Diana
This is Diana in front of the new Tv I presented her last week. Shin was very helpful to find different models on line and give Diana the facts as to which Tv would be good. Many times I want to get some quick information or sending something to Diana, Shin’s on the phone with her. Thanks Shin for helping Diana, a Lady with a big heart. Shin, you’re a lady with a big heart too.
Diana is my long time dharma sister from the USA. She lives in Ohio now. But when we met, she lived in Los Angeles. We met back in the mid 80’s there. We met just before the Glorious Kyabje Zong Rinpoche ( a living Heruka Buddha in the flesh) arrived in Thubten Dhargye Ling Dharma Centre (TDL) started by Ven Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen.
When I met Diana, she wasn’t interested in spiritualism, dharma or anything but she loved Horoscopes. We started talking more and more and became friends. One day she wanted to go do something, but I hadn’t any time as I was rushing back to attend talks by Kyabje Zong Rinpoche at TDL. Diana decided to come along. She sat on the floor like the rest of us and it was not easy for her. She listened and didn’t know what was going on. She wore very ‘Hollywood’ clothes for the first session. She turned up for another talk, then another and then her karma opened. She loved Geshe-la and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. She started dressing more conservative and coming to talks with no makeup. She seems as if she found some peace. Nothing wrong with makeup and nice clothes, but, you can see she just became more relaxed. She starting volunteering at the centre, cleaning and helping to cook. She adopted Buddhism and she really found her spiritual home. We went to the Bodhi Tree Bookstore on Melrose in West Hollywood and bought a few items. We went to her house. She cooked a delicious lasagna and I set up her altar. The main object on her altar was framed Tara poster with pictures of Geshe-la and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. I loved setting up altars.. We made offerings on her new altar, did prayers and then dug into the lasagna. Her then husband didn’t mind at all. It was a day when dharma pervaded even in her home.
Diana, a nice Californian girl, who before meeting me had no idea what Buddhism was let alone Tibetan Buddism took refuge with Kyabje Zong Rinpoche!!! Such incredible good merit. Just think, Diana met one of the top of the top lama of ancient Tibet and received so much from him. She received a series of teachings and the full empowerments of Sindhura Mandala Vajra Yogini, Tsongkapa initiation and Cittamani Tara. Both with full commentary. Wow!!! Wow!! Imagine the chances of that? To know nothing for decades, suddenly you are in front of a living Heruka Buddha like Zong Rinpoche receiving Tibet’s most treasured secret and most blessed initiations???? I was so happy for her. I taught her and several other people the pronounications of the mantras, various visualizations and some parts of the sadhana after the empowerments. Although I was around 17, many of the senior TDL students would ask me for correct pronounciation of mantras, questions and various visualizations. Some mantras like all of Herukas mantras, I went diretly to Kyabje Zong Rinpoche to confirm pronunciation before ‘teaching’ others.
I was so so so happy for Diana. I was making like USD 500 a month, with rental, etc, I had very little left over for extras. I struggled working two or three jobs. I stayed and lived in TDL, and paid rental there also. I never received any money, stipend or finances from TDL. But I happily cooked for Geshe-la, washed, did laundry, cleaned, vacuumed, made tormas for pujas, set up the gompa for pujas, swept, and happily served the centre. I worked very hard at the TDL for 8 years until Geshe-la sent me off to Gaden in India. To take something from the centre was beyond any of my reality. I was there to serve my teacher and the dharma, not to take. If I had any money left at the end of the month, I would buy extra groceries and offer to Geshe-la knowing it would collect great merits. Holy being partaking of our offerings purifies the karma of miserliness and collects merits to acquire the necessities for future. It would sustain us during our practice in the future it is believed.
