Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. A yard-long log thrown hard onto stone paving signals the nine o’clock assembly — one of many vivid details Khensur Rinpoche shares in this 86-minute conversation recorded at Buddha House on New Year’s Eve 1988. Speaking through a translator, he reconstructs the daily timetable at Sera Monastery in Tibet: pre-dawn prostrations and communal puja, three hours of group memorisation, morning and afternoon debate sessions supervised by a monitor (Gegen) who disciplined inattentive students, an evening puja with all monks assembled in ranked lines, then late-night recitation scattered around the courtyard — some monks staying until midnight or beyond. Rinpoche notes he was rarely beaten because he studied well, sometimes sitting up all night. He closes by observing that Sera-in-exile now runs on a much looser schedule.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 12 RS 1988 12 31.mp3
UUID: ff4e5291-99e1-46a6-a188-308b9038ad26
Teacher: Khensur Rinpoche
Collection: Rinpoche's Story (Khensur Rinpoche)
Date: 1988-12-31
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 86.3 minutes
Words: ~4,072
So so the the Indians were surprised. They were surprised that they came that way. And the Indians were very surprised. Tenzin did say that they had two donkeys when Rinpoche escaped. Rinpoche, while we were walking, that they they had sacks of tsampa and it was so cold.
It was really cold and at times it was snowing. And for warmth, he slept on top of the sacks of tsampa. It’s now Saturday the thirty first of December nineteen eighty eight, and I’m going down to Buddha House to talk some more with Khensur Rinpoche in his room with Tenzin translating. Just forget it then. You forget.
We stopped when Rinpoche was talking in Lhasa. He was learning debating and he had many hardships when his food ran out. One here. In one year, then One year? Yeah.
In in one year. Yes. Then This year, when I get here, and debating one one month’s debating, time then empty. Mhmm. Then we call it.
Yeah. It’s empty. Empty. Yeah. Then we just memorizing time.
Then One week? Two weeks? Two times. One Then now now it is in Sera We want we want to yeah. College.
We want to that one. Then this break time, then then it will start comes in. Comes in? Yeah. Do in.
Break time. Break time. When they are break, then it will start to come in. They Listen to. This is break time.
Okay. This this means? Yeah. Comes in. Deko comes in break time.
Yeah. We wake up morning five, five thirty. Mhmm. Then we wanna go and at the monastery, the temple, prostration. Mhmm.
Then it start manja. Manja? Manja. Manja. What’s manja?
Manja means all together. All monks. In Sera, they’re all monks together. Start puja. Sera Je or Sera May as well?
Or? First is start manja. Five thirty, prostration, then we wanna go on this. They start manja. Manja means all monks together.
Oh, from all all the colleges? Yeah. All colleges. Oh, many. Yeah.
Then finished six thirty, probably. Then we come back. Mhmm. We come back. Mhmm.
We come back in. We memorizing in text. We memorizing on nine o’clock. Six thirty To nine. Yeah.
Six thirty till nine. Nice. So what what was it? You’re looking up one word, are you? Yeah.
This is when they’re memorizing text, is it? Or what? No. Then nine six thirty and six thirty to nine o’clock Yeah. We we memorizing.
Yeah. They do comes and they have three class. Uh-huh. I think this one, no, I’m not sure. Never mind.
The three combined topics. Three incorporated wisdoms. The three combined topics. Tri t r I p I n d a r t h a. Never mind.
We can find that out later, so don’t worry. Yeah. As long as we get as much as we can today. Yeah. It doesn’t matter.
Then there are two three class. Dura, Chumkwa. Dura? Dura. Yeah.
Chumkwa. Chumkwa. Chumkwa. Small and medium and this shape of Chumkwa. Large?
Large. Yeah. This in numbers. Oh, yeah. Months.
The yeah. The class. Yeah. Few class. Okay.
Then these three class, they have one one class each. They have we call it Gegen. Gegen. Gegen. Then then Gegen.
