Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a blessed New Year. May kindness and compassion guide our hearts, bringing well-being and care for everyone.
Sometime at the beginning of 2025, we aspire to publish a summary of Acharya’s commentary on our website. After a break for one week, you are also welcome to join us again for Meditation for All: The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, starting on Sunday, January 5.
As Acharya Lhakpa expressed at the end of last Sunday’s Meditation for All session, may you all have happy holidays and a happy New Year!
It is with heartfelt sorrow that we received the news of the passing into parinirvāṇa of the great Kagyü master, His Eminence Chöje Ayang Rinpoche. His absence will be deeply felt by many within our community and beyond.
In this time of mourning, our resident Lamas at Karmapa Center 16 are offering butter lamps and prayers to support everyone affected by this loss. We invite all to join us in honoring Rinpoche’s memory and legacy.
Last year (2024) marked the 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Preceding our annual pujas and prayers on November 5th, the day of His Holiness’ passing, we hosted our first extensive 16th Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat onsite in Taiwan and online from November 1 to 3. We felt humbled and honored by the hundreds of people who joined us from around the world, and especially for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, who gave a special teaching during this retreat. Below is a summary of the teachings and practices, and how to make guru yoga a lifelong remembrance of the inspiring life and enlightened presence of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.
Day 1: Guru Yoga and Lung of the Rainfall of Nectar
Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche opened our 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat by briefly explaining the meaning and practice of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga, “Rainfall of Nectar,” and the Karmapa’s personal connection with this practice. Rinpoche noted that this was one of the very first Dharma teachings he received, as a small child, from His Holiness.
Later, the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, instructed Rinpoche to offer reading transmissions or lungs of “Rainfall of Nectar” as one of his responsibilities. After Rinpoche received the lung from His Eminence the 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, he then supplicated Gyaltsab Rinpoche to explain how to do the practice and to compose a commentary. Drupon Rinpoche’s teachings on the first evening of our Guru Yoga Teachings were based on His Eminence’s instructions and commentary.
One of the aspects Rinpoche pointed out is how the guru is equal to the Buddhas in terms of excellent qualities. Yet, the guru excels the Buddha in terms of kindness as he/she can directly guide someone to move away from negative qualities and cultivate positive qualities in terms of body, speech, and mind.
Sharing the qualities and activities of the 16th Karmapa, Rinpoche added that His Holiness was able to liberate the mindstream of others with his enlightened speech. Rinpoche shared various stories to illustrate this. He also pointed out how His Holiness’ great love and compassion for animals was made evident by his actions.
In addition to his teachings, explanation of the practice, and reading transmission/lung of the 16th Karmapa’s “Rainfall of Nectar” Guru Yoga practice, Rinpoche said that he doesn’t have the prajna of hearing, the experience of meditation, or the power of giving blessings himself, but through what was offered during the Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat, the compassion and blessings of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa would be transferred to all present. Along these lines, we concluded the evening with the following prayer: “May everyone attain the state of the enlightened body, speech, and mind of the guru.”
Day 2: Devotion and special teaching by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa
On the second day of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat, we started practicing HH16K’s “Rainfall of Nectar,” under the guidance of Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche.
Later that morning, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche gave his first retreat teaching. He shared that “we are very fortunate to have this opportunity to be together and remember such an enlightened master [the 16th Karmapa], and having this opportunity to connect with the heart of the Karmapa lineage through the heart of the guru.” He taught that practicing is the key emphasis of this lineage and, therefore, this lineage is called the practice lineage. He also shared how His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, in countless ways, was the very embodiment of this lineage, which he passed on to others, and how his presence showed the meaning of being a genuine guru, the Buddha in person.
In the afternoon, following another Guru Yoga Practice Session, Acharya Jampa offered more instructions about how we find a guru and, once we do, that our practice is not only something we do on the cushion. We have to put it into action in everyday life and, like the great masters, benefit all sentient beings. By doing so, we can be the enlightened activity of the Karmapa. This is, Acharya Jampa-la said, what His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, always encourages us to be.
In the evening, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa kindly offered a special teaching. He pointed out that the main point of guru yoga is devotion. Since having devotion towards someone you have never seen or met is not that easy, His Holiness said it would be good to hear stories about the 16th Karmapa from those who were familiar with him. This way we can know his activities and qualities. So, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa passed on some of the stories as told by people close to the 16th Karmapa, along with his personal feelings, which concluded our second day.
