年份彙整: 2025 年

44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa

Karmapa Center 16 commemorates His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa every year on November 5, 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 6, 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 because:

  • 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 or Dewachen, combined with focused mind and positive deeds, creates the path for rebirth there. One way of thinking about rebirth 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 or Sukhāvatī, 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 join us to learn more about the inspiring life and teachings of the 16th Karmapa and to receive 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 12 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. 

Join Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat

We hope you will join 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
8:30 – 09:30 amGreen Tara Practice
9:30–10:00 amTea Break
10:00–12:00 pmGuru Yoga Practice: Session 1
12:00–2:30 pmLunch Break
2:30–3:30 pmMahakala Practice
3:30–4:00 pmTea Break
4:00–6:00 pmGuru Yoga Practice: Session 2
6:00 pmDinner
*Schedule for KC16 pujas onsite in Wadsworth, IL, USA on November 5, 2025
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Time (UTC -6)*Practice
8:30–9:00 amGreen Tara Practice
9:00–09:30 amTea Break
09:30–12:00 pmAmitabha Practice
12:00 pmLunch
*Schedule for KC16 pujas onsite in Wadsworth, IL, USA on November 5, 2025
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 6 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. 

Guided by Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, Our Groundwork is Moving Forward

In May of 2015, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, blessed the proposed site of the Parinirvāṇa Stūpa at Karmapa Center 16. Ten years later, almost to the month, the lamas at the Center held traditional pujas and a Vase Ceremony in preparation for the construction of the temple that will house the Parinirvāṇa Stūpa for His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. From aspiration to manifestation, a decade of collective, continuous, and heartfelt effort led to groundbreaking for the Stūpa Temple, which will house the Parinirvāṇa Stūpa, and other buildings in July, 2025. 

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Sacred Site

Rangjung Rigpe Dorje was the first Karmapa to display parinirvāṇa outside of Tibet. There is no coincidence that His Holiness did so here in Zion, Illinois, consecrating this site as sacred. The Parinirvāṇa Stūpa will be a physical commemoration of His Holiness, encouraging and allowing visitors to make a direct connection with him. 1

“There is a spiritual power in the earth of a sacred place, and it influences the activities performed there,” Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, advisor to KC16, once said. “A sacred place has the energy to bring more joy, compassion, love and awakening from a deep state of delusion. …when we recollect the life-example of His Holiness, full of loving-kindness and compassion, we can extract blessings to manifest those teachings in our own life.”

Stūpas not only represent the enlightenment and/or the life activities of great lineage masters like the 16th Karmapa, they also benefit and protect the environment, and offer a source of merit for countless beings, now and in the future.

Throughout the construction of the Temple and other buildings, we remain steadfast in our commitment to honor the vast love and care that His Holiness embodied for all beings. There are and will be necessary changes to the land, yet we are inspired by the blessings the Temple will bring for the birds and other animals who live here, and for the practitioners and pilgrims who visit or stay for retreats. 

First next steps

Before the engineers and construction team could begin their work, the site needed clearing. The first step, taken by our devoted volunteers and kind friends from Asia, was to respectfully take down the prayer flags marking the circumference of the Temple. It was a poignant moment to see the flags removed, after their sending prayers and blessings on the wind for so many years, yet it meant an exciting move closer toward the building of the Temple.

Next, with great care, the lamas gently cut the grasses—revealing the spaciousness and beauty of the grounds—to prepare the land for the engineers, workers, volunteers, and machines to lay the necessary pipes, pumps, and underground infrastructure. 

With utmost attention and prayers, we are now enlarging and deepening our beautiful, natural pond that has long been a peaceful refuge for birds and other beings at KC16. The change will continue to bring well-being to countless creatures, and if needed, serve as a source of water for the future Parinirvāṇa Stūpa Temple. 

Next spring or maybe sooner, we will place a statue of Guru Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) in the center—the heart—of the pond and humbly dedicate it to the benefit of all who visit. We hope it will help make the future residence of the 17th Karmapa a calm and inspiring place for His Holiness whenever he honors us with a visit. 

A Meaningful Journey

As the work continues, each small action becomes part of a steady, meaningful journey, moving the project forward day by day, week by week, with the support and aspirations of you, all our friends and community around the world. Under the caring guidance of our president, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, we can move not only this project forward, but also find inspiration to progress on our personal spiritual path and bring our shared aspirations for the world to fruition.

Every step, both seen and unseen, inspires confidence, trust, and devotion. All the ongoing groundwork is in service to the Karmapa lineage and the enduring presence of the teachings. Our shared project is dedicated to the benefit of beings for generations to come. Your continued support makes it all possible; it is deeply appreciated and gratefully received.

