“Leaving nothing behind but a name” མིང་གི་ལྷག་མ་ཙམ་དུ་གྱུར་ –-Tibetan idiom used to describe success at totally destroying so-called “enemies” As I wrote about in A TIBETAN TRAVESTY: DESTRUCTION AND APPROPRIATION OF KARMA KAGYU/8TH KARMAPA'S MANY MONASTERIES, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje recently taught about the reasons why 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje newly established many… Continue reading NOTHING LEFT BUT A MERE NAME: Documenting the ruins of two 14th Century Karma Kagyu monasteries, destroyed or taken over by Mongolian-Gelugpa sectarians
Tag: 5th Dalai Lama
THE SIXTEEN ARHAT STATUES OF THE KARMAPA “LOOTED AND EXHIBITED” BY GELUGPA: Origin, history and style of sacred “Yongxuan” Arhat statues gifted to the 5th Karmapa by the Chinese Yongle Emperor, looted by the Mongolian-Gelugpa invaders, and stored for centuries in Drepung Monastery, and the inaccurate sourcing and lack of objective “analysis” of the origin of such artworks by contemporary “western” scholars and art historians
“The [Karmapa’s] repository burned down around the year 1644, during the late Ming period when it was set ablaze by Mongol forces. At that time, Gusri Khan, the Khoshut prince and founder of the Khoshut Khanate, led a large army into the Tibetan region, defeating the Tibetan rulers who supported the Karma Kagyu tradition. This… Continue reading THE SIXTEEN ARHAT STATUES OF THE KARMAPA “LOOTED AND EXHIBITED” BY GELUGPA: Origin, history and style of sacred “Yongxuan” Arhat statues gifted to the 5th Karmapa by the Chinese Yongle Emperor, looted by the Mongolian-Gelugpa invaders, and stored for centuries in Drepung Monastery, and the inaccurate sourcing and lack of objective “analysis” of the origin of such artworks by contemporary “western” scholars and art historians
THE “STOLEN STASH” OF MASSES OF TEXTS HIDDEN AT DREPUNG MONASTERY FOR CENTURIES”:Remembering Je Tāranātha’s legacy and life on his parinirvana, and uncovering the Gelugpa “hiding” and suppression of hundreds of Je Tāranātha’s (and thousands of other lineage texts) in the Sixteen Arhats Temple (Drepung Monastery, Tibet) during Gelugpa dictatorial rule of Tibet
“One of the temples built at that time was the chapel at the rooftop of the Great Assembly Hall [in Drepung monastery] called the Temple of the Sixteen Arhats (Gnas bcu lha khang). It was named after the sandalwood statues of the 16 disciples of Buddha Śākyamuni that were initially housed in the Karma Kagyu… Continue reading THE “STOLEN STASH” OF MASSES OF TEXTS HIDDEN AT DREPUNG MONASTERY FOR CENTURIES”:Remembering Je Tāranātha’s legacy and life on his parinirvana, and uncovering the Gelugpa “hiding” and suppression of hundreds of Je Tāranātha’s (and thousands of other lineage texts) in the Sixteen Arhats Temple (Drepung Monastery, Tibet) during Gelugpa dictatorial rule of Tibet
A PALACE FIT FOR KINGS AND ARMIES: The “shady” and murderous political foundations and Ladakhi-style aspirations of the Potala Palace(s) in Tibet under Mongolian-Gelug military rule
"After a Tsang uprising against the foreign invaders, an incensed Mongolian leader, Gushri Khan gave orders to execute the [already imprisoned] Tibetan Tsang King, Karma Tenkyong together with his ministers Dronyer Bongong and Gangzukpa. The King was administered the capital punishment ko-thumgyab-pa, which in Tibet is "reserved for upper class offenders". He was put in… Continue reading A PALACE FIT FOR KINGS AND ARMIES: The “shady” and murderous political foundations and Ladakhi-style aspirations of the Potala Palace(s) in Tibet under Mongolian-Gelug military rule
SACRED ‘NATURALLY-ARISEN’ LETTERS CAVE, ROCK HANDPRINT OF 2ND KARMAPA, AND INCREDIBLE ARTWORKS AND STATUES AT KARMA TASHI NAMGYEL LING (Zhiyun Si 指云寺): Visiting Karma Kagyu monastery, Karma Tashi Namgyel Ling (Zhiyun Si), the role of the Mu Kings and 10th Karmapa in the founding of Tibetan Buddhist temples in the Lijiang/Yunnan area, and personal observations and photos of the monastery (China/Tibet Pilgrimage Part 7)
"After Mu Wang, the greatest patron of Tibetan Buddhism in that [Lijiang] region was King Mu Zeng (1598-1646), known in Tibetan accounts as Karma Mipham Tsewang Sonam Rabten. Mu Zeng constructed the greatest number of temples of any of his predecessors or successors. He also expanded Lijiang's territory the most with military campaigns. However, at… Continue reading SACRED ‘NATURALLY-ARISEN’ LETTERS CAVE, ROCK HANDPRINT OF 2ND KARMAPA, AND INCREDIBLE ARTWORKS AND STATUES AT KARMA TASHI NAMGYEL LING (Zhiyun Si 指云寺): Visiting Karma Kagyu monastery, Karma Tashi Namgyel Ling (Zhiyun Si), the role of the Mu Kings and 10th Karmapa in the founding of Tibetan Buddhist temples in the Lijiang/Yunnan area, and personal observations and photos of the monastery (China/Tibet Pilgrimage Part 7)