Day 3: Genuine Practice
Both Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche expressed how fortunate and blessed they felt by receiving teachings and hearing stories about the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Both Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche then generously shared some of their own experiences and offered further instructions on how to practice dharma and deepen our inner experience in general, and how to rely on a genuine guru with a heart of devotion in particular.
Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche pointed out how illness can deepen our experience and understanding of the teachings, like the nine ways of the genuine ones, and the importance of putting them into practice. He also kindly offered some time for questions.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche taught about the five things we need to know regarding guru yoga practice based on the oral lineage of Patrul Rinpoche and his disciples. He emphasized that “the method of relying on the guru is devotion, not protocol.” It is a matter of the heart, he said, not our heads. Through our hearts, we can see the excellent qualities of the guru, have the realization of wisdom arise in our mind-stream, and do everything we can to benefit sentient beings. This concluded our 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat for 2024.
November 5: 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary
The following Tuesday, on November 5th, we commemorated the 43rd anniversary of the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa with our annual pujas and prayers.
We recited the supplication to the Dagpo Kagyü, practiced His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga, sang songs, did Mahakala practice, and made offerings and dedications at Nalandabodhi Taichung’s dharma center, Namkha Ösal. Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche presided over the activities..
Towards the end, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche shared a little bit about the history behind Karmapa Center 16. He pointed out that the place of the passing of a great master, in this case His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, is traditionally considered a sacred area, full of blessings. Therefore, building his Holiness’s Parinirvāṇa Stūpa and the entire Stūpa Project is a way to honor the great dharma king, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. It also offers a place for pilgrimage, study, and practice of the dharma in general, the Kagyü in particular, and especially the lineage of the Karmapas.
Under the guidance of our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, and kindly joined by Lama Tashi Gawa plus many dharma friends onsite and online, our annual parinirvāṇa pujas and guru yoga practices were also held (in Tibetan) at Karmapa Center 16. A beautiful mandala was created with a special statue of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa for the day’s practice. Acharya expressed his gratitude to everyone who helped make this offering possible.
With these practices, we fully concluded the 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.
Words of Gratitude
Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche noted at the conclusion of our Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat and completion of our pujas on Tuesday, November 5th, that we were very fortunate to be able to have this year’s extensive commemoration onsite in Taiwan and online, with teachings on His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga from His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
All of this was only possible thanks to everyone at Karmapa Center 16 in the United States, members of KC16’s team in Taiwan, all benefactors and sponsors, and all volunteers. While many of the volunteers never met His Holiness the 16th Karmapa in person, everyone helped so much through their appreciation of His Holiness’ kindness and enlightened activities.
It is with deep gratitude that we were able to gather and practice together onsite and online, with the presence of the sacred relics of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.
In the words of Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche: “I want to thank His Holiness the 17th Karmapa for his great compassion, giving us the lung (reading transmission) of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga, and teaching us about Rangjung Rigpe Dorje’s life and enlightened qualities. I want to thank Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche for his teachings on Guru Yoga and personal advice. Finally, I want to thank all coming from far and wide for this year’s significant anniversary of the 16th Karmapa. Thank you.”
We feel extremely grateful and blessed for the precious words by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and wish for His Holiness to live long and continue to benefit all sentient beings.
May all of our activities to remember and honor the compassion and enlightened activities of the 16th Karmapa, along with putting the teachings of the Dharma and the lineage of the Karmapas into action, be for the benefit of everyone in this world.
Karmapa Khyenno!
PHOTO GALLERY
Next year: 44th parinirvāṇa anniversary
Together with our annual pujas and prayers on November 5th, 2025, we will commemorate His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, with another guru yoga weekend retreat from October 31st till November 2nd, onsite in Hong Kong and online. Please save the date and join us again to make guru yoga a lifelong remembrance of the inspiring life and enlightened presence of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa.
Do you wish to get closer to the meaning and feel of the Buddha’s teachings, and/or the compositions and commentaries by the great Tibetan Buddhist masters? One way to do so is to read the original texts in their source language.
This November 17, Karmapa Center 16’s resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, will begin teaching on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva during our Sunday Meditation for All. We will also start studying this precious text, written by the great master Ngülchu Thogme Zangpo, in KC16’s Tibetan Language Class, in the original Tibetan. We will study literary Tibetan, grammar, and also the art of translating during this online class.
Why read the Thirty-Seven Practices in Tibetan?
Translating the text into our own mother tongue, or other languages, not only enriches and deepens our understanding and practice of the dharma, it also allows us to share the teachings and offer perspectives to others who do not know Tibetan but wish to get closer to the author’s intent.
