“Training the mind with poisonous thoughts is like unsuccessfully kissing a shark.

There is very little percentage chance you will have your head back.”

~ Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche

The below comes via longtime Dharma friend Sasha Meyerowitz:

Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche to assembled younger students at the Boulder Shambhala Center.

“I have one thing to say: please don’t be so uptight! I can see you all sitting there looking at this weird boy, getting uptight. Anything that pops into your mind, just blurt it out.”

“What is your daily routine? What do you like to do?”

“What do I like to do? My normal routine? Watch TV, sit, just sit and day dream. Day dream about something. My study routine, do you mean? We study very hard.”

“Do you like sports?”

“When I was young, I wasn’t fond of sports. I just sat in my bed, sitting there, and eating some, and I expanded. [Laughter.] It became a big problem. Doctors were getting worried. Then the King of Bhutan sent an Army Officer every day to train me in basketball. Now, I swim sometimes; play basketball, work out a little.”

“How do you like being in America?”

“Oh yeah… That’s one of the questions I was really looking for. America: I only knew America through books, films, photos. I thought America was a dreamland- where whatever you wish for, poof, like a car, it comes to you. I really thought it would come like that. But when I arrived in NY, I thought, this is not a dreamland; it’s a big city, like all big cities. I like the people. And to see all the development and technology is amazing. Bhutan is quite laid back, we don’t have so much of that like here. So it’s quite something.”

“If you could have one wish, what would it be?”

“One wish…one wish. I never thought of that. That is a question I can’t really answer. I never thought about that so much.”

“Have you thought about driving a car?”

“I like driving a jet ski.”

“How does it make you feel that you have, like, a big past life guy?”

“I don’t think about that much. I respect my predecessor, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche; he’s a great teacher. But I don’t think about that much now.”

“How did life change when you were recognized?”

“At first I thought, “Wow, I’m a big shot. I’ll never have any bullies or problems like that.” But it’s not that easy, to be well known as this great teacher; and you don’t have any of his qualities. I feel a bit ashamed at times to walk in front of people, as they see me as this great incarnation with all the qualities. But I don’t have them, at all. So it can be hard to cope with my life. Like any life, it has its difficulties.”

“Do you like meditating?”

“Uh-oh. That’s a very deadly question. [Laughter.]

I’m not a meditation fanatic. When I sit, I think, what should I do, where should I go, what will I do with my life. Then my mind collapses. [Laughter.] I’m not necessarily a big fan of meditation, but I do meditation, to practice.”

“Would you rather just be a normal person?”

“To be a normal person, I think, is not that easy, or very fun. [Applause, laughter.] I’m not criticizing, or speaking badly. But, just, for you guys, let me ask, is it that easy to just enjoy life? Do you wish to become something else? So that’s what I see.”

“Are you on Facebook?”

“Let me tell you something, I’m a really laid back, boring, old-fashioned, traditional boy. I don’t have a good voice to sing, or dance, I’m just an old school boring boy. You can keep that in your mind.” [Laughter.]

“What do you do on a long flight?”

“I sit there, looking at people’s faces, thinking about when I will arrive.

Please forgive me: this is not some fun disco party, I’m not a fairy tale guy. I don’t tell fairy tale stories. For this moment we are together, please just try to sit and look. Please try to enjoy it.”