One day on my birthday, Diana presented a box and she insisted I opened it then and there…we were outside standing on the intersection of Western and Sunset blvd around 5pm. So I did, it was three hundred dollars. I was like, I CAN’ T TAKE THIS.!!! Diana makes very little money working part time in a Deli and has four sons. I can’t take what she needed more than me. I couldn’t take it. She insisted and said she knows I needed it very much. I was touched beyond words. Three hundred that time is alot of money and to a 17 year old kid that was struggling. I was amazed at her generosity. She had so little, she had a beat up old station wagon that broke down more than it worked, she lived in a small house in East LA and barely making ends meet and she was helping me?????
There and then I said to myself, I will be her friend for life.
I will be loyal to her and I will be there for her when she needs me. I will be her loving dharma brother to her till the end. I made that determination. Well we have been good friends from the 80’s till now. I have invited her to Malaysia and she was my guest and she is coming soon again. She loves Malaysia, the people, the food and the weather. Diana hates the cold in the harsh snowy winters of Ohio. So she will be here joining us in our activities and calling back often to make sure her husband is ok. The last time she was in Malaysia, she came with a group of 60 of us to visit Gaden Monastery. It was a spectacular trip for her. This time when she comes, I will invite her to visit the largest Buddha in Thailand.
It was getting expensive for her in California so she moved to Ohio. I met Diana when she was 41 and now she is 65 this year. I will bring her to Malaysia every year for her to relax, enjoy herself and to enjoy our sunny warm weather. Diana is healthy and loves health foods and loves to cook. I’m like as big as a house already..hehehe
Diana is one of the good friends I had in the US. Across time and place, we have remained good friends. We talk on the phone and text message each other. Recently I gifted her with a large tv, dvd player and a stand. I ordered A LOT of dvd movies from Amazon and it was delivered to her. She loves the tv. She loves movies. So do I. Most Americans do. Here she is sitting next to her new tv. I am so glad I can ‘take care’ and offer a nice gift to my friend Diana. I do love her and care about her. I want her to be alright. I just want her to do her sadhanas, be happy and relax. I will take care of her.
Tsem Rinpoche
This is Diana in her heyday. She looks like a movie star. She use to model in those days. This is one of her pics. I thinks she looks like Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. The star of many Hitchcock classics.
Pictured here is left to right: Tommy, Diana’s youngest son, Opal (mother in law) and Diana in her 40’s that time.
Diana (left) with our Dharma friend Anila Lobsang Dolma of TDL at LA observatory. I took this picture back in the 80’s. We went together. I was working for Fotomat so can develop film at staff price. Anila is a nun and student of Geshe La and Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
I’m giving a hug to Diana when she visited Kechara 2006.
Diana helping us to offer one set of robes to each monk of Gaden. Diana really loved the trip in 2006. There was around 60 of us on that trip. We offered 3,000 sets of full robes to each monk in Gaden. And to each monk in Gaden Shartse we also offered 1 Manjushri statue (1,500 statues). That was fantastic and I planned that trip a year ahead.
The 1,500 Manjushris that we offered to each Sangha Member of Gaden Shartse Monastery. They are painted with gold face, filled with sacred mantras, consecrated and brocade clothes offered.
Kechara members passing out one Manjushri to each monk!
Happy young monk with his new Manjushri! May he excel in his studies and benefit many.
Each of the 3,000 monks receives one full set of robes from Kechara.
Monks helping us to bring the robes into the prayer hall to offer.
Monks after the offering with their new robes and Manjushri. What a event. Diana was able to be a part of this great offering. I am so happy for her. She talks of the trip to Gaden very fondly always.
Diana meeting up with Choktrul Zong Rinpoche. Diana is a student of his previous incarnation. So it was a real nice re-connection again for her. I am so happy for Diana here. You can see the devotion from Diana….. You can see Chocktrul Zong Rinpoche smiling at her and blessing her…. Beautiful.
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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
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Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
Thanks for the details i like it
Thanks for the great details! Looking forward to hearing more stuff about this!