If you are interested in reading The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva in Tibetan and learning (literary or classical) Tibetan in general, then please join us and register below. This is a continuation of our current class, so some knowledge of Tibetan, or the willingness to study the basics (especially the alphabet and pronunciation), is needed to make the class meaningful for all participants.
Online Class
The class is online from 7 to 8.30 pm (Central Time, Chicago, US) on Sundays. Recordings are made available to all participants to review or catch up on when you can’t join live. If you have any questions about this class, please write an email to communications@karmapacenter16.org.
Thirty-seven points for working with our mind
We look forward to studying Tibetan and this root text that, as Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche points out, “contains thirty-seven key points for working with our mind, first through taming—finding a way to bring the mind home, to a state of calmness and clarity—and then through cultivating the heart of kindness and compassion. It is, in fact, a practical guide on how to follow the path of the bodhisattvas, verse by verse.”
Let’s travel together on this path of compassion.
Karmapa Khyenno!
Registration
Making an offering or donation is optional and is not required to register for our Tibetan Language Class: 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva. You can join for free by selecting a ‘free ticket’. If you would like, you can make a donation to support our Stūpa Project. After selecting a ‘free ticket’ or making an offering (of any amount) below, the Zoom link and other practical information will be delivered in a confirmation email.
Please join KC16 on Sundays for a new Meditation for All series on The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.
Beginning November 17, our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, will start teaching on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva during our Sunday Meditation for All program.
The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva presents an alternative way of thinking, of relating to the outer and inner worlds of everyday living. It is a refreshing, revolutionary, and radical approach to a life that is worth exploring. — Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, foreword
Practices for everyday life
As usual, everyone is welcome, and no prior experience is needed. Acharya Lhakpa will start each session with a guided meditation, and then offer commentary on this precious text and how to put the teachings into practice in our daily lives.
For online access, please register here for the Zoom link. From November 17 onwards, our sessions will begin at 10:30 am and finish around 11:30 am Central Standard Time (Chicago, US). Can’t join us live or would like to review a session? Please know that we’ll share recordings that you can view or review for 21 days on a dedicated resource page.
We are looking forward to practicing and traveling the path of compassion together under the guidance of Acharya Lhakpa-la and the blessings of the lineage of the Karmapas.
Karmapa Khyenno!
Registration
Making an offering or donation is optional and is not required to register for our Meditation for All: 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva. You can join for free by selecting a ‘free ticket’. If you would like, you can make a donation to support our Stūpa Project or make a teaching offering for Acharya Lhakpa, KC16’s resident teacher, of any amount. After selecting a ‘free ticket’ or making an offering below, the Zoom link and other practical information will be delivered in a confirmation email.
Reading 37 Practices in Tibetan: KC16’s Tibetan Language Class
While Acharya Lhakpa starts teaching on The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva during our Sunday Meditation for All, we will also start studying this precious text, written by the great master Ngülchu Thogme Zangpo, in KC16’s Tibetan Language Class, in the original Tibetan. We will study literary Tibetan, grammar, and also the art of translating during this online class.
Karmapa Center 16 commemorates His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa every year on November 5th, the day of his passing at the clinic which is now called City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center, in Zion, Illinois. Under the guidance of our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, and Lama Tashi Gawa, we will be hosting a full day of pujas and practice in Tibetan. Please register below to receive the Zoom link. If you’d like to join onsite, please make sure you indicate this on the registration form.
We are also deeply honored that our friends in Taiwan will be hosting a 16th Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat with a special teaching by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, as well as practices and teachings by our advisor, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and our president, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, from November 1 to 3, and November 5. You can join online (via Zoom) or onsite. Teachings will be in English or Tibetan with translation into English and Chinese. Recordings will be made available to all registrants.
In addition to the teachings, this special retreat includes a traditional lung (oral transmission) of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Sadhana (from Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche), and practicing this Guru Yoga together in the presence of sacred relics of His Holiness.
Please find a tentative schedule below. Registration includes access to both the Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat and the Parinirvana commemoration. When you register, we will share the Zoom links, how to access recordings, and other practical information. For more information and registration in Chinese, please visit KC16 Taiwan’s Facebook Page.
May we always honor the radiant compassion and enlightened activities of His Holiness.
After making an offering (of any amount) below, a resource page with Zoom links and participation information for the Taiwan and KC16 Wadsworth events will be automatically emailed.
Please see the detailed schedule of pujas prior to the 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary program. The Zoom link will be delivered in a confirmation email. Thank you for being part of this year’s Parinirvāṇa Activities and kind support.
