Tsem Tulku

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche (1965-) is a tulku, a re-incarnated lama of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is said to be an incarnation of a direct disciple of Je Tsongkhapa. Tsem Tulku is the founder of Kechara House in Malaysia. His teaching is characterized by his style of "crazy wisdom" in the eyes of Westerners and non-Buddhists alike.

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche is also known as Torgut Prince Iska Minh which was his given name at birth. He was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1965. His father is a Tibetan from Aba who was previously a monk. Currently Tsem Tulku's father is residing in Taiwan.

His mother is a princess of the Mongolian royalty from the Genghis Khan lineage. His great grandfather was Prince Palta (1882 - 1920) of the Torguts who was the administrative ruler of Xinjiang Province, China during the early 20th century.

At age 7, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche migrated to New Jersey, USA. There, he met his first guru Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin Rinpoche. He also received teachings from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama's tutor.

At the age of 14, Rinpoche joined a Dharma Center Thubten Dhargye Ling in California under Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen. There, he met his root Guru, Kyabje Zong Rinopche, who recognized Tsem Tulku Rinpoche as a reincarnated Rinpoche. Following the advice of Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tsem Tulku Rinpoche entered Gaden Shartse Monastery in Mundgod, India to receive his monastic education. This is the same monastery where his two previous incarnations had studied. [cite book|last=Tulku|first=Tsem|title=Nothing Changes Everything Changes |publisher=Kechara Publications|date=2007|pages=p.13|isbn=9789834188771|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0NbPJTmOULwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Nothing+changes+everything+changes&lr=&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U2AulJ2asD4nU9iBIJ0kmy8c2lBcQ] He was subsequently recognized officially by the monastery and enthroned as the reincarnation of the 72nd Abbot of Gaden Shartse Monastery, Khensur Gendun Nyedrak, and ordained by the Dalai Lama in 1987.

In 1992, under the recommendation of his gurus including Kyabje Lati Rinpoche and Khensur Jampa Yeshe Rinpoche, he went to Malaysia to teach Dharma, and subsequesntly established a Dharma center Kechara House in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

In 2004, Tsem Tulku spent a month as a runway fashion model. [cite news|url=http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/6/3/lifefocus/17597859&sec=lifefocus/|title=Lama’s brand new approach|last=Khoo|first=Jamie|date=Sunday June 3, 2007|publisher=Star Publications|accessdate=2008-08-15]

Bibliography

There are a number of books of Tsem Tulku's teachings available. Titles include:
* Gurus for Hire: Enlightenment for Sale
* Faces of Enlightenment
* Why I Make Myself Unhappy
* Compassion Conquers All: Teachings on the Eight Verses of Mind Transformation
* Nothing Changes Everything Changes
* If Not Now, When?

References

ee also

* List of Rinpoches

External links

* [http://www.tsemtulku.com/ Tsem Tulku website]
* [http://www.kecharahouse.com/ Kechara House website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/user/tsemtulku Tsem Tulku videos on youtube]
* [http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/6/3/lifefocus/17597859&sec=lifefocus/ Lama’s brand new approach - article in The Star newspaper]
* [http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/6/3/lifefocus/20070602213454&sec=lifefocus/ Finding his own peace - article in The Star newspaper]
* [http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2007/6/3/lifefocus/17864602&sec=lifefocus/ Controversies and commendations - article in The Star newspaper]
* [http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=5,2080,0,0,1,0/ Painted with a prayer Buddhist Channel interview with Tsem Tulku about thangka paintings]