Considering herself born to extremely understanding parents, Jean Ai confesses to being accident-prone as a young child, worrying her family by getting into all sorts of scrapes with scars to prove it. When she was not falling over, her nose would be buried in books, soaking up all of the life lessons that Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl could possibly provide.
A non-conformist by nature, her early ambitions included police officer, human rights lawyer, politician and Greenpeace volunteer. A trip to the oceanarium developed her teenage obsession of becoming a marine biologist. Her spare time thereafter was dedicated to studying the anatomy of cetaceans and the like. Her dream, however, was swiftly put to rest once she realised that proficiency in Chemistry was a requirement of the job, and her distinct disinterest in the subject proved to be an insurmountable stumbling block.
Upon her guru H.E. Tsem Rinpoche's advice, Jean Ai pursued a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Warwick. Having grown up under the Dharma umbrella however, Buddhism was never far from her life. Her predominant teenage memory is being taken to the Dharma centre to attend hours of pujas and talks that she could not comprehend. Undeterred by the strange happenings around her, she thought, “Well, if you can’t understand ‘em, join ‘em and learn more. Then, maybe one day you will understand.”
And "join em" she did. After a year working in London, Jean Ai returned to Malaysia to join Kechara on a full time basis. She now serves H.E Tsem Rinpoche directly as a member of Tsem Ladrang, and as an editor with the writers' team.
There’s a topic most people find a little awkward to talk about, and that’s sponsorship in the Dharma. People find it awkward because they think money is not a very spiritual thing to discuss. Yet it is an unavoidable subject because it’s a simple fact of life in samsara – monasteries and Dharma institutions would never be...
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai) I recently had the pleasure of speaking with a learned geshe who said he had some information to share about the spirit Nyatrul. It is often claimed that this spirit is what inhabits the body of the Nechung Oracle whenever he takes trance in Dharamsala, and that...
Mewawancarai Y.M. Kensur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Phende dari Shar Gaden Monastery Mengenai Yang Mulia Tsem Rinpoche ke-25 Kechara merasa sangat terhormat dan beruntung bisa menjadi tuan rumah dalam kunjungan Yang Mulia Kensur Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Phende, yang didampingi oleh asisten setianya, Gen Wangyal. Kensur Rinpoche, yang sekarang menjadi Kepala Biara emeritus, merupakan...
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai) Surely the most famous and well-established refugee community in the world has to be the Tibetan people and that is thanks to the single-handed efforts of His Holiness the Dalai Lama who has spent the last 60 years keeping the Tibetan cause alive, relevant and in the global consciousness....
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai) At the very beginning of 2017, I had the opportunity to give a talk in Wisdom Hall, Kechara Forest Retreat. It covered the topic of practising Dharma at our upcoming reunion dinners. On the eve of Chinese New Year, it is a Chinese tradition for the extended family to...
The New York Times recently published this article providing succinct coverage of the ongoing Tibetan elections. Unlike the Reuters special report, the New York Times coverage was accurate and balanced, using easily identifiable sources of information to highlight aspects where the Tibetan electoral process has fallen short.
For the last 60 years, the Tibetan leadership have used public relations tools to further their own self-interests, portraying their community as pitiful refugees who are well-deserving recipients of foreign aid...
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Khong Jean Ai) (译文请往下阅读) For hundreds of years, Tibet has been a powerhouse of enlightened minds, devoted practitioners and attained masters. As far as the eye can see, from the great monastic universities to the caves scattered throughout the land, hundreds of thousands of practitioners have engaged in retreats, studied, learned, debated, contemplated, meditated and gained attainments into Buddha’s profound teachings. Of these practitioners, no two lamas have accomplished the same level of repute as His Holin...
For most people, probably the first time they ever saw someone driven to self-immolation to defend their beliefs was during the Viet Nam War. Back then, a Buddhist monk by the name of Venerable Thich Quang Duc calmly entered meditation as he burned to death. He was protesting the persecution of Buddhists in his...
Since the Tibetans first entered into an exiled existence in 1959, the vast majority of them have found a home and refuge in India. They reestablished themselves on 27 tracts of land throughout India which were granted to them by the government under Jawarhalal Nehru, the Prime Minister at the time. On these pieces...
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Pastor Jean Ai) Any Dorje Shugden practitioner with an active online profile will know that we are often faced with vitriolic and abusive comments online. These range from how Dorje Shugden practitioners receive Chinese government funding, to our supposed inferiority as Buddhists because we are not Tibetan, to how we...
One of the things history has taught us is that the rise of the noblest of men and women and the advent of the most epochal and pivotal events that have benefited mankind, have always been preceded or at least accompanied by the presence of the greatest evil. The Buddha was holy and faultless...
Kechara Forest Retreat is not only one of Malaysia’s biggest Buddhist meditation centres, but it’s also home for some. Catch a behind-the-scenes look at what life was like for Pastor Jean Ai, and learn how different things became since the Movement Control Order began on March 18, 2020. Follow her as she covers what...
Rinpoche definitely had a playful side and he loved to laugh, joke and tease. Once WhatsApp and Skype became more popular, Rinpoche would send us silly photos and videos, really hamming it up for the camera to make us laugh...
Over the years, I was fortunate enough to be present on the many occasions Dorje Shugden gave advice and instructions to Rinpoche and the students. Usually, the role of scribe would fall to me, to record in writing whatever...
