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Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
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    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
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Jun 08
Karmapa playing the damaru drum

Benefitting Others in Practical and Spiritual Ways

North American Kagyu Monlam, York College, Queens, New York — June 8, 2018

Before giving the sojong (fasting) vows today, His Holiness gave a brief explanation of their meaning. “Taking these mahayana fasting vows for one day is actually intended for householders and lay people, allowing them to purify their negative actions and gather virtue. That said they can also be taken by the ordained sangha as long as they stay aware of the difference between taking these vows and those especially for them.

“Speaking of the benefits of the vows,” the Karmapa began, “the ritual itself states that we are taking the vows, ‘for the sake of all sentient beings…’ and in the case of the mahayana vows for lay people, the focus is ‘ to eliminate famine and ‘to eliminate illness.’ It is said that if a particular place or country is suffering from famine or a contagious disease, the people living there can take these vows to reverse and eliminate these problems. For this reason, the mahayana sojong vows are also known as ‘the fasting vows that create auspiciousness.’”

It is not only through taking these vows that the North American Kagyu Monlam is benefitting the surrounding area. In line with the Karmapa’s wish that through charitable activities, the Kagyu Monlams benefit the area in which they are held, the organizers of the Monlam have arranged for all the surplus packaged food as well as other donations be given to a local food bank in Queens. In addition to making donations locally, the Danang Foundation’s organizers have used only biodegradable plates, cups, and flatware in harmony the Karmapa’s commitment to protecting the environment. In all these ways, both the Karmapa’s practical and spiritual aspirations have been fulfilled.

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About the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is the head of the 900 year old Karma Kagyu Lineage and guide to millions of Buddhists around the world.

Born in 1985, the Karmapa resides in his temporary home at Gyuto Monastery in India after making a dramatic escape from Tibet in the year 2000.

Traveling the world, the Karmapa skillfully teaches traditional Tibetan Buddhist Dharma while also advocating topics such as environmental conservation, feminism, digitization of the Dharma, and much more.

Please use the icons below to find the Karmapa on social media maintained by his office of administration.

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