Thepo Tulku is a revered spiritual leader, beloved Buddhist teacher and world-renowned human-rights activist who has dedicated his life to spreading love, compassion and wisdom. Thepo is known for his selflessness and dedication to helping others. He is a joyful and humble man who has impacted countless lives through his teachings and guidance.

Thepo has an incredible life story. Born in Tibet, as a young child he was recognized as the 8th Thepo Tulku. In 1959, when he was only five years old and living in the capital city of Lhasa, tens of thousands of Tibetans took to the streets in protest against China’s invasion and occupation of their homeland a decade earlier. The revolt was brutally crushed and Thepo was forced to flee for his life. Escaping into the Himalayas, the young boy was carried through the mountain paths on the shoulders of monks who were shepherding the Dalai Lama into India. Thepo currently lives in Santa Barbara where he earns a living working as a food server at Renaud's Patisserie Cafe in Arlington Plaza on State Street.

Full Transcript

In the past, and in the beginning and in the perfect Dharma, it is rarely met with even 100,000 million kathas having in to see and listen to, remember and accept, I vow to taste the truth of the Tantra's words.

First of all, I think you have very much opportunity to come here to join with the Santa Barbara Zen Center. This is my actually second time to be joining at the Santa Barbara Zen Center. I came here to reason if I really not came here to talk much about the Dharma or even only your, everybody you are the one who is well established, understand of the Dharma. But I think it's good to be shared with you or your own individual experience as I'm a Buddhist, I'm a practitioner, so my own practitioners, own experience, which part of the, some part of levels, I have some achievements, some part level I'm still struggling and also we are human being, and I'm also definitely I'm not enlightened. I'm not a human being, and also I'm a simple human being. So, but how we can be a Buddhist and can be a good person in level of this world.

I like to express the Zen Buddhism is one of the first in Tibetan Buddhism and when it was in seventh century the king came to Tibet to bring the king brother from the Indian scholar, and also from the China from the Zen masters who followed up with the master. So even Zen is also introduced in Tibet for many early, early eight centuries, so we have a lot of, so it's a good great karma to be involved in Tibet. I think at that time, they have a, they had a different system different style from China who came with a scholar, Zen, you know that Zen is very important very focused and discipline and so much into the your serious traditions. And in India, Kamalashila came to India from India to Tibet and has a lot to offer a part of more like a panchayana parameters factors more like a more like a little more loose and also a lot of dialectics and Nagarjuna practitioners.

I think that time Tibetans are not ready be a really serious sit down and meditate, even I'm here today half an hour, like I have to take a very serious. So the Tibetan was that's one that very newly very newly adapting them practice, and before the Tibetan sixth century is Tibetans more practice shamanism more like a kind of burn. And also they have a lot of different rituals and different that so they are experience of a lot of the movements and the chanting and music and so. So that's how Tibetan. I think it's, they need to be time to set to be slowly down to it they cannot be forced right away into the.

I think that more recently, they both scholar and the king and they have a conference and they have a dialogue discuss which the best for the upper that moment. I think then I think they decided to have the follow the Kamalashila's way they practice and adapted in that moment. And that's how it became the more Tibetans became monastic systems more more adapted with a Nagarjuna practice system. And that's why in Tibet, but still we don't call them, but the still we have a Tibetan we have a folder many monasteries also have especially a reconstruction, and the great completion, great completion practitioners, those are the actually, we don't call them But they have a lot of things to be adopted in into the into the practice. So that's we are still not inseparable in not separate from the Zen is still have.

And also, a monastery, Tibetan monasteries later when he became a very traditionally Tibetan become all that if you have a three children, even boys maybe one is the traditionally they just family wanted to be a beer beer beer monk. So that's why you will see in Tibet or even in India, you look into Tibetan monastery maybe like 100,000 monks. And many are very young, very small kids. But technically monastic, the rule is, you cannot be a complete man wow until you're age 20. That's that the rule. So they are Tibetan those young monks, part of the monastic community. And they are also their training. They are part of the, they can be involved all many different aspects for the practice but still they're not allowed to take the full bow of the monastic So after 20, 20 years after, then you individually, you have it, you have a choice. So you want to be take a full bow, or you still stay in a semi vowel, or you want to know or some people even to better amongst their men and your body is they don't take the full bow is all depend on individual base.