Offering prayers, making aspirations, and many supplications to Tārā, KC16 joined Nalandabodhi’s ninth Annual Tārā Drupchen from our shrine room together with friends onsite and online from all around the world.
Tārā is not only one of the most popular deities in the Buddhist world and part of the Vajrayana tradition. Tārā was also one of the main practices of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Ranjung Rigpe Dorje, and is taught to be a very powerful practice, with vast blessings, and immeasurable kindness.
We would like to express our gratitude to Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Nalandabodhi for organizing this Tārā Drupchen, and a special thanks to our dear resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering for his presence, practice, and guidance at KC16.
We concluded this year by chanting the Aspiration for the World, composed by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
In the spirit of this song, which is like a poem or doha, may we transform the world into a pure realm, a world that is equal for all, loving, warm, and where all creatures can experience peace, joy, and freedom. And, as the final words of this poem read, “filled with the many sweet scents of freedom. May we fulfill our countless and boundless wishes.”
We feel extremely fortunate to announce there will be a Ullambana Festival Puja this year with our precious Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche on August 16 and 17 (Chicago Time).
The origins of this festival can be found in the Ullambana Sutra and is traditionally celebrated throughout the centuries in Asia during the 7th month of the lunar calendar. It relates to the story of Buddha’s disciple Maudgalyāyana wanting to repay his mother’s kindness. Therefore, this month focus on generosity to accumulate merit in general and the dedication of our practice for the benefit of our parents and ancestors.
Please find the schedule of teachings and practices below, how you can join us online, and make auspicious offerings during this special puja.
Schedule
Starts Live at 8PM (Chicago Time, CT) DAY 1 (August 16) – Oral teachings & Essential teachings; Namchö, The Sky Dharma Maha Sukhavati Sadhana (Tibetan/Chinese)
DAY 2 (August 17) – Namchö, The Sky Dharma Maha Sukhavati Sadhana (Tibetan/Chinese), Tsok Offering
On the occasion of this special Ullambana Festival Puja, you can make auspicious offerings. Find below the various options for donations and fill in the form to donate.
Learn more here about the auspicious offering options.
Sage Millennium Buddha Offering. Supporting the Relic Hall – For 1,550 USD, you can permanently sponsor a Buddha statue in the Nirvana Holy Land Relic Hall
(All donations will be used for the construction of the Relic Hall; installment payments are available; donation receipts can be issued for tax deduction).
Tsatsa Offering. Supporting the Relic Hall – For 2,062 USD, you can connect with a Tsa Tsa stupa prayer shrine.
Deceased – Option 1. Friends and relatives can place the most meaningful items of the deceased, such as clothes, jewelry, photos, rosaries, etc., in the Nirvana Holy Land. The sangha lamas will make a Tsa Tsa clay stupa and enshrine it together with the memorial items of the deceased as a source of blessings.
Deceased – Option 2. Regardless of how long the deceased has passed away, a portion of their ashes can be handed over to the Nirvana Holy Land, where the lamas will make a Tsa Tsa clay stupa to be permanently enshrined in the Nirvana Holy Land.
Pre-Reservation. It is also possible to pre-reserve a Tsa Tsa clay stupa shrine during one’s lifetime.
(All donations will be used for the construction of the Relic Hall; installment payments are available; the Karmapa 16th Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States; donations to the Karmapa 16th Center are tax-deductible according to U.S. law; the names of donors will be permanently kept in the Relic Hall of His Holiness and will be blessed and prayed for eternally).
Karmapa Center 16 offers its heartfelt condolences to all the nunneries, students, and all who are mourning the passing into parinirvāṇa of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche on June 22, 2024.
I remember the great kindness of Khenpo Rinpoche for teaching us the buddhadharma in general, and in particular, instructing us in the Kagyü tradition. Practicing in accordance with Rinpoche’s wishes and instructions, I offer my prayers and devotion – may all of them be accomplished.
On the occasion of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s birthday, resident monastics and lay visitors made special offerings and prayers at Karmapa Center 16, presided over by our dear Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche.
ཀརྨ་པ་གསུམ་པ་རང་བྱུང་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གསུངས་འཛམ་གླིང་སྤྱི་བསང་དང་། ཀརྨ་པ་ཨོ་རྒྱན་ཕྲིན་ལས་རྡོ་རྗེའི་གསུངས་གསེར་ལྡན་རྔ་སྒྲའི་བསང་མཆོད། The universal smoke offering for the world as taught by the great third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, and the purifying offerings with fire and the sound of the drum, as taught by the precious 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
