Devotees honour Rinpoche at dinner

By SIMON KHOO, The Star, Nov 8, 2004

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -- ABOUT 260 Buddhists gathered for a ceremonial dinner in Kuala Lumpur recently to celebrate the enthronement of Lhobpong Rinpoche. 

The crowd came from all over the country with one aim; to honour Lhobpong, a Malaysian accorded the Rinpoche status.

To the uninitiated, a Rinpoche is best described as a ?highly realised being in control of its birth, who has chosen to be reborn for the benefit of all mortals.?

Rinpoche means ?precious? and various elaborate rituals, tests and divinations are carried out to search, identify and recognise such individuals.

At the ceremonial dinner, Lhobpong, a former businessman, was clad in full regalia and seated in front of the stage.

Scores of devotees took the opportunity before dinner to seek words of wisdom and have their photographs taken with the holy man, who is in his 50s.

Lhobpong obliged until his 18 disciples, also clad in special religious robes, signalled that the time had come for the ceremony to begin.

Lhobpong performed a prayer and then with his blessings, the devotees were invited to enjoy the dinner.

Two of his disciples then took to the rostrum to detail the events leading to the enthronement ceremony at Mer Chen monastery in Qing Hai, Tibet.

The enthronement ceremony took place on the 6th day of the 6th month in the year of the Wood Monkey in the Chinese calendar, which fell on July 24 this year.

Later, several local artistes entertained the crowd before the ceremony came to an end just before midnight.

In his maiden speech read out by his eldest disciple, Lhobpong thanked the devotees for their presence, stressing that he felt ?more humble and small? than ever.

He said he would carry out his responsibilities just like the pre-Rinpoche days, giving devotees guidance on Buddhist doctrines.

Those seeking his advice on personal matters will have to be patient as he preferred to let ?nature take its course.?

Lhobpong said for things to happen, there must be ?connective factors and the right conditions.?

?Do not treat Rinpoches as a living Buddha.

?Everybody must be responsible for his own karma. Purify your mind and always help other beings.?
We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP