Marpa the Translator. Statue said to be made by 10th Karmapa. (Source: Asianart.com) Recently, I have been delving into the history and works of the Karmapas and their connection to the great treasure-revealers of the Treasure tradition, such as Chogyur Lingpa and Zilnon Namkhe Dorje. It is often incorrectly assumed that treasures and their revelation… Continue reading A ‘Kagyu Treasure’ Tradition? Marpa’s Fifteen ‘Hidden Scrolls’ from Sekhar
Month: Aug 2020
NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Excellent Path to Awakening: Lineage Prayer to the ‘Seven Profound Cycle’ Kīla’ by Chogyur Lingpa
Chogyur Lingpa -Treasure Revealer For this Guru Rinpoche day, and the final day of the Vajrakīlaya Drubchen at Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim, India, I offer this first translation of the Excellent Path to Awakening : Lineage Prayer to the Seven Profound Cycle Kīla (Zabdun tradition), revealed by Chogyur Lingpa. As I wrote about here, the Seven… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Excellent Path to Awakening: Lineage Prayer to the ‘Seven Profound Cycle’ Kīla’ by Chogyur Lingpa
The Black Hat Eccentric: Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje, Supreme Artist and Visionary
10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje (17th Century Statue, said to be a self-portrait by the 10th Karmapa. See: https://www.asianart.com/articles/10karmapa/19.html) Today, I was delighted to watch Himalaya Art website’s new video giving an overview the 10th Karmapa (1604-1674) (chos dbyings rdo rje)’s artistic works. This short blog post pulls together and condenses some of the information and… Continue reading The Black Hat Eccentric: Tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje, Supreme Artist and Visionary
The Karmapas, Chogyur Lingpa and Vajrakīlaya
Vajrakīlaya Rumtek monastery, the seat of the Gyalwang Karmapa in Sikkim, India[1], is currently performing the annual Vajrakīlaya ritual in the tradition of The Seven Profound Cycle Phurba (Zab bdun phur ba) tradition of treasure-revealer, Chogyur Lingpa. Monks at Rumtek monastery, Sikkim constructing the Vajrakīlaya sand mandala (August 2020) Vajrakilaya drubchen, Rumtek monastery, Sikkim (August… Continue reading The Karmapas, Chogyur Lingpa and Vajrakīlaya
NEW TRANSLATION: 16TH KARMAPA’S TRANSMISSION RECORD: Second Volume of ‘Collected Works’ and Kālacakra lineages
16th Karmapa, Rigpe Dorje (image from Volume II of his Collected Works) Recently, I have been doing some research on the 15th Karmapa’s lineage of Immortal Life-essence Bindu, and whom he passed it onto (if anyone). In 2016, the Tsurphu Labrang together with Tashi Tsering of Amnye Institute in Dharamsala, India published three volumes of… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: 16TH KARMAPA’S TRANSMISSION RECORD: Second Volume of ‘Collected Works’ and Kālacakra lineages
Tibetan script of Guru Padmasambhava’s prophecy on 15th to 21st Karmapas, as revealed by Chogyur Lingpa
Recently, I wrote about the 15th Karmapa and how his incarnation was predicted by Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) as revealed to terton Chogyur Lingpa (1829-1870). Although there are a few online accounts of this revelation and what Guru Rinpoche prophesised, I had not see the original 19th Century Tibetan script of it. So, here today, am… Continue reading Tibetan script of Guru Padmasambhava’s prophecy on 15th to 21st Karmapas, as revealed by Chogyur Lingpa
Developing the decisive wish ‘to emerge’ from samsara by 8th Karmapa
8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje I have been reading and translating some of the Short Instructions of the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, in his Collected Works, in particular, his Guiding Instructions on Chod[i] (which will be published here in full soon). In 2012, after attending the 17th Karmapa’s empowerment of Chod and his teachings on this… Continue reading Developing the decisive wish ‘to emerge’ from samsara by 8th Karmapa
15th Karmapa on the ‘Immortal Life-Essence Bindu’ treasure: long-life practice of Padmasambhava and Mandāravā
Thangka of the Immortal Life-Essence Bindu (Chime Sogtig) For Ḍākinī day today am happy to offer this article (and new translation) of the 15th Karmapa’s lineage supplication, and information about his works on a treasure cycle, Immortal Life-Essence Bindu, the long-life practice of Guru Rinpoche and Mandāravā. (Scroll down for the translation, it can also… Continue reading 15th Karmapa on the ‘Immortal Life-Essence Bindu’ treasure: long-life practice of Padmasambhava and Mandāravā
NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Aspiration for the Prospering of the Ultimate Meaning Teachings’ by 15th Karmapa
15th Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje , also in this image are Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye (see https://www.himalayanart.org/items/41029) By the source of the blessings, the jewel-garland of Kagyu Subjugator of Appearances, Pema Thothreng Tsal[i] Speech treasury of the garland of Guru Buddhas, and Blessings of the truth of compassion and bodhicitta, May the… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: ‘Aspiration for the Prospering of the Ultimate Meaning Teachings’ by 15th Karmapa
‘A Hundred Blazing Lights: Supplementary Commentary on ‘Meaningful to See” by Jetsun Tāranātha
This is to announce the online launch of the first English-language translation and publication of A Hundred Blazing Lights: A Supplementary Commentary on Meaningful to See, the Profound Path of the Vajra-yogas [i] , one of the most important instruction texts [khrid yig], in the Dro Kālacakra lineages (such as Jonang and Karma Kagyu). Composed… Continue reading ‘A Hundred Blazing Lights: Supplementary Commentary on ‘Meaningful to See” by Jetsun Tāranātha
Dakini Translations and Publications མཁའ་འགྲོ་མའི་ལོ་ཙཱ་བའི་འགྱུར་དང་འགྲེམས་སྤེལ། 