In this issue of Buddhism Today, we are very excited to bring you an interview with Thaye Dorje, H.H. the 17th Karmapa. This is the first time we are publishing an interview with the Karmapa, and it provides wonderful insights into a range of topics, from his role as lineage holder to the potential of Artificial Intelligence. Next, we have a commentary from Hannah Nydahl on a Vajra Song of the 5th Shamarpa, Könchog Yenlag, in her succinct and pointed style of teaching.
Following these two teachings from our respected lamas, we present articles from two small and remote sanghas: the Colombian and Australian sanghas. The Colombian sangha shows us how they went beyond their limits to build a stupa together, even though there were not many of them to take on the many tasks required. Then the Australian sangha shows us how to keep the connection with the teacher and maintain activity, even without seeing the teacher as often as one would wish. This in turn ties back to the teaching in this issue from Hannah on the relationship between teacher and student. As the Diamond Way sangha all over the world continues to mature and evolve, these are pertinent lessons we can take from sanghas outside of Europe.
Next, we have an article from the Russian sangha about the Diamond Way tradition of the Russian Winter Tour, where Lama Ole would travel by train across Russia every winter with his students. This is a deeply inspiring and touching article, with stories from many sangha members about their experiences on the tour, and reminds us of the importance of traveling in the Diamond Way tradition.
Finally, we are pleased to bring back the science and Buddhism series to finish this issue with a remarkable article on the science of interactions and its connection to Buddhism by Carlos Gershenson. Carlos gives us a unique and thought-provoking perspective on the Buddhist concept of interdependent origination and karma, and his comments hearken back to the words of the first article in this issue, where the Karmapa talks about the dynamic and alive nature of enlightenment.
We hope you thoroughly enjoy and benefit from this issue. Happy reading!
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Interactions in Science “The aim of science is not things themselves, as the dogmatists in their simplicity imagine, but the relations among things; outside these relations, there is no reality knowable.”—Henri Poincaré Traditionally, science has been reductionist (Su, 2020), meaning […]
Complexity and Buddhism: Understanding Interactions Read More »
During a talk in 2005 in Hamburg, Germany, Hannah Nydahl read and commented on two vajra songs (songs of enlightenment or realization) of the Shamarpas. In our last issue, we shared the commentary of the vajra song of the 2nd Shamarpa, Khachö Wangpo. In this issue, we present the texts and commentaries of the vajra song of the 5th Shamar Rinpoche, Könchog Yenlag.
The Essence of Our Practice: A Commentary on the Vajra Song of the 5th Shamar Rinpoche Read More »
Many of the Karma Kagyu Rinpoches and Lamas had connections to Australia from the very early days of when Tibetan Buddhism came to the West. Shamar Rinpoche first visited in the late 1980s, and Lama Ole Nydahl and Hannah first came to Sydney in 1987. They came to visit Lama Trijam, who had been sent to prepare the way for a visit by his teacher, Nendo Rinpoche. Lama Ole and Hannah began making strong and lasting connections from that first visit.
An Early History of Diamond Way Buddhism in Australia Read More »
Following the Summer Course at the Europe Center (EC), two editors from the German and English editions of Buddhism Today had the exceptional opportunity to interview Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. We asked him about the role of the Karmapa, the future of the lineage, and the impact of technologies such as artificial intelligence on humanity and dharma practice.
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