16th Karmapa in Rumtek 1978 (Photo: Peter Mannox)
Today, 5 November, is the anniversary of the parinirvana of H.H. 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje in 1981. We reproduce an excerpt from Reginald A. Ray’s book Secret of the Vajra World – The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet (Shambhala, 2001) which presents the 1981 interview with Dr. Mitchell Levy, the 16th Karmapa’s personal physician, who was together with Karmapa during the last remarkable moments of his life.
H.H. 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje
“When you do things, then obstacles will come and you can go through them. Obstacles are a sign of success”
– H.H. 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje
This interview was conducted by Stefan Watzlawek and Melanie Zaremba on May 24, 2006, in Houston, Texas and appeared in Volume 20 of the Magazine Buddhism Today published in 2007 and is also held on the Buddhachannel.tv online portal. It concerns the main practice taught in Diamond Way Buddhist Centres worldwide, the “Guru Yoga” Meditation on the 16th Karmapa.
16th Karmapa wearing the Black Crown
In our second retrospective post, we would like to share some inspiring impressions of H.H. 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje’s second visit to the UK at the invitation of Diamond Way Buddhism UK, in June 2007.
Reports of other visits of the 17th Karmapa to London can be found here (2005) and here (2009).
Poster for 17th Karmapa in London August 2007
We would like to share some inspiring impressions of H.H. 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje‘s first two visits to the UK, which happened before this blog was established. Gyalwa Karmapa’s first historic visit was in August 2005, when he stayed for four days in London at the invitation of Diamond Way Buddhism UK. He was joined by Lama Jigme Rinpoche, Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl and other distinguished lamas who were part of the travelling entourage of the 16th Karmapa in the UK during the 1970s.
Reports of other visits of the 17th Karmapa to London can be found here (2007) and here (2009).
Flyer 1 for 2005 course (front)
The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
Heart of the Mahamudra
Song of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
Manifestation and sound arise from the subtle mental imprints created from thoughts. As a picture in water disappears of its own accord, so false appearances automatically fade away when their lack of reality is understood. Beyond essential reality there is nothing – Such is the insight of the Mahamudra.
When the door of the mind, through which appearances are created, remains unobstructed, unwarped by concepts, then there is no solid reality, just bright light, and we let everything that appears just arrive naturally. Such a practice is the meditation of Mahamudra.
Illusory appearances are born of the belief in a reality. Relying on a constant understanding of their non-reality, we dwell at rest in original spontaneous nature and the space where there is nothing to accomplish is thus reached effortlessly.
Such is the practice of Mahamudra. These three points are the treasure of my heart. Since the yogis who go to the heart of everything are like my own heart, for them I have pronounced these heart-felt words, which cannot be communicated to others.
16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924-1981)
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