Audio recorded at Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. Kyabje Rinpoche tells the personal story of his 28-year monastic journey at Sera Monastery, beginning in 1984. In this 89-minute talk, he outlines the five-level Geshe curriculum (foundation texts, Prajñāpāramitā, Madhyamaka, Vinaya, Abhidharma)—normally 24 years, completed in his case in 18 years plus one year studying tantra. He describes the daily rhythm: rising at 5:30 a.m. for prayers, memorizing texts, afternoon classes with his teacher Khensur Wangdak Pelden Rinpoche, evening debate sessions lasting hours, Tuesdays off. He received ordination from the Dalai Lama in 1984 and became a Geshe at 36. Extensive Q&A follows, covering monastic discipline, his later teaching of 100 students, and how Buddhist education has changed. Suited for those interested in the lived reality of traditional Gelug monastic training.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 25012017sStory – KR.mp3
UUID: 9eb0f869-e895-44fb-ad45-860b9d60042d
Teacher: Kyabje Rinpoche
Collection: Rinpoche's Story
Recorded at: Tibetan Buddhist Institute, Adelaide
Words: ~5,943
Okay. Good number, you know. So for my story of our life, you know, thank you. Thank you very much. And Okay, thank you.
So I to you about my life, you know, few times last year. First time, my village, you know, and second, I left my village and traveled to Lhasa and Nepal. And third one, I left Nepal and travel to Delhi, Mussoorie and Dharmasala and Sera Monastery. So today I’m talking about in ceremony, you know, wonderful. Okay.
So good, isn’t it? Veda. Nice, nice. Normally there was, how do we say, there was ilea and sometime dengue. But now they weren’t here.
So I am a little bit strange, I am a little bit Scared. Scared. Nervous. Novice, no. Novice.
Because by myself and also by myself, when I speak English by myself, know, it is a little bit strange, know. Okay, anyway, there’s no worry. Very good so far. Really? Yes.
Very clear. Sorry? Very clear. Okay, tama? Yes.
Sama. Sama clean. Sama in Tibetan. How do you say Sama? Sama.
Clean. Sama this good. Accept. Sama. So when I first first is it?
When when I first came to Sera Monastery, 06/26/1984. June 26, I think. And at that time in India was summer, you know, somebody in Australia, winter, you know, different. So I lived from 1984 to 2012. You know?
So altogether twenty eight, twenty eight years I lived there. ’28, is it? Mhmm. Twenty eight years. Altogether twenty eight years.
So during the years, during the year, started very hard, very hard, you know, started and memories, Memorized. Memorized. I was memorized, is it? An injury. I was memorized and practiced, you know, very very hard, very very hard.
So that time I never ever waste time just for starting tomato tests, know. Correct? Yes. Do you understand? Yes.
Really? Yes. Okay. So now I’m very happy. You know, I’m very happy.
I’m very very how do you say? Excited, is it? I’m very happy, I’m very excited. I never ever that time waste time. Just focus, you know, study and buy and thought and memorizing.
So now I’m very happy, so No. Sorry? Excited. Excited. Think I said it exactly.
Excited, you know. So now I talk I like so yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Now now I’m talking about good things, you know, good things. It is very important because when a monk or somebody, a monk, you know, become become a Lharampa Geshe, you know, it take, normally, normally, it take to study for twenty four years. Correct? Twenty twenty four. Four.
Then different years, some 90% then go to Gyuto or Gyume Monastery for one year, study tantra. It’s different you know 90%. Then twenty five years. Exactly twenty four years you know, because I’m telling you, because at different level. First, different level, five level, you know, five levels.
And first, foundation the foundation of basic, you know? How do you say Pema, you know? I’m sorry, I’m looking up excited. Yes, that is okay. Yeah, and second, we’ll study perfection.
Is it? Yeah, yeah, perfection. And the third one, Madhyamaka. Third one, Madhyamaka, you know. Fourth one, And fifth, Abhidharma, different level, you know, five levels.