And also, when you look to the Tibetan monastery you will always see many chanting prayers rituals. But, but if you go a deeper level. We have a many different categories. So your training, be involved, then independent or individual base, some like to be like a scholar and want to be a traditional model learning and debate and all that go to different level, more like a training in the become like a scholar and Some want to be decided to be a focus certain level and then they remain your own individual. So we have a lot of hermitage, meditators meditation, the individual they just live on them. They are not a monastic community but they live distant from the monastic community, they remain into the mountain, have a little small cave or small carriages and then do the retreat, more like a Zen, the focus on your, on your focus on your body mind speech and And all the meditators to achieve the enlightenment in a different, different way.

And I think What we believe Tibetan also same similar. We all have a bodhicitta, a buddhi mind, a buddha mind. So, not only Buddhists we call, we call all the sentient beings, human beings have a buddha mind. So they have a potential to be enlightened in within your life. That's all individual base. And also, we don't call, we have monk have a better understanding than other person, but we don't judgment. So we respect everybody because the reason why we respect everybody, we don't have no other person, only yourself you will know what's how you practice other person. You don't have an understanding of what his capacity. It could be, it could be very normal person, they may be but he's one of the high enlightened person.

Because, because what we believe Buddha enlightened the purpose for the enlightened. It doesn't mean he just be enlightened go to the Nirvana and stay in some fancy place for no no any problem. Instead, they enjoy the life. I don't think that's the put this, you know, but mainly is once you put the enlightened, come back to the samsara to have the samsara to to solve the suffering of the samsara and also for that purpose. So the way is, you have to be involved into the community into the society. So there are different many different level where sometimes you have to be expected like a teacher. You have to be expected the same as the same person, be a good friend and your same level but then that way you can reach better, the person who'd be printed more peace and more understanding.

That's why we call Tibetan also we call deep Tibetan we call many lamas call Rinpoche reincarnation. And they also kind of like the traditional purposes, something they return come back. But they are a little different because they are they requested this llama to come back as a same as a same same keep the same name, and same title and then the little boy already have the title of the person who I'm a teacher who died. So he will take care that continually the journey of the past previous lamas, whatever journey is so. So that's what the how many.

So if you go to Tibetan community you will meet many Tibetan llama in it to better monastic. I think that my, my understanding is, and that time is the very important and very necessary, because the Tibet is quite divided six million Tibetans, but a big land. So, many area have a mini monastery and there's a one llama who take care that monastery monastery will be the way, and separate up with the community. The community is kind of like the world. So how the monastery will be involved in the community that became a community who can be have a more understand the control day and non violence, basically is a non violence community. So the lamas and monastic have a very heavy duty to have a duty to have to involve with the community to make sure the community is into the spirituality and non violence, non violence.

That's why Tibetans, they mostly Tibetans are very special involved, and also very harmless, and also very humble. And also we because we believe, not only Buddhism we believe as all sentient beings your mother. That's what we train for the little kids even your mom doesn't matter once you even little kids have understanding of all sentient being your mother. So that's why they even they have a little mosquitoes or whatever they little something they have they have a history to to kill the little animals for the even the respect of the animal is also you've been part of your mother, one time, so that was very simple philosophy to involve into the family level to even you don't talk about that much but still their family.

So, community has even little kids have a lot of so that's where something. When you have a little kids have a little, little problem, they're going to get the frightened they call first called mother, oh I'm a mother, mother, mother. I mean it's definitely at that moment to your mother, but same time deeper level, all the mothers, you respect as your mother. So this is our Tibetan kind of base on the Tibetan practice practice so we have a high level best means many different llamas who have really been to the many retreat many enlightened purify all your body mind and enlightened in the victim lives.

And also we have the we call up with the sidebar. We believe that many, many, many sankas, but it's adverse, so they have three different way to dedicate it, how to be enlightened how to be helped us in being. So, the first one, they call it, they did it get like a king, or that time we don't have a president or those we call it king, you know, king, all the, all the country have a king. So that's what they call a king dedicated king. That means first you enlightened. First you become a Buddha, then yourself the leader, since him being to to the homeless place.

