MY BABY UNDERSTANDS….
I know it’s hard to pick who’s better, me or Donna, but watch again. She learned this song from me!!! Hehehe
I use to spend summers at my Aunt Meda’s house in Lakewood, New Jersey with her four girls, Debbie, Darlene, Diane, Danielle. Danielle was an infant that time.
So I would sing all types of Donna Summer’s songs and force Debbie, Darlene and Diane to be the background singers. Darlene asked me once, how come I’m always the lead and they the background girls. I told her cause I am bigger and so they have to listen to what I say. Darlene didn’t like that answer, but she went along anyway and we had great times.
I miss my beloved Aunt Meda and her four beautiful daughters that I am proud to call my cousins.
Here’s a great picture (above, right) of myself holding cute Daniella, behind me is Darlene, to the right with glasses is Debbie. And behind Debbie is Diane. I love these four cousins, we had so much fun for so many summers in those days..
This is their mom and my Aunt (left). She is a beautiful lady inside and out. I respected her so much when I was growing up. Her husband (my uncle) passed away before the four girls grew up and Aunt Meda single handedly worked herself and raised them to be such wonderful human beings. I watched this as I was growing up and spent many summers with them. I love Aunt Meda quite alot. Everyone in the family respected Aunt Meda.
I send her my prayers, love and good wishes,
Tsem Rinpoche
This is Donna’s version:
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/DonnaSummersMyBabyUnderstands.mp4
This is my version:
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/SingingMyBabyUnderstands.mp4
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1984 Los Angeles-Left to right: Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, monk assistant to Zong Rinpoche and the 18-year-old Tsem Rinpoche prior to ordination. Read more- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/me
Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
I love reading stories about Rinpoche. It helps to build faith. Rinpoche is an exceptional singer as I have heard Rinpoche sing before. It is like a thousand angels! Rinpoche is always a passionate and kind lama. Whenever he asks students to perform anything, it is all for their benefit, so their ego is lessened and the Dharma can go in while they are humble.
Watching the video of Seng Piow, JP and Shin — oh they are so natural. They look very happy. Am sure they enjoyed themselves very much.
Dear Rinpoche, I like both versions of the song, it is really hard to choose. I didn’t know that Rinpoche can sing that well until I watched this video. When Seng Piow, JP and Shin sing, they looked very funny and cute. I hope that I can see more videos of Rinpoche singing I LOVE IT! Thank you Rinpoche for sharing
Rinpoche ways of teaching is special and non-conventional. I have never ever imagine that by singing pop-song in karaoke can be a way to learn Dharma too.
Would like to go singing with Rinpoche one day! 🙂
RIP Donna Summer. May you have good rebirth!
i love your version. hehe
this is my web,side
Dear Tsem Rinpoche la your story so deeply toched me ,in the past two days i was watch and listen your wonderful teaching I did not know how to reach or find you
Looking at the loving picture of Tsem Rinpoche with his cousins and aunty is a great relieve for me and joy. Even though he had very bad childhood going through what he went through, he was not affected by all the wrong doings or bad treatment of others. This is like another side to the coin. There is someone who showed Tsem Rinpoche love, kindness and compassion.
His aunty had her own sets of problems but that did not stop her from loving another member of the family who is not her own. I am sure Tsem Rinpoche always think of his cousins and care about their well being and remembers them always in his prayers.
hhaha…I remember that night vividly! Aiyo…i laughed so hard. Yes Ruby, Seng Piow did look kinda tight though he tried hard to let go hehe…I like what Beng Kooi said..that everything Rinpoche does..as funny as it may seem is a great lesson, the lesson to cut our ego, and destroy the mind of dualism.
Well, check out this video of David, letting go of his ego. You must, must watch this video! David is a star at letting go of his ego! Do congratulate David when you see him next time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkJTdrT2s84
Rinpoche, thank you for all your teachings, real life teachings!
