Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Kathleen Everett and Jemma Galova, Women’s Healthy Relationships Group at Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, an FPMT touring teacher, visited the Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group, an FPMT study group located in a coastal town in northern Western Australia. The week spent together left lasting impressions on everyone involved. Sandy Faber, Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group coordinator, shares the story.

In March 2019, Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group was fortunate to have Geshe Tenzin Zopa visit Broome and engage with a variety local of First Nation, health, and community groups, forming connections with people and discussing various topics from a Buddhist psychology perspective.

Broome is a small town on the northwest coast of Western Australia, on traditional Djugun Yawuru lands, where the red Great Sandy Desert meets the blue tropical Indian Ocean. The hot and humid wet season weather was in force during Geshe-la’s visit. Broome’s population of 14,500 is a wonderful mixture of Indigenous Aboriginal First Nations people along with (due to a history of pearl-hunting in the area) Japanese, Malay, and Indonesian intermixed families, as well as more recent western European arrivals.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with local First Nations Yawuru and Karajarri Elder Jimmy Edgar, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la’s visit began on March 21, 2019, with a Welcome to Country ritual by local First Nations Yawuru and Karajarri elder, Jimmy Edgar. Geshe-la and Jimmy connected immediately as they shared, compared, and exchanged cultural knowledge. Jimmy accompanied Geshe-la to an afternoon Harmony Day event held at Broome CIRCLE, where Geshe-la had been invited to speak by the HelpingMinds group. Everyone at this event was Welcomed to Country by Yawuru representative Natalie Dean. Most appropriately and fortuitously, Geshe-la spoke about receiving the 2019 Global Peace Leadership and Excellence Award and the importance of practicing harmony.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Yawuru representative Natalie Dean at Broome CIRCLE, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la said harmony is the basis for all positive achievements on an individual, community, state, national, and international level. Harmony is practiced through love, kindness, compassion, and respect. We can practice by seeing and respectfully acknowledging qualities in others, and expressing our respect through the actions of our body, speech, and mind. He told us harmony is also present in the practice of “the wisdom of understanding the interdependence among all of the different cultures, ethnicities, beliefs, and not only humans but also nature, including oceans, space, and plants.”

Geshe-la expressed that if we are first able to practice harmony perfectly towards ourselves, then we will also be able to practice it towards our loved ones, family members, and further within our community at the local, state, national, and international levels. He said, “Even within a small family of two people if you are able to practice respect, compassion, and loving kindness for each other then this will bring success, happiness, joy, fulfillment, and the meaning of life to that family.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Sandy Faber and Neil Turner at Broome CIRCLE, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Sandy Faber.

“My belief and understanding is that the best solution, the best antidote to overcoming violence, depression, misunderstandings, disrespect, self-centeredness, or greediness is harmony expressed through love, kindness, compassion, and respect,” Geshe-la said. Harmony is a simple practice that everyone is able to engage in. “It doesn’t require money or someone else’s approval to practice,” Geshe-la told us. “It can be practiced by anybody: young and old, poor and rich, the powerful and less powerful.” Harmony can be practiced by people from any belief system or way of thinking.

Geshe-la shared, “Harmony doesn’t mean you have to go shake hands with someone or smile all of the time. The first move is to start within, by harmonizing one’s positive energy with oneself: loving oneself correctly, practicing compassion for oneself, offering respect to oneself. Then take that energy, that practice, that attitude and share it, beginning with the person nearest to you. This could be your children or your spouse.”

Geshe-la concluded by saying, “May we all be able to practice this practice of harmony perfectly to the best of our ability. May the world be completely actualized in the practice of harmony.”

Watch Geshe Tenzin Zopa’s twelve-minute Harmony Day talk on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/QsmSfQWNbmE

The following day Geshe-la was invited to speak about mental health at a Mental Health Luncheon at Mabu Liyan, a government-run mental health rehabilitation center with locations in Broome and East Kimberley Kununurra. This was well attended by the local Broome mental health team as well as the East Kimberley Kununurra team who work at another center 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away and attended the luncheon via video conference!

The next morning, Saturday, March 23, Geshe-la gave a two-hour public talk kindly hosted and sponsored by the Broome Convention Centre. Geshe-la spoke to a small gathering about the hardships of growing up and overcoming challenges. He also spoke about the making of the film Unmistaken Child, which had been screened as a fundraiser prior to Geshe-la’s visit.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Blue Body Spiritual Centre’s Buddha Sanctuary, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

That afternoon Geshe-la spoke on “How to Find Serenity in Difficult Times: How can we work on ourselves and our minds to become a positive force in the world” for two hours at a well-attended event. The venue, Buddha Sanctuary, was generously offered by Broome Blue Body Spiritual Centre.

On Sunday morning, March 24, Geshe Tenzin Zopa presented a special talk “Self Care and Managing Stress” for people working in the health sector. The event took place at the government-run Broome Recovery Centre, which provides programs, support, training, and employment opportunities for people recovering from mental health issues. This talk attracted many of the people in our community who are caring for and working with clients in a health role. Geshe-la discussed ways of maintaining one’s own health and well-being and avoiding burnout.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Many attendees expressed their gratitude by sharing the positive effects that Geshe-la had on their minds and the way his talk benefitted their carer situations.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet this Buddhist master here in my very own hometown of Broome,” one carer said. “I have learned so much from the two hours spent sitting with you: having an unstructured friendly conversation around self-care while caring for others, and hearing your stories of challenge with a positive viewpoint was very powerful and inspiring.”

