Venerable Tenzin Yignyen was born in Phari, southern Tibet, and was only six years old when he escaped into India. He was among the first graduating class of the relocated Namgyal Monastery educational program. In 1969, Tenzin entered the Tibetan Buddhist Namgyal Monastery (the personal monastery of the Dalai Lama) in Dharamsala, India, where he studied monastic ritual and philosophy. He was ordained as a monk by the Dalai Lama, and received the monastery's highest degree, "Master of Sutra and Tantra," with highest honor in 1985. During 1989-90, Tenzin assisted with the research and translation for "The Wheel of Time Sand Mandala: Visual Scripture of Tibetan Buddhism" (Harper San Francisco 1992), published in conjunction with the Samaya Foundation in New York City. He was invited to Gaden Thekcheling Monastery in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, in 1993, where he taught tantra and mandala construction for two years.

Tenzin was selected in 1995 to teach at Namgyal Monastery's North American Seat in Ithaca, New York. He has since remained in the United States, providing instruction in tantric ritual, Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan Buddhist sacred art forms. For the last four years, Tenzin has been professor of Tibetan Buddhist studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. He has constructed sand mandalas in the United States at several museums and universities including the Natural Museum of History in Los Angeles; The Cleveland Museum of Art; The Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York; The Asia Society, New York City; the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington, DC; Trinity College; and Cornell University.

SG = Soul Graffiti
TY = Venerable Tenzin Yignyen

SG: WHY IS COMPASSION SO ESSENTIAL TO BUDDHIST PRACTICE?

TY: Compassion is very essential to the Buddhist practice because every practice of Buddhism must be built on the ground of Compassion. The two main purpose of the Buddhist practice are: Not to harm others and to help others. Both of these purposes cannot be fulfilled without the development of Compassion. Also the state of Full Enlightenment is the final accomplishment or goal of the practitioner and without compassion it is impossible to achieve that state.

SG: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO MEDITATE AND WHY IS IT VALUABLE?

TY: Meditation is a method for acquainting our mind with virtue. The more familiar our mind is with virtue, the calmer and more peaceful it becomes. When our mind is peaceful we are free from worries and mental discomfort and we experience true happiness. It is valuable because through meditation practice we can discipline our mind by developing compassion, kindness and caring, which are the ultimate source of our happiness.

SG: HOW CAN ONE CULTIVATE A GREATER SENSE OF COMPASSION?

TY: There are many Buddhist scriptures that teach us how to cultivate a greater sense of Compassion but if I condensed them in few words; The compassion can be cultivate through understanding the sufferings of others. By understanding everything is interdependent, by taking strong responsibility, by developing the meaning of the concept of Karma, by knowing all of our own happiness comes from others caring and compassion, by realizing that everyone is like myself in that they wish for happiness and do not want suffering.

SG: IS IT POSSIBLE TO TEACH LOVE OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE EXPERIENCED?

TY: Yes, you can teach how to develop love but it can be internalize only by practicing or experiencing it. Like you can take your horse to the water but you cannot force him to drink. Buddha said in one of his teaching; "I can show you the path of Liberation, whether you attain is up to you.

SG: IT IS NOT SO HARD TO SHOW KINDNESS TO A FRIEND, BUT HOW CAN ONE BE EQUALLY KIND TO A STRANGER OR A PERSON WHO IS NOT LIKED?

TY: The Kindness that we show to our friend is not a pure kindness because it is biased, based on selfishness and attachment. So it is very important for the Buddhist practitioner to extend kindness to every sentient being including one’s enemy. The reason is simple - From the others side it is equal in that everybody wants happiness and caring from you. From your point, everybody has been kind to you one way or the other. Even the pleasure of this life - food, clothing, education, fame and all other things you enjoy - comes from many other being’s hard work and finally you enjoy it. But due to our shortsightedness, ignorance and selfishness we only see the people around us. So until your kindness reaches to your enemy, your kindness is a conditioned one and not pure unconditional kindness. It is hard but not impossible to develop such kindness. Meditators try to develop unconditional kindness.

SG: HOW DO TIBETANS PRACTICE COMPASSION TOWARDS THE CHINESE?

TY: The way Tibetans practice compassion to Chinese is, We believe everything happens because of a reason. Nothing is an accident. So we don't blame entirely on China because we also created some negative Karma in our past life to face this tragedy. If we had not created any bad Karma then the Chinese action cannot create the problem. So instead of feeling hatred to the Chinese we develop compassion to them because they are creating very negative karma that will bring serious consequences in the future. Also if you look from another perspective we learned many things due to the Chinese invasion of our country and they also gave us an opportunity to develop patience, which we cannot get from our friends or families so there is good reason to develop compassion to them. Also if we hate them instead of be compassionate, we will suffer more and no benefits at all. Not only in the Tibetan case, if we really want our world to be a very peaceful and happy place

… “May Compassion and love fill the heart of every Being.”