Reviving the Karmapa’s Traditions: The Empowerment and Practice of the Three Roots Combined7-8 February, 2016 – Monlam Pavilion,
The vast altar of the Pavilion was transformed again for the empowerment of the Three Roots Combined. In the center was placed the great throne covered in brilliant gold over ornate carvings: on the back panel, a radiant Tsepakme (Amitayus, Continue reading
Four-Armed Mahakala: Protector of the Marpa Kagyu5 and 6 February, 2016 -Monlam Pavillion, Bodhgaya,
By Friday morning, the beginning of the main practice, some noticeable changes had occurred at the pavillion. At 10.00pm the previous evening His Holiness the Karmapa had personally draped a golden silk robe over the Buddha statue. Continue reading
Renewing Hope for Many, the Gyalwang Karmapa Concludes the Third Arya Kshema Winter Dharma GatheringFebruary 3rd 2016 – Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India.
The Third Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering was brought to a close. The nuns began by chanting the opening prayers in Sanskrit, the sacred language of ancient India. Behind His Holiness the Karmapa was a thangka of a standing Avalokiteshvara, holding a lotus flower in his left hand and raising his right hand, from which emanated an image of Ananda, a disciple and cousin of the Buddha. The nuns sang praises to the Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Ananda, and Mahaprajapati Gautami, the step-mother of the Buddha, who raised and cared for the Buddha after his mother passed away seven days after he was born. Continue reading
Cultivating the Delight of Rejoicing and the Freedom from PrejudiceFebruary 1, 2016. Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India.
On this last day of teachings on Gampopa’s Ornament of Precious Liberation, the Gyalwang Karmapa completed the reading transmission for the section of Preparation, which included rejoicing, requesting the buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma, supplicating them not to pass into nirvana, and the dedication. The Karmapa noted that Chapter Nine is the longest in the text and that he would teach the actual ceremony for generating bodhichitta later.
The Karmapa explained that we rejoice from the depth of our heart in the virtuous activities from the past, present, and future that anyone has performed: the buddhas of the ten directions, all the bodhisattvas, the self-realizing buddhas, the listeners who are on the paths of learning and nor more learning, and all individuals who have not entered the path. Continue reading
The Karmapa also explained why virtues are stronger than nonvirtues.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Teaches on Developing Confidence in the Power of Confession
January 31, 2016-Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
During the 18th day of teaching at the Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering, the Gyalwang Karmapa taught on the practice of purifying misdeeds, based on The Ornament of Precious Liberation by Gampopa. In particular, the Karmapa focused today on developing the confidence that it is possible to purify all our misdeeds through the practice of confession.
“Here it’s quite possible that we have a doubt,” the Karmapa said. “The reason is that up until now we have done innumerable misdeeds, so how is it that just one little confession in this life can actually purify all of our misdeeds? If we do not have complete confidence in the antidote of confession, then it has less power to purify our misdeeds.” Continue reading
January 30th, 2016 –Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India
The Sutra Teaching the Four Qualities speaks of the Four Powers in the following way: Maitreya! If bodhisattva mahasattvas have found these four things they will overcome evils that have been committed and established. What are these four? They are (1) the power of the thorough application of total remorse, (2) the power of thoroughly applying the remedy, (3) the power of renouncing harmful acts, and (4) the power of the support.
Today, His Holiness the Karmapa continued the teachings from yesterday’s topic on confessing one’s misdeeds, specifically focusing on two of the Four Powers. Continue reading
His Holiness the Karmapa: the Seven-Branch Prayer epitomizes all the practices of gathering the accumulations as well as purifying misdeeds and obscurations.
The Seven-Branch Prayer Embodies the Essence of Practice; New Emanations of Tseringma
January 29, 2016-Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
[This report has two sections: a briefer account of the morning’s teachings followed by a lightly edited transcript.]
