There are various lineages and transmissions that come together in the Karma Kagyü lineage, all of which have been held and passed on by the Karmapas. The topic of transmission encompasses many aspects: one can speak about the initiations, about the blessing which is given through the words, and about the meditations and the practice instructions. It also includes practices on the various buddha aspects, which were passed down from the mahasiddhas and bodhisattvas in ancient India and which later came to Tibet.
Today, I only wish to speak about this in a simple way and, above all, explain how this transmission is connected to our practice. It is important for us that the practice be simple and effective. If it is too complicated, as a beginner, one could become confused, and for practitioners, it is important to have a clear direction. For those who wish to thoroughly study the topic, it is of course different. For these people, it is not about simplification, but there are relatively few who do this. For most of us, it is more helpful to learn a simple way and then to really achieve results on this path. The Karma Kagyü transmission makes it possible for us to attain special qualities and abilities in this life without using complicated methods.
On this topic, I am referring directly to explanations I received from the 16th Karmapa. It is already a generation ago, but it was his style which impressed me, and that is why it is easy to speak about it in this way. Today, it is no longer easy to understand what it was really like to be so close to the 16th Karmapa. But for those of us who lived with him at that time, that which he especially emphasized in his teachings is still very much alive in us, and of course, we remember how we worked with this.
The 16th Karmapa held a great number of transmissions, but of these, he only gave us a few simple instructions, which were easy to apply. These days you hear a lot about all the different dharma explanations and meditations that you absolutely “must have.” You hear how there are so many transmissions, and all of them are important. Of course, they are all important; that is true—nothing in the dharma is unimportant. But it is simply not possible to use them all. Back then we worked with only a couple simple teachings, which we did not choose ourselves but were given to us by the Karmapa. We strove to use these methods and to develop ourselves through them. Every now and then, along the way, we also used other teachings.
So what kind of instructions did the 16th Karmapa give us back then? It doesn’t have to be the same for you, but you could perhaps understand and appreciate things better if you hear about this. I don’t claim here that those of us who were close to Karmapa at that time became realized, nor that we did everything correctly, but we did try hard, and it might help you to find your way.
The 16th Karmapa always gave us very down-to-earth teachings and never built castles in the sky. Kunzig Shamarpa developed the same style and was very strict and very direct. It apparently fit his character, and sometimes he was criticized for this [Rinpoche laughs]. Shamar Rinpoche liked to cut through false concepts. I think he got that from the 16th Karmapa. My personal style in this respect does not go as far as his [Rinpoche laughs].
This topic has two sides: On one hand, it is about one’s own direction in terms of which practice is needed for one’s own development. On the other it is about what one learns in order to help others.
In my own development, I always stuck to what the 16th Karmapa advised me to do. In regard to this, if one simply follows one’s teacher, then one is less confused and can be certain that one is doing the right thing. I emphasize this, as mentioned, because today, there is so much “advertisement” for all the practices that are supposed to be good and important. This “everything is good, and I have to practice everything” attitude can sometimes lead to confusion, and one can get lost.
There are actually only a couple important topics that one should combine and work with. This is how those of us who learned from the 16th Karmapa back then kept our practice. Lama Ole Nydahl1 and myself were among the main students of the 16th Karmapa at that time. Hannah and Lama Ole were Europeans, and we were Tibetans, but the 16th Karmapa cared for all of us in the same way—like a father who wants to see his children grow up in a good way. Lama Ole and I developed somewhat different styles over the years, but the view behind them is the same. The essential things in our work are actually not that different at all, and the most important thing is that we follow the direction that Karmapa showed us, and because of this, we can help others.
Focusing on the bodhisattva mind is one of the most important messages that the 16th Karmapa gave us. Most people are always worrying about themselves, and because of this, they constantly experience all kinds of difficulties. I’m not saying that one should not take care of oneself. But there are people who are completely free of this self-centeredness—they are what we call “liberated.” The 16th Karmapa was such a person, and he showed this to us. One of his key messages was, “If one strives to develop the bodhisattva mind, one no longer needs to be concerned about things in one’s own life at all.” One time, he told me that very directly, and I thought that would be pretty difficult to do back then. We always have some personal goals that we want to attain. But if you really consider which of them are truly meaningful, there is only this: Attaining freedom from attachment to self, that it spiritual freedom. Everybody would like to be free, and that is why they are trying to solve their problems. But they do not know how to really go about it and often simply create more problems. We can see this everywhere in the world.
