1st Buddhist pastor ceremony with Tsem Tulku.

[Caz]

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=299445640067368

Looks interesting

[Steveyboy]

Indeed it was very interesting. Tsem Tulku is the only teacher I know with such a novel idea to empower lay pastors to spread Buddhism. I think it is such a good idea especially in a country like Malaysia where monastics are hard to come by and the pastors are just what we need to bridge the gap between the lay masses and the monastics. It has been a year and the pastors have been serving people and assisting Rinpoche to serve Kecharians on many levels. Although they are lay, Tsem Rinpoche said he has carefully considered these people based upon their track record and their absolute dedication to the Dharma. It is always nice to see the Dharma grow in this way. I have even found the YouTube video of the whole ceremony and talk. Check it out:-

1. Part 1/4


2. Part 2/4


3. Part 3/4


4. Part 4/4

[Malcolm]

Indeed it was very interesting. Tsem Tulku is the only teacher I know with such a novel idea to empower lay pastors to spread Buddhism.

He is quite behind the times, actually. This has been happening in the US for years.

[JKhedrup]

Indeed. In the Gelug centres there are several very qualified lay teachers. Two graduates of the 7 year (now it is 6 year) master program come to mind as particularily popular,
Emily Hsu http://gyalwagyatso.org/calendar/teachers/#emily
and Sixte Vincotte http://www.gendundrupa.ch/cms/enseignan ... cotte.html

The masters program is a residential full-time study program in Italy. It concludes with a mandatory year-long retreat. The teachers who graduate from it study a condensed curriculum using by and large the 5 Great Treatises studied at the major Gelug monasteries.

But if we go outside Gelug, for example in the Shambhala Organization, they have had lay "acharyas"-guiding teachers- for decades.

[Steveyboy]

Indeed. In the Gelug centres there are several very qualified lay teachers. Two graduates of the 7 year (now it is 6 year) master program come to mind as particularily popular,
Emily Hsu http://gyalwagyatso.org/calendar/teachers/#emily
and Sixte Vincotte http://www.gendundrupa.ch/cms/enseignan ... cotte.html

The masters program is a residential full-time study program in Italy. It concludes with a mandatory year-long retreat. The teachers who graduate from it study a condensed curriculum using by and large the 5 Great Treatises studied at the major Gelug monasteries.

But if we go outside Gelug, for example in the Shambhala Organization, they have had lay "acharyas"-guiding teachers- for decades.

You guys are right but you must understand the audience that Tsem Rinpoche teaches at his center. It is in an Asian country (Malaysia) which a segment of society (the Chinese) had been practicing Buddhism for generations and so there is a particular emphasis on monasticism. So, lay pastors is really something new and is very much a novelty. This is especially so in Malaysia where people have fixed views of monks and Tsem Rinpoche is working to break that concept as lay pastors would be especially effective to get closer to the people. It is not really about being behind the times but working towards spreading the Dharma.