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  1. The aspiration of Karmapa Center 16 is to establish a place for pilgrimage, meditation, retreat, study, and refuge, in honor of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Building a Temple for His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Parinirvana Stupa will offer powerful connections with the compassionate life example and teachings of HH the 16th Karmapa. Creating this temple will fulfill vast aspirations to benefit beings and encourage individuals to visit for pilgrimage, study, and practice of the dharma in general, the Kagyü in particular, and especially the lineage of the Karmapas. ↩︎

For the World: Our First Shared Kora and Guru Yoga in Kathmandu

During the month of July, over 108 practitioners from around the world joined together for Karmapa Center 16’s first shared walk or “kora” (circumambulation) practice at the Boudha Stūpa (Jarung Kashor) in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Preparing for Our Walks

Before our practice began, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche kindly shared some personal reflections on pilgrimage. Through the generosity of several organizations, we prepared a small bag with practical items to support participants on their walks around the Stūpa. Each bag also included a calligraphy card by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, as well as caring instructions for kora practice from Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

The Experience of Walking Around the Boudha Stūpa

Some participants began their walks in the quiet hours before dawn, while others came during the day or evening, joining the continuous stream of devoted Dharma practitioners walking around the Stūpa. In just a few days—or slowly, over the span of several weeks—everyone completed at least 108 circumambulations around this sacred place.

The practice was deeply felt by everyone. One participant shared the following heartfelt words:

“Since I could feel this practice was for the benefit of all living beings,
Every step became charged with mindfulness.
While we are circumambulating the Stūpa in this way,
I felt our aspirations could reverse the wheel of karma.
Slowly removing all obstacles,
Alleviating disasters,
Big things become small,
Small things become nothing.
So, when feeling tired
I encouraged myself to continue.
Circumambulating as much as I could.
Since the more I walk,
The more sentient beings could benefit.”

Many described feeling the gaze of the Buddha above them, and spoke about the inspiration and support they found through this shared practice. The experience of walking kora held an extra layer of significance for many, as this period also coincided with the Parinirvana Anniversary of Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche—a direct student of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa and a great Kagyü master. This alignment further deepened our practice and strengthened our resolve to walk in their footsteps, inspired by their lives and teachings. 

It was heartwarming to hear their stories and how they felt joining the kora practice during this time was a real support on their spiritual path and encouragement to continue practicing the Dharma after returning home. 

16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga and Tshok Offering

During this month of July, On July 6, 2025, Karmapa Center 16 organized its first Guru Yoga practice and Tshok offering at the sacred Boudha Stupa (Jarung Kashor) in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the kind support of our friends at Dilyak Monastery—located near the Stupa and the residence of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa during his pilgrimages and teachings in Nepal.

A large tent was set up with a thangka of His Holiness at the center of a beautiful mandala. Under the gaze of the Buddha’s eyes from the Stupa, everyone—onsite and online—came together to practice the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga, Rainfall of Nectar, with heartfelt devotion. We chanted the mantra together, invoking the blessings of the guru for our path and awaken the enlightened qualities from within—Karmapa Khyenno!

Soon after completing the practice and tshok offering, a heavy rain began to fall, as if blessing the gathering.

Walking the Path of Freedom for the Benefit of All

We extend our deep gratitude to all who participated and all who supported our kora and guru yoga practice in countless ways. The funds raised, and the merit generated through our collective effort, will help advance our ongoing Stūpa Project, and we hope it may inspire many more to walk the path of freedom, for the benefit of all.

Karmapa Khyenno!

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我們的心念狀態如何？ 大眾禪修 之 《佛子行三十七頌》開示 第二十一期

作為一名佛子，時刻以正念和專注來修行是十分重要的。如阿闍黎拉巴所講，無著賢菩薩的《佛子行三十七頌》第三十四到第三十七頌引領我們來到修行的核心。若非如此，我們便無法達成掃除一切眾生之苦的修行目標。

止禪修持與利他發願

佛陀釋迦牟尼曾教導說，在做出任何行為之始，我們都應當為了利益一切眾生而發願成就佛果，無論遠近、無有遺漏。此外，為了能夠真正利益自己與他人，我們需要具備一顆可用之心（可調伏、訓練的心）。正因如此，止禪的修行就顯得至關重要。

當我們環顧四周或觀看新聞時，可能會覺得自己無法直接利益某些個人或群體。然而，我們仍然可以懷著一顆願心，希望自己的修行能夠利益到他們。我們可以在心中這樣發願：「願我今天的修行，在長遠中成為能夠利益你的因緣。」懷著這一想法，我們一起修持了止禪。

