Who Am I?

Measabebe
I  am thirty this year (2010)…

*silence* 

It’s not that bad, right? I am not that old!  That’s what I keep telling myself while I am looking at my ever-expanding waistline. My name is David and I started blogging ever since my first book, There’s No Way But Up was published (Hence, this blog is named as such). This blog is barely a year old and there is only 30-40 people reading my blog. It’s alright.  

I am born and bred in Petaling Jaya and unofficially a nerd but officially a  really cool guy. <– I love subliminal advertisement. Anyway, I am really a cool Buddhist and a vegie-monster (I am vegetarian! For those who didn’t get it). I completed my Bachelor of Computing at Monash University in Australia but never entered  the IT industry. I found myself in a sales job instead. (Yes, that’s me screaming away in the picture above.)

Skinnyme Somehow with a stroke of good luck, I met H. E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche about 7 years ago and became his friend and student. One thing led to another, I would myself working in Kechara Mystical Treasure (as a salesman, again!), did a short stint of assisting Rinpoche in the Ladrang and then… Kechara Media and Publications! Yes, I have a great passion for the Buddhas and the Dharma but I am far from being a monk or a teacher. Hence, friends would call me a walking dictionary (of Buddhist terms) or Reshe – a wannabe Geshe (monks who had been awarded a degree in Buddhist studies after years of intensive study and contemplation). (Yup, the picture on the right is me when I was ‘running’ around with Rinpoche as his assistant. Boy! Was I skinny then.)

As mentioned, I am the proud author of There’s No Way But Up, the autobiography that Rinpoche requested that I write. It is not really a bestseller…. yet and I have heard some people say that some parts of my book is too plain and serious but I have also heard that people loved the book and said it had inspired them and made them understand Rinpoche better. That was all I needed to hear.

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At a book reading of There’s No Way But Up.

I have also collaborated with Paul,  the head of Kechara Discovery (he is also my housemate) to come up with the Vajrayogini and Other Power Places in Nepal coffee table book. He collected the relevant pictures, liaised with the designer and arranged the funding while I wrote the text for this book. I must say that the book just looks spectacular! Don’t you think?

I am also been ordained as a lay Pastor of Kechara Buddhist Association of Malaysia. That means that uphold the 8 Mahayana Precepts that empowers me to share the Dharma, perform rituals, nurture and also be of benefit to Kecharians and whomever I meet. This has been a 10 year journey and that keeps on going. I guess I see myself getting older and doing my best to share what I have learnt with the many years spent with Rinpoche. As Kechara grow, not many would have the opportunity to be near Rinpoche and so, this is where I come in and be the bridge. 

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8 Responses to “Who Am I?”

  1. Han Siew Fong June 15, 2012 at 2:16 am #

    David, keeps up your good work, I love your writing.
    Well done

  2. tatoeage ontwerp June 17, 2013 at 1:38 pm #

    I wanna say thanks for publicing this great information. Keep up this good work. I’ll subscribe to your weblog also. thanks!

  3. johnmark August 3, 2014 at 2:10 pm #

    WELL DONE SO FAR! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!BUDDHA BLESS!!

    • Pastor David Lai August 5, 2014 at 9:20 pm #

      Thank you and will definitely do more.

  4. Jarvis Seah November 8, 2014 at 5:18 am #

    Rejoice!
    Triple gem blessing.
    Sadhu…

  5. SenAnanda March 16, 2015 at 6:10 am #

    Hi David Lai, Goodwork Buddha bless.Im Also very keen to get there, i mean where Buddha has gotten himself………..

  6. Ryan Eiku Gomes July 1, 2020 at 12:54 am #

    Hi Pastor David,

    I recently came across Tsem Rinpocheʻs teachings and videos on YouTube and felt an instant connection. I am an ordained Buddhist Priest in the Tendai (Tien Tai) Sect of Japanese Vajrayana Buddhism.

    I have many questions, and would love to learn more about Kechara House, and Dorje Shugden. However, I live in Honolulu, Hawaii.

    I was surprised to learn in one of Rinpocheʻs videos that one of the places he considered when he left Howell, New Jersey was actually Hawaii!

    However, I am glad he did not come here because if he did, karma and time and condition may have been different and Kechara House may not have existed to benefit the world as it does now.

    Donʻt shy from controversy either. There will ALWAYS be people to create nonsense!

    Thank you for all your work for the dharma. There is no doubt, your Guru smiles down on you all.

    Do you have a Facebook page or some other means to contact?

    Metta,
    Ryan “Eiku” Gomes

    • Pastor David Lai November 21, 2020 at 5:44 pm #

      Hi Ryan,

      My apologies for not checking my blog in months. I am not sure you will see this but I am more active on social media than on my blog these days. Here is my fb account :- https://www.facebook.com/david.lai80

      All the best and you can pose all the questions you wish.

      Thank you.

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