His Eminence Gyalwa Dokhampa’s visit to our school.
28th March was a day that started out gloomy with rain, weathers like this may invoke feelings of sadness, depression or simply the urge to just sleep in the comfort of your bed the whole day. Perhaps one can look at it that way or one can look at the rain as the beginning of a new day, as a means of purifying the negative thoughts and words said and making room for something important to be realized. Today I looked at the rain as the water helping the growth of hope.
As
the rain calmed, the sun rays hit the ground, evaporating the remnants of rain
back to the sky; to where it belongs. Students were asked to gather in the
assembly ground. So, carrying our kabneys and rachus, we walked out of our
classes to the assembly ground and started to line up according to our sections
and sat down after doing so. Soon after we were all settled down, His Eminence
arrived as graceful as rain.
His
Eminence was going to give us the Jitsuen Dema blessing today, but anyone who
has had a session with His Eminence before would know, there are more than just
prayers chanted and repeated with Rinpochhe; He almost certainly includes
teaching us more about the history of Jitsuen Dema, Buddhism, karmic
connection,why everything has a cause and effect and more.
Today,
Rinpochhe talked essentially about how everything has a cause and effect. The
good that happens to us in the present maybe the result of something good you
did in your previous life; fitting to the famous proverb, “You reap what you
sow,” and if something bad is happening to you, it might be due to the negative
karma you accumulated in your past life. But Rinpochhe reminded us that there
isn’t a fixed destiny. Maybe you did something horrible in your past life, but
does that mean you’ll suffer from something horrible your whole present life?
No. You are in charge of paving your own path, by doing good and living ethical
and moral. You are in control of your own destiny.
Rinpochhe also talked about how greed, beauty
and words-either negative or positive- don’t have meaning in its core. But it
is our mind that gives it meaning. Our minds control everything, from the way
we perceive things to the way we do things. If we all look into life carefully,
there wouldn’t be any worries, or sadness or anger if we just learned how to
tame our mind. The way you look at the world, all depends on your mind.
Happiness, sadness, pain, anger, disappointment, expectations and all the other
emotions we feel are all created by our own mind. If we always have a positive
outlook in all the situations we have to face and understand why you had to
face those situations reasonably, we would certainly be able to live a
productive and happy life.
After
what Rinpochhe had preached, those who had listened were with no doubt,
inspired to become better human beings. Rinpochhe ended his session by giving
all the students the blessings of Jitsuen Dema. Our school then presented to His
Eminence three cultural performances that etched smiles into many faces. After
the performances, Rinpochhe took his leave, leaving behind with us words of
motivation and benevolence. I further realized the true essence of life this
day, and I hope many of our students did too.
Kuenzang
Palmo.
Student
Reporter
School Media Club