This large class, they are one they also each children, but this large large class, this they start they start they they shout, shout. The time. Yeah. They start Dhih then also. Then all monks come Oh.
To together. Oh. From the three classes? Three class, then more Shum Sarva. Shum Sarva?
Shum Sarva. Yeah. Shum Sarva means one class. Oh, they come to one? Yeah.
Yeah. Then last this start Dhih, then they all come small, medium, large, then other one, Shum Saba. The this four class come in They come together then class class. And they say Dhih. Yeah.
No. No. First is that the then they all come for class. Yeah. They come for class, then separate class class, four class.
Then they start debating. Oh, right. Good. Then they have two who comes in. They have one.
And what does he do? He he leaves his throat. Throat? His he leave his tongue. Yeah.
Then Then his Gegkidra Shakra. Gegkidra Shakra. He lives where? His seat or throne. His seat or throne.
Yeah. Then he teach all each class. Uh-huh. Other one class, you put here. Oh, four?
Four class. What’s the other one? Means new. Oh. Alright.
So there’s four classes, not three? Four class. But this class not listen for Sushageshi. Oh, I see. Only the other three.
They this only they’re dividing. They leave dividing. Then he’s teaching first large class. Yeah. Uh-huh.
Staging. Mhmm. Yeah. Then those class also listen. Then the medium class.
Then medium. And then the small one. Then small one. Good. Well, that’s fine.
Before we this those class, we stay inside. Then after his teaching, then we come back around. It’s all one class class each. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
They stay around. In a circle? Yeah. Circle. Just round.
Yeah. Yeah. Then what what about the Tipshakin Geshe’s teach? Then they all what? We practice.
Yeah. And also together discuss. Talk. Yeah. Discuss.
Discussion. No. No. Discussion. No.
Discuss with memorizing. Oh, learning. Yeah. Learning. Learn.
Yes. Yeah. Uh-huh. Chance. Talk.
Then the Gegen comes in. They have one comes in. Khamzun? Gegen. Gegen.
Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah. Then he comes, they look this for class. Mhmm.
It comes they look Mhmm. Go ahead. They’re also looking also they what? They’re looking for For mistakes? People not practicing properly?
He is looking for all this for class. Yeah. Then some people, are not Yeah. Memorizing. And they’re not talking.
Then he’s Yeah. He whacks them. Yeah. I understand. So it makes them Max.
Max. Do more to memorize. Must be still like that in India too? Yeah. It hasn’t changed?
Do you get whacked as well? Oh, many. Okay. Ninety, seventy, five, four seventy five, eighty three, then many. Many paintings?
Yeah. My one teachers, other one teachers. Yeah. Is what? Don’t know.
Chained? Yeah. He chained and then he chained. You? Yeah.
He tied you up. Yeah. Then I but what about I memorizing? Then I examination for him. Then not not going then.
Not him, other one. Did that happen to Rinpoche also? Yeah. Rinpoche sometimes he bit. He get No.
No. He don’t stand. He’s sometimes hungry. Yeah. You know, pie, glass, What did you say?
I understand. What? You Pair? Yeah. Pair color.
Color? You know? Glasses case. Glasses cover. Yeah.
Glass. Yeah. Oh, I haven’t gone. Yeah. Oh, no.
Glasses case. Wack you with the glasses case. No. No. It is not leather.
Oh. It is what? Metal. Metal. He have metal, then he stay on the bed, then I’m memorizing.
Oh, Right. Then sometime I’m asleep. He throws it at you. Then all together they Memorize. They finish.
Yeah. Then we Then we come back each class. We stay. Line, then In a straight line? No.
No. One one class class. Four class? Yeah. Yeah.
Four line. One two four each. Each. Then they start debating. Then and coming.
Mhmm. Then they’re all Mhmm. And then what? Then Geshes hold on. Yeah.
One each person, they want they should do the. Mhmm. So this is examine sort of test. Seems like examine. They have a turn.
Yeah. Yeah. Ten ten one one class, they have ten person. Yeah. Then one sit here.