And then one part, they have a dedication as we call a boat boat what to call a boat rider, who you know like a captain captain captain captain means some people who take the boat from here to other side the river for people who needed to lead. So that dedication means, I will remain with the same thing. I will lead together. So I like, I'm not going to get like 10 before the all the sentient being like, I want to be together. So that dedication is more like involving in the community, all the time, and then try to help to the community as much as they can. So that's what that's a dedication we call dedication, but it's the Buddhist practice as a captain.

The third one we call we call shepherd shepherd, but Tibetan we have a lot of animals you know more ships and shepherd so you can dedicate and shepherd shepherd means you go to shepherd all the animals sent to the mountain daytime, and the shepherd will So that's what they call a Buddhist that different types of some dedication is there like I want to be not going to be enlightened until the all sentient being the free. So they remain into the samsara to be served and to be helped until the some until that so that's what we have a three different categories where we call the skull of the Buddhist sattvas, who had the dedication but three different way. Some Buddhist sattva one would enlighten first, then to serve the community, some are together, some want to be last so that's how we Tibetan system we have.

So we don't know who is who they don't tell you. So that would be the bad one who didn't tell you which part which which direction they are going. Anyhow, that's what we believe. That's why we call it in Tibetan is not only my Yana, we call also we have a my Roger Yana time to Yana. So time to Yana is more advanced, more advanced and also it is what we call it. Very fast and very serious very fast kind of method to be something helpful to the normal yourself to be helpful to the benefits, but same time it's more dangerous to because everything is not easy that human sometimes people say oh if you're talking to Yana, you're better you can be a guarantee in within your life and the fast and the secret service and the secret kind of like practice and you can be within that if it's I mean if the like a flight.

Yeah, you learn that you learn the pilot you can be, you can fly to somebody taking it to the fast to the, you know, somebody driving to take a leg a one week you've applied to every two hours, but this pilot have a lot of experience you need it, you have to take a lot of risk. And also, even your best pilot, but still you have a not guarantee what will happen in the sky. So, similar, similar everything. So, all depend to the on individual base to the practice.

And so, the reality is you all human being, including the we are practitioners, and non practitioners, all want to be a happiness doesn't want to be suffering. Yeah, that's a fact. So, that case so we are ever, wherever we do the meditation, or we do practitioners, very important to involve to the human being in this, not only meditate, it is very important to add involved with the community and involve to the community to your capacity can be contribute to that level to make a benefit to the other sentient beings.

So, for example, I think, I think like a Zen practitioner have a put a lot of energy into the focus and meditate and also purify all your in emptiness and all the enlightened that will be really benefit to the society, because of that, that because this society And now, new generation new add a lot of distractions, a lot of non violence and that would confuse. So, mental focus is very important in in this level, very, very important. And once you don't have a mental focus then it became a way out of control, and people becoming very greedy and materialism.

And so, so modern technology is a good or bad. Good thing is the modern technology is a very fast something a lot of things be you can be benefit, but also, if you don't do that properly it will be very dangerous, like the September 11 you know like all those kind of things those people who are who are those damaged And so, people this world. They are not there are pretty smart with them to them. Modern knowledge modern technology, but they are lack of the moral lack of the focus lack of the understanding of the human value. So I think our special best is very important to be helpful in this world, and especially a new new generation, new young agents.

But one other hand, I, I myself, I myself be like a debate Lama like you say I was born in a little boy be training to the Tibetan monastery. And I became a monk, and I was studying many, many years in India with my teacher and all the many great llamas, and I was very fortunate to be a get a lot of opportunity to spend many years with the monastery. So, but same time, I myself personally, I decided to be not to be like a monastic monk and I still could be a stay in monastery I really really I mean I was very fortunate I get that opportunity. And I was lucky enough to be able to study myself because I was traveling a lot. And I was in work in a Tibetan library and I travel a lot, then I realized, and just stay among, and also you travel a lot you do a lot of things sometimes you. You feel guilty of the broken lot of rules, monastic rules.

