Question asked by Lu Yang
Hello. How can I take vows by myself. I can't visit KFR or anywhere Kechara related. Also in the future if I do get to visit Kechara how would we take the refuge vows and ceremony because I know that HE Tsem Rinpoche isn't there anymore. And also if you have monks, are there ordinations there? Even though I'm in my teens and I'm very young I truly wish to become a monk!! Thank you












































































































Dear Lu Yang,
Kechara offers vow talking services online with our Pastors. Please contact care@Kechara.com and let them know you would like to take refuge. They will assign you a Pastor who will go over the procedure and vows and give you further information. After you have been able to digest the information, they will arrange a time and date when we you can take refuge online. So you will be in front of your altar at home, and the Kechara Pastors will guide you how to take refuge online. Once you have gone through the formal ceremony, you have formally taken refuge under Tsem Rinpoche.
Before Tsem Rinpoche’s Parinirvana he gave the Kechara Pastors the procedure for people to take refuge under him, even if he was not physically present. So we can guide you through the process.
As of now, we do not have any resident monks, but some of the Pastors are Sangha-to-be, meaning they are preparing to take ordination as monks/nuns soon.
We truly rejoice in your aspiration to become a monk. Not many people have this wish nowadays, and definitely not someone as young as you. In order to get to a point where you can make that decision in the future, it would be good for you to have a foundational knowledge of the Dharma and practice to transform and become the best person you can right now. Here is an article which lists some of Tsem Rinpoche’s most recommended Dharma books: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/books-that-are-a-must-read.html. It would be good for you to get hold of copies of these books and read them and try to digest as much as possible.
If you have any further questions, please dont hesitate to ask here. We are always here to help. Thank you