語言文字如蜜如花

在止禪的禪修練習過後，阿闍黎繼續對無著賢菩薩的《佛子行三十七頌》第三十四頌進行開示：

粗語傷害他人心
失誤佛子之行儀
故於他人所不悅
斷惡言是佛子行

（英譯 克里斯托弗·斯塔格《佛子行三十七頌導引》 中譯 索達吉堪布）

阿闍黎提醒我們，佛子修行的核心就是為了利益他人而修行。如果我們對他人說出惡語，不僅會傷害對方，也會令自己的修行減弱乃至退轉。他引用了聖者龍樹菩薩給予其友——樂行國王（King Surabhibhadra）的教誨：言語應當溫和悅耳，如同蜂蜜或花朵一般。

阿闍黎以父母與子女的關係為例指出，這並不意味著我們永遠不能說重話。正如大乘教法所教導的那樣，如果我們的出發點是真誠地為了利益他人，並且我們確信自己的言行確實能夠達到這個目的，那麼是可以這樣做的。因此，在某些情況下，嚴厲的言語也可能成為一種利益的方式。

然而，無著賢菩薩所強調的核心要點，仍然是斷除惡語。我們的常駐導師指出，其原因其實我們每個人從自身經驗中早已明白。佛陀釋迦牟尼也教導我們，可以以自己為觀察的出發點。正如阿闍黎所說：

「正如你自己不願被他人傷害，也不要去傷害他人。當有人對你說出惡語時，你會感到受傷。因此，走慈悲之道的修行者——佛子們——會避免使用惡語。」

勿失獲得解脫良機

作為初學者，我們或許無法做到盡善盡美，然而隨著修行的深入，我們會逐漸學習、逐漸趨近於目標。這一點，同樣適用於下一頌——第三十五頌：

煩惱串習則難治
念知士持對治劍
貪等煩惱初生時
鏟除其是佛子行

由於長久養成的習氣，要斷除一切煩惱的根本——對自我的執著——是極其困難的，甚至幾乎不可能。阿闍黎指出，這種根本的無明，被寂天菩薩（Śāntideva）比喻為一位國王，而其他的煩惱則如同他的臣子與士兵。鑒於國王的巨大威勢，我們不可能一開始就直接擊敗他，因此我們先與那些臣子與士兵交戰。

同樣地，扎楚·阿旺丹增諾布（Dzatrul Ngawang Tenzin Norbu）在《佛子行三十七頌指引》中也談到：應當以「對治」為武器，來戰勝「煩惱」這一敵人。阿闍黎表示，雖然以戰爭和戰鬥為喻在某些層面上可能存在問題，但這些譬喻背後的意義卻直指核心要點：

「若在戰鬥中失去了寶劍，便有喪命之危；同樣地，若我們失去了正念與專注，就可能失去獲得解脫與圓滿遍知的機會。因此，佛子應當時刻保持正念與警覺。」

這就是我們應當了然於心的含義。

制約平衡

接下來的第三十六頌，指出了此前所有修持的核心所在，其內容如下：

總之何處行何事
當察自心何相狀
恆以正知及正念
修行利他佛子行

阿闍黎提醒我們，佛子的修行可由六度波羅蜜多作為總結。在發心利益他人的前提下，我們的行為應當如是。同時，無著賢菩薩特別指出正念與專注的重要性。阿闍黎解釋說，我們可以將這兩者視為內在的「制衡機制」：我們的發心是否真的是為了利益他人？我們是否記得自己的修行？正念的品質，能在我們遺忘時令教法浮現於心；而專注，則幫助我們持續保持這份覺知。

為利益眾生而放下我執，證得佛果

第三十七頌講的是迴向，作為最終修持：

如是勤修所生善
為除無邊眾生苦
以淨三輪之智慧
迴向菩提佛子行

佛子們發願為了一切有情眾生而成就佛果。為此，我們修持六度，以積聚福德與智慧。正如阿闍黎在前幾次課程中所解釋的，六度中有些是用來積聚福德的，有些則是用來積聚智慧的。在這一頌中，他指出，無著賢菩薩再次強調了我們所需的智慧——超越三輪的智慧。

阿闍黎教導說，歸根結底，這意味著我們需要放下。以布施為例，他解釋道，我們通常會將「自己是施者」「施的行為」以及「受施者」這三者聯繫在一起。正因如此，我們便落入了對「自我」的執著與種種概念的執取之中，從而被束縛在痛苦的輪迴之中。因此，我們要放下對這三輪的分別念。

這樣便能積累智慧。再與福德的積累相結合，正如無著賢菩薩所教導的那樣，這將有助於我們實現最終的目標：「[…] 斷除無量眾生之苦。」

最後，我們迴向功德。阿闍黎誠摯地邀請大家下週日再度相聚，一同繼續學習與修行。

與佛法相契：大眾禪修 之 《佛子行三十七頌》開示 第二十期

與其關注他人或者執著於世間八法，我們真正應當做的是檢視我們的自心並且去除一切迷惑。如阿闍黎拉巴所講述的，無著賢菩薩所著《佛子行三十七頌》中第三十至三十二頌，所強調的重中之重，便是與佛法相契的修持。這些教言教導我們應當捨棄何種執著？