The screenshot on the right cracks me up. These are the two incomplete cycling workouts from Week 1 of the training plan. That week, I was only able to make it to the end for 1 out of 3 sessions, and was in tremendous pain at the end. It took me three days to recover....
A teaching on tolerance was sent to us yesterday, reminding me of this powerful infographic I had seen a while back capturing the difference between Inclusion, Exclusion, Segregation and Integration. So this post is a visual aid to help everyone understand the difference between the four, and to help people understand what Dorje Shugden...
Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. When I think back on the kind of relationship...
Having had the fortune of meeting Rinpoche when she was just 11 years old, the ‘Growing up with Rinpoche’ series captures Pastor Jean Ai’s growth under Rinpoche’s guidance. In this series, she recounts some of Rinpoche’s myriad Dharma activities to benefit sentient beings. Rinpoche’s life was about taking pain away from people,...
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Scroll down within the box to view more messages from Rinpoche. Click on the images to enlarge. Click on 'older messages' to view archived messages. Use 'prev' and 'next' links to navigate between pages
Concept: Tsem Rinpoche Technical: Lew Kwan Leng, Justin Ripley, Yong Swee Keong Design: Justin Ripley, Cynthia Lee Content: Tsem Rinpoche, Justin Ripley, Pastor Shin Tan, Sarah Yap Admin: Pastor Loh Seng Piow, Beng Kooi
I must thank my dharma blog team who are great assets to me, Kechara and growth of dharma in this wonderful region. I am honoured and thrilled to work with them. I really am. Maybe I don't say it enough to them, but I am saying it now. I APPRECIATE THESE GUYS VERY MUCH!
Dear everyone... This is a good condensed talk I gave on Guru Yoga of Tsongkapa. This is the one you should share with others when they are interested in a not too lengthy explanation. It is the perfect practice for everyone who wants simplicity yet effective blessings. You can share this with more people, it will be good.
Dear blog friends, you can submit your photos to this section by sending an email to tblogpics@gmail.com. Include your message in the "Subject" field (up to 250 characters only). Be sure to include your name in the subject field too!
21 hours ago
9 July had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
6 days ago
5th July had animals liberation activities. Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
1 week ago
2nd July had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
3 weeks ago
18th June had our weekly Dharma sharing and DORJE SHUGDEN Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
4 weeks ago
Young friend, Sun Cheok Hong helped out after the puja ended. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
4 weeks ago
Our new visitors have come and joined us for Dorje Shugden puja in Kechara Ipoh. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
4 weeks ago
Throughout the puja, we have dedicated our accumulated merits for His Eminence the 26th Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's long life and good health, extends our prayers to those in need as well. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
4 weeks ago
Kechara Ipoh Study Group has carried out Dorje Shugden puja in Ipoh on Sunday noon. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
4 weeks ago
14th June dharma sharing, DORJE SHUGDEN Puja and blessings at Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
4 weeks ago
11th June had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
1 month ago
7th Sunday animals liberation activities, saving thousands of lives Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
1 month ago
4th June had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja. Kechara Kuantan Study Group by the
1 month ago
4th June had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja. Kechara Kuantan Study Group by the
2 months ago
Pastor Albert giving us the Dharma Sharing in Kechara Ipoh Study Group on Saturday afternoon (23rd May). So Kin Hoe (KISG)
2 months ago
After the Dharma Sharing session, Dorje Shugden Puja was carried out and lead by Pastor Albert and Beng Kooi. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
2 months ago
24th May completed our DORJE SHUGDEN Mantras recitation Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
2 months ago
23rd May Group recitation of DORJE SHUGDEN mantras Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
2 months ago
21st May weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja, Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
2 months ago
14th May had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
2 months ago
Fwd: 10th May blessed day dharma sharing, blessings and DS puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
2 months ago
7th May evening had our DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
2 months ago
30th April evening had our dharma sharing and DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
2 months ago
26th April animal liberation activities Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
3 months ago
Before our session ended today, Pastor Henry transferred the blessings onto us through the blessings of His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, Lama Tsongkhapa and Dorje Shugden. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
Kechara Pastor Henry was sharing Dharma with us and gave us much insights on how to continue practicing Dharma without giving up easily. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
Through the blessings from our Guru, His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, Kechara Pastor Henry and Kechara Umze Frederick Law have lead us in Dorje Shugden puja in Ipoh today. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
23rd April had Dharma sharing and DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
3 months ago
16th April evening had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
3 months ago
Emily offered fresh tea on Tsem Tulku Rinpoche's shrine. May our Guru lives long with good health. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
Mr. Cheah Fook Wan offered Serkym to The Three Jewels prior to Dorje Shugden puja. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
Mr. Mannance Wong has offered incense on behalf of everyone in Kechara Ipoh Study Group. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
Through the blessings from Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, Kechara Ipoh Study Group has completed our Dorje Shugden puja today. So Kin Hoe (KISG)
3 months ago
12th April having Anila with us Dharma sharing and DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam kech
3 months ago
3 months ago
6th April cleaning of Gyenze Chapel Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
3 months ago
5th March animals liberation activities Kechara Kuantan Study Group by the
3 months ago
2nd April blessed evening had our weekly DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam
4 months ago
19th March evening had our DORJE SHUGDEN Puja Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
4 months ago
15th March Blessings at grand opening Kechara Kuantan Study Group by Sam
4 months ago
Throwback 5th March dharma sharing followed by DORJE SHUGDEN Puja.kechara Kuantan Study Group Sam