Well actually that is not my Dharma name, it is just my nickname. Because I used to live in the monastery before I became a nun, so people grew accustomed to calling me that. My Dharma name is Thubten Dekyon.

Did you always want to be a nun or did you have other plans?
No, in the beginning I didn't think I was going to become a nun, but, you know, Lama Yeshe, when I was very young, always said "Oh Tsenla, do you want to become a nun?" And I knew Lama wanted me to say yes, so I would say "Yes Lama", but I wasn't really thinking it. I guess that created an imprint in my mind. It gave me the idea, which later in life became an option. I wasn't really thinking what it implied at the time.

Which nunnery did you go to?
I actually did not go to any other nunnery, other than Kopan. When I first started studying Buddhism it was at Kopan. And during those times if you went looking for nunneries there weren't many around. And the ones that existed at the time had a very similar study programme to the nunneries in Tibet, which includes lots of prayers and ritual, but not much study of the texts. I felt this wouldn't be sufficient. So at Kopan I went to classes with the monks, translated for some teachers, etc.

What do you think has changed in the nunneries?
I think mainly the education programme. In general, it has improved quite a bit. In the nunneries you now have the option of going to school and studying as well. So the nunneries have to offer the education of the Dharma - not only the devotional prayers and chanting. I think the kind of prayer services that happened for the nuns in Tibet, are no longer feasible for this generation.

How did you get involved in building Kopan's nunnery?
How Rinpoche asked me is He kept saying: "It would be so beneficial to have a nunnery", and he would go on and on and on. So I thought, if Rinpoche thinks I can do something about it, then I should try to do something and take it as far ahead as I can. It was mostly by trusting Rinpoche's words that I could do it. If Rinpoche thought I could do it, then I should attempt it.

What do you do now?
Usually I help translate when Lamas visit the US. If I can't do that, then I try to catch up with my retreat commitments if the time allows it, and other times I write the 8,000 verses of the prajnaparamita in silver. It really depends on the time I have available. Sometimes I just spend time preparing for the translations I have to do, studying the texts.

What work do you do for FPMT?
I started studying to be a translator, and also projects like the (Kopan) nunnery; I also do special fundraising projects, for example being the director of Lawudo, trying to raise money for that. Or sometimes Rinpoche (Lama Zopa Rinpoche) has projects he asks me to fundraise money for.

Is it difficult to translate?
It all depends on how much you are prepared, and also in the style in which a teacher presents a topic. It can be difficult or easy. I can't really say it is easy or difficult all the time.

What is it like to be so close to so many Lamas and Rinpoches?
It is like any situation; you can accumulate a lot of positive karma, but also accumulate lots of negative karma. It is good in one way, but you also have to be very careful of your thoughts and actions around these precious teachers. It all depends on your mind, there is no guarantee that when you are in a very blessed situation it will stay that way. It takes very little for the negative mind to make it a total mess.

Sometimes it seems very difficult to understand the traditional style of teachings, the emphasis on suffering in cyclic existence, and so forth. Do you have any advice on how "westerners" can incorporate this teaching into their lives?

Actually you have to think Why are they telling me this? Why are they saying the things they are saying? And when you know why they are saying those things, then it has some relevance. But if you take it like straightforward, just strait suffering, it can be a bit overwhelming. But when you understand WHY they are saying these things, then it has relevance.

It is all on how you approach the teachings. Even with the Dharma, it is the same - if you approach it the right way, with the right atitude. The Buddhas and teachers will never talk about suffering just to make you suffer more. That would be pointless. What they are actually doing for us is empowering us to overcome all of these things. In that way you appreciate that they are giving you the skills, the means, to overcome suffering.

What the Lamas are going to tell you is the reality. They are not going to tell you something that is very interesting to hear. They will teach you about reality. They are teaching ways to empower yourself to make your life better. It is exactly like someone who gives you advice. If you take the advice in a wrong way, then you feel negative. But when you take the advice as something really helpful for your situation, even if it is advice you don't want to hear. Because your mind is appreciating that kind of advice, you are very receptive. It is the same with Dharma.

That is why at the beginning of the teachings, they always say that when you listen to teachings, you should think of yourself as someone who is sick, not physically, but mentally: sick with anger, sick with hate, sick with pride, jealousy, you know. All our afflictive ways of thinking. That is how you should think of yourself when you approach the teachings. You come to teachings wanting to hear because you think this teaching will help you turn your life around. Traditionally they say don't listen to teachings like an upside down pot, or a pot with a hole, or a dirty pot. All of these refer to not being receptive or open minded. Usually if we listen to teachings with this kind of dirty pot mentality, it does not matter if they are very profound teachings, the mind will reject them. It is all in the approach. [With the mind rejecting them], it will be very difficult for the teachings to be beneficial. In that case, it is maybe better to go and do something else, like help with the cleaning, or something like that.