THE 5TH KARMAPA WHO SAID ‘NO’ TO WORLDLY POWER: 5th Karmapa’s refusal to take control of Tibet; Je Tsongkhapa; famous Chinese translators, Zhiguang and Palden Tashi; the Chinese ‘Marco Polo’ explorer, Zhenghe; and a $45 million thangka. Good Deeds teaching by 17th Karmapa (Day 10: Part I).

“For the teachings of the Buddha to flourish, there is no one greater than Dezhin Shekpa, Karmapa”. Je Tsongkhapa In Day 10 of the Good Deeds teaching, (see video here), the 17th Karmapa continued to explain the remarkable connection between the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa and the Yongle Emperor(永樂, r.1402-1424), including his refusal to take… Continue reading THE 5TH KARMAPA WHO SAID ‘NO’ TO WORLDLY POWER: 5th Karmapa’s refusal to take control of Tibet; Je Tsongkhapa; famous Chinese translators, Zhiguang and Palden Tashi; the Chinese ‘Marco Polo’ explorer, Zhenghe; and a $45 million thangka. Good Deeds teaching by 17th Karmapa (Day 10: Part I).

EMPRESS XU’S DREAM REVELATION OF A SUTRA BY AVALOKITESVARA AND ADVOCATE OF WOMEN’S EDUCATION. ‘Good Deeds’ by 17th Karmapa (Day 9: part 2)

Empress Xu (徐皇后) (1362 – 1407) with her husband, Yongle, Ming Emperor Today, is a short post about the Empress Xu (徐皇后) (1362 – 1407), consort of the Yongle Emperor, her background and life, and the teaching the 17th Karmapa recently gave about her connection with the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa, and an extraordinary dream in which Avalokiteśvara dictated… Continue reading EMPRESS XU’S DREAM REVELATION OF A SUTRA BY AVALOKITESVARA AND ADVOCATE OF WOMEN’S EDUCATION. ‘Good Deeds’ by 17th Karmapa (Day 9: part 2)

5th Karmapa pictured with the Yongle Emperor In the first half of day nine of the teachings on ‘Good Deeds’ by 8th Karmapa, HH 17th Karmapa gave an account of the birth and early life of the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa (1384-1415), and explained, in particular, his connection to the Chinese Ming emperor, Yongle. Today’s… Continue reading OFFICIAL SEAL OF APPROVAL: White jade seal, paintings and precious objects given by Chinese Emperor to the 5th Karmapa, and other Tibetan seals, their language and origin. ‘Good Deeds’ teaching by 7th Karmapa (Day 9)