In our stressful modern world, we can still find spaces that hold the light of compassion and wisdom. Individuals can go to these places to learn how to nurture that light, so it can shine brightly in all directions. Among such places are the monasteries and meditation centres of the sacred Dharma.
There are also people who cultivate that light to such an extent that they become the light. These are our teachers, those rare individuals who have found true freedom and dedicated their lives to guiding others. Shining brightly among those precious ones is our beloved Teacher and Abbot Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche.
In July 2024, Lama Yeshe Rinpoche visited three Samye Dzong Centres: Scarborough, followed by Cardiff and then London. This was his first visit to the centres since 2018, and it was truly amazing that such a tour was even possible, given the delicate nature of his health as well as his commitments in overseeing other projects.
The tour lasted three weeks, with the first destination being Samye Dzong Scarborough. Ani Tselha brought Lama Rinpoche and Gelongma Lhamo from Samye Ling by car, with Gelong Thubten waiting in Scarborough preparing lunch for their arrival.
Samye Dzong Scarborough is in a beautiful, restored Victorian building near the sea, with lovely gardens and a park in front. After being greeted with much joy, Lama Rinpoche was able to go upstairs using the stair lift which the centre had rented to accommodate his reduced mobility. This meant he could stay in his usual room at the centre – a beautifully restored, light and airy room with extensive views over trees towards the sea.
After a couple of days of rest, Lama Rinpoche gave refuge to 24 fortunate people, and many more took precepts. The shrine room was full, with about 70 people attending. There was also a question and answer session during which people asked about their meditation practice and Buddhist philosophy. He gave insightful and profound answers which were met with faith and gratitude.
The centre then held a little tea party in his honour, during which people had the opportunity to meet and chat with him, and he kindly signed copies of his two books, Finding Peace and From a Mountain in Tibet.
Lama Rinpoche was able to explore the local area using the sturdy mobility scooter that had been rented (with sturdy being the key word, as it did get stuck in the sand on the beach!). As part of the rental agreement, he firstly had to undergo a ‘driving test’ which involved proving he wouldn’t crash into any people or houses, an exam which he passed with flying colours.
There were regular walks along the sea front, with Lama Rinpoche gliding along on his scooter and the sangha trying to keep up on foot. He had time to enjoy the views of the ocean as well as watching Gelong Thubten getting ‘mugged’ by a seagull who swooped down to make off with his food.
It felt highly beneficial for the Scarborough centre to have our precious teacher and abbot in residence there for an entire week, blessing the building with his presence and prayers, as well as giving important advice for the future development of the centre. His visit left people feeling profoundly moved, with a real sense of spaciousness and joy.
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The next stop was Cardiff. Ani Tselha drove Lama Rinpoche and his assistants as far as Birmingham, and Lorraine drove up from Cardiff, so they could ‘change horses’. The Cardiff centre is located in the heart of the city, in three adjoining buildings with a courtyard and back garden. After arriving and being greeted by the centre’s volunteers, Lama Rinpoche settled into his room. Due to the centre having many staircases, it was easier to create a temporary room on the ground floor, which Lorraine and the centre volunteers had made cosy and comfortable.
Over the weekend, 15 people took refuge, with many more taking precepts. There was also a children’s blessing and a question and answer session. There was a lovely atmosphere with lots of people squeezed into the room, sitting on the floor and asking questions about their meditation practice.
One person asked how to remain positive when the world seems so dark, and how best to handle such suffering without just averting one’s eyes and avoiding it. Lama Rinpoche answered that one must become a beacon of light, and to spread that light to others.
He also emphasised the importance of lineage, and he explained in detail how Samye Ling follows an authentic tradition with a focus on dedicated study and practice.
Many members of the local Tibetan community brought their families to the children’s blessing, and some of the parents conversed in Tibetan with Lama Rinpoche. The children brought gifts they had made, such as delightful drawings and little paper sculptures.
Lorraine had written a song praising Lama Rinpoche’s qualities and describing his life story. Accompanied by Ann on guitar, Lorraine and other members of the centre performed the song for the gathered audience.
Lama Zangmo was invited from London and during the weekend gave teachings on the 7 Points of Mind Training. Additionally, Gelongma Lhamo gave two talks, on the meaning of taking refuge and on the history of women in Buddhism.
Lorraine and Anthony managed to spend time presenting their plans for adapting the three buildings of the centre, to make one large Samye Dzong with a bigger lecture room and shrine room. Lama Rinpoche also enjoyed some time in the patio garden behind the centre, in the warm sunshine, where everyone had the chance to talk with him and have photos taken.
A trip to the local park involved Lama Rinpoche offering volunteers the first of numerous ice cream treats on this tour, and the group sat in the shade of a large tree enjoying their time together.
The final stop was London. Lama Rinpoche, Ani Lhamo and Gelong Thubten travelled by train and arrived at Samye Dzong London to be joyously greeted by Lama Zangmo and her community of residents and volunteers.
The centre’s yoga room had been lovingly, and most stylishly, converted into a large room for Lama Rinpoche, so that he could be comfortably accommodated on the ground floor. The spacious room even had a dining area where the sangha could eat with him.
As soon as he arrived, one of the Centre’s youngest residents eagerly introduced him to her favourite cartoons and he made her happy by watching along with her for a while. ‘Peppa Pig’ has now joined the sangha.
Samye Dzong London is the largest of our UK centres, in a beautifully renovated Victorian library with a spacious park in front. This was certainly the busiest part of the tour, with lots of people coming to see their beloved teacher. There was still plenty of time for rest, and for trips to the local park on a rented mobility scooter. Again, a large quantity of ice cream was consumed at the local café by the centre’s residents, thanks to Lama Rinpoche’s generosity. The weather was glorious, and several trips to the banks of the Thames allowed for some sightseeing as well as lots of exercise to burn off the ice cream!
During the weekend, 41 people took refuge, a large number of people took precepts, and there was a children’s blessing as well as a question and answer session. Additionally, talks were given by Gelong Thubten and Ani Lhamo.
The main focus of Lama Rinpoche’s advice, in London as well as at the other centres, was that we must develop unconditional compassion without any expectations, and we need to see through our delusory ideas of self or ego. He emphasised again and again that the more we hold on to this false idea of ‘I’, the more we suffer and the more we create suffering for others.
During the Milarepa tsok puja, led by Lama Zangmo and the sangha, Lama Rinpoche prepared little packs of ‘mani pills’, dharma medicine blessed by His Holiness Dalai Lama, and after the puja, he gave them out to everyone who wished to have some.
There was a busy tea gathering in the courtyard behind the centre, where Lama Rinpoche sat in the shade, signing books and people had the chance to pay their respects and chat with him.
He was joined in London by his nephew and nieces, who cooked him delicious Tibetan food and spent precious time with him at the centre as well as walking by the river.
Many old students came to London to pay their respects and to receive blessing and advice. It was a beautiful coming together of many members of our wider Dharma community.
The volunteers at all three centres worked harmoniously together to facilitate the visit and the events with joyful enthusiasm and good will, and it was abundantly clear that having Lama Rinpoche spend so much time at the three centres brought immense benefits.
Lama Rinpoche’s presence connected people more deeply with the lineage, as well as with a sense of what is possible – Lama Yeshe Rinpoche is himself the living proof of the power of meditation and what a person can achieve if they have faith and determination. More than just the words he spoke, his radiant brilliance, compassion and wisdom brought a strong sense of encouragement to everyone.
Thank you, Lama Rinpoche, for being the beacon of shining light that you are. May we follow in your footsteps to become real, genuine Dharma practitioners. Thank you for guiding and blessing us.
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