利益無有遠近

如往常一樣，我們以發菩提心作為本次學習的起始。我們可以在腦海中思量身邊人的痛苦、悲傷與苦難：包括我們的朋友、家人、鄰居，以及周圍的社區。此外，我們也可以念及世上一切正在遭受苦難的人——無論是個人、群體，還是整個國家，無論是因自然災害，還是人為的衝突所帶來的苦。

我們總是以止禪的修持開始我們的禪修課程，帶著清晰而堅定的發心：為了自己及一切有情——無論人類或非人類，無論遠近，無有例外——獲得自由、安樂與解脫的利益而修行。

如法行為

阿闍黎以第三十一頌的講解繼續他的開示：

若不細察己迷惑
以法形象行非法
是故恆察己過失
斷除其是佛子行

（英譯 克里斯托弗·斯塔格《佛子行三十七頌導引》 中譯 索達吉堪布）

阿闍黎解釋說，這一段頌文的主旨是在於我們應當檢視我們自身的迷惑。這意味著我們必須仔細地觀察我們身語意的諸行為，即三門。我們是否被三毒——貪瞋癡所污染？如是，我們應當修持六波羅蜜多，但那只是外表看似如法，內裡卻並不如法。對此，噶當派祖師達波仁波切（岡波巴）也在《勝道寶鬘》中有教導：

「你或許帶著信念而進入了佛法之門，但若不依佛法修行，反而會種下墮落惡趣的因，而無從獲得真實利益。」

阿闍黎進一步以日常生活中的例子加以說明，指出所謂依佛法修行，就是要不斷檢視自身的迷惑。不去關注他人，而是要時時保持覺知，關注自己的身語意行為。無論是在正式的禪修之中，還是在禪修之後的一整天當中，都應如此，這是非常重要的。阿闍黎特別強調：這正是佛子所應踐行的修持。

消除一切眾生的迷惑

隨後的第三十二頌簡要地重述了前文的要點：

以惑宣說佛子過
以彼減弱自功德
故入大乘士之過
不宣說是佛子行

通過講述竹慶寺著名上師巴楚仁波切（1808–1887）的一位弟子的故事，以及如何修持安忍，阿闍黎進一步強調了修行應著重於調伏自心，而非執著於關注或試圖改變他人的思想。

我們或許可以試圖遠離那些引發我們固有習氣的人事物，甚至試圖通過指出他人的過失來消除一切迷惑。但由於有情眾生的數量廣闊無邊，這樣做毫無意義。而且，如果我們在煩惱情緒的驅使下指出他人的過失，不僅會傷害對方，也會損減我們自身的修行。

因此，我們應當調伏自心，將貪執等毒從自相續中驅除。事實上，教法中指出：當我們自心的迷惑得以清除時，也就等同於清除了如虛空般無量眾生的迷惑。

斷除世間八法

前兩頌從三毒的角度教導我們如何斷除內心的迷惑。接下來的第三十三頌，則以「財敬」為例，從世間八法的角度進一步說明應當如何捨棄迷惑。

貪圖財敬互爭執
減弱聞思修之業
故於親友施主家
斷除貪心佛子行

世間有八種法或稱「八風 」：利與失、名與衰、譽與毀、樂與苦。以「譽與毀 」這一對為例，阿闍黎解釋了它們背後共同的心理模式：我們通常喜歡被稱讚，討厭被批評。而佛子則不同，他對這兩者都不執著，保持平等心與淡然的態度。

「 如果我們被諸如讚譽與責難這類短暫無常之事所牽制，並賦予它們過多的意義，我們在聞、思、修上的修行便會衰退。因此，我們不應強烈地執著於喜惡之事。這正是佛子的修行。」

我們或許是一位統領天下的偉大國王，執掌全國上下；也可能是已經出家，卻仍然對在家施主心存依戀之人。而他們之中的佛子，無論身處何種地位、面臨何種對境， 都會一一捨棄一切執著，無有例外。捨離執著，正是無著賢菩薩所教導的另一種我們必須放下的內容。

我們迴向功德作為本次學習的結束。

噶瑪巴千諾！

尋找我們的解脫之路 ：大眾禪修 之 《佛子行三十七頌》開示 第十九期

雖然佛陀所傳的教法中有種種不同的修行方法與道路，阿闍黎拉巴指出，它們的目的卻無二——皆為證得佛果。那麼，在菩薩的無畏之道中，禪修扮演著怎樣的角色？智慧的修持又應當如何理解？無著賢菩薩在《佛子行三十七頌》的第二十九與第三十頌中對此予以解釋。

止禪：放下抗拒

在止禪修持的初始階段，我們應發願：為了一切有情眾生的真實解脫與安樂而修行，並認真地調整身體的坐姿。在本次課程中，重點在於我們如何對待出現在感官中的一切現象——無論是看似外在的事物，還是內在的體驗。

