The Making of a Buddhist Teacher

Traditional Training

When I was 9 years old, I was sent to a monastery in Darjeeling. Following the arrival of my [personal] teacher, I had to wake up very early and do lots of memorization and [develop my] reading skills. Rituals were also very much emphasized. After I left Darjeeling I spent some time in Kathmandu, where I studied grammar, poetry, logic, and so on with my teacher. That really gave me a solid foundation for my later studies in Buddhist philosophy, which isn’t easy—philosophy is both profound and vast. For that you also need to gain a foundation in many other branches of knowledge. I studied at the old Dzongsar Institute (now Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodro Institute [DKCLI]) from 1999 to 2004. But because of my laziness, I couldn’t really continue [at Dzongsar Institute], though it was definitely extremely helpful for me.

As Khyentse Rinpoche often points out, these monasteries and shedras are important. Not only were they important in the past, but also at present and for as long as possible it’s important for these institutions to continue training monks, tulkus, and lamas to become Buddhist teachers.

Studying English, Western Culture, Sanskrit

In those days, Khyentse Rinpoche would send some of his students to teach us English in the winter. I remember Noa Jones (now executive director of MWE) was there at Dzongsar Institute and I started learning English from her.

Rinpoche wanted to expose me to Western culture so in 2006 he sent me to Australia for 6 months, mainly to study English. I also learned a lot from the Australian sangha.

Then, in 2008, I was sent to London, where Khyentse Rinpoche’s specific instruction to the people helping me (Wayne Tisdale and Janine Schulz) was to take me to see as many plays and movies as possible. I saw so many Shakespeare plays! Rinpoche wanted me to learn about literature and culture, so I would often go to the British Film Institute Southbank cinema, where they only showed old, classic movies. It was relatively cheap and I watched a lot of movies there. Then Janine enrolled me in some summer education programs at Christchurch College, Oxford, to read poetry and novels by Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and others. I could only finish Pride and Prejudice.

Then I requested to study Sanskrit in Varanasi, where I spent 3 years. I had wanted to study Sanskrit from a very young age. I used to read lots of journals and histories by Gendün Chöphel, who happened to be my favorite and which had many Sanskrit quotations. I am still reading Sanskrit now. Recently I was introduced to an app (by Candice Tsuei) where I can read the Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva, by Shantideva), for instance, in Sanskrit, English, and Tibetan.

However, more than anything I did on my own, like studying and trying to glimpse more information and culture, it was from Khyentse Rinpoche that I learned the most. The Dzongsar shedra gave me a good foundation in Buddhist understanding, but I think Khyentse Rinpoche really helped me understand [Buddhism] more deeply. Rinpoche’s teachings were very precious for me. Also, my English was improved by listening to many of Rinpoche’s teachings.

It could be a good idea to include Khyentse Rinpoche’s recorded teachings as part of the curriculum at DKCLI, especially teachings related to philosophy and the sutras, such as his commentaries on the Madhyamakavatara (Entering the Middle Way, by Chandrakirti), Uttaratantra (The Ultimate Continuum, by Maitreya), and Vimalakirti Sutra. In shedras they always think from a very critical point of view, so they would have a different angle with Rinpoche’s commentaries.

I think I’m lucky that I’ve had so many opportunities. They’ve really helped me. It would definitely be good if Khyentse Foundation could provide those opportunities to other tulkus. I think Rinpoche might suggest this or that tulku. If they get the [right] opportunities, there’s a big chance that they will be able to serve wider and more.

Khyentse Foundation is doing a lot. I’m always in awe of how much you all work to try to fulfill Rinpoche’s wishes.

Khyentse Rinpoche as Mentor

In Darjeeling, my teacher was a student of Lama Sonam Zangpo. He used to always scare me, saying ‘Khyentse Rinpoche is going to give you a test’ and ‘Rinpoche is two times scarier than me.’ This was planted in my head by my teacher.

I went to Dzongsar shedra when I was 15. Rinpoche wasn’t there when I arrived but came, I think, in the winter. I was literally shaking, wondering, ‘My goodness. Is he going to [make me] take a test?’ Of course, there was no test! Rinpoche was so kind. But that fear remained for a long time.

I didn’t know then that Rinpoche was training me to teach in the West. I just felt that probably Rinpoche wanted me to learn English—that’s all I had in my mind. I also didn’t have anything particular in my mind when Rinpoche asked me to go to watch plays and read literature. It’s probably my nature—I don’t think too clearly about things. I don’t give too much thought as to why and all this. I just followed Rinpoche’s instructions.

I also remember Rinpoche telling me, I think in 2004, that tulkus don’t know how to tie their own shoelaces, that they can’t function without an attendant. He also told me, I remember clearly, that he wants to send me to work in McDonald’s—something like that.

Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche’s comments have been edited for publication.

This is Part One of a two-part interview with Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche. Part Two will feature Rinpoche’s new life in the West.

For more information on Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche’s early life and background, read Vera Ho’s earlier interview with Rinpoche for Gentle Voice (published in Chinese in May 2019).