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 Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18.
His Holiness Karmapa visit to New York
