I hope people are not tired of reading too many news, too many updates on my website. I am sometimes in the mood to write and to share, especially when there is some free time. I am on my way from Grenoble to Lama Chokyi Sengey's place. Lama Chokyi is a very old friend of mine, I like him very much and like Lama Namgyal, he has been a wonderful French translator for me. Without Lama Namgyal and him, many French-speaking people wouldn't have understood my gossips very nicely.

I was telling some of my friends and students that sleeping 2 to 3 hours a day is generally enough for everyone. I sometimes don't even sleep. The lesser you sleep the longer you live, meaning that you have more time to use for practice, for doing beneficial deeds, for going out to help others, for LIVE TO LOVE, instead of wasting your time dreaming, sleeping or just spacing out. Some doctors told me and they are still telling me, "You need 6 to 8 hours to sleep a day." I was totally shocked and am still shocked that a human being needs that many hours to sleep, almost one third of the life wasted. The more you sleep, the more sleepy you get. Best is you sleep from 10pm or latest by 12pm, then wake up at 3am, everyday. You will be feeling so fresh, energetic and full of mindfulness. Trust me, I think I am entitled to say that.

I remember that I have said something very briefly about my trip to Geneva. This is just to add up some information, for those of you who are not bored with my gossips. I want to thank Marie Jose and her team who have been helping to build the hospital for the poor people in the Nepal Himalayas, as part of the LIVE TO LOVE activities. I am actually very happy to see people around me involved in these activities with willingness, inspiration and very good hearts.

After the hospital building is completed, a lot of help will be needed in different ways to provide all the facilities, such as the medical equipments, medicines and of course, doctors with different skills. I know that there will be many people from different parts of the world, who wish to make this world a happier and better place for others, to come together to help this hospital.

I might have given my people the wrong impression that I love shopping. Actually, I love to see different things, especially to observe the behaviours of different people on the street, in the shop, in the park. Perhaps that's why Drubpon Ngawang, as usual, forced me to go to see some nice watches when we were in Geneva, even though I don't have any desire to buy one. Seeing nice things is also good enough for me, I don't have to own them. Whenever I think about Drubpon Ngawang, Khenrab (whom I think you all know is Drubpon Ngawang's nephew), Ngawang Sangpo (my cook), Ngawang Tobden (my assistant secretary) and so many other assistants and attendants that are always taking turns to go with me, I really thank my gurus and my own karma who have provided me with all these wonderful people, that make my life so much easier. It's too bad that Ngawang Sangpo could not join me this time. His brother just passed away, I hope that he is coping well with the loss of his beloved family member. All of these monks, nuns and other of my people really work so hard to make my life trouble free. I never have a chance to thank them, and sometimes I think I do take things for granted (I am a human being too), so I just thought that I want to say "THANK YOU" to Drubpon Ngawang, Khenrab, Sangpo, Ngawang Tobden (also known as "Tiripa") and others, who genuinely have become a part of my extended family, in many ways.

Of course, I want to thank my students and friends who really work so hard, sometimes even putting my interests above their own, to fulfill my wishes, through helping my endless list of projects, projects of my colleagues and all kinds of requests that I have. I hope I have not been too demanding on everyone. If I am, let me know, so that I will put a brake.

I know, being who I am, I am a very moody person, easily disappointed. I was even thinking of "packing up" to go elsewhere not too long ago, because I didn't see any really good enough reason to stay behind. These days, I am a little easier on myself and others, I know that this world is not perfect and that people around me are really trying their best to make my life easier, even though there are so many limitations. We are not living in Pure Land, of course there should be difficulties. What I really feel unable to take it, is whenever I come to one place, that place becomes a mess because people fight for my attention, then I feel that I might as well not come. In my absence, people are very peaceful and friendly towards each other. When I come, I am the trouble maker. How would you feel, if you are in my position? I really feel that I belong to the cave, when things like this happen. Or if my presence provokes negativity, then I don't belong to this world, don't you agree?

Someone asked me not too long ago, "How can I become your disciple?" For me, "disciple" is a very big issue. I think by now, many people know that I sometimes introduce people as my friends, sometimes as my students and sometimes as my disciples. Since I have a bit of time, I want to tell you a bit about someone that I consider to be one of my five lay disciples, if I may say. He is the number 2. Everyone knows that it's quite difficult to be number one, because each year Helga is always taking time out to go into a retreat in a cave for 6 months, 3 months continuously, for maybe over 30 years, ever since she took me as her guru. How many people can do that? I don't know. She is more than 60 years' old now, yet she is just like the young, energetic and sophisticated German lady that I knew when I was very young.

Now talking about this number 2. He actually mistook me as some other old Rinpoche when he came to see me over 20 years ago, because by mistake or rather due to his karma, he went to the monastery next to the one he was supposed to go to. I remember very well that he had very long hair, and he even had a girlfriend and a guitar with him when we met. For some strange reasons, he got stuck with me, and every year he came to me after he finished each set of Ngondro, he had shorter hair. I think he had finished at least 4 to 5 sets of Ngondro in the first few years of knowing me and I had sent him back to university to study to become a doctor, against his wish of becoming my monk.

Now he has hardly any hair, not because he is a monk, but because of worldly stress. I want him to remember how happy he was when he found me and I want him to know that even though samsara is suffering, I will try my best to make him understand that all the suffering in samsara is nothing compared to the wonderful opportunity to be able to practise true Dharma, so that one day or one future life, he will definitely be completely free.

I know that he sometimes feel that I am very distant now, because of my activities and my very busy schedule, I would like Senge to know that for every student, friend and disciple who have been practising with genuine motivation to benefit others, I am completely aware of their presence and their love for me. I will take care of them, no matter what. I did not forget the anniversary of his refuge with me, although I don't like to make big fuss about this kind of things. I want to let him know that I often feel so proud that I have met someone like him, who has been following my instructions sometimes with difficulties, sometimes easily, for more than 20 years, without changing his mind, without changing his heart.