Rinpoche often knows his students and disciples better than anyone else through making a genuine personal connection with each individual. Dunbar's theory suggests humans can maintain about 150 close social relationships, yet Rinpoche has connected with far more people across ages, locations, and cultures. He cares deeply about helping each person transform by dismantling pride, selfishness, and other fixations. For Rinpoche, truly knowing his students is an important quality of an authentic teacher, as it allows him to guide each person according to their preferences, behaviors, and disposition. His care and concern is shown equally to all, whether a long-time disciple or new student, exemplifying bodhicitta in action for his followers to emulate

1. Conversations With My Guru
Chapter 2: Connecting all with divine hearts - What does that means?
Connecting all with divine hearts – what does that mean?
Dunbar’s Theory based on some research suggests that the human brain is limited in the number
of individuals with whom it can maintain a “social relationship”, suggesting a maximum of 150.
Most of us have a lot of acquaintances - just look at our social media list - but quite often we
really don’t know that much about each other, sometimes even about our own family and closest
friends.
Over the many years reflecting on the activities of my Guru , I have felt that Singha Rinpoche is
extraordinary. How? Some say because he “reads minds”, others say he has “powers”. For me, it
is quite simply because he makes a genuine, personal connection and has done that with SO
MANY of us across ages, locations and cultures – well beyond that number of 150.
The question is why? Why bother so much? On many occasions he has mentioned that a lot of
people have connections with him but his students and disciples don’t have as close a connection
with one another. I sometimes wonder, why is that so important? We often make the aspiration to
be “like the Guru”. So, what does that mean in this case?
Rinpoche often knows us better than anyone else - sometimes even better than we know
ourselves! I feel this is because he makes the effort. There is genuine interest, care and concern.
Truly knowing his students and disciples is what I believe is one of the qualities that makes him
an authentic Lama, a Guru. Through knowing our preferences, patterns of behaviour and
disposition, he then makes a further effort to lead, mould and transform us. The methods he uses
are varied ways and means to dismantle our pride, selfishness and other fixated ways of being.
Be it a passing meeting with a waiter at a restaurant, the driver or guide during a trip, a new
student or a very old disciple...his care and concern is always present. I feel Singha Rinpoche
embodies bodhicitta in action, and perhaps for those who wish to follow the path, this is an
example for us to emulate.
Tenzin
12 Sep 2021