Preserving a Master's Memories

Erik with Tulku Urgyen during a ceremony at Bright Hill Temple, Singapore circa 1990

Erik Pema Kunsang, co-author of Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, talks with Daniel Goleman and Tara Bennett-Goleman.

How would you describe Tulku Urgyen to the world at large?

Erik Pema Kunsang: Tulku Urgyen, you could say, was a profound mystic and a unique kind of philosopher, one who could guide people toward a type of insight that goes beyond theory and concepts. Observing how easily and naturally he worked with others, you could deduce what Tulku Urgyen himself experienced on a daily basis. Most of us would view his area of expertise—pointing out what things look like from the awakened point of view—as being very heavy and difficult. Yet, he made it extremely accessible. You practically weren’t allowed to leave the room until you agreed just how easy it was to see things from the awakened point of view. You couldn’t just nod your head in agreement, either. You actually had to experience that ease for yourself.

From the fourteen years you spent living with him as a translator, what can you say about him as a person?

Tulku Urgyen is more like something I have under my skin than an external person. Although he really did get under my skin, he was incredibly mild and gentle. (read full interview at Buddhadharma)

Towards a Buddhist Ecology

We talk a lot about protecting and safeguarding the environment, about the importance of organic foods, and so on. The point, however, is not just to talk about it, but to make sure that we actually do take care of our environment. What we do will have very far reaching consequences, affecting even the most subtle forms of life on this planet. We need to prevent future disaster, and to do that we must first of all seek to understand what direction we are moving in. We must try to identify where things have gone wrong and discuss how we can best restore and improve wherever there are problems. In this way, we way we can make sure that the future is a happy one. If the outer environment is healthy and in balance, the physical well-being of all who inhabit it can also improve, and this, in turn, allows for peace of mind, kind heartedness, and brightness of the mind. In short, we can come to experience true joy and fulfilment.

On the other hand, what prevents this is, basically, human craving and selfishness: Having no concern for what may happen later; simply thinking that the elements are there to be exploited; for me to become as rich as possible - even if it means poisoning the world -- that type of selfish attitude. So what we think and do matters. (read more)

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche