AN ISLAND OF COMPASSION IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIVER: THE PARINIRVĀṆA OF ĀNANDA: The cause of Ānanda’s passing away ‘in the middle of a river’ levitation, splitting bodily remains into two halves to avoid future conflict (17th Karmapa, Day 8)

“It is better to live for a single day free from arising and disintegrating than live for a hundred years not free from arising and disintegrating.” "If you memorize the Sutras incorrectly, it is like an elephant getting stuck in quicksand." -- Ānanda's advice to a monk Introduction/Summary For the full moon today, here is… Continue reading AN ISLAND OF COMPASSION IN THE MIDDLE OF A RIVER: THE PARINIRVĀṆA OF ĀNANDA: The cause of Ānanda’s passing away ‘in the middle of a river’ levitation, splitting bodily remains into two halves to avoid future conflict (17th Karmapa, Day 8)

RETRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF BUDDHA AND XUANZANG: Walking and mapping by foot the (2000 km) route of Xuanzang on the Indo-Gangetic plains: Interview with Deepak Anand (Dakini Coversations, Ep.9 )

"Without Xuanzang, we would never know where the Buddha went wandering." --Deepak Anand For Episode 9 of the Dakini Conversations podcast (available on Youtube (with English captions and outline), Spotify, Apple, and Amazon Music) I am delighted to welcome Deepak Anand, an Indian explorer, writer, researcher and author of several books on Indian Buddhist heritage… Continue reading RETRACING THE FOOTSTEPS OF BUDDHA AND XUANZANG: Walking and mapping by foot the (2000 km) route of Xuanzang on the Indo-Gangetic plains: Interview with Deepak Anand (Dakini Coversations, Ep.9 )

"In the olden days, merely being able to speak and read the language was not enough to translate it. The translator was required to have a great and deep understanding of the meaning of the text to be translated. They had to have that sort of person. In particular, the translator had to be learned… Continue reading FROM MASSES OF ABLE AND WILLING DHARMA TRANSLATORS TO AN ELITE ‘SELECT FEW’: The ‘translation-school ‘ methods of the ancient Buddha Dharma translators during the four main eras of the 900-year period of intensive translation in China (17th Karmapa January 2023, Day Two)

The mind is like an artist; The mind makes the aggregates. All these worlds that there are In the universe are painted by mind. --from the Avataṃsaka Sutra "The purpose of my journey is not to obtain personal offerings. It is because I regretted, in my country, the Buddhist doctrine was imperfect and the scriptures… Continue reading ‘PROVING MIND-ONLY’ (成唯識論; Chéng Wéishì Lùn), Xuanzang’s translation and commentary of Vasubhandu’s ‘Thirty Verses’ and its ten great Indian Commentaries (17th Karmapa’s teaching, January 2023, Day One)

Introduction The 17th Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje, is currently giving an online teaching on the origins and history of the Mind-Only, or Yogachara school of philosophy. as part of a two week teaching on Vasabhandu's Mind-Only text, the Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā (Chinese: 唯識三十論頌; Wéishí sānshí lùn sòng; Japanese: Yuishiki sanjūronju; Korean: 유식삼십송), also known simply as the Triṃśikā or by its English… Continue reading DON’T BE LIKE ‘A FROG IN A WELL’: SANSKRIT-CHINESE TRANSLATORS, THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING OPEN MINDS AND STUDYING OTHER LANGUAGES AND VIEWS. Mind-Only Teachings by 17th Karmapa (Day 5)

"They live happily enough, being simple in their manners, and frugal. They never drink wine except at sacrifice ...The simplicity of their laws and their contracts is proved by the fact that they seldom go to law ... Truth and virtue they hold alike in esteem... They always eat alone and eat whenever inclined to… Continue reading ORIGINS OF SECRET MANTRA (DAY 1): ANCIENT MOTHER OF BUDDHISM: India and the Tibetan river that flows through it (by 17th Karmapa)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZcuGVSOi9M On the fourth day of the ‘Aspirations to End Adversity’ there was a recitation of the Sutra of the Medicine Buddha. Here is the transcript of the brief teaching the 17th Karmapa gave on the Sutra (and some extra background references on the Medicine Buddha Sutra, its Indian and Chinese translators and the mantra):… Continue reading MASTER OF HEALING, BHAISHAJYA: SUTRA OF MEDICINE BUDDHA. ‘Aspirations to End Adversity’ with 17th Karmapa (Part IV)