Jampa Khechok at Sera Jey Monastery

Dear Buddha House Students and Friends,

I am pleased to have been invited to give a small account from Sera Jey Monastery in India. Firstly, I feel so fortunate to have been able to take ordination and come here to study. It is all thanks to the many, many people who have all contributed to this happening, most of all my two teachers, Gehse Pema Tsering of Buddha House, with whom I took refuge, and Khensur Rinpoche of Tibetan Buddhist Institute, with whom I took ordination.

Over all it has been a very joyful transition from my life in Adelaide to Sera Jey, and having been done it is now time for many years of hard work and study for me, after which I intend to come back to Australia.

With the poverty and lack of development, India itself is a difficult place at times but what the Tibetans have built in the middle of it amazes me. Mostly with basic tools and sheer determination they have created a beautiful monastery, which over 50 years has matured into a thriving Dharma community, where thousands of monks are studying and upholding the teachings of the Buddha for the future generations. Surrounding and supporting this is the Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe, the largest Tibetan settlement in the west.

I am staying at IMI house, which is a 10 min walk from the main Sera Jey Temple and a 20 minute rickshaw drive to the local town. The conditions nowadays are wonderful, with good food, a nice bedroom, plenty of resources and many people willing to help with everything, both Tibetan and Western. The monastery itself is clean and a very pleasant place to be, with several shops, restaurants and even a hospital. I feel happy about the thoughts of being able to stay here and study for many years.

Having been here for only two weeks, I now see just how fortunate we are to have genuine practitioners such as Geshe Pema Tsering and Khensur Rinpoche in Adelaide. They both have many, many devoted students here in Sera Jey, who miss them immensely.  They are held with such respect for their knowledge of the teachings and their contributions to Sera Jey Monastery. Having been fortunate enough to be Geshe-Pema Tserings's student, I can say from first hand experience that he is a trustworthy teacher, his compassion and understanding of our western, non-dharma ways and views is immense. I am surprised he has stayed with us in Adelaide as long as he has, especially with all of his devoted students being over here in Sera, you are very fortunate.

If as students you truly want to understand the message of the Buddha's teachings, you have in Adelaide a teacher who has spent a life time devoted to practicing and understanding them.  By every standard he is qualified and capable of helping us, and giving us methods to deal with our individual faults and problems of the mind and its delusions. Of course just like the Buddhas, he from his side is only able to teach us if we want results, it is up to us to do the work. How fortunate to have such guidelines.
I wish all of you the very best and hope the Dharma, its teachers and its students continue to thrive in Adelaide and everywhere else. With over-population, pollution and disharmony on this precious planet, we should treat such teachings like gold, because as stated, in the darkness of delusion, they are a lamp on the path to  enlightenment.

Best wishes and warm regards.
Jampa Khechok