在止禪修持過程中，無論出現什麼，我們都不應抗拒。換言之，我們接納、容許一切浮現於心中的內容，並將注意力帶回當下這一刻。通過這樣的方式，我們得以調伏與訓練內心，進而圓滿菩薩所修的諸波羅蜜行。

三乘教法：殊途同歸

作為佛法修行者，我們可能會接觸到各種不同的教法與修持方式，有時甚至看起來彼此矛盾。然而，對此阿闍黎強調：“無論傳授多少種不同的方法，其本意都是一致的。” 這在釋迦牟尼佛於諸經典所說的話中得以明確表達：

“知苦，斷集，證滅，修道。”

這是三乘——小乘、大乘與金剛乘——所共同依循的基本原則。與此同時，這三者在側重點、見解及修持方法上又各有不同：

  • 在小乘的道路上，修行的重點在於自身從輪迴苦中解脫。
  • 在大乘的道路上，我們不但尋求自身的解脫，更發願為利益一切眾生而成就證悟。
  • 在金剛乘的道路上，證悟被教導為自身早已具足的品性，並非將來才可成就的。其修行重點在於：我們如何認出並顯現這一本性？

因此，雖說修行的究竟目標相同，但所依的方法各異，因而所行之道也有所不同。

止禪（Samatha） (calm-abiding) 與內觀（Vipasyana） (special insight)

在建立了這一理解的基礎上，阿闍黎接著引導我們進入無著賢菩薩《佛子行三十七頌》的第二十九頌，其中寫道：

已知具寂之勝觀
能斷一切煩惱障
遠離四處無色心
修習禪定佛子行

（英譯 克里斯托弗·斯塔格《佛子行三十七頌導引》 中譯 索達吉堪布）

這一頌所闡明的是第五度——禪定波羅蜜多。雖然三乘中包含了許多不同的禪修法門，但大體上都可歸納為兩類：止禪與內觀。阿闍黎結合梵文術語的詞源意義，對此作了如下解釋：

  • 止禪或稱禪定寂靜，是指我們不為外境所擾——如色、聲、香等外在對象，也不被內在煩惱情緒所牽動。雖然我們平時以為自己能夠掌控內心，但當真正開始修習止禪時，才會發現自己其實並不了解心的運作與本質。通過持續練習，即使每天只有五到十分鐘，我們也能逐漸提高專注力，安住於寂靜安穩的狀態之中。
  • 所謂「內觀」這一修法，指的是我們開始對現實進行分析。例如我們眼睛所見的筆等感官對象，是否本質上真實存在、獨立成立？若我們細緻觀察，便會發現世間萬事萬物並非如表面所顯那般真實。我們將會意識到，一切現象皆依他而生，彼此依存；我們所賦予它們的名稱，不過是心識的假立而已。這不僅適用於我們稱之為「筆」的事物——無論它長或短，也同樣適用於我們心中所界定的敵人、朋友，甚至包括「自己」。

在三乘當中，以上兩類禪修都需兼修並行，不可偏廢。

四無色定

將止禪與內觀相結合，能夠逐步提升我們內心的專注力，使心長時間安住於同一對境而不動。通過這樣的修持，便能趨入無著賢菩薩所提及的四無色定。這些是禪定吸收（深定）中的專注境界，在其中，我們對現象的感知方式已異於尋常：

  1. 空無邊處定；
  2. 識無邊處定；
  3. 無所有處定；
  4. 非想非非想處定。

儘管修習止禪和內觀能夠引導我們趨入這些更高層次的禪定境界，阿闍黎特別強調：這些仍屬於苦的世間，尚未超出輪迴。菩薩的修行，則是更進一步，徹底超越生死輪迴。正因如此，無著賢菩薩才寫道：「遠離四處無色心，修習禪定佛子行。」

智慧（Prajñā）修持前行 (Wisdom)

在下一頌——第三十頌中，無著賢菩薩指出了第六也是最後一度：般若，即智慧或勝義智。

若無智慧以五度
不得圓滿菩提果
故具方便離三輪
修習智慧佛子行

雖然般若（智慧）被教導為最重要的波羅蜜多，是我們最終所追求的目標，但阿闍黎指出，這一頌說明：若無禪修，智慧便無從生起。因此，他說，我們可以將禪修視為智慧生起的前行與準備，是不可或缺的修持。

此外，正如在先前的課程中所指出的，要使禪修得以順利進行，首先必須圓滿精進；而精進則有賴於安忍的修習；安忍又依於持戒；在持戒之前，更須從布施開始修行。因此，智慧的生起依賴於前面所修的五種波羅蜜多。阿闍黎說道：「 若無這五度作基礎，我們將無法證得智慧。」

