"I am very familiar with the energy of women. I have been a women several times in previous lifetimes." - Super-Star Lama Khyentse, The Guru of "Little Buddha"

A Chosen One. He has already been through 72 lifetimes. Now he is the reincarnation of a famous Buddhist Master. His path began in the holy mountains of Bhutan and led him to Hollywood. The 34 year old Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche lives in two worlds. In his Asian home he is honoured as a high-ranking Lama. In the West, as a teacher and adviser, he is increasing the fascination in Buddhism that already exists amongst more and more people. The young Lama sits relaxed on his bed in the luxury Parisian hotel, Regina. All around him are packed suitcases, outside on the streets we can hear the noise of morning rush hour. But DJK remains completely untouched by the chaos and noise. Sometimes the dark red robe slips off his shoulder revealing a fine white vest. When he replaced the robe for the third time in a few minutes he laughed.

Born in Bhutan and educated in India, he now lives in London, but most of the time he jets around the world. He teaches Buddhist philosophy at universities and seminaries for a generous fee, in America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Two days ago he was in Melbourne. Tomorrow, after a stop over in Singapore, he's flying to Bhutan for two weeks to help with the construction of a hospital. After that he will have talks in Taipei. The theme will be the Philosophy of the Middle Path. The message, one would neither accept nor reject the world, but remain unattached and to tame greed which causes all suffering. Khyentse lives what he teaches: meditation and enthusiasm. He meditates for weeks in India and then he jets from world capital to world capital. "Normally Lamas are much more humble than I am," he says self-critically. "Some even call me a jet-set Lama."

The agile openness to the world of this young Lama was, for director Bernardo Bertolucci "A gift from heaven." "When I met Khyentse for the first time, after ten minutes I knew that with the help of this extraordinary person, I could make the film, 'Little Buddha' into a big event." After another ten minutes Bertolucci had won the co-operation of the passionate movie-goer.

That was a wise decision. The film tells the story of a young boy from Seattle who is considered to be the reincarnation of an enlightened Lama by an old monk, and is taken to the Himalayas. There the young Buddha, played by Keanu Reeves, appears to the little boy in a vision. Khyentse gave Reeves a foundation level course in Buddhism. He took care of the authenticity of the movie, starting with the arrival of the monks at the airport in Seattle, until the ritual scenes in the monastery in Bhutan. The firm cost 35 million dollars, but no money in the world could have bought permission to shoot in Bhutan. Bertolucci's crew could only enter the country and shoot film because the King of Bhutan holds Khyentse I such high regard.

Again the robe is slipping off his shoulder. This time he doesn't pull it up. In his white vest the Lama looks even more like a boy. At the beginning of the interview I try to address him with his whole name, but I can only manage to stutter it. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche smiles forgivingly and gives me some help. Dzongsar is a monastery in Bhutan, Jamyang means Soft Voice, Khyentse is compassionate wisdom and Rinpoche (Jewel) is the honorific title given to incarnate Lamas.

Cosmo: How did you know that you are the incarnation of a famous Buddhist master?

DJK: My incarnation was prophesied to a Lama in a dream. In Buddhism these visions of incarnations are quite normal. A Lama dreams about you, your name, or the names of your parents, maybe your star sign as a rough guide to your date of birth, then on top of that hints about the place, the shape of a mountain range, a certain rock or a river. After this dream the Lama starts to search and when he finds you the test begin.

Cosmo: Tests?

DJK: The Lama doesn't tell you that you could be an incarnation - he tests you. I was three years old when the Lama came and the tests lasted until I was nine years old.

Cosmo: What kind of tests did you have to do?

DJK: Again and again I had to meditate on my former life and I had to talk about what happened and what I experienced. I was very carefully watched to see how I dealt with the people around me. Buddhist philosophy was of course also on the menu. My education was very hard. No holidays, like in Europe, no free weekends.

Cosmo: How long did your education last?

DJK: It never stops. There is no Master degree, only a life time of practising.

Cosmo: Who trained you?

DJK: I had 12 teachers and they were very tough with me. If I did something well they said that it was normal because I was an incarnate Lama. If I did something bad, or wrongly, they said sarcastically: "So, you want to be an incarnate Lama?"

Cosmo: You come from a family that has enormous religious influence in Bhutan.

DJK: Yes. My father is also a Lama and a poet.

Cosmo: Did he agree with your Hollywood adventure?

DJK: (smoothing the wrinkles in his robe) He knows my passion for movies. If its in India, America or Europe, at every opportunity I creep into the cinema. I like almost all movies, even bad ones.

Cosmo: What do you think of "Little Buddha"?

DJK: Buddhism is a difficult theme. You cannot possibly communicate the whole truth, especially not in two hours on the screen. But still, this movie has made the most of its limited possibilities. It has a clear message of love and compassion and also is an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, culture and tradition.

Cosmo: How big a role does tradition play in Buddhism?

