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
    • 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
    • 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 20

The Opening Session of the 34th Kagyu Monlam Chenmo in Bodhgaya


13 February 2017 – Monlam Pavillion, Bodhgaya

Thriving Aspirations for the World come from a Peaceful Mind

Just before the break of dawn, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa led the assembly of many thousands into the seven days of virtue and pure aspirations of the 34th Kagyu Monlam.

With a wish to re-establish ancient connections, His Holiness has instated Sanskrit chants at the beginning of the first session. The impressive Sanskrit sounds resounded in harmony through the dark of the Bodhgaya morning, reminiscent of Buddhism’s origins.

“This is the Vajra Seat, the essence of enlightenment,” the Karmapa said and initiated this Monlam by imparting the Sojong vows followed by advice on how to make our aspirations truly fruitful.

He inspired those gathered there with his advice on the need to bring peace to one’s own mind in order to bring peace to the world. You need to have peace in your mind, endowed with love and compassion, to be able to make aspirations from the depths of your heart,”; he counselled and added that, at least for these seven days, we need to be our best selves.

He talked about the people he met who had come from Tibet. Though ordinary people, they wished for peace in the world wholly and honestly, from the bottom of their hearts.

“It is very rare to find that type of person. When I see people like that, I think: maybe there is still hope for the world, for sentient beings.”

He laid bare the perils of convincing oneself of being a bodhisattva but acting out of selfishness. It makes one’s mind fixed and ill-suited for change. “It is really dangerous to pretend to be a protector of beings,” he warned.

He personally assumed the role of chöpon for the opening rituals of the first session. He walked through a royal court-like setting of Khenpos, Rinpoches and Tulkus, flanked by hundreds of gelong and a handful of gelongma on the wings of the stage, up the steps to a small, elegant wooden mandala where a statue of Buddha as an infant was placed.

After the gathering chanted invitations to the Sugatas, the Gyalwang Karmapa performed the rites of washing, drying, and offering clothes and anointment, then completed the ritual with prostrations.

During this time H.E. Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche was absent; he had gone to simultaneously perform a special offering at the Mahabodhi Temple.

The assembly chanted Praises from the Sutra of Ornamental Appearance, repeating the words: “I prostrate to you who rely on nothing”.

In a short teaching the Karmapa gave on The Sutra in Three Sections, the essential practice for restoring the Bodhisattva Vows, he recounted an old anecdote. In ancient India, this sutra was recited by those who committed great misdeeds. But Tibetans recited it daily. When certain Indian masters arrived in Tibet, they noted humorously that Tibetans must have transgressed a lot.

But, the Karmapa explained, in the billion-fold universe, our misdeeds are countless. Among all of them, the greatest are the violations of the three vows which are repaired through reading this sutra.

The first section is confession. He advised us to read this while thinking we are in the presence of the 35 Buddhas, taking them as the power of support, offering prostrations and confessing to them all of our misdeeds from beginningless time. The second section focuses on rejoicing. It is said that rejoicing and meditating on the merit of all buddhas, bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas and shravakas, bring an incalculable amount of merit. It is one of the easiest and most powerful ways of gathering merit. Dedication for all beings to attain enlightenment, the topic of the third section, is paramount for preventing the loss of virtue due to anger or regretting having done a virtuous deed.

Immersed in this sublime atmosphere, in the grandeur of the Monlam Pavilion, over 10 000 people from more than 50 countries chanted in harmony for peace in the world, and the 34th Kagyu Monlam was opened, leaving us nothing else to do but rejoice.

 

20170213AM_Monlam Day One Report on first session,sojong,HHGKs opening remarks Teaching on The Sutra in Three Sections

  • 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

  • Mind Only Texts in Chinese 

  • Losar Tashi Delek
  • A Prayer for the Swift Return of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche by the Gyalwang Karmapa
  • The Lasting Influence of Mind Only and the Position of the Buddha Nature School
  • The Spread of Mind Only Treatises in Tibet
  • The Spread of Mind Only in Tibet
  • The Mind Only School of Phenomenal Appearance in China, Japan and Korea

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. We'll assume you're ok with this if you continue. 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