I never went to a normal school. Without pushing me, Karmapa gave me a choice. He said, “If you go to a normal school, you will get a good education. But it will be difficult to achieve your goals; there will always be problems. If, on the other hand, you completely dedicate yourself to Buddhist practice and teachings, then you will be totally free. There will be difficulties, but never real problems.” I was around twelve years old then and decided to do whatever he advised me to do and I asked him. Karmapa recommended I study in Rumtek monastery together with six or seven other young rinpoches. In the sixties following the escape from Tibet, there were many Tibetan children who went to good schools and got a proper education. Some people were pushing us to do the same, but Karmapa said: “The most important thing is to learn the path of the bodhisattva. Then your dharma practice will be successful. And even when difficulties arise, one will not experience them as truly problematic.” Karmapa also said, “If you want to become bodhisattvas, then you have to think more of other beings than of yourselves.”
We sat together with Karmapa for long periods almost every night and he gave us many teachings. But it was simple bodhisattva teachings like this one which gave me the basis for my entire practice. The most important thing is to take the Bodhisattva Promise and to follow the bodhisattva path. Of course, none of us can become a perfect bodhisattva from one day to the next. But even having simply developed an idea of what this means will automatically point us in the right direction time and again. Through this, our problems will resolve themselves because once you have set yourself a really good goal in life, distractions like happiness and sorrow are put more into perspective. You can deal with them better if you keep a great goal in mind. To become a bodhisattva, you have to know how to develop the enlightened mind. Once you can do this, it provides a lot of stability.
Karmapa gave us a very effective transmission for our bodhisattva attitude. When we hear “transmission,” maybe we think of something really fantastic and miraculous, but for the 16th Karmapa, it was really about how one could first develop a really solid bodhisattva direction and then, with a few teachings, work deeply with the mind. When one gets into trouble, one will always remember such teachings, and they will help, even if one cannot make full use of them at first. It is this combination of bodhisattva attitude and a few simple teachings which allows our mind to become much clearer, understandable and increasingly free of problems. In my opinion, this is the most important thing when it comes to transmission.
Beyond this, one can use various special practices, empowerments, and instructions which allow a seed to grow in our mind. Our mind develops in a certain way, similar to the mind of a child in the conditioned world: first, little children are innocent, and the mind is free in a certain sense—though not completely, because they are still caught in ignorance. This partially pure mind of a small child then, over the course of time, experiences pride, jealousy, hate, etc. All this changes the mind. Whenever such disturbing feelings arise, one becomes excited, sad or angry. It is similar on the bodhisattva path, but in a different direction: One receives various teachings about the meaning of the path, about how the lives of all the beings function. Through this, one understands better how important the individual is, and one develops respect, compassion, and love. The wish increasingly arises to help each other and to take care of others. Through this development, the mind will gradually become more free.
There are also certain instructions, empowerments and practices, which can bring one to a correct understanding much faster. Sometimes we are so caught up in the happenings of the conditioned world that we can hardly deal with it, even if we actually know how it can be done. However, there are certain methods that make it easier for us, make it possible to quickly develop an understanding and, through this, quickly change things. A very fast way to get there is related to terms like “blessing,” “devotion,” and “connection.” This makes it possible for us to quickly realize the nature of things and then to work with this understanding.
There are various approaches to this. The Buddha simply advised certain people to start meditating, and then over time, the potential for wisdom would grow, and they would be able to use it. That is one possibility.
Another is that one begins to develop the enlightened mind and to focus on the bodhisattva path. At the same time, one also meditates, and in this way, one achieves understanding.
We can imagine that it should actually be possible to immediately and directly achieve understanding. Some teachings, however, are difficult to understand and to practice at first. One first has to contemplate them. First, we listen to the teachings, then we study them, then we gradually come to understand them and to more or less agree with them. And despite this, one is not always able to really apply them, and one follows one’s old habits. Why is this? This is because one has not really understood the actual meaning of these teachings. If one had understood them, one would have immediately become a buddha. That is what the teachings are about: they explain how to attain enlightenment.
These teachings are kind of like an instruction manual for modern technical devices. If one immediately understands and applies the instructions, one can use the device right away. That’s how easy it can be. When you read Buddha’s teachings then sometimes you think, that’s totally clear, but when you close the book, you are still the same person you were before. To be able to understand these teachings immediately, one has to be well prepared, and that is not a technical matter. There are, in fact techniques, which are effective, but for most people, it simply takes some time. Other people, however, understand the teachings very quickly. It is similar to soil: The quality of the soil is decisive for how fast a seed can grow. In poorer soil, a seed has a difficult time, but if you add some fertilizer, then it grows faster.