Which one? Yeah. Yeah. And Uma. Uma.
Yeah. Just like mid one, you know. Mid one is a different. Deep deep, you know. And basically, how do you say first one, you know?
First one, Düra karma I think you know. Düra karma? Yeah. Yeah. Dura, you know, for example, loading loading.
Inside, why? Within the different levels of Tibet tests, know, Lorig, Tarig and sa lam test, Tsema and Düra different six levels, know, six tests. Okay, okay. So alright, So when a monk, monks you know, monks study to about foundation for three years. Three years.
Correct? Three years. Yeah, the beginning. Yeah. Three years.
And Prajñāpāramitā is perfection. And I studied about perfection, is it? Prajñāpāramitā I think, Prajñāpāramitā, perfection for seven years. So seven years, you know, seven years. And Madhyamaka for four years.
And Vinaya, say? Vinaya? Vinaya. V sorry? Vinaya.
Okay. Vinaya for study to Vinaya three years, and Abhidharma one year. So how long altogether? Eighteen. I got eighteen.
Yeah, eighteen. Alright. Eighteen, yeah. Very, three, seven, four, one. So altogether eighteen.
Eight years. It is just in Sera Je Monastery. Study how do you say? It it it it it to study, you know, texts who are traditional. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So traditional, you know, traditional. Just in Sera Je Monastery. Because he’s from life.
How do you say? Then different level. What you know, track to study, Lama Tsongkhapa’s texts. It’s all Gelug monasteries together, know, for exam, for Geshe, Geshe, Geshe, You know? If in the past, then become a Lharampa Geshe.
So the Loram study Yeah. Is really just on some copper’s works. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, but before foundation, you know? Yeah, Age, yes. Then, you know, yeah, still not yet another level Lama Tsongkhapa’s texts.
And so that’s for all monasteries, like Ganden Monastery? Yeah. Ganden Monastery, Sera Monastery, and Gyuto Gyuto Gyuto Gyume and Tashilhunpo, all Gelug Monastery together. Thousand, thousand, you know. Then if they give exam, so for six years, if pass, then they can how do you say it?
Become a lot of gaseous. How many people pass? My class I think six, two or three people, yeah. And how many started? Before.
I think many more 100 people. People. Yeah, yeah, 100 people. There many many 100 people. Then sometimes how do you say lost is it?
No past, you know? Different. Yeah. So long how year altogether? Twenty four years, you know.
Then become Lharampa Geshe. Then 9090%, you know, How do you say go to Gyuto Monastery or Gyume Monastery for study tantra one year. But I went to, you know, Gyume Monastery for one year. So altogether twenty five years. All correct?
This one? Okay. Clear? Do you know? You understand?
Mhmm. Okay. That’s very important. Very important. Can you tell us about your household?
Sorry? Where did you live at Cerro Moro Square? And who were the teachers in that house? Okay, okay, okay, I’m ready. So now I’m talking about my life over in Monastery.
So that time when I first came to Sera Monastery, our Rinpoche was, you know, abbot of Sera Je. You know, Saracci. So I lived in a house, in house, House Number 16, number, you know, yeah, 16 number. And there was there were, is it? There were, I think, nearly 100 monks, you know?
Yeah yeah. Big house. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, different, you know. So so so so that that time our room which was about, you know, of Sera Je Monastery. So so first time I want to see Rinpoche.
Because it is rule, you know, rule in rule. So before I I did good motivation good motivation, and I had had a shower, clean my body. Yeah. Very important. That’s very important because before I was just how do I say?
Just no monk. Not monk, just live people, know, live person. So I did good motivation and I had shower and I was wearing very new clothes you know. Then my teacher you know, he took me to them, but his name Geshe Rinzin Wangde, but passed away now in Thavan. So he isn’t there, he was was my teacher.
My teacher. So that time he took me to Rinpoche. You know, I now clean. I remember, you know, I can remember. So so then I did three prostrations.
