My Karma Story

Tsjekkiske Zdenek Peicel er for tiden i retreat på KSL. Les om hvordan han ble kjent med buddhismen og kom til KTLBS.

Dear Honorable Sangha,

Allow me to share my personal “Karma story” about how I became Buddhist. My name is Zdenek and I live in Prague, Czech Republic. Five of years ago I was returning from a business trip from Oslo and there was a lady sitting next to me in the plane. Normally, I am a bit of an introverted person, but this time, we broke the ice and this is how I met an inspiring lady, living in a Buddhist temple in Oslo, helping with the fundraising for Shenpen Aid - Katerina Johansen. We kept in touch, exchanged an email or two here and there. A few years later, I was going through a spiritual (and probably also my mid-life) crisis – and one day in July 2024 an old email from Katerina popped up in my computer – I don’t really know how - I just saw it and replied to her Katerina and shared what’s happening. She called me in a few days and suggested that I reach out to Lama Changchub and apply for a retreat. And that’s how it all started. I believe it was my karma to meet Katerina on that plane.

I started my dharma path with a 3-week retreat in a cabin in the forest next to KTL. I knew nothing about Buddha, Dharma and Sangha at that time, but I had a strong feeling that Buddhism was the right path for me. Just after my arrival Lama Changchub celebrated his 60th birthday and I met also interesting people like Ani Könchog Lhamo who studied in the former Czechoslovakia, so we exchanged a couple of Czech words, Ani Chökyi with a smile which can shine through the whole room or Odd Rune and his kind heart. Lama Changchub was such an amazing guide, teacher, spiritual friend and inspiring person. He assigned me Lojong - The 7 Points of Mind Training which I consider as a great start. On one hand it seems to me straightforward and at the same time complex enough to train “forever”. It's also a beautiful concept which can be easily applied in daily life.

After my return to home, I was struggling to keep the discipline (and I’m still struggling with the discipline 1 year later but working on it) so not much progress has been done. Since then I returned to KTL several times to receive Do Tulku Rinpoche teachings (I was even fortunate enough to sit with him at the table during the lunch and learn he is wearing Prim watch made in Czechoslovakia - what a synchronicity), I met with the Tibetan astrologist in December who confirmed name for my new business and predicted some things about my future partner in love, I celebrated KTL's beautiful 50th anniversary in June ‘25 together with about 200 people and listened to teachings from H. E. Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche – I was brave enough to ask the first question “what not to do as a buddhist” and on August ‘25 I felt it’s time again to repeat my retreat so I came again. Again 3 weeks in the same cabin, issues with discipline continued, but I experienced probably the most beautiful September in my life. This gave me even more dedication and motivation to continue and go deeper, therefore – here I am, in the middle of another retreat, this time in Karma Shedrup Ling being guided by Ani Chökyi’s smile and wisdom, also doing my best to practice silence.

You can ask why I use these many words because of not any special progress. I am not enlightened, I haven’t read dozens of books, haven’t practiced multiple practices … I am still doing just the same practice - Lojong - all over again. I consider myself as having done the first step of the dharma path, so I assume most of you are much more “advanced” or realized them me … the reason why I am sharing this story is because of what I experienced in the past year or so and I’d like to remind you about the precious gems you have here – in Norway.

In the past year or so, I came to the country as a stranger, and I felt welcome since day one. Maybe it could be partially a cultural thing, but I believe the beauty and magic lies in Karma Tashi Ling’s Sangha. All the open hearts, the compassion and love I’ve seen and experienced. It’s the 50 years legacy, the precious opportunity of having a Tibetan Lama and two nuns, a beautiful temple (KTL) and a retreat facility (KSL). Such an environment and infrastructure is very rare to find. Even though the Czech Republic is twice as big in terms of inhabitants and we hosted the Dalai Lama 11 times, we don’t have such privileges.

Last but not least, I’m considering how I can give back to KTL and what really striked me during this weekend was the small gestures I experienced from other participants in the KSL retreat - the warm smile or someone offering me a piece of apple or banana. This and other similar gestures reminded me how important it is to not to forget about those small daily gestures of generosity. It does not have to be materialistic - we can start with just a warm smile and for those of you who are already proficient in those type of gestures, I’d like to humbly remind you that Lama Changchub founded Shenpen Aid in 2009 with the aim to support Tibetan refugees – mainly women and children in India and Nepal. I’m going to donate in December – what about you? Will you join me in supporting Shenpen Aid?