Karmapa Center 16 commemorates His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa every year on November 5th, the day of his passing at AIC, now called City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center, in Zion, Illinois. In addition to this full day of traditional pujas and practices in Tibetan, we will hold our second 16th Gyalwang Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat on the weekend of November 1 and 2, and practice Amitabha on November 6.
Amitabha Practice on November 6th, 2025
On November 6th, as part of this year’s 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, we will practice the Namchö Dewachen sādhana—“The Recitation Manual for the Sādhana of Sukhāvatī from the Profound Cycle of the Whispered Lineage of the Heart-Treasure of the Namchö.” This Amitabha practice is especially relevant for our time:
- We have the opportunity to act for the benefit of ourselves and others, making our human life meaningful and fruitful.
- Amitabha teaches that genuine aspiration toward Sukhāvatī, combined with focused mind and positive deeds, creates the path for rebirth there. One way of thinking about this is simply as the next moment—supporting both our own well-being and that of the global community day by day.
- To open this path, we need to sincerely aspire to be born in Dewachen, cultivate virtuous actions, and dedicate the merit of these actions for the benefit of all beings.
Making Offerings
Part of this practice includes making offerings and dedicating our practice for loved ones who have recently passed. The prayers and recitations will be chanted in Tibetan. The names of deceased loved ones will be screenshared.
You are warmly invited to join this practice onsite or online–participating through meditation and reciting Amitabha’s mantra–by registering for our 44th Parinirvana Anniversary. You can make a dedicated Amitabha offering during registration by selecting “In honor/memory of.”
16th Gyalwang Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat 2025
In honor of the 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary we will also host our second 16th Gyalwang Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat on November 1 and 2. This will be held online and onsite in Hong Kong with special teachings by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, His Eminence the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche.
We hope you will be joining us to learn more about the inspiring life and teachings of the 16th Karmapa and instructions on elegantly concise and profound Guru Yoga Sadhana, “Rainfall of Nectar,” composed by the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.
- Teachings will be in Tibetan or English with translation into Mandarin, Cantonese and English (when teachings are in Tibetan). Practice sessions will be in Chinese.
- Recordings will be made available on November 12th to all registrants. You will receive information on how to access the recordings via email.
- A Zoom link and more practical information for joining live (online or onsite) will be shared after registration.
Please note that the registration for this Guru Yoga Teaching and our Parinirvāṇa Anniversary on November 5 and 6 are separate.
We hope you will be joining us for our various activities on the occasion of the 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. May we all be inspired by life and teachings of His Holiness and bring the same compassion and enlightened activities into our lives for the benefit of the world.
SCHEDULE
44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary at Karmapa Center 16 and online
All times are shown in the local time zone, Central Standard Time (Chicago). Please note: Daylight Saving Time ends on November 2, 2025.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
| Time (UTC -6)* | Practice |
|---|---|
| 7:30-8:30 am | Breakfast |
| 8:30–9:30 am | Green Tara Practice |
| 9:30–10:00 am | Tea Break |
| 10:00–12:00 pm | Guru Yoga Practice: Session 1 |
| 12:00–2:30 pm | Lunch Break |
| 2:30–3:00 pm | Mahakala Practice |
| 3:30–4:00 pm | Tea Break |
| 4:00–6:00 pm | Guru Yoga Practice: Session 2 |
| 6:00 pm | Dinner |
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.
Thursday, November 6, 2025
| Time (UTC -6)* | Practice |
|---|---|
| 7:30-8:30 am | Breakfast |
| 8:30–9:00 am | Green Tara Practice |
| 9:00–09:30 am | Tea Break |
| 09:30–12:00 pm | Amitabha Practice |
| 12:00 pm | Lunch |
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.
Registration
Please register for our 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary on November 5 and Amitabha practice on November 6th below. After making an offering (of any amount), a resource page with Zoom links and participation information will be automatically emailed to you. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder.
Thank you for being part of this year’s Parinirvāṇa Anniversary. We look forward to practicing with you.