This one, you know, three prostrations. Then? Full prostrations. Full 12. Full okay.
Three, yeah, three prostrations. Very important because Rinpoche checked, you know. But I can’t speak English. Very important that time. Then Rinpoche asked asked, you know, maintains maintains this part, but I can’t speak English.
Then Rinpoche gave me gave me my name, you know, my name, Jampa Gyaltsen. Jampa Gyaltsen. Then how do you say? Now you know, called man name Jampa Gyaltsen. Jampa Gyaltsen is dominant, you know?
But yet changed. Correct? Okay. Okay. Now I talking talking about all the short time, know, short time.
Just one day, important, just one day, just one day. So when I got up, every morning, you know, every in the morning, when I got up at five or quarter past five or I thought in the morning, you know, then I did good motivation and thought little bit for few minutes emptiness, you know. Then I had shower and I had to say, wash it, you know, my teeth. Then I I took, you know, this one and cup and then I went to temple, you know. It was a big, you know, big, big, big.
Oh, okay. So I forgot. I forget, you know. At 05:30, then somebody, how do you say? Gong Gong how do you say?
Rangling. The Gong. Hit Gong. What name? Gong.
Gong. G o n Okay. That’s all. You know? Yeah, at 05:30, you know, then all the monks came to is that a monastery?
But it’s not the monastery. It’s prayer hall. That’s what we would call it. In English, that’s what you would say. Oh, yeah.
I think half an hour, then they get you know, Tibet chai, you know, chai, butter chai, not too much butter, butter chai, and with pare, very delicious. Parma no eating caramel. Yeah yeah yeah bread very delicious. Yeah. It’s very nice you know.
Then we were offering, offering and Then I think one hour, you know, we did one hour puja, then finish it, and then come back to household dream, you know. So at that time I think, think, at third, you know, I am in morning. Then we started memorizing, no? Is it? Yes.
Started memorizing 12 texts, you know, memorizing for one and a half hour. If clean mind, two hours. Sometimes I quote memorize two pages, you know. This one. Two pages here, here.
Two pages. Then I write in, you know? Written in Tibet. How how do you say? But I write in and I think lunchtime Lunchtime.
Lunchtime. Sometime we did puja, sometime just, you know, lunch, you know, rice or dal, you know. Rice, dal, and some rice changed and pick in a poppadom. You have been in the salmon many times, you know. What are you talking about?
You talking about? Popular. Oh. Yeah. Yeah.
Oh. Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah, big you know, bread, no non bread.
It’s a big bread. Yeah, yeah, Very delicious with dal. Big butter and then you eat with rice and dal. Yeah. Sorry?
Size, you know. Okay, then sometimes we went to river, just like river, then we had chai, you know, outset. In India traditional, know, very nice. All everywhere monks, know, when in summer, summer. Yeah river.
Is that near the forest? Near the Near the trees? Yeah yeah yeah. That’s the one. Some day after lunch I went to I went to teacher’s house, then within my class you know, then the teacher taught us how do you say?
Taught us Tibet tests, you know? Test. It’s foundation, know? No, no, no. The yearly test, you know, for one hour.
Different class, you know, different class, but one hour. Then I came back to my room, then I thought thought what did my teacher talk, you know, thought and read, thought read. Then I think at six, yeah, at 6PM start, started, depart at that time also bang bang, you know. Yeah. We kind of heard, you know.
Then yeah, we went to debate, know, debate, yeah, thousand, thousand months, you know. In Chira, you know, how do you say Chira? Debating. Chira, round. They’re debating courtyard.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Debating court. Yeah, that’s the one. So before I think, one hour, you know, for one hour debate, you know, different class, a different class, how do we say different different class, 18 class, you know, 18 class. Yeah, 80 class.
80 class. Then the lion, you know, here, some type just one monk and some type two monks, then other monks three or four, Tibet and you know, you you know. So one hour I think. Then then all together, you know, all together and that did puja. And think of one and one and how do you say, fifteen minutes, you know.