We all have the buddha nature—the potential for enlightenment—and that is the soil, so to speak. In the same way that you sometimes need fertilizer, sometimes you need to apply a little extra in order to understand and use the teachings you have received.
This “extra” consists of certain methods of Diamond Way Buddhism, the Vajrayana. Each lineage and school has their own main focus, in terms of which methods are used. In the Karma Kagyü, since the time of 1st Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa, the main method used is “transmission through blessing.” The Tibetan expression for this is dschin lab, which one can often hear during empowerments and instructions.
Dschin lab means that something touches one and changes one’s qualities. The blessing changes one in the same way that moisture permeates a wall. This is example is not so good, since you don’t usually want moisture in a wall, because it creates mold [Rinpoche laughs]. But the example is useful to illustrate the principle of something solid being deeply permeated. When you have moisture in the wall, you get all kinds of problems, but with blessing in the mind, problems get resolved.
In the Karma Kagyü lineage, the expression kabab is used, which means something like “special transmission,” and this refers to that special kind of blessing. It refers to the special way we work towards the goal and work on our attitude in the Karma Kagyü lineage.
During the lifetime of the 16th Karmapa, most of his close students meditated, of course, but in general, we trusted his blessing. We were convinced that we could accomplish everything through Karmapa’s blessing alone. A few years ago, I was on a pilgrimage with the 17th Karmapa and shared a room with a fellow traveler. In the middle of the night he screamed and began immediately reciting the mantra, “Karmapa Chenno, Karmapa Chenno, Karmapa Chenno …” and quickly quieted down. He had a nightmare but was able to mentally connect with Karmapa right away. This is an example of someone who completely trusts Karmapa. When one does this, then one does not get stuck in such unpleasant impressions like in a nightmare, because Karmapa’s blessing protects one from this.
This is not just a psychological trick because, through this trust, one is always connected to Karmapa’s blessing. If one is open for the blessing, it will reach us without Karmapa even having to concentrate on us. If one closes oneself to it, then the blessing cannot reach us even if the Karmapa actively wants to help. It is very individual and everyone has to develop this trust himself in order to really have protection and support for one’s path. Intellectually, it is not so easy to understand what exactly happens here, but it works and it is one of the most important transmissions in our Karma Kagyü lineage. This sense for blessing exists in other Vajrayana schools as well, but in the history of Tibet, it is said the Karma Kagyü school has always emphasized blessing.
Through the blessing, our practice works very well and that is why we do the various Guru Yoga practices. We say that we receive the body, speech and mind of the Karmapa. This is what is meant:
We identify ourselves with our body and mind. Even if we have learned that it is only an illusion, we currently experience that all perceptions are connected to the body. In Vajrayana practice it is said that there are mainly three energy channels in the human body—a central one in the middle and one on both the right and left sides. These channels connect certain points in the body, the chakras, which are like electrical switching points where many lines come together. This inner system is also connected to the elements in the outer world.
All of the functions of the body are connected to these chakras and processes in them can produce strong feelings in the mind. The power of our feelings is connected to the elements and the movement of the inner energies to a high degree. Through them strong negative feelings can arise, which take over our mind and lead to the common, unenlightened ways of thinking. On the other hand, if we work with these inner channels and chakras, we can promote the development of positive energies and reduce negative energies. Through this, our mind becomes increasingly pure, and the “stream of the enlightened mind” is developed.
When we receive the blessing of the three lights in the meditation on the 16th Karmapa, the energetic processes in our body change and this makes it easier for us to think positive thoughts and to lead a more positive life in general. This doesn’t mean that we then only see beautiful things. But we can increasingly see how others are really doing, and through this, we can develop more compassion. When we look more closely at the lives of beings, we understand that quite often, they are not especially good or pleasant.
Many beings perform negative actions; that’s why we develop compassion. If we weren’t able to view their situation with compassion, sadness, depression and disappointment would arise instead. If one can have compassion for beings, then the sadness is not so great. One is not surprised or depressed by a situation. Instead, one recognizes which results beings will experience through their negative actions. One sees what beings are currently experiencing and sees what the causes are for this result. In this way, one realizes that it is necessary to change the causes in order to get better results.