Diana really had such incredible good merits to be able to take refuge with one of the top of the top Lamas of ancient Tibet, Kyabje Zong rinpoche. Out of the blue,with nothing, not even an interest in Buddhism or knowledge of Dharma, she had the marvellously good merits to suddenly receive Tibet’s most treasured secret blessings and initiations from a “living Heruka Buddha” as indicated by our Guru, Tsem Rinpoche. But most blessed of all, she had the meritorious good fortune to meet up with Tsem Rinpoche, from whom a most unique spiritual friendship developed since the the 80’s till today. I was also very lucky to be able to meet Diana through the kindness and generousity of our Guru in 2006, when 64 members and friends of Kechara went on a trip to Ganden Monastry led by Tsem Rinpoche to offer 3,000 sets of full robes and 1,500 Manjusri statues to the monks at Ganden. It ws such a wonderful and meritorious trip of Kechara House. All the best to you Diana and hope to be able to meet you once again soon.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for sharing this story and pictures of Diana.
I like very much and am deeply touched by her sweet and generous gesture of of giving Rinpoche USD300 as a birthday gift.I agree with Wee Liang that the giving is made all the more meaningful when one is sharing something that one has little of oneself.
I look forward to seeing her again when she comes.
Dearest Rinpoche,
Thank You so much for sharing with us how You came to know Diana, and how much she cares for Rinpoche and her generosity towards Rinpoche.
Thank you so much Diana for being a TRUE friend to Rinpoche , and your care to Him. All because of your inner and outer beauty that’s the reason you have an opportunity to meet The High Lama like Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Geshe-la.
Diana you are so blessed, to have chance to receive a series of teachings and the full empowerments of Sindhura Mandala Vajra Yogini, Tsongkapa’s initiation and Cittamani Tara, given by Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. May you and family have good health and long lives, looking forward to meet you soon!
Diana is a beauty in her younger days and even until now as her inner beauty will never fade. An inner beauty of love, kindness, sincerity and generosity.
Due to her merits, Diana is so fortunate to receive initiations from Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and now during the pilgrimage to Gaden, to re-connect and receive blessings from reincarnated Zong Rinpoche.
Looking forward to meet you again soon. Thank you Rinpoche for this warm heartfelt story.
What a nice TV, Diane can watch TV, and enjoy movies on DVDs, winter is coming soon, so Diane wont be alone at home. Rinpoche always take care of his older students and friends…Thank you Rinpoche!
After reading Rinpoche’s narration of Diana’s friendship with Rinpoche at the Dharma centre in L.A. I am ashamed to say that I was not what Diana has been to Rinpoche. The story comes as a trigger for me to realize how lucky I am to have met Tsem Rinpoche and also the benefits was given to me in so many ways. I regretted so much for not being able to turn the clock around again. Opportunities lost are lost forever.Diana has really practiced the six paramittas which I have not.I rejoiced that Diana has accumulated so much good merits. Although I had the opportunity I did not make use of it. I met Diana when she came to
Malaysia to visit Rinpoche in 2006. Rinpoche happened to lead a Pilgrimage group to Ganden Monastery and Diana was one of them in the group. Although her Guru Zong Rinpoche in L.A. has passed away. She was able to meet him again through his reincarnation Cboktrul Zong Rinpoche. Diana I hope to meet you again very soon and wish you to teach me how to be a person with a big and open heart like you.
Thanks for sharing the pictures and story with us.
When being approached to donate, some people will excuse ” if I don’t have enough for myself, how to give to others?”
Diana’s story shows what’s generosity – you still give even when you have little.She could give because she felt rich – rich in love and kindness.
Looking forward to meet Diana again and get to know the beautiful lady better.
As soon as I started to cry a little bit,the story was so touching, then Rinpoche made me crack up saying he’s as ‘big as a house already’ lol. Well when he goes to Tibet they can see he is ‘rich’ because he can eat well or something like that, right? He says, big as a house, they see, ‘rich person’. I see a Buddhist monk.
Random acts of kindness will change your life for sure.