Another carer said, “My biggest take-home message from today is that we can find the strength to keep going if what we do is based on compassion, and we are genuinely doing the best we can to help ourselves and others as individuals.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Jacob Corpus-Smith, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

One of the attendees was Jacob Corpus-Smith, age 22, who works in a full-time position in social and emotional well-being at Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services. Jacob is also involved in youth suicide prevention as a youth ambassador, organizing leadership forums to give Kimberley youth a greater voice in the national youth suicide prevention conversation.

After hearing from Geshe-la Jacob said, “All the small things we do in our role as carers, whether it be as parents, partners, family members, friends, community members, and even pet owners, need to be celebrated within ourselves and with the people we care about!”

A person who cared full-time for her mother in the end of her life expressed, “Many thanks to my Inspiring Buddhist Monk. Geshe appeared for me at the right time, and I was at the right place to be inspired by his powerful words of wisdom. These words have helped me see and move through my years of trauma with positive healing energy. Moving forward has become an easier process for me. Thank you, Geshe Tenzin Zopa.”

That afternoon Geshe-la presented about “Letting Go: A Buddhist Perspective: How do we acknowledge our past hurts, grief, and anger, and begin to let go of our disturbing emotions” at Buddha Sanctuary. He investigated and discussed ways to heal our minds and past mental experiences from a Buddhist perspective. Geshe-la also gave the Broome Buddhists instructions and explanations on prostrations.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Blue Body Spiritual Centre’s Buddha Sanctuary, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Next, on Monday morning, March 25, Geshe Tenzin Zopa visited the Broome Recovery Centre again, this time to meet with the Women’s Healthy Relationship Group, a collaboration between nonprofit Broome Youth and Families Hub and Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service Team, led by Women’s Healthy Relationship Group facilitator Jasmine Phillips.

The Women’s Healthy Relationship Group participants were really impressed with Geshe-la and later sat with drug and alcohol rehabilitation counselor, Lesley Baxter, to reflect on the session.

One participant said, “[He talked] about his upbringing and what his country was like, how he became a monk and went to school. He had to wait a long time to become a monk. He never gave up. He made me feel sorry because of his stories. I felt sorry for his early life … how he used to get picked on when he was small.”

Lizzie, Bee, Shayna with baby, Kathleen, Cheryl, Mali, Jasmine (Jazzi), unnamed, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Jemma, Melody, Sandy, unnamed, unnamed, and Jermaica, Women’s Healthy Relationship Group at Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Lesley Baxter.

“He made me feel calm and happy inside,” another participant said. “I still think about him and how he talked. He looked so calm when he talked and that made me calm.” Someone else shared, “He was warm and friendly. He loved meeting Aboriginal people. I was happy to meet him.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Jasmine (Jazzi) Phillips, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Jasmine Phillips.

Someone else commented, “I thought he was inspiring. He talked about looking at things in different ways.” Another participant said, “He came with a very positive way of looking at life.” Another group participant noted, “I found that he was calming. He helped us look at the beauty of things.”

Someone shared, “He said that he thought that Tibetans and Aboriginal people have the same sort of beliefs. They are people of the earth. He talked about the belief systems of Aboriginal people, like reincarnation.”

Another person said, “He talked about valuing women: that women give birth, they look after the children, that women are very loving and caring. We didn’t know that they were valued like that.” Someone else said, “It was very easy to understand what he was saying.”

That same day Broome radio station Radio Goolarri (99.7 FM) Indigenous station manager and presenter Matty J (Matthew Francis) invited Geshe Tenzin Zopa to the station to pre-record a radio interview. Geshe-la articulated a very thoughtful message to the global community about Buddhist practice and the requirements for world peace and harmony.

Listen to Geshe Tenzin Zopa’s March 25, 2019, Radio Goolarri interview on YouTube:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/V9FDgB9ae6k
Part 2: https://youtu.be/2zMlcdEV_yg

Geshe Tenzin Zopa presented an interactive discussion session on “Dealing with Addictions” at Broome’s non-governmental Milliya Rumurra Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre. Millya Rumarra’s program coordinator, Phoebe McGuiness Morich, commented, “People were most receptive to Geshe-la’s wisdom and sharing stories concerning addiction, the pure mind and the ability to change, and the ability to reach one’s own desired potential.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa and Phoebe McGuiness Morich, Milliya Rumurra Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la also enjoyed a most interesting outing to Reddell Beach with Dianne Bennett of Broome’s Dinosaur Coast Management Group, a nonprofit organization protecting and promoting dinosaur tracks of Dampier Peninsula, to check out the huge and impressive sauropod dinosaur track imprints visible at low tide.

Geshe-la enjoyed his time in Broome, connecting with a myriad of locals, including many canine friends such as Didj.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Didj, Reddell Beach, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Lily Chin.

It was so wonderful to have Geshe Tenzin Zopa visit Broome. Everything easily fell into place, and a wonderful and interactive program naturally unfolded. Individuals and groups continue to ask when Geshe-la will return. Community members are eager to continue to engage in the above types of presentations and discussions, and would like to further extend discussions into the topic of suicide prevention and coping with suicides in a community and family context. A thousand loving thanks to Geshe-la, and please, please, please visit us again!

For more information about Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group, visit their website:
http://gebbsg.org.au/