We are speaking about compassion here and not about pity. This doesn’t require some kind of suffering or sadness, such as we may be familiar with in Christianity. The Buddhist understanding of compassion towards someone who is acting in a negative way is as follows: One sees that a person will have a difficult life as a result of his actions and one wants to do something to prevent this. One can compare this to the attitude of a doctor towards his patient. When the doctor sees that someone drinks too much, has poor nutrition, etc., and is harming himself as a result, then he knows that the person will get sick and perhaps even die, and he wants to help. But he does not suffer or get depressed about it himself. Developing the enlightened mind means that one has a good heart, understands all situations, and becomes very strong himself and wishes to help. Most bodhisattvas are very joyful and energetic people. They can definitely experience feelings of sadness, but they do not really suffer.
We have been born as a human in this life with the difficulties that go along with that. Karmapa’s blessing will create changes in this life, but it is not possible to immediately dissolve our problems. However, each of us can learn not to let ourselves get so caught up in the normal states of the conditioned world. We are living as normal people in the conditioned world, but we can learn to live a little bit differently.
That is more easily said than done, but the more awareness for this grows in our mind, the easier it becomes. The great mahasiddhas in ancient India, for instance, had very different lifestyles, but they began their path as totally normal people and slowly became mahasiddhas. We practice in the same way as they did: outwardly, we lead a normal life like everybody, and at the same time, we practice not getting caught by the ignorance that people normally experience in the conditioned world.
What happens when we receive the blessing of body, speech and mind in an initiation such as in the meditation on the 16th Karmapa, for instance?
Through the body initiation, the way we experience physical phenomena changes. We experience less negativity and our view in regard to everything we experience remains positive. In the beginning of course, it is not possible to continually hold this. But every time something negative is experienced, we remind ourselves of the view and practice not getting caught up in it.
In the speech initiation it is not just about speech in terms of words, it also has a second aspect: through the use of a mantra we strengthen our connection to the lama or the buddha aspect we are meditating on. The mantra is a support for this connection and exchange and enables us to receive qualities such as compassion. Our inherent abilities can thus develop through this connection.
When we recite Karmapa’s mantra, “Karmapa Chenno,” we are saying “Karmapa, you know me, I need your help.” The recitation creates a connection to the Karmapa, and this connection changes us. When we receive the body initiation, the movement of our inner energies changes. Our negative actions have determined certain inner movements of energies. If we change these, then we open ourselves in an increasingly positive direction and can increasingly rest in this. In Tibetan, we have an expression for this, which means “stream of bodhicitta,” and this means having a constant stream of positive thoughts from the enlightened mind.
When we receive the blessing of Karmapa’s mind, then our mind can really connect with the meditation. Then we can really rest in the connection with the Karmapa during the meditation. Of course, one can train oneself to get a sense of the meditation without the power of blessing. But we have to practice a long time because a real understanding of our abilities only develops slowly. If we ask Karmapa for help, then it is much easier to simply allow it to arise naturally. When we focus on him one-pointedly, then a sense for the actual meditation can quickly arise and develop. It makes the meditation much more effective and yields better results when we apply it within the context of this “way of blessing.” The method that we use here is that we rely on the blessing of the Karmapa when we meditate.
When we begin meditating, we still have strong samsaric habits in our minds, and it is not so easy to meditate at first. For this reason, we ask Karmapa for his blessing that we quickly change for the better and achieve results with our meditation. This is an authentic method. It is not one of these methods that produces a quick effect and then stops; it is genuine. And although we have accumulated obscurations in our mind over many lifetimes, this method provides us an authentic understanding of our buddha nature. We have to purify these obstacles—either through the long way of investigation and meditation or through this effective method of blessing. Within a short time we can discover our wisdom and meditate with a connection to the Karmapa. If we practice in this way, a constant stream of experience will show itself in our minds—whether we notice this consciously right away or not.
If we are able to rest connected to Karmapa while doing all of our regular activities and, in this way, uphold an essential practice, it works within us day and night, and we experience a strong, positive tendency. It is the opposite of the state of mind that we normally experience, which is constantly focused on disturbing feelings such as attachment. We turn this around and rest constantly in the wisdom of Karmapa, which is inseparable from us. Through this, we get protection and blessing, and our abilities develop themselves.