Yeah. Then other one land here Yeah. Then one person stand up. You start. Uh-huh.
Then all each each person Have a turn. Yeah. To stand up. Yes. Stand up.
They’re dividing. How do this not this looking. It seems like examination. Mhmm. Mhmm.
So oral examination because it’s talking. Yeah. Yeah. Every day. Each morning.
This break ten every day into. Every morning. One person is the one dividing, then they they haven’t dividing, then spite. Beat. He gets beaten if he’s not good.
Ask Rinpoche, did he get many beatings when he was young? Who’s Rinpoche? This is Rinpoche. Did he get many beatings when he was studying? He had not much beating other people.
He has many debating. Because he did well. He did well. Yeah. He did well.
Yeah. Other people, they did they they didn’t They didn’t study. They didn’t study then. Then twelve twelve o’clock. What happens then?
That goes on from nine till twelve. Yeah. Nine till twelve. Then finish if we go home, then eating lunch and tea. Then one and a half to three o’clock, we listen to teacher.
They they teach debating. Uh-huh. How do how do I So from noon till about one thirty lunch break. Yeah. Lunch.
And then one thirty to three PM. Tea teachings. Oh, yeah. Teachings. Debating.
Debating teaching. Yeah. Between then four o’clock start. Then same it’s same in evening. Oh.
The four o’clock, this large class. Mhmm. They start bee, then all come in Gegen comes in Mhmm. In evening. Mhmm.
And seems like And then they divide into the four? They’re dividing then lesson to same thing is the lesson. He gives lessons again Yeah. To the three. Yeah.
Not the new one. Yeah. They won’t go dividing. They don’t go they they doesn’t go. That’s a new group.
Yeah. New. They don’t debate? They they divide. Yeah.
Then they don’t go listen. Right. Okay. Yeah. It seems like morning.
Right. Yeah. So from four to about seven. Then six o’clock, you know, come in, Gegen in. This one teacher come they have one student.
He’s coming. He start coming. Clapping? Yeah. Clapping.
All He coming to para. Paramends do come there from the yard yard and yard. Yeah. Yeah. So he claps.
He claps. The student of the comes and engage. Yeah. His student one one his student Yeah. His student.
Yeah. And he coming clap. Uh-huh. Then all together. Oh, so he claps them and then they all come?
Yeah. They all come. To the beat of the Yeah. Start. Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Then then all coming. In their order? Order. Yeah.
So high Geshes. Yeah. High Geshes. Yeah. Next ones.
Yeah. They’re all coming. It is to come the yard. Mhmm. Oh, so they all come and assemble in the the Geocamson yard.
Yeah. Mhmm. Right? This yard. Mhmm.
The and this You can draw. Draw. One side. On one side. One one lines.
Then there are many not. Right. Just studying. Just studying. Yeah.
Then we call it Pashawa. Pashawa. Yeah. Students. Yeah.
Debating students. Not old. Yeah. Not new. Medium.
Medium students. Medium student here. Yeah. And all new here. Medium.
Oh, this is new? Yeah. New at the tail end of the Yeah. New. No.
No. Parshava. Another line? No. No.
Same. It is that all Pashawar. Geshe and Lama. Yeah. Pashawar.
Yeah. Then new. Yeah. New. Lama and Geshe.
Mhmm. They are very difficult. Many we level class. Many levels of Geshe. Yeah.
Lama and Geshe, then Tawagemba. Tawagemba means Vinaya? Yeah. Discipline. Discipline.
Oh, I see. So that the class that’s studying that. Class over is older Older monks. Older monks. Right.
Yeah. Yeah. Vinaya discipline moral code. Oh, yes. Yes.
So they’re the older ones, and they’re studying the Vinaya. Yeah. Yeah. Then you know this? Desperate?
Vinaya. Vinaya. Yes. You you remember. Okay.
Mhmm. That’s the rules the Buddha set down for the Sangha to follow. Yeah. Yeah. Pin up now.
What word? One class. The name of the class? What’s its name in Tibetan? That’s with.
