DATIN NG WEE CHIN's - Kechara

Following Kechara
from Afar
This issue, another two Kechara friends, right across the world from each other in
Australia and America, share how Kechara and Dharma have thrown a brand new
light on their lives.
Ai Chin [Melbourne, AUS]
Michèle Marie [California, USA]
Ai Chin first connected to Kechara when she
started watching H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche’s
teaching videos on YouTube. “When I first
heard and watched Rinpoche’s videos I
sat transfixed and glued to the screen and
enjoyed every second of it,” she shares.
She wasn’t content to just sit and watch
passively. Shortly after, Ai Chin made a trip
to Kuala Lumpur to spend time with Kechara
and join in the activities. Ai Chin is Malaysian
but migrated to Melbourne many years ago,
where she now lives with her family.
Ai Chin visited Kechara again in August
last year, when she spent a week participating
in the centre’s activities and visiting all
the departments. In between the visits,
Ai Chin contributes to the organisation
by volunteering in transcribing Dharma
teachings from afar and sponsoring various
initiatives in Kechara.
When asked how she maintains this
commitment and passion for Dharma, even
when she lives on another continent, Ai Chin
shares that it is a way for her to give back for
all that she has received from the Dharma.
“I am filled with admiration and awe at the
professionalism of Kechara’s members,
their sincerity, dedication and team work.
Thanks to you (many times over) for all the
opportunities you have given me... I am full of
gratitude always.”
“Lastly, I can never thank Rinpoche
enough. I am extremely grateful for the
beautiful Lama Tsongkhapa statue that
Rinpoche so very kindly gave us. I have
benefited immensely just by reciting Lama
Tsongkhapa’s holy mantra and Om Ah Ra Pa
Tsa Na Dhi daily.”
Like hundreds around the world, Michèle
also discovered Rinpoche’s teachings on
YouTube and the main practices she is now
studying and practising have flourished
from that simple online connection.
Based in California, Michèle was
originally from France, where she studied
art, theatre, music, dance, psychology and
oriental medicine at Strasbourg. She was later
inspired to move to America to study at The
Healing Art Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
It seems she was always inclined
towards a spiritual and holistic way of living.
She now lives with her daughter in Nevada
City, California, where she practises Shiatsu
massage therapy.
Today, the Dharma teachings add
another dimension to her life. From an initial
question she asked Rinpoche on Twitter about
becoming a renunciate, she was advised to
study the Lamrim, Wheel of Sharp Weapons,
Guru Devotion by Tsongkhapa and Preparing
for Tantra by Kensur Lobsang Tharchin.
Michèle has already started studying
these texts, and adds that she also holds
Rinpoche’s book Compassion Conquers
All as “my Bible, my precious friend, my
real friend”. After reading this book, she
has been reciting the 8 Verses of Thought
Transformation daily and says, “I wish to
take this book with me always in this life and
always remember it, at all times. All I need to
know and practise for inner transformation
and developing compassion is in it.”
In her many correspondence with several
Kechara members, she often expresses her
joy in discovering Rinpoche, Kechara and
these teachings:
“I am forever grateful for all the Dharma
talks Rinpoche is giving to us, and for the
wonderful energetic team that is working
with Rinpoche to spread the teachings. Now
I am learning and discovering how important
and precious Master Tsongkhapa and Lord
Setrap are by listening and watching the
videos on YouTube.
“In this lifetime, I might never meet
Rinpoche in person and so never be able
to take refuge with him and go deeper in
the practices but I am still working using
Rinpoche’s teachings as my main guidance
in my life.”
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