Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

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Lucas Oliveira
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Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Jalue Dorje, an American teenager who grew up in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and who at the age of two was recognized by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a tulku or reincarnated lama,* plans to relocate to Mindrolling Monastery in India in four years. Although the Dalai Lama urged that Dorje take up residency in India from the age of 10, his family decided that their son, now 14 years old, should live a more ordinary American life until he completes high school at the age of 18.

For the time being, Dorje lives much like any ordinary suburban American teenager, enjoying sports, video games, and hip-hop. In his bedroom, one can see a photo of the Dalai Lama resting above DVD collections of The Simpsons and other cartoons, as well as volumes of the Japanese manga series Buddha by Osamu Texuka.

“Seeing him growing up to a teenager is a lot of things to take in because he’s a Buddhist master and, at the same time, he’s a normal person as well,” said his uncle, Tashi Lama. “We get to see the two sides of it.” (The Associated Press)

https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/minne ... nated-lama

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Malcolm
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Malcolm »

Lucas Oliveira wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:10 pm Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Poor kid.
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Sādhaka
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Sādhaka »

Malcolm wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:11 pm
Lucas Oliveira wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:10 pm Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Poor kid.

It depends.

If he does indeed have a genuine connection to Dharma, he has an excellent opportunity to cultivate that, instead of growing up in the monotony of Minnesota; going after useless endeavors, chasing after mindless entertainments and all the rest.

And if he doesn’t have a genuine connection to Dharma, then well it’s all an waste of everyone’s time.

But at least he would most likely come into contact eventually with one of the Five or Six Liberations by relocating. Not that he couldn’t get that in Minnesota, if he’d met the right Lamas....
Last edited by Sādhaka on Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Schrödinger’s Yidam
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

It seems puberty is usually what derails western tulkus. Celibacy is a hard sell for a male teenager that has had access to porn.
1.The problem isn’t ‘ignorance’. The problem is the mind you have right now. (H.H. Karmapa XVII @NYC 2/4/18)
2. I support Mingyur R and HHDL in their positions against lama abuse.
3. Student: Lama, I thought I might die but then I realized that the 3 Jewels would protect me.
Lama: Even If you had died the 3 Jewels would still have protected you. (DW post by Fortyeightvows)
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Sādhaka
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Sādhaka »

Schrödinger’s Yidam wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:17 pm It seems puberty is usually what derails western tulkus. Celibacy is a hard sell for a male teenager that has had access to porn.

Then they should emphasize teaching them to practice a lot of Trul-Khor and Tummo.
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by heart »

Schrödinger’s Yidam wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:17 pm It seems puberty is usually what derails western tulkus. Celibacy is a hard sell for a male teenager that has had access to porn.
Being a tulku don't mean that you are celibate. It is a possibility maybe.

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
Malcolm
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by Malcolm »

Schrödinger’s Yidam wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:17 pm It seems puberty is usually what derails western tulkus. Celibacy is a hard sell for a male teenager that has had access to porn.
It derails a lot of Tibetan tulkus as well. Porn is everywhere.
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Re: Minnesota Teen Prepares for Life as a Reincarnated Lama

Post by heart »

Malcolm wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 6:29 pm
Schrödinger’s Yidam wrote: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:17 pm It seems puberty is usually what derails western tulkus. Celibacy is a hard sell for a male teenager that has had access to porn.
It derails a lot of Tibetan tulkus as well. Porn is everywhere.
I remember walking on foot in Nepal, maybe 25 years ago or more, we passed a small hut where there was the sound of some video being played. Looked inside the hut and there was a group of tibetan young monks, like 12-15 years of age, watching a disgusting porn movie (sex with animals) together with a bunch of Nepali men.

/magnus
"We are all here to help each other go through this thing, whatever it is."
~Kurt Vonnegut

"The principal practice is Guruyoga. But we need to understand that any secondary practice combined with Guruyoga becomes a principal practice." ChNNR (Teachings on Thun and Ganapuja)
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