Through focusing on Karmapa in this way, we benefit immediately as well as in the long-term: When we leave our body in the process of death, our consciousness continues, and our current mental tendencies then lead to a corresponding rebirth. In the Karma Kagyü lineage there are various invocations on the Karmapa designed to prepare us for this. Through these, we stay connected with Karmapa’s blessing and can act as a manifestation of Karmapa’s activity, allowing us to speak and act to benefit all beings until we attain enlightenment. We remain in contact with Karmapa over the course of various lives, train in positive actions, are protected from lower rebirths, and can practice dharma. Through these good actions and our practice, we increasingly develop into bodhisattvas, are freed from suffering and become increasingly effective in helping beings. These invocations give us direction and show us where we are going and what we can do. We ask for Karmapa’s blessing that we quickly reach our goal, and that in the various lifestyles and kinds of work we are involved in, we do not get into situations where we could act in a negative way. To my knowledge, these invocations originated at the time of the 6th or 7th Karmapa. He traveled a lot around Tibet and was surrounded by his students, who recited such invocations.
Focusing on Karmapa and opening up to him—this is the decisive factor in our transmission. When we meditate, we rest in the feeling of being inseparable from Karmapa. At present, we may not really understand what that means exactly, but if we continue to meditate on the Karmapa, this understanding will gradually develop.
We go about our normal life, and at the same time, we know that there is something special to attain beyond this life. With the Karmapa, we have a living example for this; we know the way, and we know how we can get there.
Although we are aware of what is ultimately meaningful in life, we, of course, need to be present in the here and now and lead our lives in a decent manner. And we do this, but we should never forget our goal and always strive in this direction. Keeping this view also protects us in this life.
Those of us who were close to the 16th Karmapa at that time have practiced in this way over the years. Of course, we do not try to convince ourselves that we know everything and are perfect—sometimes, there is no way around doing things that are not purely positive. We lead a normal life, need food and work and have to stay healthy. With all this, however, we never lose sight of what we are striving for: we do not want to continue to suffer, to be confused and to lead a negative life. We want to become really good people—and the Buddha taught a way that leads there. There are simple as well as complicated possibilities to follow this path—and what the 16th Karmapa taught us is so important because it is really a method that can easily be applied: everybody can use Guru Yoga, the meditation on the Karmapa. It is suitable for all lifestyles and for all physical conditions.
If we look at this apparently simple practice more closely, we see that it is very profound; it is not just a “beginner” meditation. Sometimes people don’t appreciate it properly because it is so easy to use. They think something this simple could not bring any great results. Everybody always wants something complicated [Rinpoche laughs]. But with Guru Yoga, we can develop ourselves in a good direction in a simple and comfortable way. Maybe I like it because I am lazy myself [Rinpoche laughs], but I do consider it very profound, as a matter of fact.
The 16th Karmapa taught us Mahayana and Vajrayana teachings. We usually speak of three levels of Buddha’s teachings—Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. In Theravada, one concentrates on avoiding negative actions and imposes many restrictions upon oneself in daily life. Also, in Mahayana, under certain conditions, there can be many restrictions in life. But here, it is much more about the inner attitude of leading one’s life with love and compassion. One wishes to help other beings—and with many restrictions in daily life, one could not really do a lot for others. One would be incessantly occupied with oneself, and in Mahayana, it is about a totally different mental attitude, namely concern for the benefit of others.
As a Vajrayana practitioner, one works with the same inner attitude, but in the application, there is a special feature—something very technical. If one does not stick exactly to the prescribed technical details of the practice, one will not achieve any results. Usually, people don’t speak much about this. You can compare it to a modern smartphone, which does not function unless the settings are exactly correct.
In Vajrayana for instance, there are certain promises, the samayas, and many other things, which one needs to observe precisely—that is very difficult. But when one does not do this, the result of the practice is less.
The 16th Karmapa taught us a style of practicing in which we can apply some Vajrayana techniques (but just a few) for which one requires very specific conditions. In this way, it is easier to work with them. We would have to keep very special conditions if we really wanted to do all the practices which belong to the empowerments we frequently receive. It is not bad if you don’t do it, but the practice does not function as well in that case, and one simply does not achieve the results.