超越三輪

以此方式理解佛子的修行，第三十頌關於般若的後兩句也揭示了佛法修持的根本目的：證得無我智慧。

首先，我們需要明白何謂「三輪」。阿闍黎以相互連接的鎖鏈為喻，說明三輪如同將我們囿於輪迴的因，三輪本質上源於深深串習的分別心——執著於一個真實存在的「我」。由此產生三個層面：能行者、所行法與所緣境。例如，在修習布施時，我們通常會認為自己是「給予者」（能行者），行為是「布施」（所行法），而對方則是「受施者」（所緣境）。

對這三輪的分別執著，正是我們在智慧的修持中所要放下的。阿闍黎說道：「這正是我們要超越、要捨棄的。」他接著說：「智慧的修行，就是捨棄三輪的修行。若我們仍執著於三輪，就會繼續被繫縛在輪迴之中，這就如同迷失在一座迷宮裡。」因此，智慧的修持可以理解為：找到通出輪迴之迷的道路。

阿闍黎以對諸位同修的感謝作為本次課程的結束。他祝願大家度過美好的一天並且誠摯地邀請大家下週日繼續一同學習。之後，我們迴向本次學習之功德。

A Personal Note on Pilgrimage from Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche

གཤམ་གྱི་བོད་ཡིག་ལ་གཟིགས། 见以下中文

Dear dharma friends,

When embarking on a pilgrimage to sacred sites, the most important thing is to first understand the reasons and significance behind visiting these holy places—their historical background, the benefits they offer, and how to maintain proper motivation throughout the journey.

Begin by taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Then, make efforts to accumulate merit and purify obscurations. Finally, conclude the pilgrimage with dedication and aspiration prayers; these steps are essential.

During the pilgrimage, make a personal commitment—such as, “From today onward, I will maintain a five-minute daily meditation practice without interruption.” Carrying this intention throughout your pilgrimage will make the entire journey extraordinarily meaningful and powerful.

Sending heartfelt blessings,
Dilyak Drupon

P.S. This July, 2025, Karmapa Center 16 is organizing for the first time a month-long practice of walking around (“doing kora”) the Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu (Nepal). If you are in Kathmandu and would like to join in this practice, please visit us at Dilyak Monastery (near Boudha Stupa). 

༈ རྣམ་པ་ཚོ་གནས་སྐོར་ལ་ཕེབས་པའི་སྐབས་སུ།  གནས་སྐོར་དུ་འགྲོ་བའི་དགོས་པ་རྒྱུ་མཚན།  གནས་དེ་དག་གི་ཁུངས་ལུང་ལོ་རྒྱུས་དང་ཕན་ཡོན། འགྲོ་སྐབས་ཀུན་སློང་ཁྱེར་ཚུལ་མཁྱེན་དགོས་རྒྱུ་གལ་ཆེ། 

ཐོག་མར་སྐྱབས་འགྲོ་དང་གཞན་ཕན་བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་བསྐྱེད་ཀྱི་རྩིས་ཟིན་པ།  བར་དུ་ཚོགས་བསགས་སྒྲིབ་སྦྱང་ལ་འབད་པ།  མཇུག་ཏུ་བསྔོ་བ་སྨོན་ལམ་བཟང་པོའི་མཐར་རྒྱན་པར་བྱ་རྒྱུ་ནི་གལ་ཆེ་བ་ཡིན།

གནས་མཇལ་སྐབས་རང་ཉིད་ནས། དཔེར་ན་དེ་རིང་ནས་བཟུང་ངེས་ཉིན་རེར་སྐར་མ་ལྔ་རེ་མ་ཆགས་པར་སྒོམ་བརྒྱབ་གི་ཡིན་བསམ་པའི་དམ་ཅ་མཁས་ལེན་རེ་ཙམ་བྱེད་ཐུབ་པ་ཡིན་ན་དཔེ་མེད་ཡག་པོ་ཡོད་རེད། 

གུས་དིལ་ཡག་སྒྲུབ་དཔོན་ནས་ཕུལ།

當大家前往聖地朝聖時，最重要的是，應當先了解前往這些聖地的必要性和原因、聖地的歷史緣由與利益，以及在前往時，又該如何持守正確的動機。

首先，要以皈依和為了利他而發起菩提心作為開始；其次，盡力積聚資糧、淨除罪障；最後，則以迴向祈願作為圓滿的結尾，這些非常重要。

在朝聖期間，如果自己能夠立下一些誓願，例如，「從今天開始，我每天一定會不間斷的保持五分鐘禪修練習。」，以這樣決心和誓願朝聖，這是非常善妙殊勝的。

諦雅竹奔 謹啟

Tibetan Language Class: Basic Dharma Discourses

Would you like to get closer to the heart of the Buddha’s teachings through learning the Tibetan language? Do you wish to deepen your understanding and practice of the Dharma by learning basic conversations and reading in Tibetan?