Diane is so fortunate to have met Rinpoche in the early days and had collected so much merits offering USD300 which is exceedingly generous in her capacity. Through Rinpoche she had met with Zong Rinpoche and received such precious teachings and initiation from him. It is truly owing to the effort and connection of Rinpoche that this sheer fortune is on Diane and is smiling on her.
A great experience to rejoice!A sincere and strong faith on guru devotion created billions of merits for Diane to re-connect back to rinpoche as well as current reincarnatio of Zong rinpoche. This showed that no matter what situation is,we must have faith on our guru and all the good qualities of our guru should be in our mind like a vajra.tq and all the best to Diane and Kecharians
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing the story and photos with us.
I loved the story, it illustrates generosity, loyalty and sincerity. Sometimes, I feel its very meaningful to share something that you have very little of. Only then will we truly feel the essence of sharing.
I am looking forward to meeting Diana and also see Rinpoche reunite with his good and long time dharma sister. I hope I get to visit the largest statue in Thailand too!! 🙂
Diana is hot!! 😀
Thank you for the lovely photos and sharing – Diane did look very glam when she was younger. I remember Diane telling us that Rinpoche would call her up after a night out and make sure she did her sadhana by spending a lot of time reciting together with her on the phone. This and the Mother Teresa movie story really shows that although outwardly Rinpoche looked like any average teenager, Rinpoche was definitely anything but average.
Diane’s offering of USD300 was very kind. Little did she know she was making an offering to a Rinpoche. This really shows her generous heart – because some people will only make offerings to high lamas so their generosity is selective, but here, Diane gives without agenda. There must be some past life affinity with Rinpoche and the Dharma already for her to connect with HH Zong Rinpoche and to reconnect with the young Zong Rinpoche in India and to Tsem Rinpoche again here in Malaysia.
I am so touched! Although I have never met her but her story is definitely inspiring. And I think it is hard for a “fashionista” to really take religion and spiritual seriously and whole heartedly coz they’re always surrounded by glamourous people, clothing, parties and “cool” places… Not saying that it’s bad, but it is hard to concentrate on the spiritual practice whole heartedly when there are so many distractions. Since her Karma opened, I am sure she never looked back ever since… and I don’t think that it is a coincidence for her to be so near great masters like Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Tsem Tulku Rinpoche… She had such great merits to receive teachings and initiations.
All the best wishes to you Diana, I hope to be able to meet you someday. 🙂
what a wonderful post – always so inspiring to hear the stories of Rinpoche’s time in LA and how much he persevered in his Dharma practice despite the difficulties and challenges.
We had the fortune to meet Diana a few years ago when she came to Malaysia and she would tell us all these great stories of how Rinpoche would go out clubbing with friends. He would meet all these people, talk and talk to them for hours and the next thing you knew, they’d be coming to the dharma centre too! Rinpoche would take Diana out to the movies – she was looking forward to watching the latest blockbuster but when they arrived there, he’d bought tickets to go watch a Mother Theresa movie!
I also remember Rinpoche telling us a lot about how much Diana helped him when he was struggling as a teenager living in LA. She would give him lifts to work so he wouldn’t have to rough it out on the bus and she would even make him sandwiches and food because he often didn’t have enough to eat. It’s because of people like diana and all their many years of kindness before that we now have Rinpoche with us – so these stories have so much meaning. They have brought Rinpoche to us right here, right now.
Dear Rinpoche, thank you for sharing Diana with us. She does indeed look like a flim star even in her forties. Practicing generosity, compassion even when you need it more than the receiver generates so many merits. How many lay people can receive refuge, teachings and initaitons from a living Heruka? A lesson for all of us and esp bean counters. May Diana and her husband enjoy many happy moments with the brand new TV and DVDs.
very touching… i am very touched by diana…she is so true to her frens… can see from her face that she has kindness too…
Bellísimo. Estas uniones de amigos más allá de tiempos y espacios. Digno para sentir y compartir. Os mando a los dos un gran abrazo.
NûR
A beautiful lesson of humility !!!
Thank you !!!
Christoph