Tibetan names oma. Oma. Yeah. Oma. Yeah.
In here. Middle way. Middle way. Middle way and Middle view. Middle view.
Middle path. Path. One Mādhyamika. Mādhyamika. Okay.
Mādhyamika and Paramita class. Oh, yes. You know? Those two class, Pashawah. Pashawah.
Yeah. The middling ones. Yeah. Middling. Then let me call it Shum Ningba Shum Sawah.
Then Shum Ningba this three class. Yeah. Yeah. So they correspond to these? Yeah.
After. First, small, medium, large. Yeah. Then then. So which small might be or not the same?
Different. Different. Different. This that three class is all new. Oh, all new.
New. Then Paramita Mādhyamika is medium. I see. I see. Then Vinaya?
Vinaya over. Oh. It’s older. Right. Nearly nearly to Geshe.
Yeah. Nearly Geshe. Geshe. Nearly, nearly, having sat the exam. Yeah, yeah.
Good. Well, that’s a good start. Tell Rinpoche I’ll probably need when I write it all down, I’ll probably have more questions. What happens? They come in those lines.
Yeah. They the Vinaya class, then Geshe Lama. They are Paramita, Mādhyamika, Paramita, then his knee. The new ones. New, those three.
Topic. I see. Yeah. So there’s the new is the fourth class. Think I see.
Pardon? I think I understand. This new is older. It is paramita. The new is paramita?
Zen, paramita inside two and three class. Inside. Yeah. Two and three class. Including a new one.
Yeah. Including paramita. Mhmm. Model and year. Then middle way, there are two class.
New middle way and old middle way Mhmm. Oh. Class. Oh. That’s that’s one we look that’s this Madhya.
Madhya, no? No, no, Never mind. Okay. Then the top ones are Vinaya. Vinaya, there are two.
Vinaya, there two. New Vinaya class, old Vinaya class. Alright. Okay. Fine.
Then the rather than the not the Vinaya, is it? Abhidharma, does it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Abhidharma, Dzo house. Treasury house, treasury. Treasury. Phenomenology, a major Buddhist text on metaphysics. Yeah.
High what? Abhidharma. Yeah. The highest one. Yeah.
Highest one. Abhidharma. Then middle way. Mhmm. Then Paramita.
Mhmm. Then topic. Uh-huh. What is topic clear? Then they have prayer for They have prayer in puja?
Yeah. Altogether? Altogether. In the lines. In the lines.
Yes. About how many would be there altogether? Is this just for Sera Je? No. Just two comes in.
Oh, I see. Yeah. Yeah. Two six hundred. Uh-huh.
Oh. They prior or died people and now fresh people. What? People die. Died people.
Dead people. Dead people and fresh people. New people. Fresh. They come against coming.
They all they they doing puja. Mhmm. Then comes against coming. They request for one paper. Then they have some people, they give money and dead people.
My friend, dad, and my my brother and my sister. To be remembered? Yeah. Oh, I see. Yeah.
They give money? Yeah. Then he’s coming all all monks live follow. Then he coming. He request all request prayer.
These people is dead, then these people are dead, and these people are just sick. Yeah. That’s right. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Please prayer for those. Yes. Yeah.
I understand that. It’s good. Just different. Lama and Geshe and class, those are not coming in morning. Oh, I see.
Why they’re doing his home. Private study. Yeah. Private study. Yeah.
And some people meditation Yeah. And in morning. Then all coming evening. So the evening’s the big one. Yeah.
Evening’s the big one. You’re right. Yeah. Okay. Only morning, four class.
Okay. Then six o’clock to six to seven day prior puja, we Mhmm. Then seven o’clock finish. Mhmm. Then all the one go also class over.
They don’t So they don’t go home? What? They do? They do home. Yeah.
But then Pashawa. Pashawa means Paramita class over, they want to go home. Then they all studying. They have to study at home. At home.
Yeah. And then those class, three class, they won’t go listen to teacher. They don’t go? They won’t go. They do.
