Tibetan Buddhist lama Singha Rinpoche will pay a rare visit to Syracuse University this weekend. A native of Singapore, he will participate in Hendricks Chapel’s weekly Buddhist sangha meeting on Sunday, Nov. 12, from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Chaplain’s Suite.
The event, which includes meditation, tea and discussion, is led by Sensei JoAnn Cooke, a Syracuse University chaplain at Hendricks Chapel who also directs the Buddhist Meditation Association. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Cooke, at jmcooke@syr.edu or 315.559.7013.
The Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel and professor of practice of religion, is thrilled to host the ordained lay teacher. “To welcome such a respected leader to Hendricks Chapel is an honor and a joy,” says Konkol. “I am thankful to the Buddhist Meditation Association for their efforts in nourishing the spirit of Syracuse University.”
Rinpoche is founder and spiritual director of Thekchen Choling, a Buddhist temple in Singapore with international branches in Malaysia and the United States. He’s currently serving a six-week residency at Thekchen Choling Syracuse in Minoa. Known for his dynamic speaking style, Rinpoche has a gift for making traditional teachings accessible to modern people, explains Babette Teich-Visco, president and acting director of Thekchen Choling Syracuse. “He’s jovial but sincere.”
On Sunday, Rinpoche will address different branches of Buddhism, including Vajrayana, which combines study and meditation to overcome suffering and realize one’s potential. “Regardless of your level of interest in Buddhism, you’re likely to benefit from what Rinpoche has to say. Being in his presence can produce a sense of love, compassion and wisdom,” says Teich-Visco.
Raised in a family of Buddhists and Daoists, Rinpoche was drawn to Buddhism at a young age. He later experienced several dreams in which he was instructed to teach Buddhism to those who couldn’t be taught.
At the end of November, the former chef and restaurateur will be joined by the Venerable Kyabje Jhado Rinpoche, one of the world’s most esteemed lamas of the Geluk tradition—a school of Tibetan Buddhism founded by the 14th-century philosopher Tsongkhapa. Jhado Rinpoche has served as the abbot of Namgyal Monastery (the personal monastery of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama) and Gyuto Tantric Monastery, both in India.
“Rinpoche” (pronounced “RIN-po-chay”) is Tibetan for “precious one” and is usually bestowed upon the reincarnate of a great Buddhist teacher.
For a complete list of events involving Singha Rinpoche, visit thekchencholing.us.
