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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON
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Debbie Tan from Singapore arrived in Nepal on 4 Jan 2019 to register for an
‘Experiential Buddhist Foundation Studies Course’ under the guidance of Yongey
Mingyur Rinpoche. She was wide-eyed and filled with curiosity and excitement. Not
much had been said about the course except that the days would be filled with Buddhist
philosophy classes, meditation, art and pilgrimages. She was all geared up and ready to
learn about the three Buddhist vehicles, to practice meditation and to apply the Buddhist
teachings in daily life. But as the weeks went by, she realized that she was getting a
whole lot more than what she had bargained for!
She was overwhelmed by the vastness of the Buddha’s teachings and the profoundness
of the Bodhisattva path. The stories of all the Buddhist masters, which the teachers
shared, were immensely inspiring and left a deep impression within her. The Buddhist
teachings and stories learnt in class were woven seamlessly into the various activities the
students participated in, hence reinforcing and integrating the intellectual knowledge
into their lived experiences. It was very obvious to the students that Mingyur Rinpoche
had meticulously planned the curriculum, to help them deepen their understanding of
Buddhist philosophy at the experiential level and to apply them to current life situations.
Debbie graciously requested Mingyur Rinpoche for an interview about the program on
April 17, 2019 so that it details could be shared with readers of Eastern Horizon. As such,
we are deeply appreciative of Debbie’s kindness in this interview for our benefit.
Debbie: Rinpoche, what made you decide to start ‘Abiding Heart Education’?
Mingyur Rinpoche: When I was young, around the age of 6 or 7 years old, there was
a school in my hometown. It was a government school and the teachers were not
so good. They did not teach well and they were there to just get some money from
the government. The local children went to the school and they did nothing or just
played. The adults also went there to drink local alcohol – Cham. The school became
a really bad place. Instead of getting education, the children were getting a lot of bad
influence. So I have been thinking about education.