Photo Album: My Official and Non-Official Portraits
Jun 30, 2011 | Views: 4,796
Here is a collection of photos taken of me from the time I first arrived in Malaysia… right up until today! They sure do bring back a lot of memories when I see myself in robes back in India. I was there because my root guru His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche had asked me to go to India to become ordained, so I kept my promise to him. Times were difficult for me, but I was very happy to be in the monastery and also living in my Guru’s Ladrang.
Anyway each photo is special to me, not because they’re my portraits… but because of the significance of the time the photos were taken.
I hope you like them.
Tsem Rinpoche
Giving teachings in Kechara House in 2011.
I had the great honour to be ordained by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama. It was one of the most ...
A picture of me after being recognised as a Tulku.
On a pilgrimage in Nepal. I have always loved big Buddha images.
Skinny me when I was in India. Though I had no sponsors then, it made me very happy to be ...
Another picture after my enthronement in the monastery.
Close up portrait from the monastery
Being ordained as a monk was the happiest time in my life. Since young, I had always wanted to become ...
When I left L.A. to become a monk, which I did because I promised my root guru His Holiness Zong ...
My Tsongkhapa pandit hat was given to me by my guru His Eminence Kensur Jampa Yeshe.
When I was in India, I had very little money even to eat but I was most happy.
In Gaden Monastery in the 1980s.
In my ceremonial hat getting ready for puja in Gaden...a few years before this picture was taken, I was in ...
I received my ordination vows from Chenrezig himself, H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama.
In Kechara House Gompa 2011... I really love our beautiful new gompa.
A current picture of me giving teachings in Kechara House 2011.
In 2004 when Kechara House was first built... we were one shop lot when this photo was taken. Seven years ...
One of the teachings in Kechara House this year 2011. See the lovely 8ft Vajrayogini next to me? I am ...
In 1992 I started teaching in Malaysia at the request of my Gurus. This was taken during one of my ...
I was recognised as a Tulku a few years after joining the monastery
Blessing a gathering in the Ladrang in 2009.
This picture was taken in India when I went back to make 3000 offerings of Manjushri statues to the monks ...
A thangka portrait of me commissioned by one of my older students.
Doing prayers in Kechara House during the new Gompa (Prayer Hall) opening in 2011.
This was taken around 1999 to 2000 when I was in Malaysia and Singapore giving teachings. After I first travelled ...
Doing prayers for Kechara House's grand opening of the new Prayer Hall (known in Tibetan as a gompa)
In 1987 when I was in Gaden Monastery, India. It was a difficult life in many respects, but I was ...
A simple portrait of me in 1999.
Kechara House in 2004... this was one of the shots we started to take with a professional photographer. Back then ...
Doing prayers in Kechara House in 2011, wearing the pandit's hat.
Giving teachings at Kechara House in 2011.
Giving teachings at Kechara House in 2011.
Another picture of me in Kechara House in 2004... behind me is the wall of our original Setrap chapel, which ...
Prayers for New Gompa (Prayer Hall) in Kechara House this year.
Kechara House in 2004
Giving teachings in 2011 at Kechara House
I love our 10ft Lama Tsongkhapa who is in long life form... and it was made by our wonderful department ...
During my first Land Blessing ceremony at KWPC's land which will be our centre for alternative healing and methods for ...
Blessing the land where we will built a Kechara World Peace Centre.
Giving teaching in Kechara House some time in 2009 before we moved to the new Prayer Hall. I am so ...
In my official robes in 2004
Giving teachings in the new Gompa in 2011...don't you just love Lama Tsongkhapa...
Receiving Body, Speech and Mind in Kechara House 1, the location of our old gompa
In 2006, I went back to my monastery - Gaden to offer 3000 Manjushri statues and 3000 sets of monks ...
Doing Tsog in 2004
Doing Tsog in 2004
In my ceremonial robes
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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
I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.
I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
The picture below was taken in Gaden Shartse Monastery’s main prayer hall during Lama Chopa puja. In the front row is His Holiness Gaden Trisur Jetsun Lungrik Namgyal when he was the abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery. Next to him is His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and His Eminence the young Tsem Rinpoche. Sitting behind wearing the hat is Venerable Geshe Lobsang Phende as head chant master.
How surreal to see all your life pictures past and present Rinpoche.
Time really flies. I like the very first picture at the top left without the yellow hat where Rinpoche smiles/grins. That look and smile is so similiar to the few years old little Burcha photo I saw on the internet. ^______^
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/me/i-loved-my-horse.html
How fortunate we are to be able to capture every single words, videos, photos and actions of our precious guru for our memories and learnings compared to gurus who’d lived a hundred years before.
It amazes me how much works Rinpoche have accomplished in this short human lifetime and have touched so many lives.
May Rinpoche live long to guide all of us.
May we follow Rinpoche all the way in this life and the next.
With folded hands.
Thanks a lot for these pictures, Rinpoche.Like a memory down the lane.
Visiting these pictures of Rinpoche over and over again for blessings and inspirations, never enough! So grateful for these pics.
I hope there will be more portraits for the next incarnation so that it will inspired more people to learn up Dharma, to practice it sincerely and eventually gaining attainments & enlightenment.
Your Eminence,
those pics, in a nutshell, uplift my mind and my heart.
thank you for being with us
Dear Rinpoche:
Thank you so much for uploading these beautiful pictures! It’s very kind of Rinpoche to share these pictures with us, as these memories must have meant a lot to Rinpoche.
Rinpoche has gone through so much in life for the love of the Dharma. We are truly blessed to have Rinpoche with us, leading us to the Dharma and learning from Rinpoche. It is because of Rinpoche that we are where we are today, and we look forward to creating more memories with Rinpoche as Kechara grows. These pictures will remind us of Rinpoche’s kindness always, and we hope to obtain all our good qualities through the guidance of Rinpoche.
Thanks again, Rinpoche.
Each day it is a JOY to come at computer and see what you Rinpoche, and your team, have done for us! Today so much Beauty and Meaning all in one place!! Thanks for this most beautiful gift, the photos are wonderful, all of them, your kindness shines, your heart shows completely!! 🙂