After, then we also to two persons. How do you say? Two persons. Yeah, that’s the way parents divide. It’s different for one hour, then they finished.
90% monks, you know, went went back to room or house. Then a few monks still debate, you know. But I think sometime 12:30 in the morning, sometime one I’m long time, long time. From how how do you say 6PM to one? Yeah.
So how long? Yeah. Yeah. Long time. Long time.
Then, yeah, for example, me, I can went went back to my room, then I thought, you know, I thought thought because before we how do you say, the biases with class with class then how do you say? How did you say? How did you say? Think think think think think Then I think some went some went to bed. So I slept for five hours.
Sorry? Three. One three. You meditate, calm abiding? When I go to up in the morning, I said to you, you know, before motivation and then thought, emptiness, you know, yeah, few few minutes.
Shine? Shine? When you’re studying to be a Yoshi, going through this eighteen years, Is there very much meditation? Sorry? Okay.
In the Geshe study Yeah. During the eighteen years Yeah. When you have so many texts to read, so many pujas to do, studying for debating and debating. Mhmm. Do students meditate much?
Do they do they do it very often? Which? Sorry, let me see. Okay. Try this.
When in the twenty eight years you lived at Sarah Yeah. When did you really start meditating? Okay. Maybe mid Yeah. In the morning.
Yeah yeah Every day? Yeah yeah yeah. In yeah the morning. That time I got up 03:30, about 04:30, depends no? On retreats?
Yeah, yeah. How often did you go on retreats? Many times, many times, you know. Yamāntaka, Vajrayoginī and different, you know. Difficult because you know difficult.
Many poja, know. There was many tutu, how do you say? Pojas. Poja, long time, long time. Sometime sometime yoga, when I got up at three I am.
Here two as seven. Difficult. Yeah. So three, four hours, just one. Yeah.
Difficult, very difficult, you know. Just just one year, you know. One year. For an hour. Yeah.
Yeah. Just that that that how do you say? For example, sometimes you know Sorry? Did you ever fall asleep? That is difficult.
Difficult because and there was somebody looked, you know, looked. Then it’s no good, you know. So Dungkhor, that’s one. The Dungkhor, how do say in English? Dungkhor?
Self, is it? Generation. Self Self Self Self machine. Yeah. Yeah.
Dongju. That is self, you know? Yeah. So so that’s the one. You know?
How do you say? Yeah. Yeah. Long time Long Okay. So that’s just one one day, you know, for example.
Long day. Yeah. When you have somebody teaching, do you write anything down on the paper? Oh yeah yeah yeah. You do?
Yeah, my teacher. That’s all. When your first time Rinpoche taught me, but Rinpoche was very busy, know, because he was abbot of Sera Je Monastery. Then Rinpoche after about then I think I went to went to Australia. Then all in my teacher, you know.
You kept notes. Sorry? Studying, remembering what was what was said. Thinking about it. Thinking about it.
Yeah. Yeah. So you’re thinking without seeing anything written down, you just have to remember. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah yeah yeah. When I went to a teacher’s house, how do you say, that time I took you know, different Samten, Madhyamaka Tenets, Abhidharma, you know. You know? Okay. And and another piece, you know, a very important.
There was just one relax, just one day relax, is it? On Tuesday. How long? Whole day, no, whole Day of year. Every Tuesday, you know?
Correct, no, you know. So Tuesday, very at that time I was very happy. Yeah, very happy. Before before Monday, is it? Monday night, I night, very how do you say?
Happy? Very happy. I cleaned my room, just one, no big, small room, you know, I cleaned. And then when on Tuesday, I washed my clothes and cleaned my room. Yeah, when And you had a sleeping?
That time. Did you get up later? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Later, yeah. Of course, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Extra hour in bed? Sorry? Did you sleep? Did you get up at 06:30? No, no, no, light, little bit light.
And also when I went to bed, I think very light on Monday, is it? Yeah, before Monday, very light. Yeah, so. So what else did you do on Tuesday? Tuesday actually, there was a tongue, little bit tongue.
