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SPREAD
THE LOVE
The Star, Mon Aug 13, 2007 Stories
& Photos: The Star/Hilary Chiew
PERSONAL
enlightenment through solitary retreats and mantra recitations has
always been the cornerstone of Buddhism, but one prominent guru is
challenging his followers to expand their horizons by being
“Messengers of Love”.
Born
Jigme Pema Wangchen in 1963, the spiritual head of the Drukpa
lineage tells devotees: “We do not live in this world
independently on our own, and the practice of Bodhicitta essentially
requires us to interact with other people and other beings in this
universe.
“While
we develop our Boddicitta, we should also get ourselves ready to
face the world we live in with the love that we have developed
through these practices.”
Launching
the programme “Live to Love” at the 800th anniversary
celebration of the lineage, the 12th reincarnated Gyalwang Drukpa
noted that Tibetan Buddhist masters and followers had always been
perceived as a closed community that’s uninvolved with communal
happenings.
“Some
people find formal and serious practices very easy to carry out but
when it comes to interacting with others, they are lost and
frustrated.
“‘Live
to Love’ is an idea which has been in my mind for many years and I
hope it will help at least those connected with me and my lineage to
open up and share their love with everyone in their respective
communities, irrespective of faith, nationality, cultural background
and other conditions.
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| The 12th reincarnated
Gyalwang Drukpa: ‘When natural disasters strike our
communities, where are we? When our living environment
increasingly faces all kinds of threats, what are we doing
to help?’ |
“When
natural disasters strike our communities, where are we? When our
living environment increasingly faces all kinds of threats, what are
we doing to help?” he asked.
Given
the restricted resources of the lineage, the spiritual leader
outlined five key areas for humanitarian work: education, medical
facilities, disaster relief and aid, heritage preservation and
environmental protection.
He,
however, humbly added, “I don’t know if I’ll be successful. I
want my followers to love unconditionally, selflessly. Others should
do that too, and they don’t have to be my followers”. He also
acknowledged that the philosophy of unconditional love is already
widely practised by other Buddhist traditions and that the
Christians are most notable for their humanitarian work.
Under
his leadership, and with financial assistance from many overseas
sanghas (congregations), the sect is restoring and upgrading
existing monasteries. Top on his list is the Namdruk monastery in
Tibet, which was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution
(1966-76) waged by the Chinese communist party.
Reconstruction
began in 1986 on a small part of the original centre and spiritual
retreats are being revived, slowly.
To
keep practices at the monastery and nunnery alive, there are
sponsorship programmes for orphaned young monks, Tibetan refugees
and those from poor nomadic families in the remotest parts of the
Himalayan.
The
status of female practitioners, especially the nuns, has been given
a boost, too.
The
most celebrated nun of the lineage is possibly the English woman
Tenzin Palmo (formerly Diane Perry), who spent 12 years in solitary
retreat in a cave high up in the Himalayan mountains. She challenged
the institutionalised belief that only males could attain spiritual
enlightenment.
Related
stories:
Homage
to a leader
Malaysian
connection
Unlocking
wisdom
Birth
of the Drukpa Lineage
©
The Star Publications |
