A guidance talk at the 4th General Meeting of Kirti Getsa Charitable Society
On 7 May 2019, His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche graced, as requested, the opening session of the 4th general meeting of Kirti Getsa Charitable Society, Dharamshala, and gave a guidance talk on the occasion.
After an introductory speech by the president of the charitable society, outlining the society’s objectives and a report of the works carried out during the preceding three years, His Eminence Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche gave the guidance talk.
Beginning with a verse of homage from The Fundamental Wisdom, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche touched upon the great services towards the society and Teachings these past over-three hundred years by the monasteries and celestial groups of Kirti region. And, especially the contribution towards that from the sublime leadership and guidance of successive Kirti Kyabgon Rinpoche reincarnates up to the present His Eminence Kirti Kyabgon Rinpoche, who having completed successfully monastic education and practices have continued to render far-reaching services to the exile Tibetan society.
Continuing on, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche observed how His Eminence Kirti Kyabgon Rinpoche had founded a Kirti Monastery in exile, that too in Dharamshala, and that establishing of a monastery being not merely limited to construction of buildings and interior holy items on altar, rather true to its actual purport, His Eminence Kirti Kyabgon Rinpoche has founded a monastery that has high, qualified standards of studies and curriculum that Kirti Monastery in exile has become a model of excellence amongst the exile monastic institutions.
Continuing on, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche remarked that such achievement of excellence is, from one part, due to the harmony of the monastery’s sangha, the ordained members, and abiding by pure morality, and from one part, due to observing reverently and strictly the instructions of Vinaya monastic ethics and rules. Out of thorough studies on the five major scriptural systems, without being content with a partial and an approximate approach, and along with studies of the conventional subjects, there have been many from the monastery’s present scholars and alumni who have continued to be of benefit and service to the exile society, inside Tibet, and internationally, for the Teachings to flourish forth and for the welfare of sentient beings. His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche thus expressed admiration and rejoicing on them, and said that in future too that there be more progress and improvement.
His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche praised the charitable society as a sangha body is approaching its way of working, engaging in raising of resources and funds, and so on, non-extravagantly, rather of ‘small want and with contentment’, and said that, inferring from these, we can assess that the society would be able to serve in far-reaching manner the Teachings in future as well, and that His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche extends prayers for absence of hindrances and for success.
Thereafter, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche pointed out the immense importance of having in written documents the Rules and Regulations of an organisation, for things to be done through ‘the rule of law’, not through ‘rule of a person’. Accordingly, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche complimented Kirti Getsa Charitable Society for their meticulous drafting of the Rules of the society.
His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche then pointed out the need for the monastic institutions in exile to bring the procedure of administration, particularly as regards fund-raising and other matters, in accordance with the country’s law, by registration, promulgating of Rules, and that His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been advising—and many people have views concordant to that—that the internal rules of sangha specific to each and the unique good traditions of the monastic institutions have to be brought inclusive to the framework of the country’s law. In some cases, due to way of thinking that clings to the old ways, the situation has become such that unless great efforts are put, it remains not an easy thing to achieve a situation of complete rule of law.
Under the perfect guidance of Kirti Kyabgon Rinpoche the Kirti Monastery in exile has been turned into an entity of a Charitable Trust, with a draft Rules so that it becomes a genuinely democratic—an excellent Rules, complete with branch provisions, without any section missing, with no contradictions in its wordings, a Rules that is easy to implement, for which His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche expressed rejoicing.
In considerable details His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche then touched upon the convenience of working—and the importance of—if things are in documentation, in written records. Subsequent to that, His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche pointed out the need for monastic institutions and their administration officials to be cautious to not infringe the monastic ethics, when going about with running of the monastic institutions. His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche gave the insight into the historical background why the monastic tradition in Tibet, for example, came about to have a common kitchen for the sangha residents, not living on daily bhikśa offerings, thus the situation of having to maintain the running of common sustenance, and so forth.
His Eminence Prof. Rinpoche thereafter expressed appreciation for those who earlier received awards and certificates for their service to the Charitable Trust. His Eminence concluded with best wishes and prayers for thorough discussions during the general meeting, the implementation of the resolutions during the three-year term, and that the Trust’s works not only benefit Kirti Getsa Charitable Trust, rather the entire Tibetan people, and particularly the whole humanity.
udio-visual recording of the guidance talk can be viewed at this youtube upload by Lha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTZMkrSptIk&t=223s
The transcript, in Tibetan, of the guidance talk is on the Tibetan language section of this website.