After three days of Karma Pakshi and Tseringma practice, the Gyalwang Karmapa recommenced his teachings on the Ornament of Precious Liberation. He began with a reading transmission from the Seventh Topic, the Ceremony, and within this, the Preparation, which has six parts. Today the Karmapa covered its first part, Making Offerings. Continue reading
January 26, 2016-Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India
Today the shrine in the main hall at Tergar Monastery was again transformed, this time for three days (January 26–28) of practicing the Karma Pakshi Guru Y
oga in the morning and in the afternoon, the offering ritual to the Five Tseringma (Long Life Sisters). In the new setting, which the Karmapa had arranged the night before, two shrines filled the central space of the shrine stage. On the right was a long, embroidered thangka of Karma Pakshi, flanked in brilliant white scarves, which brought alive the rich colors in the image of this Second Karmapa along with his yidam deity and main disciples. Two large tormas (offering sculptures) were set beneath it, and the lower one had a skull cup and butter lamps on either side. The final row held beautifully embossed gold and silver offering bowls, their generous size filled with the traditional substances. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: The particular benefit of this sadhana is that it brings a long and stable life to those who hold the teachings and for others it vanquishes fear, and continued engaging in virtuous actions keeps fear away.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Presides over White Tara Puja, “Bestowing all Siddhis”
January 24th 2016-Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar
Today His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa presided over a White Tara puja in the main shrine hall of Tergar Monastery. The hall was decorated with garlands of marigolds, strings of their yellow and orange flowers hung from the door of the main entrance and on each of the sixteen pillars of the traditional Tibetan style monastery. Bouquets of white lilies and red roses lined the front of the stage. The Karmapa took his seat on the high, golden throne, this time on the main stage, where space was also made for a three dimensional mandala. On its top tier was a gold statue of White Tara, the Goddess of Long Life. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: Rousing bodhichitta comes from training the mind.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Discusses Nuns’ Ordination; Teaches on Bodhisattva Vow
January 22, 2016-Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
During the eighth day of teaching at the Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering, the Gyalwang Karmapa discussed questions related to giving bhikshuni ordination to nuns. He also continued his teaching on rousing bodhichitta through taking the bodhisattva vow, based on chapter nine of the Ornament of Precious Liberation by Gampopa. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: it is more important to generate compassion for oneself than it is to generate it for others.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Teaches on Two Traditions of Taking Bodhisattva Vows and How We Actually Receive Them
January 21, 2016- Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
[The Gyalwang Karmapa’s recent talks have been detailed and extensively researched, so it was decided to make a version available that resembles a lightly edited transcript for those who wish to read the longer report, which follows this summary for those who prefer brevity.]
The Gyalwang Karmapa continued his explanation of the rituals for rousing bodhichitta Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: Merely reciting the ritual is to develop true bodhicitta.
Developing Genuine Bodhichitta: The Gyalwang Karmapa Continues His Discussion on the 6th Day of Arya Kshema Teachings
January 20th 2016 – Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India.
After wishing everyone a good morning, the Gyalwang Karmapa continued the reading transmission from the Ornament of Precious Liberation, resuming the ninth chapter with its the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Topics. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: “When we really think about our own situation we can see that this life of ours is interdependent, produced by other conditions”.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Teaches on Generating Equal Compassion for All Beings; Presents Vision for Monastic College for Kagyu Nuns
January 18, 2016 -Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India
During the fifth day of the Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering, the Gyalwang Karmapa continued his teaching on generating bodhichitta based on Gampopa’s Ornament of Precious Liberation. He also discussed methods he would like to see enacted for promoting the continued flourishing of the Kagyu nuns study and contemplation of the great philosophical texts. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: We have an innate potential for compassion but, he cautioned, we need to train or it will not develop.
We Are All a Part of Each Other: The Gyalwang Karmapa Continues His Teaching on Bodhicitta.
January, 17, 2016 -Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India
Continuing his explanation of how to meditate on relative bodhichitta, the Gyalwang Karmapa turned to the second one of considering individual beings to be like our mother. The reason we do this, he explained, is that all living beings have been abundantly kind to us. “We do not necessarily have to think of our parents here,” he added, “but simply remember how kind, loving, and affectionate living beings have been to us.” If we believe in past and future lives, he explained, we can consider that from beginingless time until now, we have taken innumerable births with different bodies and changing parents so that at one time or another, all living beings have taken a turn as our parents. Continue reading
The Gyalwang Karmapa: Being a bodhisattva is working from now until Buddhahood.
The Gyalwang Karmapa Continues Teaching, Announces Plans for Shedra Curriculum
January 16, 2016 -Tergar Monastery, Bodhgaya, Bihar
Today’s teachings began with the sound of melodic chanting of the opening prayers; the nuns’ voices were led by a female chant master (umze). After the donations and offerings of white scarves by the lay sponsors, the Gyalwang Karmapa resumed the teachings on the 9th chapter of The Ornament of Liberation regarding relative bodhicitta. Picking up where he left off yesterday, he continued, “In terms of the methods for meditating on bodhicitta and the way to train and develop it, all of the texts on mind training are basically ways to meditate on bodhicitta, to train one’s mind in bodhicitta.” There is a text by the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, called The One Hundred Short Instructions. In it, he explained, there are two methods for developing bodhicitta: one is considering samsara in general, and the other is considering individual sentient beings. Continue reading
H.H. Gyalwang Karmapa: “Why it is necessary to become a perfectly enlightened Buddha to benefit others?”.
2 – The Gyalwang Karmapa Teaches on Bodhichitta and Discusses Bhikshuni Ordination Plans
January 15, 2016 -Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar India
During the second day of the Third Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering, the Gyalwang Karmapa continued his teaching on Gampopa’s Ornament of Precious Liberation, describing the causes for arousing bodhichitta. Continue reading
H.H. Gyalwang Karmapa: “We begin with the training in the three types of individuals”.
1 – The Gyalwang Karmapa Opens the Third Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering
January 14, 2016 – Tergar Monastery, Bodh Gaya, Bihar India.
On a warm and sunny day, unusual for this time of year, the Third Arya Kshema Winter Dharma Gathering began with the Gyalwang Karmapa entering the main shrine hall at Tergar Monastery Continue reading