So I say, Okay, so that's what I was resigned from the monastic monastic monk, but I'm not resigned from the Buddhist, I'm still a Buddhist. So, sometimes people think oh you're a normal monk doesn't mean that means like a year out of the monastery, no, we are still connected to the monastery. I still have a monastic connection I still have the same duty as a monastic monk, same duty. I'm a monk for some how isn't traditionally. Yeah, no, but generally Tibetan society, sometimes it's not easy. When you're among people have a lot of respect and people so much into. They give you so much responsibility. When you took off the monk robe, they really get upset. Yeah, they get so upset some people cry in front of you some people mad with you. Some people think you become crazy and what happened wrong. Some people will scolding you. Some people will humiliate you, why everything that's happened. That's, that's, that's how I myself understanding because that's how they energy how they have a lot of energy into the value for the monk, so they feel that opportunity.

When I after my design monk, I am after year later I went to see the his honest. That was also not easy. And not as a as a society culture. I really hesitate to go to the front of his honest to, but I was, I mean, I will always go to the teaching but I have to stay in distance. But then one time somehow his honest realize I was there. So he called, he called me what happened. I'm not among all. Oh, what happened to me. But his honest make me a very re energized. He told me, you don't take that excuse that you're not among and be a crazy boy you have to be same. You follow the same. You have the same responsibility, you had llama, and you're also also you are Buddhist. So you have a cement also you have a lot of teaching so you have some part of the some you have many years you spend. So, don't be a excuse be a not monk and be a you think you're hopeless or you're thinking like you're crazy. No, you have the same responsibility, and you have the power of that one so that makes me a lot of re energized and makes me to put into the energy.

So my life. Since then, I decided to be involved into the two categories, but myself. I decided not to be be a serious be well back to ministry and do a lot of the full my time into the ministry. I decided to be involved with the young generations, because I've got a little opportunity good opportunity between the kind of like the bridge between the Tibetan high lamas, and between the lay people the young generations, because the reason why is what I found in our culture. Many different high lamas come to the any places, they have a very highly respected the town people come. But then, many younger generations really in lack of the community and communicate time to be the lamas with the most I'm so high, and also so many high lamas are the I think that's not enough to just get a blessing. We need to be reached the day, and I must not only blessing need to connect it.

So that's what I, I involved many times be I became a Tibetan community, part of directors, I did a lot of unique to been involved in a volunteer many Tibetan organizations, part of the board member. So that's why I can get opportunity to talk with the young generations and you can talk to the lamas I can, I can even use one has come to the America, I can share everything whatever our lack of the our what our promise promise. And traditionally, when he's honest or high llama comes to that our community, the community board members are so much blessed, and they will, they will say, Oh, because of your his holiness, you have so everything is fine you could because you're his everything is blessing. Everything is good. Everything is good. That's how they get their respect too much so they don't want to be a llama began upset. But I've got totally different. I say I'm not a disaster, but I will just what we need to be less the blessing had a many things just blessing. Of course, that'll be helped but need something. And then the lack of the younger generation they needed what they needed to be Lamont, I think it's very important to Lamont to understanding then I'm a can reach, you know, reach more.

I serve a lot of the many capacities part of that my voluntary, my voluntary. And then also when I get America. I work with all the interface, Christian Jewish. I always go with them and share with them our value and respect them understanding their value and then finally we realize we both all have the same goal same, same value, and the same understanding of the what we need to be self to the community. So, like a fake number even Santa Barbara. I have a lot of things involved with Unitarian unity, and also Jewish community and Christian community, and also Catholic. We have especially now there's there's a been to read this in the pit group. And then there's Islamic and, and also Catholic. and Jewish, and including the Scientology, we all, yeah, we meet sometimes together and we share. It's not like a formality. Sometimes we do like a group formality, we discuss. Sometimes we do like a party, like friends. We meet together and we want to make more just friends with each other. Once you have a friend with each other, you can share each other very importantly, but you have an understanding more at a deeper level and then we can, how we can serve the community within our understanding. So that's my goal.

