Tibetan Buddhist

  Guided by bodhicitta to create an energy field for common good For a long time, I searched for answers about the meaning of life. In 1975, I happened to participate in a meditation course led by two Lamas, and heard them say, “You don’t have to believe anything I say. You should still think about it and put it into practice, to see whether what I have said benefits you.” From then on, I developed an interest in Buddhism.   Traveling afar to the East to ordain and seek the Dharma  At that time, there were few places in America where you could learn the Dharma. I decided to quit my job as an elementary school teacher, traveled afar to Nepal and India to seek the Dharma, and relied upon Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche as my teachers. In 1977, I received the sramaneri ordination from my preceptor Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, who was His Holiness the Dalai Lama's senior tutor. As the bhikshuni sangha lineage was no longer extant in the Tibetan tradition, there were a few nuns who went to Taiwan to receive the Triple Platform ordination. Nine years after becoming a sramaneri, I sought help from a Dharma friend, and after receiving permission from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, in 1986 I went to Yuanheng Temple in Taiwan to receive the full ordination, officially becoming a member of the sangha. In my Dharma practice, I rely upon the Tibetan tradition, and in upholding the Vinaya I follow the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya. I often remind myself to be mindful of my comportment, to conduct myself appropriately in order to be in accord with the wishes of my teachers in both lineages. Living in a different cultural setting gave me the opportunity to observe how American culture had conditioned and influenced my life. When I saw how others did things differently, I would reflect: Is it always good for me to do things according to American custom? Are American values and ways of doing things suitable for other