From KF COMMUNIQUÉ, August Issue 2011
As a young boy, having been recognized as the tulku of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche inherited responsibility for Dzongsar monastery and for its associated lineages. Rinpoche’s teachers and tutors invested everything they had to give him what he needed to carry out this enormous task. In the decades since Rinpoche began teaching around the world, thousands of people have been inspired to follow him.
As Rinpoche's activities increased, his
view became even more vast. Whiletending to the individual needs of his students, he constantly seeks new waysto ensure that the authentic teachings of the Buddha will be available a hundred years from now, a thousand years from now. The integrity he exhibits, the skill with which he teaches, and his compassion toward all beings often inspires his students to make generous offerings to him. Rinpoche nearly always offers these resources to support others. Ten years ago, however, the rivers of generosity that ran through him had swelled to the point that it became clear that a new structure was needed to help channel these offerings.
In 2001, Rinpoche made a rare pilgrimage to Dzongsar. He took a handful of his students on the journey, and together they weathered the Jeep rides and long treks to arrive at Rinpoche's traditional seat of Dzongsar, in Derge, Sichuan. One evening he invited his guests into the room that had once been the private chambers of Chökyi Lodrö. The group had been awed by the immensity of Dzongsar and by the enormous responsibility that Rinpoche had been upholding for so many years, personally providing for all the basic needs of hundreds of monks and khenpos. They asked how they could help relieve Rinpoche of the pressure of this responsibility, so that he could focus on his heart's desire. No longer saddled with the financial burden of supporting the monasteries, Rinpoche would be free to turn his gaze outward, even farther.
Khyentse Foundation was established later that year as a system of patronage. Meetings were held in Bali, Hong Kong, and San Francisco to discuss the scope and mission of the Foundation. With the help of Gene Smith, Professor Steven Goodman, Ivy Ang, and a number of those original pilgrims, Rinpoche set priorities for his projects and the group created its first five-year plan. All the goals set in 2001 were met, as were the goals of the second five-year plan.
2011 marks Khyentse Foundation's tenth anniversary. This year Rinpoche raised the bar considerably, encouraging the foundation to set its highest goals yet. "Maybe it's time we miss a few of our goals," he teased. But with the continued support of our friends, and the inclusion of new supporters, perhaps we can see that bet and maybe even up the ante.
