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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
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Apr 09

What Makes An Authentic Buddhist?

9th April, 2013 –Gyuto Monastery, Dharamsala.

Meeting recently with a private group of 300 advanced Mahamudra students, the Gyalwang Karmapa explored what it means to be an authentic Buddhist. The group of international students had travelled to Gyuto Monastery to seek the Gyalwang Karmapa’s heart advice in an annual tradition, after recently receiving the Level 6 Mahamudra transmissions from Kyabje Tai Situ Rinpoche.

The Gyalwang Karmapa began his teaching by observing that it’s difficult if we merely call ourselves dharma practitioners or Buddhist followers in name, without really understanding the essence of being a true Buddhist. “Sometimes the most important thing is to be a good person, a good human being. This is very important,” he began. Turning to himself as an example, the Gyalwang Karmapa continued, “For example, in terms of me myself, sometimes I think I’m a real Buddhist follower or a real Buddhist student, because I was born in a Buddhist family and raised in a Buddhist environment, in a monastery. I think I’m the real sort of Buddhist practitioner or follower. But if you really think carefully about it and discover, ‘Oh, maybe I’m a Buddhist practitioner or follower, but I’m not sure if I’m a good human being or not,’ then that is a little bit funny.”

Urging the students to cut to the core of being an authentic Buddhist, he continued, “So maybe the point is to confront ourselves with the question: am I really a good person, a good human being? Because that is what characterizes being an authentic Buddhist.”

The Gyalwang Karmapa then returned to a key theme of his heart advice, that the essence of religion should be internal. He drew a clear distinction between merely following the external customs or traditions of religions, rather than the inner transformation of the mind. “We are involved in religious traditions with whatever degree of religiosity, and that means following certain traditions, or maybe more often they’re just customs. But does it mean that we should be steeped in the external customs and traditions? Should religion come from outside us? Or should it be something we invoke within ourselves and cultivate within ourselves?”

Urging the students gathered to put the instructions they’ve received into practice, the Gyalwang Karmapa offered his support. “I want to encourage all of you to continuously engage in the practice,” he said, “so that as long as you live you have this sense of determination and conviction to continue the practice.”

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

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

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

 

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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.

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