NEWS & CURRENT ACTIVITES

24 November, 2013 – Martam Sikkim.

On Lhabab Düchen, the 24th November, 2013, Kyabje Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche led the prayers and blessing ceremonies to inaugurate Drub De Yid Wong Sam Ten Ling, the new Dharma Chakra Centre retreat centre at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. He also offered prayers during the installation of the Ganjera on the retreat centre roof top and inaugurated its new shrine room. Thousands of people from the nearby villages and towns of Martam, Song, Khamdong, Rumtek, Sajong and Gangtok gathered at Martam to celebrate this auspicious occasion. The chief guest was the Hon. Justice of the Sikkim High Court, Mr Sonam Wangdi.

The new retreat centre is named after the retreat centre at Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet, the principal seat of the 900-year-old Karmapa lineage. His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje chose this name for the retreat centre he established near Rumtek. In keeping with this tradition, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje decided that the Read the rest of this article

16 November, 2013 – Bodhgaya

In a significant event for all concerned, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje became the first world spiritual leader to visit the central shrine of Buddhism, the 1500 year old Mahabodhi temple complex, since the bombings by extremists earlier this year.

At the entrance to the temple grounds, he was welcomed warmly by the Monk-in-Charge, the Secretary of the Mahabodhi Temple Management Committee and the District Magistrate, who then escorted him.

By-passing the newly-established security checkpoints, Gyalwang Karmapa walked into the complex, down the central steps and headed directly to the Mahabodhi temple shrine room. He was greeted along the way by devotees from around the world. Flanking both sides of the pathway, they proffered pink and lilac lotus blossoms or ceremonial white scarves, and asked for his blessing. Inside the shrine room, His Holiness first offered a three-piece set of robes of hand-woven golden silk to the image of Lord Buddha, followed by seven bowls Read the rest of this article

12 November 2013 – India International Centre, New Delhi

On the final day of the 5th Khoryug Conference on Environmental Protection being held in New Delhi the Gyalwang Karmapa spoke passionately about the environmental emergency facing the world, and pointed to our individual personal consumption choices as one way to make a difference.

“Because of the sheer numbers of the human population and because of modern technology, we are having a horrific impact on our environment,” he told the 60 monastic delegates gathered from across the Himalayan region. “And we’ve become so jaded about this on the whole that it is as if we are asleep in the sleep of ignorance about what we are doing to the environment.”

“Each and every one of the more than 7 billion people on this planet has a brain. We’re all capable of understanding this, and yet our ignorance about our misuse of the environment is shocking. We need to wake up from this ignorance, especially those who wish to practice spirituality. This is perhaps our greatest Read the rest of this article

11 November 2013 – Yamuna River, New Delhi

On the 4th day of the Khoryug Conference on Environmental Protection the Gyalwang Karmapa, together with 60 monastic representatives from across the Himalayan region, left the conference table and headed out into the field.

After spending the previous three days training in a range of water problems and their practical solutions relating to the conference theme of ‘Conservation of Freshwater Resources in the Himalayas’, the participants were then exposed to examples of such water problems and solutions in the real world.

Heading over to a site on the Yamuna River in east Delhi, the Gyalwang Karmapa joined the monastics for a short river-blessing ceremony in the afternoon.

The Yamuna River is considered sacred, with its source at Yamunotri in the Himalayas being one of the holiest Hindu pilgrimage sites. And yet, paradoxically, the river is also ecologically considered a ‘dead’ river, heavily polluted and in some places barely flowing due to human interruption of its natural Read the rest of this article

8 November 2013 – India International Centre, New Delhi

Today the Gyalwang Karmapa launched the 5th Khoryug Conference on Environmental Protection for Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries and Nunneries in the Himalayas.

Khoryug, which means ‘environment’ in Tibetan, is a network of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries working under the guidance of the Gyalwang Karmapa, and in association with the World Wildlife Fund Sacred Earth program, to protect the fragile Himalayan environment.

Around 60 monks and nuns representing 50 Himalayan monasteries and nunneries in India, Nepal and Bhutan are participating in the five-day Khoryug Conference at the India International Centre, with theme of ‘Conservation of Freshwater Resources in the Himalayas.’ Throughout the week the monastics will be educated on all the various aspects of water systems and their preservation, ready to return as environmental leaders to their respective communities.

On his arrival at the conference the Gyalwang Karmapa first lit the customary lamp, and then Read the rest of this article