In our weekly online Tibetan Language Class, we focus on daily conversations and, especially, Dharma discourses. Mirroring our Sunday Meditation for All: Dharma Talks & Practice series, we practice reading and discussing basic Dharma conversations in Tibetan, and explore the art of translating them into our native languages.

  • What: Tibetan Language Class: Basic Dharma Discourses
  • When: Every Sunday, 7:00–8:30 PM Central Time (Chicago, USA)
  • Where: Online on Zoom

You are warmly invited to join our Tibetan Language Class.

Registration and Offerings

Making an offering or donation is optional and is not required to register for our Tibetan Language Class: Basic Dharma Discourses. 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 the facilitation of this class. After selecting a ‘free ticket’ or making an offering below, the Zoom link and other practical information will be delivered in a confirmation email.

Learning Together

Some prior knowledge of Tibetan—or a willingness to do some (supported) self-study of the basics, especially the alphabet and pronunciation—is needed to make the class meaningful for you and for all participants.

Recordings will be made available to all participants to review or catch up when you can’t join live. If you have any questions about the class, please email communications@karmapacenter16.org

We look forward to studying, contemplating, and discussing the Dharma together through basic Tibetan discourses, and to deepening our practice on the Dharma path—for the benefit of all.

ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ།།

Meditation for All: Dharma Talks & Practice

Inspired by the Kagyü lineage and the lives and teachings of the Karmapas, as well as our recently discussed Ngulchu Tokmé’s classical text, The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, we continue our practice under the guidance of Acharya Lhakpa Tshering through meditation and dharma talks. 

Sunday Meditation for All

In each Sunday Meditation for All session, we will practice śamatha (calm-abiding) meditation together and study and contemplate on Dharma topics. We explore how to live in harmony with the instructions of the great Dharma masters to find genuine freedom, happiness, and positive change.

  • What: Meditation for All: Dharma Talks & Practice
  • When: Every Sunday, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM Central Time (Chicago, USA)
  • Where: Online on Zoom and Onsite at KC16

Whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, familiar with the Dharma or just curious, our Sunday sessions are open to everyone. We hope to support each other in cultivating wisdom and compassion on the path to freedom. 

Please join us onsite at KC16 or online!

Traveling Together

For online access, please register here for the Zoom link. 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 (re-)view for 21 days on a dedicated resource page.

It’s our great honor and joy to practicing and traveling the path to freedom, loving kindness, and compassion with you and many others around the world, under the guidance of our resident teachers and the blessings of the lineage of the Karmapas. 

Registration and Offerings

Making an offering or donation is optional and is not required to register for our Meditation for All: Dharma Talks & Practice. 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.

KC16’s Tibetan Language Class: Basic Dharma Discourses

Alongside our Sunday morning Meditation for All dharma talks & practice, we will study and practice basic dharma discourses together with some colloquial conversations, grammar, and the art of translating Tibetan in our weekly Tibetan Language Class. Everyone is welcome to join.

Learn more and register here

如果我們持續修行：大眾禪修 之 《佛子行三十七頌》開示 第十八期

阿闍黎拉巴首先提醒我們佛法、三學（戒、定、慧）以及佛性教義的一般意義，然後他轉向了第三與第四波羅蜜多，也就是安忍與精進的修持。那麼，我們要如何一步步接近佛果的境界呢？

創造內觀空間

我們應當從止禪的修持開始，以此來放慢我們的心識，為向內觀照創造空間。透過向內觀照，我們開始察覺自己內心的運作機制。如此一來，我們便逐漸熟悉自己，並能夠調伏與訓練內心——而這也可以理解為佛法的總體目標。

此外，無論我們認為或者感覺修持是否順利，都可以以感恩的心態來結束禪修。不論我們如何評估自己的修行表現，都應當歡喜自己願意花時間與內心相處、訓練心識。這一點同樣適用於聽聞或研習佛法。

三藏與三學

阿闍黎繼續開示，鼓勵我們這樣發心：為了利益一切有情眾生而聽聞、思考並修持佛法。佛法可以理解為佛陀所傳的教導。他進一步說明，這些教法被歸納為三類，稱為「三藏」（Tipiṭaka）。

在這三部經典彙編中，我們可以找到三學：增上戒學（或稱戒律、倫理的訓練）、增上定學（禪定的訓練），以及增上慧學（智慧的訓練）。阿闍黎以從芝麻中榨取芝麻油為例，強調只要我們願意努力，人人都可以證得一切智的佛果。為什麼會這樣呢？阿闍黎說道：

