"Abandoning bliss will not liberateBlissless struggle does not liberateThat bliss abides in the lotus [lit. centre of birth].Do not change the desirous objects, youLiberate them with great bliss.With the taste of the ecstatic lotusBe satiated like a bee." ---words from the Blissful Taste of the Yogini's Lotus "The Kagyu tradition is said to be the… Continue reading A LA LA LA LA LA HO! BLISSFUL TASTE OF THE YOGINI’S LOTUS: New translation of the Yogini’s Lotus Offering song and brief overview of the ‘Ocean of Kagyu Songs’ (Kagyu Gurtso)
Tag: 16th Karmapa
‘INCINERATING ANGER’: ŚRĪ MAHĀKĀLA AND THE GYALWANG KARMAPAS: A brief history, lineage, and short catalogue of texts by the Karmapas, activities of the 17th Karmapa and 17th Karmapa’s speech to Rumtek monastery community
"Just as the Buddha predicted, a son with very dark skin and terrifying appearance was born to Shiva and Umadevi. He possessed great power and was given the name Mahākāla, the Great Black One." “Karma Pakshi said that the Black Hat Lama (the Karmapa) and the Black-Cloaked Protector are inseparable. As a guru, he is… Continue reading ‘INCINERATING ANGER’: ŚRĪ MAHĀKĀLA AND THE GYALWANG KARMAPAS: A brief history, lineage, and short catalogue of texts by the Karmapas, activities of the 17th Karmapa and 17th Karmapa’s speech to Rumtek monastery community
ENTERING THE 16TH KARMAPA’S MANDALA: AS TOLD BY HIS TRANSLATOR, ACHI TSEPEL: The 16th Karmapa’s magnetic qualities, Hugh Richardson’s weeping, meeting foreign leaders, gifts of Bumthang valley land and diplomatic passport by the Bhutanese and severe sickness before Rumtek monastery founding ceremony. (41st Parinirvana Anniversary of 16th Karmapa)
“When I first met him, HH reached out to me when I went to get the blessings, he touched me and when he made eye contact, I felt like I just melted and there was like a very sublime experience of light. Just something very wonderful where I felt an intense kind of a sense… Continue reading ENTERING THE 16TH KARMAPA’S MANDALA: AS TOLD BY HIS TRANSLATOR, ACHI TSEPEL: The 16th Karmapa’s magnetic qualities, Hugh Richardson’s weeping, meeting foreign leaders, gifts of Bumthang valley land and diplomatic passport by the Bhutanese and severe sickness before Rumtek monastery founding ceremony. (41st Parinirvana Anniversary of 16th Karmapa)
LADAKH TRILOGY (PART I): THE KARMAPAS IN LADAKH. Previous visits and the Karma Drubgyu Monastery
For Dakini Day today, am offering a new research piece and photographs of the Karma Kagyu monastery in Ladakh, called Karma Drubgyu Choling, on the outskirts of Leh. Not to be mistaken for the Karma Drubgyu Tharling (Tilokpur) nunnery, located in Himachal Pradesh, India, as I have written about here. I am currently on… Continue reading LADAKH TRILOGY (PART I): THE KARMAPAS IN LADAKH. Previous visits and the Karma Drubgyu Monastery
WHERE ARE THE GELONGMAS? DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURES: THE RARE GEMS OF LIVING TIBETAN BUDDHIST FULLY ORDAINED NUNS. A Pilgrimage and Field Study of Two Nunneries in Himachal Pradesh and fully ordained nuns within the Tibetan tradition.
"There are already nuns within the Tibetan tradition who have received the full Bhikṣuṇī vow according to the Dharmagupta lineage and whom we recognize as fully ordained. One thing we could do is to translate the three primary monastic activities (Poṣadha, Varṣa, Prāvaraṇā) from the Dharmagupta lineage into Tibetan and encourage the Tibetan Bhikṣuṇīs to… Continue reading WHERE ARE THE GELONGMAS? DISCOVERING HIDDEN TREASURES: THE RARE GEMS OF LIVING TIBETAN BUDDHIST FULLY ORDAINED NUNS. A Pilgrimage and Field Study of Two Nunneries in Himachal Pradesh and fully ordained nuns within the Tibetan tradition.