Gosh! Seng Piow looks so anal retentive in the video! Its as though he is forced to do it. And indeed he was! There is never a dull moment in Kechara. Every second, no matter how mundane it looks, is a teaching to us by Rinpoche. And the lesson here is to cut ones ego by making them look funny and others laughing at them. Now for those who have seen this video and think its funny, come watch LIVE a funnier show! Theres a fundraising for Kechara House and KSK on 18 July 2010 at Ballroom, Sunway Resort Hotel @ 7pm. Entertainment includes our Kechara showGIRLS (consisting of boys who wanna be girls and real men in tutus). I promise you a good night of fun, laughter with a good cause. For more info http://www.kechara.com/kwpc.
Rinpoche sure have the knack for singing and acting! I never really appreciated Donner Summers until I met Rinpoche. Heck! I have never really heard of her name either. Ok, maybe in my childhood I did hear one or two songs. What’s interesting in this short little article is how Rinpoche was already quite a leader as he is right now.
As a student of Rinpoche, I did notice much of Rinpoche’s leadership qualities in which he leads people towards a spiritual development and achievement. As a leader, Rinpoche is exceptionally kind, generous and patient. He does have somewhat of a knack for managing people in a very compassionate and innately spiritual way. He is always planning for people’s welfair especially those that work with him. This is a hallmark of a great and compassionate Lama.
I agree with Elena, I love reading Rinpoche’s stories too! 🙂
I just watched the video and it’s hilarious!! 🙂 I kept laughing seeing how overly-enthusiastic JP is with his arms flailing around, singing on top of his lungs…SP looking like he was forced into it with no way out and Shin looking like she’s just going with the flow. Hahaha! JP is SO into it!
Rinpoche, your three beautiful cousins who were your back-up singers have been replaced by…..three…very different people 🙂 Haha just joking. Your students have really learnt to cut their ego and it’s nice to see that they’re enjoying themselves whilst indirectly practicing dharma. 🙂
How you used to make your cousins become your back-up singers reminds me of how I used to make my cousin sing with me Spice Girls songs, rehearse and put on a show in front of my relatives!
I can’t wait for your biography to be out – to be able to read all these posts in a chronological and complete way, I’m sure it will be a satisfying and good read 🙂
There are so many interesting aspects to Rinpoche’s early life, both happy and unhappy, that we have never heard of, and it’s always surprise me for to learn about them. I like hearing stories about his time in America – when he worked in a Fotomat, about his aunts and uncles (like the Russian Orthodox and Buddhist couple), about the personalities of his previous employers, his teenage years in LA. It paints a picture of someone who went through the same kind of issues we still face, but then chose to rise above them.
I know many people like to hear the stories too so hopefully KMP ( http://www.kechara.com/kmp ) finish some sort of biography soon. Why wouldn’t you be intrigued to learn about the Mongolian who was raised in the US, who teaches Tibetan Buddhism but speaks English, loves Madonna and the Dalai Lama, who (with his gurus’ permission) wore lay clothes for a time but never gave up his monks vows? So many things in Rinpoche’s life seem to be contradictions but if you examine it deeper, they show you how samsaric things can become a dharma teaching depending on your motivation.
It may look like a lot of fun and games but Rinpoche’s reason for asking his students to perform such actions has a much higher purpose on many many levels. And what is this purpose you may ask? To cut down the self cherishing mind, attack the ego, and to destroy the mind of dualism where we perceive that things MUST be this way or that way.
It is when we achieve this mind that it becomes easier for us to receive higher yoga tantric practices such are Vajrayogini, Yamantaka, Heruka Chakrasamvara or Guhyasamaja. In fact, these three tantric deities (Heruka, Yamantaka and Guhyasamaja) were the three recommended by Lama Tsongkhapa and in Kechara House, we focus on the practices of Tsongkhapa’s Guru Yoga, and we aspire to receive the initiation and practice of Vajrayogini, whose practice is the same as Heruka’s, albeit shorter and more concise.
Rinpoche’s purpose and motivation is never ordinary, as is the case with all Mahasattvas, Mahasiddhas and attained masters.