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
Feb 21

Kyabje Gyaltsap Rinpoche bestows Long-Life Empowerment

21 February, 2012 Bodhgaya

On the afternoon of the last day of the Tibetan year of the Iron Rabbit, His Eminence Gyaltsap Rinpoche bestowed the Buddha Amitayu Long Life Empowerment at the Monlam Pavilion in Bodhgaya from 2:00 pm on February 21, 2012. He was giving the empowerment at the behest of Gyalwang Karmapa. His Eminence’s throne was set in front of the pavilion, with the newly consecrated giant thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni serving as a magnificent backdrop to the ceremony. His Eminence Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche was seated on the right, along with other rinpoches and lamas, including Khenpo Lodro Dhonyo from Bokar Ngedon Choling Monastery in Mirik. Monks from all over the world took part in the ceremony, which lasted for over an hour. First Gyaltsap Rinpoche talked briefly about the significance of the Protector Mahakala for the Kagyu tradition. According to him, the Second Karmapa, Karmapa Pakshi, had said that the mind of the Karmapa and Mahakala are inseparable.

His Eminence Gyaltsap Rinpoche also commented upon the previous day’s lama dance performance. Watching lama dance in Bodhgaya, he mentioned, is especially valuable because it has been said that protectors dwell in the eight charnel grounds surrounding Bodhgaya. He said watching the lama dance performance helps clear away obstacles, works as a method of purification, and also helps accumulate vast amounts of merit for oneself. According to him, particularly beneficial is witnessing Gyalwang Karmapa perform lama dance. Traditionally, the Karmapas perform lama dance in order to help sentient beings, he said. Seeing Gyalwang Karmapa perform lama dance helps accumulate a vast amount of merit, and the result is even stronger when done with strong faith and devotion. However, even watching it as a spectacle, can also bring positive results, not just to us humans, but also to animals fortunate enough to have the opportunity to glimpse the performance. His Eminence said he had seen the 16th Karmapa perform cham dances in the past, and now, having the opportunity to watch the 17th Karmapa dance was a matter of great fortune to him personally.

His Eminence said that there are two things necessary for a long life: the first is the cause, which is the accumulation of merit, and the second is the condition, which is receiving empowerment from the lama. If you do not have the cause, then mere empowerment is not enough. As a part of the cause, he said, one has to give up killing and also stop living off or creating suffering for others. His Eminence then told a story from the Jataka Tales regarding King Chandraprabha. At the end of the King’s very long life, someone came asking for his head. The king decided to give his head, despite counsel against it by his minister. However, as a result of the accumulation of merit by this selfless deed, in his next life the King had a very long and healthy life. Even though we are not able to lay down our lives like King Chandraprabha, at least, we can give up killing and causing suffering to others, His Eminence said. We can also conduct life release as a means of accumulating merit for long life. Receiving the long-life empowerment can also help raise one’s life force which is known as lungta – windhorse – in Tibetan. According to the Tibetan tradition, raising lungta can help improve one’s health and ward off demons and spirits who might want to harm us.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • E-Mail

Related Posts

  • A Prayer for the Swift Return of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche by the Gyalwang KarmapaFebruary 23, 2022
  • Full Transcript of the Address from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa to the 36th Kagyu MonlamJanuary 27, 2019
  • Postponement of the 35th Kagyu MonlamNovember 1, 2017
  • The Gyalwang Karmapa Expresses His Birthday Wish – To Visit His HomelandJune 27, 2017

[ 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