"As we have made the Mind (or awareness)-Only the opponent in the Middle Way's texts, we say it is a bad philosophy and we think that Nāgārjuna completely finished off the Mind-Only school and totally defeated them. Yet this blocks the door of our beginning to really investigate the Mind-Only school properly." "In Tibetan, we… Continue reading A ‘MASTERPIECE’ TIBETAN DEFENCE AND REVIVAL OF YOGACĀRĀ ‘MIND-ONLY’: Extensive Commentary on Indian master Vasubandhu’s ‘Thirty Verses of Mind-Only’ by 17th Gyalwang Karmapa (Introduction/Day 1, January 2022)
Month: January 2024
BUDDHISM, PATRIARCHY AND FEMINISM: Two feminist icons, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Gloria Steinem on patriarchal religious sexism and inequality, the annual Arya Kshema event in Bodh Gaya and new Drugpa Kagyu Khenmos
"We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters." "Being nuns is excellent. We need women to be able to choose whether to have one child or four children. And the amazing thing is that when you allow women to do that, the… Continue reading BUDDHISM, PATRIARCHY AND FEMINISM: Two feminist icons, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and Gloria Steinem on patriarchal religious sexism and inequality, the annual Arya Kshema event in Bodh Gaya and new Drugpa Kagyu Khenmos
INNER HEAT YOGINIS ON THE ICY-COLD LADAKHI MOUNTAINS: The ‘Gawa Khilwa’ Drugpa Kagyu nun yoginis in Ladakh, videos and photos shared by Gyalwang Drugpa head
"Inner heat (tummo) keeps the warmth of great bliss that leads oneself directly into the great spaciousness of one’s own realisation (Great liberation). We actually don’t know how to put these experiences in words because this is beyond imagination and explanation."--12th Gyalwang Drugpa (January 2024) Yesterday, 26th January 2024, the 12th Gyalwang Drugpa Kagyu head… Continue reading INNER HEAT YOGINIS ON THE ICY-COLD LADAKHI MOUNTAINS: The ‘Gawa Khilwa’ Drugpa Kagyu nun yoginis in Ladakh, videos and photos shared by Gyalwang Drugpa head
THE KARMAPAS, TAI SITUPAS AND THE SIX MAIN HEART-SONS: Closing Speech of the 38th Kagyu Monlam by 17th Karmapa (Summary and transcript)
"In brief, the various incarnations of the Situ Rinpoche are one of the earliest lines of tulkus in Tibetan history. Among the Karmapas' heart sons, after the Zhamarpa, the next one is Tai Situpa." "In general , when we talk about the Karmapa and their heart sons, they are very important it is not necessary… Continue reading THE KARMAPAS, TAI SITUPAS AND THE SIX MAIN HEART-SONS: Closing Speech of the 38th Kagyu Monlam by 17th Karmapa (Summary and transcript)
LADY BUDDHA OF COMPASSION AND THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS: The Tallest Lady Avalokiteshvara statue in Indo-China and the nearby Marble Mountains, pagodas and caves (Vietnam Pilgrimage I)
For a full moon offering today, am happy to first share this new post about a recent pilgrimage trip in SE Asia, this time to Danang, central Vietnam to see the Lady Buddha of Compassion statue there which looks out over the East Vietnam Sea. The tallest Buddhist statue in SE Asia (Indo-China). While in… Continue reading LADY BUDDHA OF COMPASSION AND THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS: The Tallest Lady Avalokiteshvara statue in Indo-China and the nearby Marble Mountains, pagodas and caves (Vietnam Pilgrimage I)
THE IMPORTANCE OF WISDOM AND REVIVING THE KAGYU AFTER CENTURIES OF DESTRUCTION IN TIBET: Final Day of Seven Pointing Out Instructions by 8th Karmapa, importance of both study and practice for the revival of Kagyu study communities, and teachings on the Fifty Verses of the Guru for the forthcoming Arya Kshema nuns’ Dharma event (17th Karmapa, Kagyu Guncho teaching Day 3, January 2024)