And also I learned a lot. My life in America, when I came to America, actually I came to America, the main purpose was part of the, when in India I worked at the Tibetan Library and Archive. After I left the mountains, I worked at the Tibetan Library and Archive, I served there for six years. And during that time, we have a joint project with the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., part of the culture. So I served as a culture advisor between the Tibetan Library and the Smithsonian. So that's what they brought me, the first to America, to do part of the project in Washington, D.C. That's the way I came to America. After that, I resigned from the library and after I left that job, then I came back. I mean, at that point I was back in America. The later I came by myself, I served with the Tibetan Buddhist Center. I served as a part of the Lama's assistant to translate, to help him to communicate with other Lama. I did some about a year. And then since then, after that I left and then I worked as a regular, normal work.

When I was in New York, I was that time, I was in New York. And I don't know what to do, what work I want to do. I'm not sure what work to do. One of my friends told me, oh, you should go to the restaurant. You do the restaurant work, you get paid and all you get a tip. It's good. I said, oh, OK, that looks good. OK, so I went to the, what do you do? How do you do it? How do you look the job? They said, don't worry, just go to the restaurant, ask them, do you have a job? I want to work. They will give you this. I said, OK. I walked. I walked in one of the restaurants. Looks like a pretty nice restaurant, Italian restaurant. Luckily, that time the owner was there, the big gentleman, the owner was there. I said, I want to work here. Oh, yeah, really? Do you have experience? He told me, no. Then he told me, you're telling me you don't have experience, you want to be a waiter in my restaurant? Go leave. He told me, OK, thank you. I left. I left just behind, just before I leave on the door. He called me back. Hey, come back, come back. He told me, hey, do you want to do a busboy? He told me. Yeah, he told me. Do you want to do a busboy? I said, I'm sorry. No, no, no. I said, no. What? You don't have experience? You don't want to do a busboy? No, I don't drive. I thought I had to drive. So he was thinking I'm kind of crazy. So then what he told me, OK, stay here, stay here. OK, stay here. Then there's the one busboy was working cleaning the tables and you look this boy, what he does. And you want coffee or tea? I said, I want coffee. He gave me coffee. And he told me, stay there for a while. I'll come back. So about 15 minutes he came back. Did you see what he does? I said, yeah, yeah. Can you handle that one? I said, yeah, I can do it. OK, you come tomorrow.

So my work started in America as a restaurant busboy. Yeah. In the restaurant. Since then, I became a restaurant worker and all the time food serving. I like it. I didn't decide then any place I wasn't watching in San Francisco, I work as a food server in the restaurant and I work in the stop out. I enjoy it. I meet a lot of people. I find a lot of experience and it's simple. It's simple. And so I hear I work in a Renaud. It's simple. I choose the Renaud because I used to work in the D'Angelo's and all the food service. I like the area, the restaurant, because it's small and since you became a more older, I like to have a more small place, not one heavy place. I carry all these big trays on that. So Renaud is one of the very good, very special, special and good food. I feel very I don't want to work in a restaurant and give a lousy food to feel guilty to the customers. So I'm very I really enjoy the Renaud. So since then, I work at the food server for my life. Even in Starbucks, I work in a food server.

So I really enjoy it because it's a lot of learning in the food server. And also I work in a faculty club at a university in Berkeley. It's very good. I mean, somebody told me, "Oh, this is a good job. You meet a lot of people." Yeah, I did. Because in the faculty club, I work early morning, all the high-level visitors, scholars, everybody comes there early morning looking for coffee or breakfast. Then I realized after breakfast, they come back with soup and all this. And a lot of those secretaries come in between that, they are helpless, looking for food. So it's very interesting.

One time was very interesting. The university had a very special guest, a big scholar, a scientist scholar from mainland China. That time, only me, he can be with. I don't know if he worked early morning, five o'clock. He came to the club and had tea and breakfast. He has a little lack of English. I'm not that good. So we both kind of like communicate. And he told me where I'm from. I said from Tibet. Oh, he can do a little bit. He knows that he came from China, government sending data, you know, but at the same time he has understood Tibet, he knows Tibet very well. So he was a little bit shocked. Then slowly he calmed down. He told me he's done. Then we became pretty good friends.