Tongue. You know, how do you say it? Kushalnagar market. Kushalnagar. There was short many vegetable vegetable just only on Tuesday.
It’s like the central market. Yeah yeah, that’s the reason you know, on Tuesday relax, just relax. Then very I was happy that time we talk, you know, talk talk talk talk talk. Yeah. Very just on Tuesday a week.
Relax. Did you have visitors on Tuesdays? Sorry? Did you have anyone come to see you on Tuesdays? Yeah, my friend.
My friend and classmates, because our room is there, how do we say? household, nearly 100 monks, you know? So I talked with them. Okay, so that’s the one, you know. The 100 monks in your house, your household.
Were they living in House 16 or were they living in House 53? Different, different, yeah. Some monks lived in 16 and a few monks lived in 53. A few monks lived on the merchant’s house, know? Yeah.
Different. But when I first came to Sera Je, that time I lived, how do you say, my room, you know? My room very small, inside three person. Yes, person. Yes, But no problem, know, no problem, easy.
I think this says, you know, and three bed, how do you say it? Three beds, is it? Yeah, four. Did you have a mat Matty, this one. Yeah, Matty, yeah.
And I have you know, just travel. Nice. Very simple. Snoring? Sorry?
I like snoring. But no, sometimes I like snoring but very how do you say? Very dry, you know. Sometimes when I was tired then I snore you know. And your roommates, the people staying in the room with you?
Sorry? Yeah yeah yeah yeah. Did your, the people you share a room with, were they snoring? Yeah yeah sometimes, it’s not a problem. Yeah, Not problem.
Before, it was Rinpoche’s room, know. Rinpoche our Rinpoche our Rinpoche was our Rinpoche retreat. This this is rooms. Yeah, very important. Sorry?
That was the room that Khensur Rinpoche Yeah. Retreat in. Yeah, long retreat. Long retreat. So the house where Geshe-la Darjee?
Yeah, yeah, that’s the one, that’s true. Okay, so now no long. Then I think, you know, then when I think I think the that the you know, 1984, that time His Holiness Dalai Lama came to Sera Monastery, then he gave me, you know, ordination, you know, ordination vows. It is very important, ordination works. What year?
Sorry? What year? In 1984, same year. Yeah. And the year I think.
And when I was 20 years old, that time I 20 or 21 years old, not sure. That time is holding Dalai Lama also came to Sera Monastery, and he gave me four ordinations. So when Khensur Rinpoche gave you your name Yeah. Yeah. You were not ordained.
Had you taken No ordained. Vows? Sorry? No monk’s vows? Not really monk, but, you know, yeah.
But as you know, they are color. I can’t speak English. Just, you know, just Mang, you know. Not really. Just yeah.
Yeah. But in Tibetian, what we call Yeah. How do we say in English? Yeah. Not really, monk, you know.
Then, you know, he’s calling the lama gave me ordination, then I became a monk, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Strong monk. Then he had 21, two years old, that time he gave me full ordination, is it?
Yes. Okay. Then finally, when I became Lharampa Geshe, that time I was 36 years old I think. 36 years old, 2002. And the year, nearly 2003.
That time I become 16. Sixteen years. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Normally takes twenty four. Yeah, that’s a little different now, you know, must twenty four.
Yeah. That long time, long time, you know. Is is that because you could read Yeah. And you had already memorized texts Yeah. That you started a little bit higher?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That time a little bit different now, in a different time. Now very busy, everyone.
Busy, busy, busy, busy. Yeah. That’s the one, you know. That time I had more time, more time for study. No many thing, you know, very simple, you know.
Now we were busy, you know. Now. Okay. Now different level, you know, different level. Now the study, English, you know, more and Chinese, and also science here.
Many many different levels, you know. That’s the one. Geshe-la, when you got your Geshe degree, your celebration your Geshe celebration Yeah. Sure. How did you pay Yeah.
