Be Happy

By Tsem Rinpoche

Happiness is a state which everyone everywhere constantly strives for. Here, H.E. Tsem Rinpoche explains in very simple terms what causes our unhappiness. By highlighting our common misperceptions, he shows us how these misperceptions result in us creating our own suffering and how we can change them.
With his trademark humour and candour, Rinpoche traverses from ancient Buddhist philosophy to modern psychology, as well as his own personal experience with his teachers and his painful relationship with his mother, in order to show us in the simplest terms how we can truly be happy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kechara Media & Publications Sdn Bhd
• Release date: Sep 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9789675365768

Book preview

Other Titles By Tsem Rinpoche, published By Kechara Media & Publications (in order of publication date)

If Not Now When? Love edition,

Tsem Rinpoche, 2013

Tsongkhapa : A Simple Guide to a Powerful Practice,

Tsem Rinpoche, 2012

The Living Buddha Within,

Tsem Rinpoche, 2012

Be Greedy :

A Little Guide to Creating Merit and Living Fearlessly,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2011

Why I Make Myself Unhappy, (2nd edition),

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2011

108 Ways to Grab My Apples,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2010

Tsongkhapa : A Simple Guide to a Powerful Practice (box set),

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2010

Snakes, Roosters & Pigs,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2010

If Not Now, When? Peace edition,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2009

Peace : A Compilation of Short Teachings,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2009

Setrap the Protector :

Secrets Revealed of a 1,000-Year-Old Practice,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche & Sharon Saw, 2009

Gurus for Hire, Enlightenment for Sale,

Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, 2009

Other Titles Published By Kechara Media & Publications

Conversations in Love,

David Lai, 2012

Tales My Lama Told Me,

David Lai, 2012

The Promise : A Tsem Rinpoche Biography (2nd edition),

Sharon Saw, Fang C. Chang, 2012

The Promise : A Tsem Tulku Biography,

Sharon Saw, Fang C. Chang, 2011

Life is a Gamble : Take a Chance on Faith,

Henry Ooi, 2011

Eat Healthy, Daily : 21 Traditional Chinese Vegetarian Recipes for Healing,

Dr Jiang Zhong, 2011

Je Tsongkhapa : A Visual Journey,

Gisbert Pascal Roth, 2010

There’s No Way But Up,

David Lai, 2009

Vajrayogini and Other Sacred Power Places in Nepal,

Paul Yap & David Lai, 2009

The Illustrated Life Story of Lama Tsongkhapa :

A Graphic Novel,

Terry Lim & Kok Yek Yee, 2009

For more details or to purchase these titles, please visit kechara.com/kmp

Kechara Media & Publications also publishes Chinese titles.

Copyright © 2014 Tsem Rinpoche

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from Kechara Media & Publications except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Published by Kechara Media & Publications Sdn. Bhd.

41-2A & 41-2B, 1st Floor

Jalan PJU 1/3C

Sunway Mas Commercial Centre 47301

Petaling Jaya

Selangor, Malaysia

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche

A Short biography

Beloved for his unconventional, contemporary approach to Dharma, H.E. Tsem Rinpoche brings more than 2,500 years of Buddhist wisdom and teachings to the modern spiritual seeker by connecting ancient worlds with new people, cultures, attitudes and lifestyles.

A Mongolian-Tibetan heritage, a childhood in Taiwan and in the United States of America, intensive monastic studies in India and now the Spiritual Guide of the Kechara organisation in Malaysia – these are but some of the many facets that contribute to Tsem Rinpoche’s unique ability to effortlessly bridge the East and the West. His teachings bring the Dharma to our everyday lives and in doing so, he is able to bring the ancient time-honoured Buddhist philosophies and practices into the 21st Century.

Tsem Rinpoche has been strongly inclined towards Dharma since his early childhood, and has studied under many great Buddhist masters of the Tibetan tradition. Tsem Rinpoche eventually went on to receivehis monastic education at Gaden Shartse Monastery, currently located in Mundgod in South India.

Following the advice of his beloved Guru, H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tsem Rinpoche took his vows as a monk from H.H. the Dalai Lama and joined Gaden Shartse Monastery when he was in his early twenties. His two preceding incarnations, Gedun Nyedrak and Kentrul Thubten Lamsang Rinpoche, had also studied at the original Gaden Shartse Monastery when it was then located in Tibet. There, they obtained Geshe Lharam degrees before completing their studies at Gyuto tantric college.

Gedun Nyedrak went on to become the lead chanter and, later, abbot of Gaden Monastery, while Kentrul Rinpoche brought the Dharma to the laypeople of the Phari district of Tibet. The tremendous and virtuous work of his previous lifetimes can perhaps be reflected again in Tsem Rinpoche’s present-day activities in Malaysia, where he continues this selfless practice of teaching vast numbers of non-monastic communities in places where the Dharma has just begun to bloom.

During his nine years in Gaden, Tsem Rinpoche was involved in extensive charitable works including building schools for refugee children in India, building dormitories and upgrading living conditions for the monastic community, and providing long-term assistance to the poor lay community of Mundgod.

Now, based in Malaysia, Tsem Rinpoche continues this immense work to benefit many. Through creative and engaging approaches, Tsem Rinpoche continuously shares new methods of bringing happiness and relief to people from all walks of life, regardless of their religious faith. Tsem Rinpoche also maintains close contact with Gaden Monastery; through his constant practice of generosity and with a deeply altruistic motivation, he continues to frequently sponsor Gaden’s work and activities.

Be inspired by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s work and life at www.tsemtulku.com and share in his personal views, thoughts and news on his blog at tsemrinpoche.com

Editor’s Note

The content of this book was extracted from a talk given by H.E. Tsem Rinpoche on 21 March 2007, at Kechara House. The talk, which can be seen in its entirety on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tz-ejvRSRI, has been transcribed and edited to give the essence of the teaching. In order to maintain and bring the spirit and passion of Rinpoche to the reader, Rinpoche’s fervour, immediacy and colloquial expressions have been maintained above syntax and other writing formalities.

At the time of the teaching, Rinpoche was often dressed in lay clothes and had longer hair than the standard for monks. As a result, he had often been criticised by lay people and rumours were spread that he had been disrobed. This was far from the truth as Rinpoche had received permission from his gurus at Gaden Monastery to