Lama Ole Nydahl
Today, 19 March 2011, marks several special occasions. Firstly, we wish a very happy 70th birthday to our great teacher Lama Ole Nydahl – may he live long and may his vast activity continue to benefit countless beings!
10th Karmapa Choying Dorje – painting by Pema Rinzin
March 15th, 2011
10th Karmapa by Pema Rinzin
This impressive thangka painting of the 10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje was recently uploaded to the New York Tibetan Art Studio blog. It was painted by world-renowned master Tibetan thangka painter and contemporary artist Pema Rinzin. Rinzin’s depth of knowledge and personal mastery of Himalayan art – with its rarely practiced preparation and application of traditional stone ground pigments – is widely recognized by institutions and individual scholars as rare and exceptional.
Report from Diamond Way Buddhism UK Northern Retreat 2011
March 13th, 2011
Yorkshire Dales National Park
Inspired by Lama Ole Nydahl‘s advice and wishes from his last New Year’s Letter “The coming year and on is the time for meditation!”, the Manchester Sangha decided to organize an event which would enable us to deepen our meditation practice. Thus the idea of Northern Retreat originated some time in January this year. After searching a while for a suitable venue we found the perfect place for this purpose.
Peter Malinowski speaks at UNESCO Conference for Intercultural and Interreligious dialogue
March 13th, 2011
UNESCO VII Congress Programme
In 19 February 2011 Dr. Peter Malinowski, lay Diamond Way Buddhist teacher, co-founder of the Liverpool Diamond Way Buddhist Centre and trustee of Diamond Way Buddhism UK, and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University participated, on behalf of Diamond Way Buddhism UK and John Moores University, in the UNESCO Association for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue annual congress in Malaga, Spain, as one of the key speakers.
Information differs from experience – Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche
March 12th, 2011
Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche (1846-1912)
When a man is parched by thirst
The thought of water brings no relief –
Only drinking can quench his thirst:
So information differs from experience.
The exhausting search for information
For mere objective knowledge
Becomes needless with meditative experience
Which quickly leads to equanimity.
– Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyatmso (1846-1912)
From ‘Instructions on Vision in the Middle Way’, published in Lama Mipham: Calm and Clear (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing)
H.H. 16th Karmapa – Black Crown Ceremony, New Hampshire, USA
March 10th, 2011This recording of H.H. the 16th Karmapa performing the the Black Crown ceremony was shot in 16mm by John Karol, at the Cathedral of the Pines, New Hampshire. The year was probably 1981, as H.H. Karmapa’s appearance already shows the signs of the cancer which would eventually lead to his passing in November of that year. Despite his serious illness, through the Black Crown ceremony H.H. Karmapa – the “King of Yogis” – displays his power, dignity and nobility, and proclaims his enlightened state of mind.
This footage is from the “extras” disc which features with the documentary film “Recalling a Buddha” (2009) by Greg Eller. The DVD is available to purchase online at www.karmapaxvi.com.
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche on the Mahamudra Lineage
March 7th, 2011
3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (1954-1992)
“The transmission of Mahamudra does not take place through an intellectual understanding of Buddhist literature. Mahamudra is an oral transmission of the meditation instructions that have been handed down through the Lineage from a Lama to his disciples successively and is based on realization of the instructions. A transmission presupposes realization on the part of a Lama, who is able to transmit the blessings of the Lineage, without any mistakes. This is why the Mahamudra Lineage is extremely pure and beneficial – transmission is based on realization. All meditation instructions are profound and are not a mere collection of information.”
From the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul‘s instructions based on “Pointing Out the Dharmakaya” composed by the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje. Full text here.
Happy Year of the Iron Hare!
March 4th, 2011
Mahakala statue in Rumtek Monastery (photo: Peter Mannox)
Tomorrow, 5 March 2011, marks “Losar” – Tibetan New Year 2138. We wish a happy and auspicious Year of the Female Iron Hare to all our readers.
According to Karma Kagyu tradition, on the last day of the Tibetan year, a day-long practice of Black Coat (Tib. Mahakala Bernagchen) is performed to clear away obstacles and negativity of the old year to foster positive circumstances and progress in Dharma practice in the year ahead. The picture above shows statues of the Karma Kagyu protectors – Black Coat is the central form, flanked by Radiant Goddess (Tib. Palden Lhamo) on the left and Good Diamond (Tib. Dorje Legpa) on the right.