For that? Did you have a job, That’s a good question. But just joking, joking, Rocha and Tenzi helping me, you know. That time Tenzin Tenzin came to how do we say? That time Tenzin came back to Sera Monastery, but Rinpoche was here.
But I called Rinpoche. Then Rinpoche, other months, few things for me. But you don’t, do you really have to have money Well, the money that you need to become a Geshe, is that mostly for offering? For me? Then I offering all monks to yeah.
That time is a big ceremony. If you didn’t have any way of getting any of that money, what do you do then? You just don’t give it? Sorry? What if you don’t have any money?
For books? No. What if you don’t have any money? How can you make the offering? You can’t, can can’t, Are there some monks who don’t have any money when they become a Geshe, and therefore, they can’t give an offering?
Because Oh, oh, Again. Oh, don’t know. Before. Yeah. Before there were sponsors.
Yeah. Before there were sponsors. Uh-huh. And the monks had no money at Yeah. When someone, their monk, became a Geshe, And he is supposed to make an offering to the entire monastery.
How did he do it? How could he make an offering if he had nothing? Sorry? How how Uh-huh. I’m doing.
Mhmm. How can you give and make an offering Mhmm. If you have nothing to give? No money, no offering. When?
When they had no money. Before the response to full response. Oh, okay. In a in a Tibet. That’s right.
You you have you have family in Tibet, and they don’t have any money. Yeah. Yeah. They have no money because they’re in Tibet. And there are no sponsors like the Hmong sponsorship scheme.
No money. Yeah. This is back when Rinpoche was Abbott. Uh-huh. Okay?
Okay. How did anyone make an offering to be a Geshe if they had nothing? Much. You’ve done really well. So I’m sure it’s Ah.
Okay. So yeah, yeah. That time, came back to a ceremony for me, you know. Yeah. Yeah.
Then I went to Gyume Monastery. Yeah. And finally, and I studied to I studied to above Tantra for one year, but that time difficult, very difficult in the Gyume Monastery, you know? I think, Pema, you have been there? Yeah.
Difficult, because that time we start just one dream, you know, for sometimes three months four months, four months. Just one room. Correct? Okay, that’s the one. So then I think also, yeah yeah yeah, lived in ceremonies for ten years, then I taught, you know, to my students, know, different 10 classes, know, for ten years.
And you’re a disciplinarian. Sorry? Disciplinarian. Yeah, sometimes it’s difficult, you know. In the Tibetan tradition, you know.
How many students do have education? I think a 100 students. Yeah. How do you who looks after them? How do you know when you’re here?
How do you know how your students are doing? If they’re doing well? Okay. Okay. So I have got, you know, good friend, you know.
I have good friend. His name is Geshe Chimey Thinley. He was also Geshe Lharampa, very very good. He look after all students. And yeah.
He he start is that she? I all know she. So he started in the morning. Marine, yeah. So he looked after all my students.
Okay. And do you talk by WeChat? Yeah. Sure. Easy, you know.
When did you study Ocean of Reasoning? Did you study this text, etc? Sorry? Chat. Yeah, yeah, this one.
Chad. Did you study this? What’s that? This one. Yeah!
When did you study this? Okay, okay, that’s in the past part of that. It’s part of perfection. How do you say? Profession.
Yeah, yeah. So you studied maybe five, six years before this? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Long time, long time, long time. When I studied this book, I think how long?
Three months, you know, Three months. Yeah. Okay. So It’s a little bit difficult, know. So it is part of perfection, know, perfection.
Why is it part of perfection and not tenets? Tenets? Yeah. Okay. Sorry.
Why is this in perfection and not in tenets? Okay. Actually, you know, when I started tennis, as a tenets. Yeah. When Madhyamaka actually, yeah.
Madhyamaka. But before, Tenets, you know, Tenets is including foundation something, you know. Yeah. So Okay, have you questions? Come, come, I like.