The next morning when he was more friendly, he really showed me who he was. I explained to him very well. I say I was very lucky to have the opportunity to talk to him. I explained I was born in Tibet and left Tibet when I was a child because of your communist government invading the country. But I don't have any hate feeling for any Chinese people. We're Buddhist. We have equal respect for anybody. So he told me then he's a parent of the Buddhist. But after nine o'clock, he comes back at lunchtime with his basis. He doesn't want to talk to me. What do you have to do with all the dignity? But early morning, same human beings. So that's very interesting. We all have respect.

I did one time, and there's a scientist go. I was working at a Starbucks and there's a regular good customer. One of the ladies told me she walks into some kind of conical. She told me, "Oh, I know you are Buddhist." I say, "Yeah, I'm going to marry. Can you help me to marry me and my husband?" I say, "Yeah." I don't know why I told her. And then she said, "We have a little problem." "What's the problem?" She said that her family are all Buddhist. I mean, she and her boyfriend, they're new, younger people. They're not big deal for Buddhist or Christian. But her family are very serious Buddhist and her partner, who's going to marry, is from Spain. So his family is very Christian, very Catholic, very serious. So if she goes with the church, her parents are not going to go. If she goes to the Buddhist temple, his family is not going to go. So they need somebody to help marry them. I say, "I'll marry you wherever you choose." OK.

So they didn't know one country, one country. And I did accept them and married them and they were very, very happy and also very exciting. Her family came from all over from China. They are one or two couples who also work heavily with the Chinese government, but are very serious. But they know that, oh, you marry with Tibetan Lama. But they're a little bit. But then they were very happy. They're very happy and there's nothing to be a whole human being. And they're so happy. And so I was very happy to be part of my life to be served as a food server, served with not only food server, serving to the people, serving to the people.

That's why I told her last time when I had the event, the Lama's birthday, I invited the mayor, Randy Mayor Randy. I told her we both have the same some interest, some interest. You are one of the restaurants. I'm serving the restaurant. You both have the same experience of serving to the people. So I hope I congratulate him. I also told him I hope he will be a good serving mayor for the community.

So anyhow, now that's my personal experience of my practice. So I hope we all have a responsibility as individual as a practitioner as you are Buddhist or your Zen or your Tibetan Lama or your Christian. Doesn't matter who whoever we do something practitioner, I mean, we have some dedication to you, putting energy to serve this humanity, this world to better become a better world, better peace. I'm glad you all meet you together and thank you for your blessing for your teaching. Thank you very much.

And I will pray for one quick prayer for Tibetan traditionally for the compassion mantra for our local dish for our we call Genesis, we believe that Lama's representative of the dish for what we call changes and your book. I get back on the phone and give them a number on the phone. I can't do it. I really have a question. And that's the only way to get it. So I'm going to get it. So that's the way to do it. So I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it.

Oh, thank you. He's graciously agreed to take your questions. So any questions.

Yes. Thank you so much for teaching and just what I needed to hear today. So thank you. I'm curious because I have a friend who started in Zen and she went to the Tibetan side. Yeah. And she talks to me quite a lot about dreams. Yeah. So can you give me the readers I just version of what how to bet this is in Zen we really don't talk about dream. Right. So could you please tell me just a little bit about how your practice is informed by the dreams.

I think this is a dream. We, I mean, we take a lot of in individual base masters. They're dealing with dreams to the individual followers, but there is not really particularly monastery. They have a set up for the Tibetan monastery. But dream is also very important for our view in our Tibetan culture. We have a dream is because this whether you believe or not. For example, for example, today we talk a lot of something frightening or exciting something sometimes kind of dream, next day in coming dream. So this is a fact. So, so that's what the knowledge is like a Google, you know, you know, you search for the little bit in the computer. Tomorrow all your email comes with all the way we're searching they'll come out in here. So, you know, your net.

Similar the dream is has kind of connected with your, your, your dealing with your thinking, you're dealing with your other communicating with a person is just coming to the dream so the Tibetan monastery. The Tibetan Lama teachers, the incident incident with dead on the top that dream, they tried to use that opportunity to bring that person into understand of the reality, reality, reality. So, this is so inceptive they say oh we don't believe we just stop there, you know, I think that they took that opportunity. Okay, let's talk about dream and then also dream.

