31 Jan 2012
9 min 35 sec
Video Overview
Creators:
Unknown
In an interview with Professor Jose Cabezon, Geshé Sopa discusses the founding of Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wisconsin.
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
- Geshe Sopa: So that way, then, I moved from Madison to this area,
- since then, 1981, so then I stayed here
- so once I stayed here of course
- and people again, groups always seem to visit, coming here
- do this, and we have temple,
- not this land is for the people, but this land is for monastery
- but the temple is open to everybody, lecture, teaching
- that still continues, same kind of thing
- ...happened, and my hope [is that in the] future [we] have also the same thing
- where there are so many Tibetan Buddhist,
- Nyingma, Kagyu, Geluk, and so many centers,
- some are wider, some are [indecipherable]
- some are smaller, quieter,
- those many things and more purer sense of traditional,
- more based on that, keeping that is hard,
- Tibetan tradition may lose purity of that.
- So therefore I think this place, I thought right now [it is] nice,
- close to the university, not far and a lot of people interested coming here
- but this is not a center called to everybody living here
- family, children, everybody,
- bunch of people together and big group, that I don't like too much.
- There are some place that they go there [indecipherable],
- so this the mainly people here needing Tibetan, general Buddhism, especially Tibetan Buddhism
- is something special, highly now interested.
- So that is the place where they learn from,
- people can learn from this place.
- So that is mainly a center for that.
- For that you need teacher,
- good, good teacher,
- scholar kind of teacher,
- who are able to give Buddhism lessons to the people.
- Then from there, if you have, give good teaching
- and then students also can give further...
- like you, my student, John Newman, Roger Jackson,
- so many university professors also now teaching Buddhism outside somewhere.
- Similar way, like that way, this is a good place.
- But when I die, nobody is there.
- So looking those things,
- and teachers, not laypeople, usually monks,
- big monasteries, great scholars, great lamas coming from those,
- so they should be, they can come here.
- One or couple or one, two someone comes,
- and stays here, lead, teach.
- That is the place, that is not open to everybody,
- so kind of secluded or something, monastery type of...
- So therefore it should be a monastery.
- Monastery doesn't mean, oh so many monks here together.
- it doesn't mean.
- There are teachers, few monks, who serve to the teacher and lead,
- but mainly monks living here, sleeping here,
- also during the day, lay people and everybody come,
- mainly dwelling place, this is the monks' place.
- Some of the women not allowed to sleep,
- the other side also we have family, nun, monks, also women need something separate usually,
- Buddhist vinaya, so we have there nuns,
- and there are also men can visit there, so stay there, but not night staying,
- so this is the should be first monastery type of thing,
- and then also monastery anywhere monks coming and staying not necessarily,
- but the main thing is to [indecipherable],
- if somebody dies, if somebody not disappear with that,
- some resource, resources in India, Sera, Drepung, this is Sera, Sera Je.
- Sera Je, now us, and several, three thousand monks, right?
- All of them, most of them scholars, studying Buddhism.
- So from there, when somebody here is not available,
- the people who can choose from there one of the best teachers from Sera,
- and bring here, not all the time, same time, but one by one, whatever,
- and that leads others, a few monks, younger monks chanting and helping, not big thing,
- but that one is more teacher for public.
- So I thought then "takchu che pa'i zingpu" (Tib. ltag chu chad pa'i rdzing bu)
- means a dam which does not have any back,
- water coming from back,
- and all the time going out, and soon, finished right?
- Going down and coming from somewhere, resource is not exhausted, then that is very good.
- So therefore that is my view.
- So I am Sera Je, and Sera Je monks have a connection with that,
- and anyway not they decide, but we who stay here and who want what is best teacher to bring,
- and connection with that, if there are some few young monks.
- So that is the good system, if they want to keep in the future, but I don't know.
- But that is my hope. so that way, pure teachings remain.
- People interested from all over, people come here, country outside, this side, many many people come,
- and also they can go,
- the center is not [indecipherable] completely closed thing, and open,
- and this...stay and also, but some centers' duty or something,
- then they have some kind of board and duty, whatever people choose,
- and then, kind of sloppy.
- So not that way, some kind of, what do you call,
- what we have a system here, people who support...pledge system.
- Anybody who wants to pledge, we can wlecome,
- and anybody who comes to Sunday teaching here,
- even the pledge, they give or not doesn't matter, anybody welcome.
- And from there sometimes, pledge system.
- And we are so far, few monks, not much, land etc. so far that is enough to do by pledge,
- and then we need more...seems I was invited many places, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and different [indecipherable],
- sometimes we need another teacher, or some, a few teachers.
- One is not available, one goes, this is empty, something, that's not good.
- Sometimes somebody goes, somebody stays here, something,
- so, two, three teachers, we have now already two, three teachers, right?
- So this is the right situation, something like that.
- This way, some few teachers, few monks continue and the teaching, mainly the teaching program is a very good system,
- not necessarily to everybody gather there, sit there, together whole day or something,
- that's some other thing. People have busy, people can learn, study,
- they do their own practice based on whatever, their ability,
- we have to give them teaching, whatever is valuable, that is the main thing,
- practice is up to them.
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Subcollection
- Religion in Tibet
- Monasteries
- Sera - Geshe Sopa Interview
- Sera Monastery
- Geshe Sopa Interview
Referenced Places
- Oregon
- Wisconsin
Recording Location
- Wisconsin
Language
- English
Interviewer:
Jose Cabezon
Contributing Interviewee:
Geshé Lhundub Sopa
Contributing Translator:
Eveline Yang
Publisher:
Tibetan and Himalayan Library
Data Entry:
Visibility:
Public (group default)
Shanti AV Id:
1419
thlib.org
1268
Versions:
Date Created:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Encoding Scheme:
mpeg-4 visual
File Size:
39219 (KB)
Data Rate:
499 (kbps)
Frame Size:
360x272
Format Id:
Format Id:
1_z8vpv0c0
Format Id Source:
Kaltura.com
Annotation:
LANGUAGE INFO Speech Type: Interview Situation Method: interviews MASTER TAPE INFO Master Tape Label: NDRP Master 1 Recorded: 1969-01-01