‘MEETING THE ULTIMATE GURU’S FACE’: 30TH PARANIRVANA ANNIVERSARY 3RD JAMGON KONGTRUL RINPOCHE
The guru is the luminosity of one's mind.In knowing this to be so,The guru's mind and mineAre undivided and never separate, This is meeting the ultimate guru's face. --excerpt from the Billowing Clouds of Blessings: Guru Yoga (tr. Adele Tomlin) For the 30th Paranirvana Anniversary of the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul today, am re-posting an article I… Continue reading ‘MEETING THE ULTIMATE GURU’S FACE’: 30TH PARANIRVANA ANNIVERSARY 3RD JAMGON KONGTRUL RINPOCHE
‘IMMUTABLE, GREAT BLISS’: GURU PADMASAMBHAVA AND THE KARMAPAS
"Om Swasti!To Dharmakāya, limits of appearances; Sambhogakāya, Avalokiteśvara;Nirmanakāya, Great Padmasambhava,With continual devotion of body, speech and mindBy this heart-felt supplication, bestow the blessings of the siddhis! In particular, for those of the degenerate age lacking refuge,May the incomparable, supreme protector of the three secrets and all the qualities,Bless our three ‘doors’ with luminous clarity,Purifying all… Continue reading ‘IMMUTABLE, GREAT BLISS’: GURU PADMASAMBHAVA AND THE KARMAPAS
APPROACHING VAJRAYOGINI: THE NECESSITY OF FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICE AND EMPOWERMENT AND NEW TRANSLATION OF DAILY VAJRAYOGINI TEXT BY 6TH ZHARMAPA (INCLUDED IN THE NINTH KARMAPA’S NGONDRO TEXT)
"Without empowerment there's no accomplishment; You can't get oil from pressing sand." --Patrul Rinpoche in Words of My Perfect Teacher "Vajravarahi is the mother who begat all Buddhas. She is essentially Mahamudra, appearing in the form of Sahaja. She belongs to a family of yoginis who are especially warm-hearted toward sentient beings. Hence, through her,… Continue reading APPROACHING VAJRAYOGINI: THE NECESSITY OF FOUNDATIONAL PRACTICE AND EMPOWERMENT AND NEW TRANSLATION OF DAILY VAJRAYOGINI TEXT BY 6TH ZHARMAPA (INCLUDED IN THE NINTH KARMAPA’S NGONDRO TEXT)
LADY WITH THE FLOWER: NOBLE TĀRĀ AND THE GYALWANG KARMAPAS. Overview of Karmapas’ works on Tārā and first translation of Tārā Supplication by 16th Karmapa
For Dākinī Day today, I offer the first overview of works on Tārā composed by the Karmapas. In addition, the first translation of brief Tārā supplication by the 16th Karmapa, Rigpe Dorje from the third volume of his Collected Works. For a translated outline of this third volume, see here. First, a little background… Continue reading LADY WITH THE FLOWER: NOBLE TĀRĀ AND THE GYALWANG KARMAPAS. Overview of Karmapas’ works on Tārā and first translation of Tārā Supplication by 16th Karmapa
RUNNING INTO THE VAST SPACE OF MIRACULOUS LOVE, WHERE THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE: Account of 16th Karmapa’s extraordinary conduct and powers during ‘sickness’ and paranirvana (1981), and first edition of ‘Shower of Siddhis’ 16th Karmapa daily Guru Yoga (40th Paranirvana, Part 3)
“We were always running into this kind of vastness of his state of mind. He was never willing to narrow things down and focus on himself. It is sort of like when you have questions about your meditation experience and you have the same feeling of just spinning your wheels. And he smiles at you. Well, the same thing… Continue reading RUNNING INTO THE VAST SPACE OF MIRACULOUS LOVE, WHERE THE IMPOSSIBLE IS POSSIBLE: Account of 16th Karmapa’s extraordinary conduct and powers during ‘sickness’ and paranirvana (1981), and first edition of ‘Shower of Siddhis’ 16th Karmapa daily Guru Yoga (40th Paranirvana, Part 3)
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