They listen in evening. Oh, I see. So the older ones study at home, the senior classes. Paramita class all go up. Yeah.
And below that, these ones Yeah. The same as the morning. They have to be taught by Yeah. Listen to to teacher. Do they listen to their teachings at home or in the yard?
Gegen comes in the yard? Call young adult. They have each person, they have teacher. Oh, teacher for small small group? Yeah.
Small small group. Yeah. In their own? Yeah. In our own.
Good. That’s two. How long would that go on for? Two o’clock. In the morning?
Yeah. No. No. Evening. To when?
Seven. Seven. To nine. Then comes again comes again. He’s one student.
Yeah. Come in again. Comes in again. They have one student. He’s he’s doing they have one wood.
Wood? Shingle. He bring one wood. Piece of wood. Piece Piece of wood.
Yeah. Then one feet. Oh. One one one three feet. Yeah.
One yard. Yeah. One yard. Yeah. His some What do they do with that?
They drink his what time? Nine o’clock. Yeah. In the evening, he put this piece of yard, piece of wood. Wood.
Yeah. He threw. Throws it? He threw the Gegen comes the yard. Yeah.
He threw the Gegen comes the yard. He threw throws it into the the yard. Yeah. Gegen comes the yard. The one sound.
Wood is yard. Makes a it makes a noise. Yeah. A noise. A loud noise.
Yeah. Then all What’s the yard made of? Stone. Stone. Dora.
Stone. So it makes a Yeah. And he throws very hard. Yeah. He threw the It’s it’s a big piece of wood.
Thick? Same snake. Yeah. Quite quite big. So diameter of about Six inches something.
Yeah. Yeah. And and at least a yard long. Yeah. Yeah.
And he threw the two hundred yard. There was one noise. Noisy, then one song. Makes a big noise. Yeah.
Then all people come this This is nine o’clock? Yeah. Nine o’clock. These three class Yeah. This yeah.
Four class. Yeah. They won’t come in to come to yard. Uh-huh. Then other Paramita, middle way, Vinaya, they Then other Paramita over, they all they home.
They stay? They stay home. They they do, what, practice and memorizing. Mhmm. You don’t look the textbook Yeah.
Yeah. In evening. Alright. In their own. Yeah.
Yeah. Then they four class, they want come Yeah. And two from the yard. And before what they this other one. Yeah.
Yeah. Shangi Shangi? Yeah. He before what teach Yes. This we talk.
So he teaches them? Yeah. He teaches those classes after nine? Yeah. After nine.
He teach in morning and in six for seven. Yeah. Yeah. Six for seven. One.
Four four to six. In the afternoon? Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah.
Yeah. And they teach what about they teach? They we memorize. Mhmm. We don’t look textbook.
Yeah. Just Yeah. Memorize. Yeah. We speaking.
Speaking. Yeah. Remember. Yeah. Remember.
And together in two comes the yard. Mhmm. So that’s in the morning and then at four and then at nine? Yeah. Nine.
So three times? Three times. No. No. That time, in nine o’clock, they are not coming to Shakeshi and Oh, right.
Okay. They just speak. Memorize. Memorizing. To memorize.
Okay. How long do they stay there? Then it comes against coming. Mhmm. There that time.
Then he’s he bring the light, candle, seems like Yes. Yeah. Yeah. They are not light, not electric. No.
No. No electricity. Yeah. Yeah. And they they bring the seems like candle.
It’s it’s a candle. Yeah. Candle. Yeah. Little yeah.
They bring the candle. One hand, they bring the Ah. It’s The the the little to light it with. No? No.
No. They bring their own one piece wood. Then all looking, there are people. There’s three, four class. They’re looking, all people coming, not coming.
To check up. To see Nobody stayed beyond. If somebody not come, in message for one person, you go come. Go and get him. Yeah.
And then Kamze Gigans, they all doing before Kamze Gigi. They teach. Kamze Gigi? Kangze Gigi one teach. And then Oh, he teaches then?
Yeah. Yeah. And they’re doing before he teach, then now he they all practice. Or what about they teach? Oh, they practice for some time before he comes to teach.
