Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa Karmapa – The Official Website of the 17th Karmapa
  • The Karmapa
    • A Short Biography
    • The Lineage of Karmapas
    • Activities & Projects
  • Teachings
    • YouTube Archive
    • Video Library
    • Podcast
  • News
  • Schedule
  • Buddhism
    • Shakyamuni Buddha
    • Buddhism in India
    • Buddhism in Tibet
    • Kagyu Lineage
    • The Golden Rosary
  • Centers
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Oceania
    • Africa
    • South America
  • Office
    • Media
    • Contact
  • English
  • France
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom
  • Australia
  • Poland
Sep 05

Kinnaur Tour Concludes With Visits to Key Monasteries

20130905 sangla visit

5 September 2013 – Himachal Pradesh

After successfully completing two days of teachings, the Gyalwang Karmapa concluded his tour by visiting several monasteries and nunneries in Kinnaur and along the route back.

He began on September 3 at the Mahabodhi Society temple in Reckong Peo, where he performed a prayer ceremony and gave a short speech for those gathered.

Next he set off for the Sangla valley, arriving at the historic Bering Nag Temple around 11am. After circumambulating the shrine he performed a special blessing ceremony for the three local protective Bering Nag deities that abide at the temple. “I requested the deities to protect and help you, and care for your wellbeing,” the Gyalwang Karmapa told the crowd of locals gathered to greet him. He explained that the 16th Karmapa had also visited this temple, and that he had a very special connection with the three local deities as well as with the people of the area.

While at the Bering Nag Temple the Gyalwang Karmapa also gave a short dharma teaching to the local people, telling those gathered that it’s difficult to call ourselves Buddhists unless we are actually good people.

“Think of it from this perspective—if you are a Buddhist, are you a good person? What kind of person are you? If you think about whether you are a good person or not, it’s not something you can definitely say. Sometimes I feel that I am good, sometimes I don’t. How definite is it that I’m a good person or that I’m a Buddhist? Because, being a Buddhist means more than just being a good person in general—it’s a higher level, a greater quality. It can’t be something that’s lower than just being a good person.”

“Normally we think ‘oh, I’m a Buddhist’ and we have conviction in this. But when we have truly become a Buddhist we see a real change in ourselves, a transformation in ourselves. If that does not occur we become someone who is not so upright or straightforward—we just sort of imagine or have the conceit that we’re Buddhist. And this creates many difficulties and problems.”

His next stop for the day was at Lhamo to visit the new nunnery of Lochen Rinpoche, who is the reincarnation of the great Lotsawa Rinchen Sangpo. There he gave a talk to around 30 young nuns and offered them words of encouragement. He told them that in the modern era nuns have equal access to practice the dharma as monks, and offered the nuns his full support. He urged the nuns to have self-confidence, and to take advantage of all the opportunities for study and practice that are now opening up for them.

After resting once more at the border town of Rampur overnight, on 4 September the Gyalwang Karmapa continued his journey back from Kinnaur, stopping specially at the Bon Menri Monastery in Solan. There he was greeted by Kyabje Menri Trizen, who is the supreme head of the Bon religion and also Abbott of the monastery. Walking hand-in-hand into the gompa, HH Menri Trizen then seated the Gyalwang Karmapa on the throne to receive a traditional welcome ceremony and mandala offerings.

Tibetans from all around area gathered at the Bon Menri Monastery to greet the Gyalwang Karmapa. In a short talk to them he explained that many of the previous Karmapas have enjoyed a strong spiritual connection with the Bon religion, particularly the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 10th and 16th Karmapas. The local Tibetans then made song and dance offerings for the Gyalwang Karmapa before he departed.

After concluding his tour of Kinnaur the Gyalwang Karmapa next travels to Delhi, where he has been invited to chair a session and speak at an important meeting of world Buddhist leaders, the 1st Founding Members’ Conclave of the International Buddhist Confederation.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • E-Mail

Related Posts

[ long read ]

MIND TRAINING TEACHING
The Gyalwang Karmapa gave an extensive teaching on the 8 Verses of Training the Mind

[ video series ]

THE PRAJNAPARAMITA
Taught over six sessions, this is a direct explanation of the Buddhist view of emptiness

[ long read ]

THE CHENREZIK PRACTICE
The Gyalwang Karmapa taught on how to practice Chenrezik and recite his mantra

[ video series ]

100 SHORT INSTRUCTIONS
Taught over nine sessions, this text by the 8th Karmapa was taught in great depth by the present Karmapa.

[ long read ]

THREE PRINCIPLE ASPECTS
A comprehensive teaching that condenses the entire Buddhist path by Tsongkhapa

 

Recent Updates

  • Approaches to Understanding the Thirty Verses of the Mind Only
  • The Inauguration of the 23rd Kagyu Gunchoe
  • The Essence of Glory: A Shakyamuni Puja in the Kadampa Style
  • The Gyalwang Karmapa’s Closing Remarks to the Mar Ngok Summer Teachings
  • Differing Perspectives on the First Council and the Compilation of the Tripiṭaka
  • Upāli – the Foremost in the Vinaya and Contemporary Analyses of the First Council  
  • Ananda’s Offenses, Arhatship, and Recitation of the Sūtras

Kagyu Office Around the World

中文 // Français // Polski // Español
The Karmapa’s website is carbon neutral. //

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.

// // // //

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Please view our Privacy Policy. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo