Medford, Massachusetts
September 7, 2018
Before leaving Boston, the Karmapa stopped at the Kurukulla Center to give a blessing and a brief talk. The Center started in 1989 and came to its present location in 2002 where it is now under the guidance of Geshe Tenley. The maroon and golden yellow building accommodates a richly decorated shrine hall, bookstore, and quarters for residents. Its spacious backyard is home to a long row of bright red prayer wheels, an ornately decorated Kalachakra stupa in bright colors, and just beside it, a beautiful statue of Tara protected in glass. There is an air of festive anticipation as people wait for the Karmapa to appear.
As the afternoon began, Geshe Tenley led the Karmapa into the shrine hall, where many Tibetans and also Westerners had gathered to greet the Karmapa and receive his blessing. After “the Twelve Praises of the Buddha” was chanted and tea and rice were served, the Karmapa gave a warm welcome to everyone. First speaking in Tibetan, he stated that Tibet is experiencing the most difficult time in its history, and therefore, Tibetans everywhere must work hard with trust, hope, and complete and stable certainty in the value of their rich culture and invaluable spiritual tradition. These must be preserved and maintained, and the Karmapa explained, the key to this is the Tibetan language. He encouraged the Tibetans to make great efforts in teaching both spoken and written Tibetan to their children.
Turning to English, the Karmapa said that he had been on a short, private visit to Boston and Geshe Tenleyla had asked him to visit the center. The Karmapa expressed how happy he was to see everyone and the hope that the next time he comes he would be able to spend more time and do a longer program. After leaving shrine hall and blessing the center, the Karmapa came into the backyard and blessed each person individually as he walked along the line they had formed, undulating around the prayer wheels, the Tara statue, the Kalachakra stupa, and flowing out to the street where his car waited to take him back to New York.