And also, also, generally the word of the dream is a good thing. Good thing. Positive. Everybody have a dream. I wanted to be doctor I wanted to be something I want to be something in the. So, it's just a technology world is makes you a more positive, so we tried to make that positive into the reality. So that's what we have it then.

So, at the same time, there is also different level, different level, we have a Tibetan practice, the dream into the your bring your practice and also we have a what we call is the rainbow rainbow vehicle. We call pure land, basically pure land, your body mind, you get the purifications and through your dream and through your rainbow practice and into the plot of things to be involved that that also depend on how the individual drama, who are dealing with the individual base, we don't open that for everybody just individual base, how the capacity, according to the capacity.

And also, we have a like a for example, some practitioner good traction, maybe not necessarily but some people people who pass when you call a industry between your die and your, your reborn. We keep that for nine days for nine days. And then these people on the dream, they are the land of the space between just looking for the rebirth. And also, sometimes some Tibetan practitioners, who even did what we call it died. They're still in the meditation for for three days, two weeks.

So, I very seriously last couple of years ago in India, my mama was passed away. It's not like a famous ramen is like a good monk, a good old monk. He passed away. He was in a meditation after he died for meditation for like three weeks. And, and, you know, Indian or doctors, and even in the government involved to make sure you know they, it was really a surprise. So it happens sometimes there is.

So that's what we call is the dream is also there is a particular some different also for shock chain and there is also be called a Tibetan Buddhism. So, we have a Tibetan and the part of the world we have a burn practice that that now now Tibetan Buddhism has a burn practice is basically more like old shamanism, but integrated with the Buddhism, so not really not real shamanism, but it's also kind of like a culture So, Tibetan burn practice, they have a lot of into that dream. And that tradition and also the teacher had a seriously into the invoke that directions.

And also Tibetan. We still keep Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism keep it many burn culture, like a reflex reflex or we do the old days in smoke incense, or those culture. So, it's based on the previous before the pre Buddhism, traditional culture, but still be keep that culture because it is not harmful and also can use that into the practice practice and eat people enjoying and also it's benefit to the people. And so we do that.

Yeah. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you for being here, and I'm really looking forward to going to the renown. Yeah. Thank you. No, no, no, no. I want to go now. Yeah. Thank you. You talk about the different levels of Buddhist soft by the captain. Yes. Can that be applied to the light person like us and our roles and levels.

Yeah. So you know what I'm talking about with the sad with the software is nothing different person. That's why I was telling with the software, like, I told you from the non judgment. So I cannot judge you, you're already put a sad well we don't know, you know, even you don't need to be put this out. You are dedicating your practicing your development your body mind to control. So you are dedicating your Buddha, Buddha, but it doesn't also we believe that the minute that we have a follow like a 10 minute. We have a Buddhist with the mind here. So, when you put the mind here you have. You have a capacity to be enlightened.

And also, if you are different, or individual best for you know your capacity, you know your understanding and so you have a dedicated into your life. So, we have to be the same thing like today we generally what we call as office people working working before working office. Before they go to work office office people will come morning they make the plan what we're going to do what we're going to achieve, then tomorrow we could see what we've done what they haven't done what we have to done.

Similar, depending we call early morning. Early morning, the very important way, wake up. First of all, one, as soon as we wake up. We are fortunate to be still alive. That's number one, because we believe in permanent, we cannot guarantee will be back up your life or be dead. So, so we are fortunate to be alive. Secondly, your mentally can make the motivation. You make that plan that day, I want to be something that benefits somebody helpful, maybe a meaningful. If you make that motivation that makes you the energy into the positive of the day.

And then, at the end, at the end, then we do meditation. Meditation is basically your bring your energy focus into your body mind. And same time it develop your awareness awareness. Once you have a this awareness is getting developed. And then, what you do today, you will aware, and that will bring you to the positive into the something you're going to the wrong. You understand, then you will be. You bring back it's like a GPS. Bring back to the right. Oh, you don't go to Utah Utah. You drive or something you do you don't follow the GPS, you will tell you, you to you to you to similar. And the end, and the end, and then night to refresh you bring back. Okay, what do you have done.

