An Exquisite Calm
The religion of Tibet is alive and well in Nuuanu Valley, where two lamas teach meditation and help others to find the peace and compassion that they exude
By Chad Pata
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Lama Gyeltshen is studying under
Lama Rinchen
wear is dra chhe, the traditional gold and burgundy robe of the lama. And it suits him, looking the part with his completely hairless head, save for one renegade white hair standing defiantly off of his right cheek.
What most people notice about him, though, are not his clothes, but his eyes, the wet, soft orbs of a doe. Eyes that have found peace because they understand the joke, eyes that can quiet a room without ever having to take on an edge.
It’s this feature that brings the believers trying to find the peace he exudes. The meditation center is currently located in Nuuanu, off Old Pali Road, and is, as the center’s officer Corrine Chun Fujimoto says, “bursting at the seams.”
They moved there in 1991 from a much more spacious house in
Hauula because, according to Rinchen, “no one wanted to drive that far.” They found a simple one story home that looks much like its neighbors except for the prayer flags which adorn the front yard.
The Dalai Lama (standing right) during his visit in
1994 with Lama Karma Rinchen and members of
Kagyu Thegchen Ling
The flags are not just symbols to mark the location of the center, like a cross atop a church, but serve as a ministry to the lesser creatures of the Pali. They come in five colors, to mark the five elements, and are covered in mantras written in Tibetan.
“When the rain falls on the prayers, or the wind blows them, whatever the wind or rain touches, insect or animal, will not have a lower birth the next time,” says Fujimoto.
This respect for the lower species can lead to problems when you live in a rain forest, as MidWeek publisher Ron Nagasawa discovered when visiting the center with his son. He got buzzed by a mosquito while walking the grounds and followed his local instincts to swat the bug.
Fortunately, his intellect took over before he broke a sacred trust in front of the lama. But lest the boss stay up nights thinking about what might have been, Rinchen admits that occasionally a mosquito or two gets crushed at the center.
“It is OK if you accidentally kill it,” says Rinchen, who usually opts for the shooing associated with house flies. “You just must say a mantra and purify it.”
While the bugs may be a minor inconvenience, the space issue is not going away. They now have about 50 members who attend the Sunday services, and cramming them all into a single family home is becoming problematic.
So Rinchen has forwarded the idea of a three-story temple, with housing for visiting lamas as well as meditation areas. The plans have been drawn, they even have a model built, now they just have the issue of the $4 million price tag.
A model of the Tibetan-style temple that members of
Kagyu Thegchen Ling hope to build
“Even if monks have no needs, this temple cannot be built without materials,” admits Rinchen.
They are raising money through a tiny book store they have on site, donations and classes that they teach in Tibetan language and meditation. This week Rinchen’s new under-study, Lama Tempa Gyeltshen, is teaching an introduction to meditation class on Saturday and Sunday for a $35 donation for both days.
Because Gyeltshen’s English is a work in progress, he attends the adult school at McKinley High; the class will be taught in Tibetan with an English translator on hand. While classes are held daily, the center is open for anyone to come seeking help from 9:30 a.m. until noon.
“After breakfast, anyone can stop by for spiritual healing or with questions, that’s my job,” says Rinchen, who spends the first four hours of his day in meditation.
Perhaps the best advice he has for us is to be learned in his lifestyle. Americans are constantly filling our lives with things and then taking medications to deal with the stress in our lives. Rinchen sees a very simple solution.
“If you have less materials, less problems,” says Rinchen. “If you have more materials, more problems. If you have a bicycle outside or new car, which are you more worried about? We start our own problems.”
The center is located at 26 Gartley Place, and you can contact them at 595-8989 or online at www.ktlhonolulu.org
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