I’d like to share with you my thoughts and feelings.
When I arrived here, Rimpoche wasn’t here. Last year he was here. Certainly, I felt sad. Rimpoche had a certain vision for this organization, this dharma center. When Rimpoche was here, you benefitted a lot from his teachings. So out of a feeling of wanting to repay his kindness and also out of the feeling of wanting to continue what he wanted you to have here, please consider to work in the way that you did when Rimpoche was alive to cooperate with each other the best of your ability and in that way then, you can return the kindness of Gelek Rimpoche.
When you think over how, when Rimpoche was here, how much it benefited you, Then you have to think also that, if you can share this with others, it’ll also benefit them. If you follow what Rimpoche instructed and then share, because it helped you to be a happier person and to avoid unhappiness and suffering, then you can share that with others. And then, if you are able to do that, it’s a wonderful way to repay Rimpoche’s kindness.
During the time of the Buddha, before he passed into final nirvana, he advised his students. I gave you this advice on what not to do and what you should be doing. “When I pass away, you have to keep this, and if you can maintain what I have instructed you to do, that’s a way of keeping me with you.” Also, Je Tsongkhapa said, “we’ve received the teachings in an unbroken lineage from the Buddha down through his two great pathfinders, Asanga and Nagarjuna, and to our own teachers, our own gurus. We have to keep that. We’ve received so much from putting those teachings into practice. So then, we have to keep doing those practices, and also, when we have a chance to share those with others and then to dedicate that all for the continued existence of the teachings in this world.” So Rimpoche has given you a lot of teachings, and you can follow this advice, and in that way return his kindness. So, please do as the Buddha and Je Rimpoche and Gelek Rimpoche has advised. And, if you can do that in a way where you all are cooperating with one another, and getting along, then that’s a very effective way to continue Rimpoche’s legacy.
Also I have to say that Demo Rimpoche, Gelek Rimpoche worked with here for a number of years. He’s a very accomplished geshe, he has a good understanding of the scriptures. He has a high level geshe degree, and is working very hard on his English, now. He’s a qualified teacher that Gelek Rimpoche wanted to help continue his work. So please, just as you helped Rimpoche when he was here doing his work, please also serve Demo Rimpoche. This would be very helpful, and a great way to repay Rimpoche’s kindness to you. So I ask that you do like that. Thank you all.
~Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe, Jewel Heart Ann Arbor, September 24, 2017
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