Geshe la, when some of the monks at Sera learned dancing Yeah. Did you learn dancing? No. But I like it, you know, just like I like to look, you know, and watch, you know. You like to watch?
Yeah. You don’t live. No, but I like it. My favorite is just sport, you know? Sport and skill.
Handstands. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very, very well when I was in Sera Monastery, but now I can’t because now I am getting older, you know. So 51 years old. So, Deshino, when I have the Lohstar, the holiday for the month of Sincerra, what would you do at Lohstar for the holiday?
Okay, interesting. Yeah, very interesting. So that trial, before you know, before how do you say, I like, you know, I like read story. Story. Story, you know.
I read story, story. And sometime when I when I became a Geshe, that time I went to retreat, you know. Yeah. Away from Sara? Sorry?
Would you go on retreat away from Sara? Yeah, yeah. Not in Sara, outside Sara? Yeah, inside. Inside Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah, yeah. Very early, know. So. Did you play games? Yeah, yeah, I like game, yeah.
Carrom, no? Carrom, is it? Carrom, like, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Like and Carrom is important. Really? No, no. There’s no goat in Ceremony Street. Yeah.
Carefully, I just look, you know. But I can’t play, you know. Carefully. Because it is very if I, you know, I play the soccer is, how do you say, very very western. Western forming, just forming, know, western.
It’s different, know. So the who failed the wrong part Yep. Exam, can they do it again? Have another turn. Sorry.
The months we failed. Failed? Failed. Okay. Lharampa exam.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I Yeah. Think two times.
Then how do you say? Only if you get to the end. Yeah, two times. Then lost, how do you say, field, fourth. If fourth one, then do they do after that?
If they fail three times, what do they do next? Okay, and then guess it. Yeah, they can hear just guess it. Only in, for example, in the Sera Je Monastery. Different set of men, they put in different, you know.
Do they it’s a very western question. How do they do they feel depressed? Unhappy? Yeah, sometimes sometimes yeah, yeah, yeah, difficulty, Yeah, sometimes some how do we say? Just one person, you know.
And they’re difficult sometimes, you know. Geshe-la, if a young monk starts at Serene Mhmm. And he doesn’t want to become a Geshe, just wants to be a monk, How far does he study as a mum? How many years does he study? And does he live at Sarah until he dies?
Or does he leave Sarah and go somewhere else? Again. If a monk enters Sarah Mhmm. But he doesn’t want to become a Geshe Mhmm. He just wants to be a monk.
Okay. Okay. So can he stay at Sarah until he dies? Or at some stage, does he have to leave Sarah and go live somewhere else? Yeah.
He can live in Sera. All his life? Yeah, yeah, yeah, And does he have to have work or a job in Sera? Yeah, yeah, yeah. That has to work in the kitchen or in mind?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. For example, Kitchen Geshe, kitchen, you know. But he is a Geshe, you know, but you know, many monks. Okay. Have you question?
Chris? Can you cook? Yeah. I can cook. What what can you make?
Rice dal. Rice and dal. Can you make ramen? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. And tupa. I like tupa. Oil days? Tupa and noodle soups, you know, But it’s a little bit difficult because when I was at the ceremony, the times I had lunch from me, you know?
Government food. Sorry? The government food. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Government, not government.
Yeah, I look like government food. So now I couldn’t cook, know. It’s difficult. Okay, and another question? Did you travel to Bangalore?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bangalore and Mysore. On Tuesdays? Yeah, yeah. Sometime.
A little bit of us, you know, rude, you know. Ketela, what did you think when Rinpoche asked you to come to Australia? Good. We did Rinpoche said when he taught Lamrim in Sera, that time he taught, it is very important for me because here, we more time, we have relax, you know, in that time. And how do you say, Rinpoche had got many experience.
Is that? Is experience? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And was it what you expected?
Was Australia what you thought Australia would be like? For me? I like, I like here. I like, you know, very quiet and good environment. Not many people, very quiet, know.
Yeah, yeah, like. You said the trees are ugly. Treasor. But the food is good. Yeah, yeah, good.