THE STATE OF “SHANGRI-LA” AND “LITTLE POTALA” (GANDEN SUMTSEN LING): A Visit to Shangri-La, Dechen, Tibet, the 5th Dalai Lama’s ‘Little Potala”, Big Buddha monastery, Cultural Museum and Huge Prayer Wheel (Shangri-La pilgrimage, Part 4)
"Shakabpa writes of the era of Phagmo Dru rule of Tibet under Tai Situ, Changchub Gyaltsen: "During his time, the country was so secure that it was said that an old woman carrying a sackful of gold could pass without fear from one end of Tibet to the other; thus, this period of internal security… Continue reading THE STATE OF “SHANGRI-LA” AND “LITTLE POTALA” (GANDEN SUMTSEN LING): A Visit to Shangri-La, Dechen, Tibet, the 5th Dalai Lama’s ‘Little Potala”, Big Buddha monastery, Cultural Museum and Huge Prayer Wheel (Shangri-La pilgrimage, Part 4)
A TIBETAN TRAVESTY: DESTRUCTION AND APPROPRIATION OF KARMA KAGYU/8TH KARMAPA’S MANY MONASTERIES: Reasons why 8th Karmapa newly established many colleges and retreat centres, disrespect of his activities by Sakya teacher, Tsarchen Losal Gyatso, and case study of the Karma Kagyu Gatsel Karma Zhunglug Ling college and its stolen/forced conversion into Ganden Thosam Dargye Ling monastery by the 5th Dalai Lama/Gelug
'A real friend will tell you when your face is dirty." "For two or three centuries the Kagyu shedras had been torn down, and the transmissions on the teachings of the great texts were lost. Later, in Kham, monastic colleges were established in Palpung and Zurmang but due to the thirteen [Gelug] great monasteries they… Continue reading A TIBETAN TRAVESTY: DESTRUCTION AND APPROPRIATION OF KARMA KAGYU/8TH KARMAPA’S MANY MONASTERIES: Reasons why 8th Karmapa newly established many colleges and retreat centres, disrespect of his activities by Sakya teacher, Tsarchen Losal Gyatso, and case study of the Karma Kagyu Gatsel Karma Zhunglug Ling college and its stolen/forced conversion into Ganden Thosam Dargye Ling monastery by the 5th Dalai Lama/Gelug
‘LIKE STARS IN THE DAY’, THE DESCENT OF FEMALE ARHATIS: FULLY ORDAINED TIBETAN BUDDHIST NUNS IN TIBET, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE (17th Karmapa Spring Teachings (Day 13)
“We can conclude that during the Early spread of the teachings in Tibet, there were both male and female fully ordained sangha members and that the ordination was given by the male sangha.” "In the 'Chronicles of Ba', it says the Khenpo who first fully ordained Tibetan women is Bareyna. Yet, in the text from… Continue reading ‘LIKE STARS IN THE DAY’, THE DESCENT OF FEMALE ARHATIS: FULLY ORDAINED TIBETAN BUDDHIST NUNS IN TIBET, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE (17th Karmapa Spring Teachings (Day 13)
‘CALLING A SPADE A SPADE’ AND THE ‘SEEDS OF HONESTY’: THE 8TH KARMAPA’S DIRECT AND UNBIASED WAY OF TEACHING AND HIS DENIAL OF AUTHORSHIP OF A DOCUMENT REFUTING THE NYINGMA SECRET MANTRA (17th Karmapa, Spring Teaching, Day 5 )
“ A mara/demon does not mean someone with a dark face with horns and is frightening. That is a very limited way of thinking. Actually, a mara is something that prevents us from our Dharma activities, and achieving liberation and omniscience. Most of the time that is people around us, our parents, friends, loved ones,… Continue reading ‘CALLING A SPADE A SPADE’ AND THE ‘SEEDS OF HONESTY’: THE 8TH KARMAPA’S DIRECT AND UNBIASED WAY OF TEACHING AND HIS DENIAL OF AUTHORSHIP OF A DOCUMENT REFUTING THE NYINGMA SECRET MANTRA (17th Karmapa, Spring Teaching, Day 5 )
GOLDEN OFFERING FROM A WEALTHY NUN: THE 8TH KARMAPA’S COLLECTED WORKS: EDITIONS AND CONTENTS. Handwritten edition by 8th Karmapa, Outline edition by 5th Zhamarpa, 16th Century golden manuscript edition sponsored by wealthy nun, and contemporary editions
The 17th Karmapa is currently teaching on the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje’s life and deeds. In Day 5 of the teachings the Karmapa referred to the fact that after the 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi, the largest collected works of the Karmapas is that of the 8th Karmapa (said to be over thirty, hefty volumes in… Continue reading GOLDEN OFFERING FROM A WEALTHY NUN: THE 8TH KARMAPA’S COLLECTED WORKS: EDITIONS AND CONTENTS. Handwritten edition by 8th Karmapa, Outline edition by 5th Zhamarpa, 16th Century golden manuscript edition sponsored by wealthy nun, and contemporary editions