DJK: I'll tell you a story as an example. Tradition and Buddhist philosophy are like a cup and tea. You can drink tea out of a cup, or directly out of the pot, or out of a flower, but you must never overestimate the value of the vessel. The tea, the teaching, is the main thing.

Cosmo: In the West...

DJK: Yes, I know. In the West the outward appearance of Buddhist tradition is often overestimated. Buddhism teaches renunciation. That doesn't mean that you shave your head, change your name and that you have to join some kind of monk's club.

Cosmo: What do you advise people that come to your tea meetings.

DJK: Expect less sense and meaning from life, don't be so heavy.

Cosmo: That sounds Californian - take it easy.

DJK: It only sounds like this. But it means that you don't put yourself or others under pressure with expectations and accusations. That maybe the main problem in the West. There are many people who struggle so long and hard, even in sex. They are beaten by extreme emotions and pushed by expectations and desire for self expression (laughing and shaking his head). This self doesn't even exist.

Cosmo: There is egosim, but no ego?

DJK: The ego is just an illusion. There is this man that dreams of a monster that wants to eat him. Fearing death he asks it what he is supposed to do. The monster replies, I don't know man, it's your dream (he laughs). That is the Buddhist concept of Ego illusion.

Cosmo: Could you be more specific?

DJK: I could, but I won't. It would be irresponsible of me to make your reflections too cosy.

Cosmo: Now in the West, Buddhism is really "in". Superstars like Richard Gere and Tina Turner publicly declare that they are Buddhists. Is the jet-set Lama Khyentse ever asked by prominent people for Buddhist advice

DJK: (shrugs his shoulders and smiles).

Cosmo: Is your silence an expression of profound humility? Or don't you want to expose your prominent students to gossip?

DJK: I'd prefer to answer a question that hasn't been asked yet. Buddhism is flourishing in the West. There are more and more Buddhist centres and we are trying to make it easier for people to relate to these complicated teachings. The Bertolucci movie is contributing to this. But we should not be trendy. That would damage the teachings. They have nothing to do with New Age or obscure magic. Buddhism emphasises reason and everybody is inter-dependent. Everybody needs everybody, even the so called enemy. This awareness creates compassion and love.

Cosmo: Compassion and love are really female qualities. Are women better Buddhists?

DJK: According to the pure teachings, the female is the symbol of wisdom. But the world was and is not fair to women and neither is the cultural tradition of Buddhism. In Tibet, men are dominant. Some monasteries are even off-limits to women. Often it is the women's own interpretation of their role that stands in their way to becoming a student or a teacher. They feel guilty when they are in competition with men.

Cosmo: A strange thought.

DJK: Yes. Many problems only come up when you think them. However, I would like more women to be my students and to be in the same position as men, as Lamas or monks.

DJK: Do you see any improvements?

DJK: Yes, there are some strong women in Buddhism, high ranking teachers, like Jetsun Chime and one of her students. She now lives in Canada, but when she was very young she taught in Tibet where 400 monks lay at her feet. In Tibet that is incredible. In Western society women are more developed and they fight for their rights. Unfortunately most of the time they fight too hard and forget to live.

Cosmo: In the movie "Little Buddha" two boys and a girl are all the incarnation of a famous master. Is that realistic?

DJK: Of course! With me it is similar. I am one of three parallel incarnations of the same Lama.

Cosmo: Do you know how often you have been reborn?

DJK: So far, I have had 73 incarnations. By the way, in some lives I was a woman.

Cosmo: What does a Buddhist teacher do about sex

DJK: There are Lamas that are married and have children.

Cosmo: So celibacy is not obligatory?

DJK: No. But I am absolutely against Lamas having affairs with female students and justifying by saying it is spiritual closeness.

Cosmo: Do you have relationships with women?

DJK: Yes. But if I have a relationship with a woman it is only out of passion, out of pure desire.

Cosmo: Is there "the " woman in your life?

DJK: (laughs) No. It doesn't work to try and have me as a stable partner. Maybe for a few weeks, but at some point I would disappoint all the expectations. I know myself. The woman would suffer through my mistakes.

Cosmo: Which ones?

DJK: I am selfish and very convinced about my own opinions. A woman would always only get a little bit of my soul because I appreciate my freedom too much. I would hurt the woman. Also because I am always on the road.

Cosmo: If you are not meditating you are jetting all around the world. How do you manage to radiate so much calm?

DJK: The secret of the Buddhist teaching helps me. If I give people energy, I get back double.

Cosmo: Does a Lama have dreams?

DJK: Of course. I want to make movies, for example about Buddhism.

Cosmo: With Khyentse as the leading actor?

DJK: Preferably not. In "Little Buddha" I have a small role at the end when the old Lama dies, and I explain what death is.

Cosmo: What is death?

DJK: Death is a phase of life, not the end.

Cosmo: And what is love?

DJK: Love... that's hard work.