kensur Lati Rinpoche. I am not a direct student of this great master but he is amongst my lineage Lamas because he is one Rinpoche's great teachers.  I know very little of him except through the amazing stories I heard from Rinpoche's sharing and teachings….

Tantra, that ubiquitous term is often used and misused in equal measures. Unfortunate for some, Tantra is not about sex per se. However, there is a lot of sensual, sexual and somewhat primal references and imagery in Tantra. This is particularly so in Buddhist Tantra and I am not going to go into Hindu Tantra because…

KMP and KD had seen a flurry of busy people like little elves hurrying about and doing their best to get the Chinese version of the Vajrayogini book out. The Chinese Vajrayogini may seem like just a translation but it is not just a mere translation as it took a lot of hard work. Translation…

  A warm photo of Rinpoche and myself at Naropa's cave in Nepal 2008  Over the years, I had so many amazing moments with Rinpoche that is really too much to write everything in just one blog post. It has been about seven years of knowing Rinpoche. That's right, seven years. I knew Rinpoche even…

I love Vajrayogini and I remember that I was so moved and inspired by her on the pilgrimage led by H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche in 2008. The pilgrimage consisted of many sacred places including 4 ancient temples of Vajrayogini in the Kathmandu valley. The numerous teachings that Rinpoche gave during the pilgrimage later became the…

H. E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche has a wonderful way of whipping egos into shape. A master of skillfulness, Rinpoche often have many ego-busting tricks under his maroon sleeveless sleeve. Since I have a bit of karmic luck to be in such close proximity with the Lama, I am often subject to many of his wonderful…

I love this Vajrayogini statue the most out of the many ancient statues featured in the Vajrayogini book. Just look at her face! Her three beautiful eyes seemed to be staring back from a different time and place. Every time I see her face, I always get a little excited and a little mesmerised. This…

This is my hero and he currently rests on my office desk constantly watching benevolently and gracefully upon me as I work away on my laptop. In his heyday, my hero was known by his nickname, Bhusuku or three lower actions – namely eating, sleeping and defecating. Well, that was all that everybody saw him…