And we have the beach. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I have been there many, you know. Can you say something about Khensur Wangdak Pelden Rinpoche? What was he like as a human being?
About him? Very wonderful, know, wonderful, wonderful. Because he had Geshe students, many many. Thousand, thousand. Thousand, because when he taught to students that time I think started just one day, started 07:30 in the morning from 07:30 to 05:30.
Teaching? Yes. Every yes. Yeah. Yeah.
So how do you say different? Subject. Yes. I think at, you know. Yeah, at, at, or time.
Very hard, very hard. Okay. That’s enough, is it? Okay. Thank you.
Thank you. So tomorrow is Australia Day, is it? Yes. So what did you do? I had the barbecue.
Really? Yes. Here? Yes. Okay.
Thank you. Australia Day, why, why, why tomorrow is Australia Day? Yeah. Don’t start that. Explain what it is first.
China do to Tibet? England do to Aboriginal governments? Yeah. Now it’s different. Now in Australia, free, you know, free junk.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not for everybody. The same freedom for everybody. Really? Same as like China Is it relevant?
Yes. Richard explained tomorrow. Richard explained tomorrow. Tomorrow. Okay, okay.
So but that time before, you know, before before before Arthur Phillip, you know, Arthur Phillippe has come to Australia that time. No no no no no no no no no is it seventy eight eight I think seventy eight eight. That’s on immigration test. Yeah yeah before immigration. So I think it’s one very important.
Before that time, just only aboriginal. So had that, how do you say, aboriginal government? Really? That’s that’s it’s a very strange, you know, Yeah. They’re all together.
He did. You know? He met he met all together, I think. For example for example in India. Ashoka.
Ashoka. Ashoka. Ashoka. That’s the one. Well, I they didn’t have an Ashoka and they didn’t have a Songtsen Gampo.
Yeah. So they were all living in the same way, but they were still they still had a way of living. But but so before in India Yeah. Before, you know, Ashoka is it? But before different country, different strategy.
No? Different different. Just like in Australia before, different country. Like in the times of the Buddha, different, different, different. Really?
It was the shoka who basically unified all of these new principles. So at that time no, just one customer, just one country, different country. Ah. There’s the same in India. A different drug.
Absolutely. How many different language in India? I think all, many more twenty five, 25 languages. Because they are, how do you say, different, how do you say, twenty five states, you know, in India. Karnataka, you know.
Many more Yeah. Even the ones in Western Australia and in New South Wales had similar stories. Really? About the khats. That’s you said the same religion, is it?
That’s very important. But in Tibet, same language. Amdo, Lhasa, Kham. The same language, just only Tibetan. But it’s not really the same language.
Yeah. Yeah. Someone someone who comes from Lhasa doesn’t necessarily understand. The same language and just in Tibetan. But they use many different words and they say them No no no no.
The same I say, the same only Tibetan. It’s all Tibetan. Yeah yeah. The dialects are really radical. That’s not the same.
So what is the population before you know, in Australia? Before, how do you say? Yeah yeah, before I’d feel. I’ve heard people say maybe 2,000,000 or 4,000,000. Really?
Some as low as 500,000. Because big country in the world. They say Aboriginal people came in many ways over a long time And so there was more technology in the North and as the old people got pushed further south. Yeah. Okay, I like this one you know, like actually.
But it is my Dharma, but I actually I like you know, true story. Yeah. Sorry? I said we’re very happy that you are here. Okay, thank you.
Okay, so, stop here tonight. On behalf of everybody for today and last Wednesday and journey to Tibet. I’d like to say thank you, thank you very, very much. It was fantastic. Doing that.
Yeah, yeah. Thank you. Thank you for English is fantastic. Isn’t it? Yeah.
I can’t, you know, speak English very well. Yeah. We have no trouble understanding anything, Geshe-la. Ten’s in five. Yeah.
Aboriginal. Aborigines, is it? Yeah. Aborigines.