Common to many Buddhist teachings is the role of the bodhisattva, one who has made the great and generous promise to rescue all beings from suffering and guide them to enlightenment. The work of the bodhisattva is summed up in the paramitas, the six […]
6 Liberating Actions – the Paramitas Read More »
The following are excerpts from teachings given by Shamar Rinpoche at Kagyu Ling in Manchester, England May 31–June 1, 2014.
Commentary on The 7 Points of Mind Training (Composed by the 5th Shamarpa) Read More »
During the time of Milarepa, the tradition of “Vajra-Songs” was very common. It was kind of a custom that the yogis would explain their experiences through poetry. These “Vajra-Songs” are not normal songs, but based on meditation experience and realization.
Milarepa’s “Family” (Commentary on a Vajra-Song of Milarepa) Read More »
The 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), achieved great fame and attracted many disciples. A practical man, he built bridges as well as meditation centers, benefiting his countrymen in their daily lives as well as in their spiritual lives. For posterity, he wrote many texts and commentaries, preserving many of the teachings in a form we use today.
One of his important texts is the Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra. Mahamudra is known today as the “Great Seal.” What follows here is taken from Lama Ole Nydahl’s book, The Great Seal: Limitless Space & Joy: The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism (Firewheel Publications, 2011).
The Mahamudra (Transmission from the 3rd Karmapa) Read More »
While visiting the Europe Center in 2012, Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, recommended that his students study the Abhidharma. In due course this has brought up questions concerning the topic and has given rise to this short overview of the Abhidharma teachings. At a meeting of traveling teachers, Gyalwa Karmapa mentioned the reason for his suggestion: that his main intention was to clarify the terminology used during question and answer sessions in his lectures. If the questions asked were closer to specific topics, the answers could be more precise. The Abhidharma teachings offer a frame for many important topics as they treat everything we can know about the world and ourselves.
The Abhidharma Teachings (Knowledge About Ourselves and the World) Read More »
Here we offer Verse 18 of the classic Buddhist Mahamudra text by the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), along with Lama Ole Nydahl’s refreshing and contemporary commentary to that verse. This is an excerpt from Lama Ole’s book The Great Seal: The Mahamudra View of Diamond Way Buddhism (San Francisco: Fire Wheel Publishing, 2004).
Commentary on The Great Seal Read More »
The 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje (1604-1674) was a consummate bodhisattva and artist who lived in Tibet at a time of breathtaking changes, including the invasion of the Mongols, the ascendancy of the Gelupga school, and the appearance of the powerful 5th Dalai Lama. In spite of this electrifying period of Tibetan history, his life is not well known even today.
Shamar Rinpoche’s book A Golden Swan in Tur-bulent Waters: The Life and Times of the 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje tells the story of the 10th Karmapa. Shamar Rinpoche’s telling is profound in at least two aspects. First, he highlights the 10th Karmapa’s power as a bodhisattva who is not political precisely during a time of much political upheaval among Tibetan Buddhists. Second, as the 14th reincarnation of the Shamarpa, he is directly in the transmission lineage of the 6th Shamarpa, who was the teacher and guru of the 10th Karmapa.
This interview was conducted by Jonathan Bradley. Following the interview is an excerpt from the book.
A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters (The Life and Times of the 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje) Read More »
This is the third and final installment in this three-part series, in which the 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje gives his commentary on The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas by Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo.
The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas, Part 3 (The Six Paramitas) Read More »
This is the second of a three-part series in which H.H. the 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje offers his commentary on this ancient text.
The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas, Part 2 Read More »
By