NEWS & CURRENT ACTIVITES

Monday, May 19, 2008

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa departed New York City today to make his way to his North American seat, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD), in Woodstock, NY. KTD was founded by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. En route to his historic first landing at KTD, His Holiness visited Kagyu Thubten Choling (KTC), the retreat center led by Lama Norlha, a master in the lineage of the venerable Kalu Rinpoche. KTC is located in Wappingers Falls, NY. At KTC, His Holiness received mandala and body, speech, and mind offerings from Lama Norlha and his students, gave a welcome address to the KTC community, consecrated a recently constructed stupa, visited with the male and female dharma practitioners currently immersed in the traditional three-year retreat, and blessed the site of an additional monastery building to be constructed on KTC’s grounds.

When he arrived at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, His Holiness was greeted by a full and colorful welcoming procession complete with all of the traditional musical instruments of Tibetan ritual. After he ascended the throne in the beautifully appointed shrine room, His Read the rest of this article

Sunday, May 18, 2008

This morning, His Holiness Karmapa visited and engaged in a question-and-answer session at Tibet House, an organization devoted to preserving and promoting the precious art, culture, and wisdom of Tibet. Professor Robert A.F. Thurman, Tibet House’s President, introduced His Holiness, who then answered a wide range of questions about Buddhism, spirituality, and His Holiness’s own personal journey posed by Tibet House’s members and patrons.

His Holiness gave two public dharma teachings in the afternoon at the Waldorf-Astoria Ballroom in the Midtown area of Manhattan. The talks began on a delightful note, as a representative of Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, presented His Holiness with and read aloud a proclamation from the Mayor recognizing May 15-21, 2008 to be “His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa Week” in New York City.

In discussing the topic “Cutting Through Confusion: Discovering the Wisdom of Our Own Minds,” His Holiness gave incredibly practical and useful advice about how to transcend the cultural trappings that may come to be associated with Read the rest of this article

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Today, American Buddhism saw yet another historic occasion revealed, as His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, gave his first ever public dharma teaching on American soil. Speaking from the stage of the Hammerstein Ballroom, at which he gave one morning and one afternoon talk, His Holiness provided a lively, humorous, and down-to-earth description of “Awakening the Heart of Enlightenment,” discussing topics such as developing a stable practice even while leading a busy lifestyle, realizing the inseparability of oneself and others, and working gently and playfully with our own minds.

His Holiness’s second talk was preceded by a musical tribute from the American rock ‘n’ roll legend Lou Reed, who began his brief set with an acoustic rendition of his hit, “Perfect Day.” For the thousands of members of the sold-out audience at the Hammerstein who received the historic nectar of His Holiness’s first U.S. teachings, the day was perfect, indeed.

In the evening, His Holiness was the guest of honor at a dinner offered by the local Tibetan Read the rest of this article

Friday, May 16, 2008

Today, His Holiness Karmapa engaged in site-seeing activities at several destinations in New York City. In the morning, His Holiness and his party were given a private tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the historic art museum housing one of the world’s largest art galleries along the eastern edge of New York’s Central Park.

Following the museum tour, His Holiness made a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the tragic collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. At this location, His Holiness made special prayers for world peace and offered his blessings. In the guest book of the Tribute WTC Visitor Center adjacent to the former location of the Twin Towers, His Holiness inscribed the following verse (appearing here in translation from Tibetan):

Through peaceful hearts,
Peaceful feelings,
And peaceful intelligence,
May this world truly move
From darkness to light.

His Holiness concluded his visit to Ground Zero by offering flowers and further prayers.

Next, His Holiness made Read the rest of this article

Thursday, May 15, 2008

His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, arrived in the United States at around 4:20am at Newark Liberty International Airport adjacent to New York City. His Holiness and his sister, Ngodup Pelzom, were first received with greeting scarves by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Principal Organizer of Karmapa in America ’08, and by Kalon Tashi Wangdi, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Americas.

After a brief reception at the airport, where His Holiness was greeted by an advanced group of dozens of well-wishers, officials, and devotees, His Holiness traveled to the Shambhala Center of New York City, where his historic first visit to the United States was celebrated and honored with extensive ceremony and customary offerings of tea and rice. Scores of lamas, monastics, and lay students—representative of several American dharma centers—offered His Holiness representations of enlightened body, speech, and mind.

His Holiness later retired for rest his hotel, in preparation for some site-seeing outings on Friday, May 16, and a weekend program of dharma teachings on Read the rest of this article