So if you think certain kids achieve, you have to be dedicated to be, you know, build up dedicated and you haven't done something you have a lack of something and you have to find a solution. Not upset upset upset not going to help. The only thing you want to do it not complete. You cannot do your fail, what we call the people going to fail, whatever you don't get upset and sit there, then that will not going to help, it's going to make a wolf. So, another way is a positive solution, you have to look for the solution. If you have a solution, then there's nothing to be a worry. There's a solution you walk, you know solution or the worry will be not going to help.

So, that's how we daily life practice early morning motivation daytime be the awareness. Last time is to dedicate it to your whatever you do good thing it's better to dedicate for the benefit more and then that makes you the more stronger and more energy and it brings you more focus. And that will help you the next day, then at the end, you still have to remember where life is impermanent. So don't turn to to to. So, all moment is very important we live in a moment life so it's very important. Thank you.

Thank you. I have a question for you. Yeah. It might be too personal. But it's a curiosity I guess. So, when you were a child, and you were identified as the eighth reincarnation. Yeah. How was there, I've seen the movie about the Dalai Lama. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Can you explain.

Oh yeah. Yes. When I was the, the man who recognized me as a tulku. I was three years old. The man first time came to visit me. I remember, I still remember a little bit. But my mother told me, my mother, and my parents are very extreme. And she said, very spiritual, and the monks came to say we're looking for something, they're looking for the little boy she was so, so, you know, like that. So, she's so happy. Same time she had so much love on me and she doesn't want to send me to the monastery.

So, when the man came to the first time that I think we're looking for them that time looking for candidates, they're not really like I think. My mother said no no no no no no my, my, my boy. Thank you for coming blessed. My father. No, no, it's okay. My father. Yeah, you believe me I take it. Anyhow, then that time, there's a six month came that my mother told me there's a six month came. There's a one month is a one of the very close previous tulku's, you know, very close assistant. And others are just one is maybe they know is there were two are not nothing never met that particular previous but these two act like a real friendly friend and try to talk to me, the real person was just like a stain and then ignore. And I would, I'd right away, you know, these people and jump to the other one person that's what I might tell me. Yeah, that was that was what my mother told me if she made it that's her fault. She taught.

And then I think my personally believe. I think when you have a, when you get young, you're very, you don't have a much negative it's. And so I think which you're much more fresh connecting with your past life. I think that's what they have a little more kids have a little more. And also kids have an agenda. He doesn't think I want to be a lama became a family so I want to be the agenda, so there's no reason to be kids be whatever they're acting that moment. That's all the moment so that's the. My experience.

But when I become lama. When I get into ministry, not easy. Oh, you're a lama now you have to train here to practice your practice that you train line, it helped me a lot. It helped me I mean definitely. The thing is right now. I mean I told you like my job Starbucks. Stop. I was very happy to me because I always like to open their like to the person who opening they need somebody often always reliable open early morning. Many young, young people take a very difficult to open it because they, you know, they added too hard for the school, a lot of school work or party. Either way, either way is the early morning is the Starbucks has a lot of circling the people come on on time. So that's why I always on time but opening so morning so that place I woke up early morning you have to be there for crop. So, I grew up with the working waking up before I don't even need an alarm. So, so, so that's, that's the part of the magic benefits. Thank you.

Thank you. Yeah. Anything else, pretty running out of time. Okay. So you know, best chance going going gone. Okay. Okay, there's a one. I found one. One quote I found. I just want to read that finishing but part of the ending. This is Sam Ben. Shake remind us through his fascinating and important work. These two great my internet traditions were not always quite so far apart. More like a strange cousin. Even long lost siblings. We share a monastery once in some year, monastery in the far way to bed, waking to the same brilliant drone and walking the same dusty path. We drank from the same well, we nourished by harvest of the same soil. We borrowed each other's scriptures and tried to for a few years a bridge and get between our teachings with a little luck and understanding we might share the same part again.

That was I found one of the practitioners. So, so that we have the part share our part together as we are part of the Buddha, and we are part of what the same script, they do the part of the heart sutra and not hurt so that I have a great meaning. Meaning we need to be not only chanting, we have to be deeper level to be into the practice. So thank you very much. Thank you.