“Avalokiteśvara, looking upon the realms of sentient beings, saw that even though he had dedicated all his merit and primordial wisdom, and so forth, for the sake of all limitless sentient beings, and liberated them, those sentient beings had not entirely transcended samsara. From the tears that arose from the force of great compassion, many… Continue reading NEW TRANSLATION: “Four-fold Mandala Offering Practice to Noble Tārā of the Karma Kagyu Tradition” by 17th Gyalwang Karmapa (Sections I and II): Origins, lineage and benefits
Month: March 2025
TODAY: BOOK LAUNCH AND DISCUSSION OF KĀLACAKRA TANTRA (VOL II): 7th edition of Bodh Gaya Dialogues, New Delhi, India.
“Nāropa is the master from whom all the lineages of Kālacakra originate. So it is without doubt that the root tantra Kālacakra was first written down by Indian Mahasidda Nāropa.” —Niraj Kumar in Kālacakra Tantra: Volume I (2022) “Dakini Translations is the finest online platform for understanding authentic Buddhist Tantra in the world.” –Niraj Kumar… Continue reading TODAY: BOOK LAUNCH AND DISCUSSION OF KĀLACAKRA TANTRA (VOL II): 7th edition of Bodh Gaya Dialogues, New Delhi, India.
Seeking the 17th Karmapa (II): The unexplained “heart-breaking” absence and “anchoring” of the 17th Karmapa at two major Karma Kagyu events in India 2025 and surprise “private” event at a “luxury rented residence” in five star hotels/designer malls area of Bangkok, Thailand
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje again was unable (or chose not) to attend the two biggest events in the Karma Kagyu calendar at which hundreds of monks and nuns from India, Nepal and Bhutan attend, at the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site of Bodh Gaya,… Continue reading Seeking the 17th Karmapa (II): The unexplained “heart-breaking” absence and “anchoring” of the 17th Karmapa at two major Karma Kagyu events in India 2025 and surprise “private” event at a “luxury rented residence” in five star hotels/designer malls area of Bangkok, Thailand
Buddhism, history and politics: new website section and the connection between Dharma and politics
'One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.' --Plato "Let no one, however, say that I have borrowed my philosophy from the French-Revolution. I have not. My philosophy has roots in religion and not in political science. I have derived them from the… Continue reading Buddhism, history and politics: new website section and the connection between Dharma and politics
Senior Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa teacher, Osel Hita issues public statement on controlling “toxic” culture, lack of accountability, abuse and misconduct of leading Gelugpa Buddhist institution, FPMT
"Clarity, transparency and truth are forms of genuine respect and protection." On 13th March 2025, Osel Hita, a Spanish-born incarnation of Tibetan Buddhist teacher, Lama Thubten Yeshe (a close friend of recently passed Lama Zopa Rinpoche) issued a statement detailing his maltreatment and "toxic and controlling" culture in the Foundation for the Preservation of the… Continue reading Senior Tibetan Buddhist Gelugpa teacher, Osel Hita issues public statement on controlling “toxic” culture, lack of accountability, abuse and misconduct of leading Gelugpa Buddhist institution, FPMT
New report: Trump’s termination of US government grants to Radio Free Asia and Voice of America and what this signals to Tibetan exiles and their Gelugpa-biased English language media outlets
On 13th March 2025, US government funding of media outlets such as Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) , which broadcasts in nine Asian languages, was terminated on Saturday, March 15, 2025. As the RFA themselves reported: "An executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday calls for the reduction… Continue reading New report: Trump’s termination of US government grants to Radio Free Asia and Voice of America and what this signals to Tibetan exiles and their Gelugpa-biased English language media outlets
“Time Waits for No One:” The importance of meditating on death and impermanence and the Buddhist practice of Maraṇasati (mindfulness of death)
"Morning or night, Friday or Sunday, made no difference, everything was the same: the gnawing, excruciating, incessant pain; that awareness of life irrevocably passing but not yet gone; that dreadful, loathsome death, the only reality, relentlessly closing in on him; and that same endless lie." “Can it be that I have not lived as one… Continue reading “Time Waits for No One:” The importance of meditating on death and impermanence and the Buddhist practice of Maraṇasati (mindfulness of death)
Remembering Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892)
Today, is the anniversary of the great scholar, practitioner and thinker, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892). From 2018-2020, I enthusiastically and voluntarily wrote various research articles, translations on or about the first Jamyang Khyentse, and a pilgrimage visit to Sikkim to see the former residence of Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. This culminated in my attending the… Continue reading Remembering Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892)
A personal observation: Keeping samaya is not the same as keeping silent
Many people wrongly think that vajrayana samaya/damtsig (commitment) means you cannot ask any questions to a teacher or their community. Especially if those questions are seeking clarity on something which seems unethical, corrupt, dishonest, abusive and harmful. Yet bodhisattvas in training also have a vow to protect beings and the teachings from harm. As Garchen… Continue reading A personal observation: Keeping samaya is not the same as keeping silent
DISTINGUISHING AN AUTHENTIC VAJRAYANA “ROOT” GURU: Types of gurus, the meaning of a ‘root guru’, specific essential qualities such as ten suchnesses, mandalas, mantras, dance steps, mudras, drawing rites, controlled senses and more (Fifty Verses on the Guru, 17th Karmapa, Day Two)
“Reading the true Dharma, generosity, explaining teachings, giving pith instructions, bestowing empowerment, performing mandala activities. These are the six types of Masters….There are several different types of gurus, not just the Gurus who give empowerments.” “There's another way of classifying gurus, which is very well known in Tibet. The classification of guru and root Guru.… Continue reading DISTINGUISHING AN AUTHENTIC VAJRAYANA “ROOT” GURU: Types of gurus, the meaning of a ‘root guru’, specific essential qualities such as ten suchnesses, mandalas, mantras, dance steps, mudras, drawing rites, controlled senses and more (Fifty Verses on the Guru, 17th Karmapa, Day Two)