Lama Yeshe - a pioneer

[Vajraprotector]

I came across some readings about Lama Yeshe recently and thought about sharing Lama Yeshe's story as a pioneer here. He is really a great inspiration and a thinker ahead of his time. Perhaps this is also why Lama Osel is now a "pioneer" and an unconventional Tulku, just like his predecessor, the great mahasiddha Lama Yeshe.

In 1959, Lama Yeshe made his way to Bhutan and later to the Tibetan refugee camp at Buxaduar, India due to the situation in Tibet. There his teacher Geshe Rabten entrusted to his care a younger monk, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.

When Lama Yeshe first arrived in India, he often arrived late to the morning class, confessing sheepishly to having shamefully overslept. He had overslept because (though he confided this to no one) he had stayed up most of the night teaching himself English. When the other monks found out, they ridiculed him. If he wanted to learn another language, he should be practical and learn Hindi. Later, he taught Zina Rachevsky, the daughter of a Romanov prince and an American heiress who bought him the king’s astronomer’s house at Kopan, on a hill outside Katmandu.

[Rihanna]

Yes, Lama Yeshe was one of the most unconventional Lamas of our times. He would invite his students to his apartment and even cooks for them! It was in one of his books. There have been photos of him sunbathing at the beach with his students too.  I remember seeing one photo of him in lay clothes in a disco. The extend a Lama has to put himself through during these generate times to bring people into dharma AND keep them.

Dorje Shugden practice was the main protector practice at Kopan during Lama Yeshe's time. After Dharamsala passed an edict to ban Dorje Shugden practice, I heard that Kopan removed all DS images and adhered to the ban. Then afew years ago, Lama Osel disrobed . Could this be the result of broken commitment of the students?

[Vajraprotector]

Dorje Shugden practice was the main protector practice at Kopan during Lama Yeshe's time. After Dharamsala passed an edict to ban Dorje Shugden practice, I heard that Kopan removed all DS images and adhered to the ban. Then afew years ago, Lama Osel disrobed . Could this be the result of broken commitment of the students?

I think that is a possible reason, as it was discussed on one of the thread before here: Lama Osel (Hita Torres) renounces the FPMT
http://www.dorjeshugden.com/forum/index.php?topic=478.0 .

However, students' broken samaya aside, Lama Osel/ Lama Yeshe is still a Mahasiddha and there's no stopping this Lama from benefitting sentient beings, since he is already back  !

Renowned for being unconvention, this might be another "trick" Lama Yeshe pull to surprise the public of what this great master is capable of.  In his previous incarnation, when he was Lama Yeshe, he refused to obtain his geshe degree. Years later, when pressed on why he had shunned the prestigious degree, he would laugh: “And be Geshe Yeshe?”

Lama Yeshe told the uncle who offered to finance his studies that the money would be better spent on feeding the poor, and as for himself, he would rather go on a three-year retreat. His unspoken reason at the time had to do with the fact that Tibetan Buddhism is taught through a systematic course of study, and becoming a geshe would have committed Yeshe to a prescribed method of teaching and a formal relationship with his students.

So perhaps this life, he decided that he should 'start early' on his unconventional path? What do you think?

[happysun]

As high Lama like Lama Yeshe need to disrobed be a lay man to spread Dharma, I think they are great!!!! They are really acted as high lama even though without robe. I will more respect them. Because their motivation only want to benefit all sentient being in this planet.  Nowaday, many great Tibetan Lama also ''manifested'' as lay man form to spread Dharma all over the world. Lama Yeshe is a great and full of wisdom and compassion high lama, i am no doubt even though he wore lay man's clothes.   

   

[Big Uncle]

Lama Yeshe was truly a remarkable teacher and one of the pioneers of Tibetan Buddhism in the west. Although unconventional, he still managed to inspire so many to the Dharma. I believe him to be among the greatest masters although he doesn't possess a long line of incarnation.

What I found interested was that his predecessor was an Abbess of a nunnery and due to the collective karma of his students, he took rebirth in form of a man, as Lama Yeshe. Then after passing, he took rebirth in the West as Lama Osel, shunning the traditional option of a rebirth in Tibet. Now as a rebellious young man, he chose once more to shun traditional option of manifesting as a Lama. He has a left a vacuum in the spiritual hierarchy of FPMT. There is speculation here on this website that it is due to broken samaya in relations to Shugden practice.

Then, Lama Zopa is manifesting being ill and resuming contact with Lama Osel and perhaps resuming fresh attempt to dissuade Lama Osel back to his responsibilities. I wonder what the outcome would be. Lama Osel? Would he take on his predecessor's role or perhaps he is waiting for the ban on Dorje Shugden to be lifted? It would be interesting to see....

[Reena Searl]

Yes, I like the teachings from Lama Yeshe, in one of his teaching, he stressed that we are our own therapist:

Lama Yeshe said, sometimes we have to examine yourself; not just your body but your mind, which is the thing that is telling you what to do. You have to know your own psychology, or, in religious terminology, perhaps, your inner nature. But no matter what you call it, you have to know your own mind.

[biggyboy]

As high Lama like Lama Yeshe need to disrobed be a lay man to spread Dharma, I think they are great!!!! They are really acted as high lama even though without robe. I will more respect them. Because their motivation only want to benefit all sentient being in this planet.  Nowaday, many great Tibetan Lama also ''manifested'' as lay man form to spread Dharma all over the world. Lama Yeshe is a great and full of wisdom and compassion high lama, i am no doubt even though he wore lay man's clothes.  

  

I think that even the present Lama Osel (Hita Torres) whom has denounced Buddhism for it may seems that way in the eyes of everyone for now...To be as lay man to spread Dharma.  What he's doing now or going through may be his way of learning and be a great being in times to come (in a bigger picture or even when the ban on DS is lifted).  Who knows?  Yet to see.... Lama Osel himself said that he's trying to find different ways through music, movies and audio-visual techniques for this future generation of which there are so many different millions of possibilities to send out messages at all levels.

In one of Lama Yeshe's book, Make Your Mind an Ocean has quoted "To enter the spiritual path, you must begin to understand your own mental attitude and how your mind perceives things...When your mind is narrow, small things easily agitate you. Make your mind an ocean" ....

[Dondrup Shugden]

Lama Yeshe was definitely a pioneer of this modern times.  He was unconventional and learnt the ways of the west so that he can teach his majority of western students. 

He was described to be charismatic and electrifying and extremely impactful on his students.  He taught Buddhism, a 2600 years eastern tradition, to the west and established a very powerful organisation internationally.

Most of all inspiring is that he was a Dorje Shugden Lama.  So is his incarnation Osel Lama also one?