"We do not have such sharp faculties as the Kagyu forefathers did, and our faculties are really rather dull, our faith, our diligence, our prajñā (wisdom) and lesser in strength. So we are not the same as them. Thus, it is important for us to engage in a certain degree of listening and contemplation and… Continue reading THE IMPORTANCE OF WISDOM AND REVIVING THE KAGYU AFTER CENTURIES OF DESTRUCTION IN TIBET: Final Day of Seven Pointing Out Instructions by 8th Karmapa, importance of both study and practice for the revival of Kagyu study communities, and teachings on the Fifty Verses of the Guru for the forthcoming Arya Kshema nuns’ Dharma event (17th Karmapa, Kagyu Guncho teaching Day 3, January 2024)
THE KAGYU ‘RED CROWN THAT LIBERATES ON SEEING’: The black and red crowns of Karma Kagyu by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul and 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche’s historic ‘red crown’ ceremony in Bodh Gaya, January 2024 (with transcript of teaching by Mingyur and Gyalton Rinpoches)
"In India and Tibet, wherever the Karmapas were born, the incarnations of his heart-disciples also appeared and served the Karmapas through the three ways of pleasing the guru until their minds became inseparable from the guru's enlightened mind. To symbolise this inseparability, various Karmapas bestowed red crowns that liberate on seeing, upon past incarnations of… Continue reading THE KAGYU ‘RED CROWN THAT LIBERATES ON SEEING’: The black and red crowns of Karma Kagyu by 1st Jamgon Kongtrul and 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche’s historic ‘red crown’ ceremony in Bodh Gaya, January 2024 (with transcript of teaching by Mingyur and Gyalton Rinpoches)
LIKE AN ANT ON A LEAF ON WATER, CALMLY REST THE MIND WHEREVER IT GOES: Instructions on Calm-Abiding, Superior Insight and Carrying Thoughts Onto the Path, 8th Karmapa’s Instructions on Gyalwang Yangonpa’s Seven Points, and Gampopa’s nephew’s advice on Mahamudra (17th Karmapa teaching, Day Two)
"When one meditates on the ocean, the waves are also the ocean, as are the thoughts of the ocean mind. The waves are like a manifestation of the ocean like mind, they are not separate from the ocean-mind. So in the same way, thoughts are like the appearance or manifestation. They don't transcend the nature… Continue reading LIKE AN ANT ON A LEAF ON WATER, CALMLY REST THE MIND WHEREVER IT GOES: Instructions on Calm-Abiding, Superior Insight and Carrying Thoughts Onto the Path, 8th Karmapa’s Instructions on Gyalwang Yangonpa’s Seven Points, and Gampopa’s nephew’s advice on Mahamudra (17th Karmapa teaching, Day Two)
THE KAGYUPA ‘EYE OF THE TIGER’: Blazing the way of high-level studies, debate and original research, the inimitable and incomparable Karma Kagyu Winter event (Guncho) and the forthcoming Kagyu Monlam with the ‘red crown’ ceremony of 12th Tai Situpa
"Then during the time of the 10th Karmapa, there was the Mongolian invasion and when the Mongolians came, there was a lot of destruction of not just the Kagyu but also the Jonang, the Bonpos and different lineages. The 'worst hit' was the Kagyu and among them the Karma Kamtsang and the Drugpa Kagyu. Especially… Continue reading THE KAGYUPA ‘EYE OF THE TIGER’: Blazing the way of high-level studies, debate and original research, the inimitable and incomparable Karma Kagyu Winter event (Guncho) and the forthcoming Kagyu Monlam with the ‘red crown’ ceremony of 12th Tai Situpa
THE ‘SEVEN POINTING-OUTS’ (Ngo-Tro Dunma) INSTRUCTIONS: A teaching by Drugpa Kagyu yogi-master, Gyalwang Yangonpa with commentary instructions by 8th Karmapa (17th Karmapa Kagyu Guncho teaching, Day 1)
"Generally, when we talk about the calm-abiding meditation in mahamudra, it means we should not look outside at others and external things, such as thinking about what are other people doing, the news and situation in the world and in society? One needs to look towards one’s own mind and thoughts, one’s own reality and… Continue reading THE ‘SEVEN POINTING-OUTS’ (Ngo-Tro Dunma) INSTRUCTIONS: A teaching by Drugpa Kagyu yogi-master, Gyalwang Yangonpa with commentary instructions by 8th Karmapa (17th Karmapa Kagyu Guncho teaching, Day 1)