More Khyentse Yangsi

The past few days I've been really thinking about how hard it must be to be recognized as a super famous, realized being, as in the case of Osel Hita Torres--who was born in Spain in 1985, recognized as the indisputable incarnation of Lama Yeshe by the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the age of 14 months, and spent much of his childhood at Sera where he was taught both Buddhism and Western studies, right by Namdroling in South India. He ended up going to a normal high school and then university in Spain where he studied film and I read that now he wants to maybe study cooking...Anyway, there's the movie Tulku, made by Chogyam Trungpa's son Gesar Mukpo about western tulkus and the conflicts they face and the different paths they take--usually leading more normal lives than their Eastern counterparts. And thinking about this had really made me wonder why? Is it simply because they are brought up in the west? Does it just depend on who their teacher is and how they are brought up? I don't know.

Anyway, below are some things the 17 year old Khyentse Yangsi said over the weekend (which come from the "Celebrating the Return" website):

"To cultivate a good heart, one should stop the following eight activities. This came to my mind:
1. hypocrisy
2. judging
3. gossiping
4. hurting others' feelings on purpose
5. being narrow-minded
6. taking advantage of people's kindness
7. giving with the hope of getting something in return
8.invading people's personal space and life."

- Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, Colorado, Sat. 14. Aug 2010

“Training the mind with poisonous thoughts is like unsuccessfully kissing a shark. There is very little percentage chance you will have your head back.” – Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche

"If it were possible to make our mind perfect, it would be possible in America [already], where everything is possible. So we have Lojong – training the mind. Mind is like a computer chip: takes any kind of information around it in. So we have to be careful, make sure, to take in the good information not the bad, and look again and again. When we get influenced by the bad information we can get carried away and it’s hard to return to the good; so make sure to take in good information. Motivation colors the mind. If mind and motivation are pure, path will be pure. If mind and motivation are polluted, your path will be polluted. With any type of mind training, then, we should be free from any type of poisonous thoughts."

Children’s Blessing at Boulder Shambhala Center
August 13th, 2010
Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche to the assembled younger students: “I have one thing to say: please don’t be so uptight! I can see you all sitting there looking at this weird boy, getting uptight. Anything that pops into your mind, just blurt it out.”
“What is your daily routine? What do you like to do?”
“What do I like to do? My normal routine? Watch TV, sit, just sit and day dream. Day dream about something. My study routine, do you mean? We study very hard.”
“Do you like sports?”
“When I was young, I wasn’t fond of sports. I just sat in my bed, sitting there, and eating some, and I expanded. [Laughter.] It became a big problem. Doctors were getting worried. Then the King of Bhutan sent an Army Officer every day to train me in basketball. Now, I swim sometimes; play basketball, work out a little.”
“How do you like being in America?”
“Oh yeah… That’s one of the questions I was really looking for. America: I only knew America through books, films, photos. I thought America was a dreamland- where whatever you wish for, poof, like a car, it comes to you. I really thought it would come like that. But when I arrived in NY, I thought, this is not a dreamland; it’s a big city, like all big cities. I like the people. And to see all the development and technology is amazing. Bhutan is quite laid back, we don’t have so much of that like here. So it’s quite something.”
“If you could have one wish, what would it be?”
“One wish…one wish. I never thought of that. That is a question I can’t really answer. I never thought about that so much.”
“Have you thought about driving a car?”
“I like driving a jet ski.”
“How does it make you feel that you have, like, a big past life guy?”
“I don’t think about that much. I respect my predecessor, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche; he’s a great teacher. But I don’t think about that much now.”
“How did life change when you were recognized?”
“At first I thought, ‘wow, I’m a big shot. I’ll never have any bullies or problems like that.’ But it’s not that easy, to be well known as this great teacher; and you don’t have any of his qualities. I feel a bit ashamed at times to walk in front of people, as they see me as this great incarnation with all the qualities. But I don’t have them, at all. So it can be hard to cope with my life. Like any life, it has it’s difficulties.”
“Do you like meditating?”
“Uh oh. That’s a very deadly question. [Laughter.] I’m not a meditation fanatic. When I sit, I think, what should I do, where should I go, what will I do with my life. Then my mind collapses. [Laughter.] I’m not necessarily a big fan of meditation, but I do meditation, to practice.”
“Would you rather just be a normal person?”
“To be a normal person, I think, is not that easy, or very fun. [Applause, laughter.] I’m not criticizing, or speaking badly. But, just, for you guys, let me ask, is it that easy to just enjoy life? Do you wish to become something else? So that’s what I see.”
“Are you on Facebook?”
“Let me tell you something, I’m a really laid back, boring, old fashioned, traditional boy. I don’t have a good voice to sing, or dance, I’m just an old school boring boy. You can keep that in your mind.” [Laughter.]
“What do you do on a long flight?”
“I sit there, looking at people’s faces, thinking about when I will arrive. Please forgive me: this is not some fun disco party, I’m not a fairy tale guy. I don’t tell fairy tale stories. For this moment we are together, please just try to sit and look. Please try to enjoy it.”