That is Vajrayana; one must observe the prescribed conditions very precisely, and these days, that is often not so easy. For certain practices, for instance, one is not allowed to drink alcohol, or eat meat, garlic or onions. Often you don’t really know why this is the case. Many of these rules—such as eating meat, for example—have to do with the fact that beings were killed for it. Alcohol, garlic and onions are not allowed in many Vajrayana practices, but in other practices they are. There are even some practices which require alcohol, meat and other things in order for them to work. Sometimes one has to observe certain conditions for a period of time in order to achieve the result, such as in the three-year retreat. The explanations for this are partially downright mathematical and were always kept secret. There is actually no reason for it, other than that they are very complicated.
All the Karmapas also gave simplified practices, which were easier to use and more suitable for people who lead normal lives. They are based on the empowerments of Guru Yoga, the corresponding explanations, and application in meditation. Simply through this, much bad karma is purified and one can build up good impressions. Additionally, people did the Mahamudra Foundational Practices (Tib. Ngöndro), which definitely are Vajrayana practices, but without all the technical commitments. The word “commitments” always sounds like strict rules, but they are required simply because many things do not work if one does not maintain certain conditions.
With the Foundational Practices, one simply does not have these problems. One simply does them with trust and devotion and then they affect a positive change in the energy system in our body. The energies begin to circulate in a better way and through this, negative energies in our body lessen. Through the constant opening, which we experience during the prostrations, the positive energies in us become stronger. All these methods, such as the prostrations and the Diamond Mind meditation, are very practical and strongly emphasize our trust in ourselves and in the Karmapa. We receive a blessing and practice resting inseparably from Karmapa. Then, it is no longer so important whether the Karmapa is physically nearby or far away; one always rests in the feeling of being inseparable from him.
For this experience, we use the expression “stream of blessing.” If one can rest in this state, then the mind is not only protected in this moment, but also throughout the next rebirths. After death we will continue in a good direction and continue to develop ourselves until enlightenment.
In Tibet, there were many lamas, and some were more important for the lineage than others. The important lamas are those who continued to develop themselves throughout their lives without going up and down. They were very well protected through their connection to Karmapa and thus became increasingly important within the lineage.
All of Karmapa’s students developed themselves in this way. We still feel very normal, but through continual practice in this life, we can become sincere practitioners. Through our attitude, our wishes, accumulation of merit, etc., we will develop ourselves life after life.
From the time of the 1st Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa until today, many of Karmapa’s students have become very important. There are various biographies about the Karmapas. Some of them are very beautifully written, but the authors have not fully captured the qualities of the Karmapas. Others describe these special qualities very thoroughly; for instance, that the Karmapas found and recognized many realized reincarnations. In Tibetan, we use the expression Kagyü Drubthob Gyamtso, the “Ocean of Kagyü Siddhas.” During their lifetimes, people did not always know who was a mahasiddha, and it often only became apparent afterward.
There are many stories about how students of Karmapa developed great potential with simple methods such as regular meditation and keeping the connection to Karmapa. On the basis of the enlightened attitude, it is possible. This is because it gives us protection so that the inner values that we develop do not disappear again. It is not possible to immediately have a perfectly enlightened mind. The mind of compassion will develop slowly and a bodhisattva is someone who has perfected this and can then act to benefit beings. As a bodhisattva one is always occupied with other beings; one cannot get around it. Being a bodhisattva means being there for other beings with all the challenges that this brings and with understanding for how they live. One increasingly understands how necessary it is and begins to apply the enlightened mind.
The first step is to really see how all the beings live without judging them. One increasingly feels the need to help them and begins to learn something about the dharma. Helping beings begins with small acts and when one performs them over months and years, then the accumulation of these small acts ultimately becomes something great.
That is the transmission in the Karma Kagyü lineage. The word “transmission” often makes us think of many empowerments and very special practices. There are these things as well, but for us, it is especially important to receive transmission in such a way that is essential, useful, and easy to apply. Ordinary people cannot convey this to us, not even “important” people. It has to be a bodhisattva on a very high level, and with Karmapa, we can be certain without a doubt that this is the case. It is very effective to receive this kind of transmission from Karmapa and to follow the practice. For this, we only need the right connection to him and dharma practice. Getting the right connection to Karmapa is easy because he is there for us. Then if we follow a simple and correct meditation practice, it will work.
One could tell a lot of historical things on the topic of transmission, but that is a very big field. The important thing is that we have valuable teachings and should apply them in our lives. For some people, this is easier than for others. But we all want good results and to use the right dharma practice—and for this reason, that which has been said here is hopefully useful.
- Lama Ole was sitting next to Rinpoche on stage during this lecture. ↩︎