He teaches and then they practice? Yeah. Then practice now. Then comes again coming. One light, one piece of wood.
Then Then half hours, this dream. Half hour? Yeah. They’re coming Kamzin again. The one piece of wood, he threw the floor?
Floor? Follow? He threw the Threw the wood on the floor? Yeah. Floor.
Floor? Yeah. Then all together. They all come back together? Yeah.
Come back together. This is in the courtyard. Courtyard means? In the in the yard? Yeah.
In the Geocamson yard? Yeah. Is that that same big stick? Small piece. Small One inch now.
Okay. Yeah. So not too thick. Is that to hit or what? Hit through the floor.
Oh, to to throw on the floor. Then altogether, they’re prior puja, just prior. Altogether? Yeah. All this full class.
Right. Not other. So who who leads the puja? Who who’s is it the comes and comes again? Who who leads the puja?
Who lead me? They’re doing each class, then they prior, they serve. They’re one chanting each class. Have one person. They look.
We call it Jopen. Jopen. Jopen. Jopen. Name is.
Means. Seems like. So that goes on what? How long? Nine o’clock to?
Nine to ten thirty. Uh-huh. What happens then? And before comes against he threw the piece of wood, then class. Three class?
Yeah. Not the new class. Not the new class. Four. If other one, Shum Saba.
This one. They want go and They can choose. Yeah. They can choose. They can stay if they want.
Yeah. New one is Shum Saba. Shum Saba. Yeah. They can choose.
I see. So mostly they go? Yeah. Mostly. It’s three classes they should Have to stay.
Stay. Now they’re doing together. Then ten thirty, they all separate. Yeah. Then Then they do memorizing.
vajra, memorizing. They don’t look piece of paper. Yeah. That’s what memorizing means. Without looking.
Oh, memorizing. Yeah. They don’t look. They just have to to remember from it. They remember.
And just Yeah. Say it. Yeah. Do they stay in the same place, or have they gone back? Separate.
Separate. They go back to their own rooms. Yeah. Front door. Front?
Front door. They go home. Before the three class together Yeah. Now also it is yard. Mhmm.
Two from the yard. Mhmm. Then all separate each person. Oh, each classes or each individual? Yeah.
Each person is separate somewhere around the yard, anywhere, where if they can find a space. Yeah. Yeah. To to memorize. Yeah.
Memorize. Yeah. Okay. Good. So each class stays in its in its little group.
Yeah. Yeah. Separate little group before? Before. Then ten thirty finish.
They go everywhere. But how many how many monks in each class? Many different. So some Sometimes thirty, sometimes twenty, sometimes forty. Something wrong.
Yeah. Then come come again, coming, looking, all the drink. Comes in. Yeah. Comes in.
Gegen comes in. They’re coming they’re comes comes again. Mhmm. And also doing well and not really looking. Whacking those that aren’t with the speed again.
Then half this during half an hour. Half an hour. Yeah. Then comes against going home. Yeah.
Then also go home. Some people doing eleven, twelve. Some stay all night. All tonight. MRI.
About Rinpoche? Did he? This jewel Many times here all night tonight. Yeah. He’s a very good student.
I think I would have gone to sleep. It’s very hard. This is one one one day doing this. If they have break one month, every day. For one month?
For one month. This routine. This routine. In fifteen days. Yeah, I understand.
And what about in Sera in India? Do you have that same routine or not so hard? Not in Sera just loose. It’s it’s become much looser. It’s very hard.
Oh, it’s very hard. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, that’s terrible. One day, there one Gegen Gegen.
You know Gegen? Gegen. All looking. He’s one day in Tibetan rule in Sera. Very tired.
I’m one day is in Tibetan in Tibet what to do in one day before they do in Sera in India. I’m very tired, very hurry and long term. You ask Rinpoche if I and you, can I come a few more times before you go away? Yeah. Can we do a bit more tomorrow, the next day?
Or Tomorrow. Or Every every day.