Riverside Church Theater New York, New York — June 1, 2018
In front of the stage, draped in curtains of red, blue, and white, the theater’s hall was filled with tables for eight, accommodating over 220 guests. For the last three days, they have attended the Karmapa’s teachings on the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and now come to honor him and mark the occasion of his first seminar in almost a year with an elegant dinner and performances on the stage of song, dance, and kung fu.
Rejoicing in his activity, Khenpo Dawa recalled the many accomplishments of His Holiness. Khenpo Tenkyong first thanked the Karmapa for showing us how to follow him in walking the bodhisattva’s path and then he thanked everyone who helped, especially those who are working behind the scenes and rarely seen. Both khenpos supplicated the Karmapa to live a very long life and continue his powerful activities to benefit others.
Since the event was happening on June 1 and this is the month of the Karmapa’s birthday, the opportunity was taken to celebrate it ahead of time. He was asked to come on stage and three small children brought him a bouquet of flowers and a cake with candles while happy birthday was sung in English and Chinese. The Karmapa’s gentle smile and loving care for the children was a fitting way to end the teachings on the way of a bodhisattva.