「佛的心續本性與凡夫的心續本性是無二無別的。一切有情眾生皆具佛性。」

他接著說，簡而言之，佛陀是指一切煩惱完全斷盡和智慧圓滿成就。因此，修持佛法就是為了去除我們的煩惱，增長我們的智慧。為了達成這一目標，我們需要如無著賢菩薩所指出的那樣，透過佛子的三十七種修行來累積福德與智慧，尤其是修持六度波羅蜜多。如果我們不去實踐這些修行，就會無謂地延長自己在充滿痛苦的輪迴之中停留的時間。

無瞋的安忍

在前幾節課中講解了布施與持戒的波羅蜜多之後，阿闍黎接著講解了第二十七頌，該頌所闡述的是安忍波羅蜜多：

欲享善樂之佛子
一切損害如寶藏
故於眾生無怨心
修忍辱是佛子行

（英譯 克里斯托弗·斯塔格《佛子行三十七頌導引》 中譯 索達吉堪布）

修習安忍並不容易。事實上，阿闍黎說，這相當困難。經典與諸菩薩——如寂天菩薩等都教導我們，安忍甚至比承受痛苦還要艱難。然而，它卻極為重要。為什麼？阿闍黎引述了寂天菩薩的《入菩薩行論》以及《菩薩藏經》加以解釋：**哪怕只是片刻的瞋怒，也可能摧毀我們長久累積的善業。因此，正如無著賢菩薩在本頌中所教導的：「修習對任何人都無怨無害的安忍」，便是這一法門的關鍵所在。

漸進成佛

儘管修習安忍頗為困難，阿闍黎分享了多種在日常生活中及修行佛法時增強安忍的方法，並教導我們應當循序漸進、一步一行地加以修持：

  • 對於傷害我們的人，我們不應將之視為敵人並試圖毀滅他們，而應視之如珍寶，向內觀照，調伏瞋怒之心。阿闍黎說道：「調伏瞋心，即是調伏一切外在之敵。」
  • 在日常情境中，例如有人在超市插隊，或我們點的咖啡味道不太對的時候，我們應當反觀自身，並思量那些行為背後可能隱藏的不為人知的困難。透過這樣的方式，我們便能逐漸擴展自己的安忍心。
  • 每當我們在修法過程中遇到困難，例如打坐時身體疼痛，或聽聞因果、空性等微細而深奧的法義時，我們不應抗拒或退縮，而應敞開心懷，培養內在的承受力與安忍力。

總而言之，若我們能夠將這類境遇帶入修行之道，並視之為珍寶，我們便能一步步趨近佛果——那圓滿一切智的無上法財。

斷除懈怠

接下來的第二十八頌教導的是如何精進修行：

唯求自利小乘士
見勤如救頭燃故
為利眾生功德源
發精進是佛子行

正如我們需要透過一步步地修習來增強安忍，我們也同樣需要漸次增長精進。若說安忍是用來對治瞋恨的波羅蜜多，那麼在修習精進波羅蜜多的過程中，我們所要對治的障礙就是懈怠。阿闍黎解釋道，經典中講到了三種懈怠，是我們必須斷除的：

  • 無所作為的懈怠：這是最常見的一種懈怠，表現為消極被動，例如只是癱坐在沙發上。
  • 執著不善行為的懈怠：與其修持佛法、成就證悟，我們卻沉迷於不善業的行為，例如獵鴨等類似活動。
  • 缺乏信心的懈怠：由於種種原因，認為自己無法成就佛果，從而不願精進修行。

如前所述，阿闍黎提醒我們關於佛性的教義：一切有情眾生皆具成佛的本質與潛能。因此，他說：「只要我們肯用心、肯精進，人人皆可認出自己的佛性，成就佛果。」

切實努力利益他人

在此頌中，無著賢菩薩指出了聲聞與緣覺二乘修行人所付出的努力。儘管他們僅為自身利益即個人的解脫而修持佛法，但他們仍能奮力精進，猶如「頭髮著火般」用功。

既已知曉聲聞與緣覺修行人尚且如此奮力修行，我們更無需多言自己在實現證悟的道路上應當付出多大的努力。畢竟，阿闍黎所教導的是：我們所走的是大乘之道，在於利益一切有情。是故，我們的精進理當勝於聲聞與緣覺二類。阿闍黎進一步指出：若我們能持續不斷地修持佛法，從每日哪怕僅僅幾分鐘開始，勤修善行，最終也必能成就一切智的佛果。

將此精神應用於學習無著賢菩薩的《佛子行三十七頌》，阿闍黎在本次「大眾禪修」課程的結尾勉勵我們：應當勤加修持，或至少定期誦讀這些偈頌；若時間允許，最好能每日閱讀。

阿闍黎說道：「即使你一時無法理解其中的意義，只要懷著利他的心去誦讀，願以此利益眾生，這些偈頌的真實義理自然會在你心中顯現。」

阿闍黎向諸位同修表示感謝，並一起迴向功德。

噶瑪巴千諾！