Wishing you a Happy New Year 2026 filled with peace, prosperity, and endless joy!
Karmapa Khyenno!
From your friends at Karmapa Center 16
Author Archives: Karma Osung
A Blessed 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary
This year marked the 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. We felt deeply honored to gather as a community—onsite and online—to practice together and draw inspiration from His Holiness’ life and teachings.
From our 2nd Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat (November 1-2) through the traditional pujas and prayers on November 5th, to the Amitabha practice on November 6th, these days offered us the opportunity to reconnect with the heart of the Karmapa lineage through practice.
The Gift of the Teachings
During the Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat, we received precious guidance from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, His Eminence Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, and Acharya Jampa.
His Holiness the 17th Karmapa reminded us of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje’s vast kindness—how through his enlightened activities, he supported the flourishing of the teachings across all traditions without distinction. His Holiness shared stories about the 16th Karmapa, helping us recognize his qualities and activities, so that devotion—the heart of guru yoga practice—can naturally arise.
The teachers emphasized that the Karma Kagyu, founded by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Kyenpa, is the practice lineage. Practice is not only something we do on the cushion,we put it into action in everyday life. By doing so, we embody the enlightened activity of the Karmapa.
In the coming months, we hope to share reflections on the practice of Guru Yoga as taught during the retreat, offering support for your ongoing practice. You are warmly invited to join us for our monthly Guru Yoga practice on the first Saturday of every month.
On November 5th
At Karmapa Center 16 in Zion, Illinois—near where His Holiness passed into parinirvāṇa, a sacred place filled with his blessings—we practiced traditional Tibetan pujas and prayers.
Simultaneously, our sangha friends gathered at Namkha Ösal in Taichung, Taiwan, to practice Guru Yoga and make offerings together with our president, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche.
On November 6th
We concluded with Amitabha practice using the Namchö Dewachen sādhana, dedicating our practice to the aspiration for rebirth in the pure realm of Sukhāvatī and honoring loved ones, both those who have passed and those still with us.
Continue Practicing
The path illuminated by the 16th Karmapa continues through our practice. We warmly invite you to join us throughout the year:
- Monthly Guru Yoga Practice – First Saturday of each month
- Sunday Meditation for All – Every Sunday morning
- Tibetan Language Class – Every Sunday evening
- And more activities at www.karmapacenter16.org
Whether you’re near or far, your practice enlivens the heart of this lineage.
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The Parinirvāṇa Stūpa Project
The sacred work of building His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Parinirvāṇa Stūpa is moving forward, creating a place for pilgrimage, meditation, retreat, study, and refuge. This project advances through practice and the kind support of people like you.
All contributions, large or small, help bring this aspiration to fruition:
Support the Stūpa Project
With Gratitude
These days of practice were made possible through the dedication of many—teachers, translators, volunteers, and all who joined in practice. Thank you for being part of this community.
May all our practice in remembrance of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje’s compassion and enlightened activities benefit all beings.
Karmapa Khyenno!
Photo Gallery
The Karmapas — Scholastic Buddhism Meets Tibetan Social Institutions. Series with Martin Marvet
Under the guidance of the Karmapas, the Karma Kamtsang–the Karma Kagyü lineage led by the Karmapas–developed its own unique teaching systems. How did it continue the Indian Buddhist tradition and shape a distinctive path of view and meditation within Tibetan society?
Please join our dear friend Martin Marvet in a new series on the Karmapas, kindly hosted by our Nalandabodhi Seattle Friends.
When: February 26, March 5, 12, 19, 2026
Martin generously offers the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Karmapa lineage and to connect with the enlightened activity of the Karmapas–a lineage flourishing that continues to flourish to this very day.
Learn more on seattle.nalandabodhi.org.
Join Martin as he brings his deep care and decades of study to this series, sharing stories not only about individual Karmapas but also the living thread of their teachings through time.
Karmapa Khyenno!
Wisdom from the First Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa. Two Sundays with Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, hosted by NB Seattle
Our friends at Nalandabodhi Seattle are hosting Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen over two Sundays to present the First Karmapa’s teachings on Six Things for Quickly Achieving Enlightenment.
Düsum Khyenpa, founder of the Karma Kagyü school, dedicated his life to benefiting beings. His essential instructions remind us of the union of faith, wisdom, compassion, meeting the lama, requesting Dharma, and making effort—all timeless yet deeply meaningful for our lives today.
With gratitude for this precious offering, we kindly invite you to join this opportunity to learn from the wisdom of the First Karmapa. For details and registration, please visit seattle.nalandabodhi.org.
May we all be inspired by Düsum Khyenpa’s example to help others, pacify conflicts, and heal the sick with courage and boundless compassion.
Karmapa Khyenno!
Changing Lives: The 16th Karmapa’s Visit to Hong Kong in 1980
In 1980, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, embarked upon three international teaching tours throughout North America, Europe, and East Asia, where he spent 10 days in Hong Kong.
At that time, Tibetan Buddhism was unfamiliar to most people, yet wherever the Karmapa went, extraordinary auspicious connections and spiritual exchanges naturally arose.
The English book, DHARMA KING: The Life of the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa in Images, chronicles the 16th Karmapa’s life journey through photographs, clearly revealing that the sole purpose of his activities was to benefit all sentient beings.
The following excerpt recounts a story from the 16th Karmapa’s teachings in Hong Kong, which once again demonstrates the power of his blessings and his profound kindness.
The Story of a Loyal Dog
As the Karmapa was about to leave Hong Kong’s Myoho Temple, a small dog suddenly began wailing inconsolably, even shedding real tears. The dog had first appeared at the monastery that very morning, upon the Karmapa’s arrival. From that moment on, it followed His Holiness everywhere, even waiting faithfully outside the temple during the luncheon. The dog demonstrated such devotion that the monastery monks assumed it was one of the Karmapa’s own dogs.
After the Karmapa departed, the dog continued to visit the temple, often placing its paws together in prayer before the abbot’s seat. Ultimately, the abbot permitted it to stay, and it lived out its days peacefully within the monastery—one of many beings whose fate was altered by the Karmapa’s brief stay.
Mahayana and Vajrayana: Journeying Together, Hand in Hand
When the 16th Karmapa first visited Hong Kong in 1980, Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism was still novel and unfamiliar to the local community. Yet, an extraordinary connection immediately formed between His Holiness and the late Venerable Master Chokguang, then Chairman of the Hong Kong Buddhist Association, and who is still deeply revered today.
Master Chokgu described the moment when the Karmapa took his hand and announced he would confer an empowerment at the opening ceremony of Master Chokgu’s new center in a few days as “truly unbelievable.” The ceremony had been planned for months, and the Karmapa happened to be in Hong Kong for the center’s opening day. The empowerment was thus arranged on short notice to take place after the luncheon that day.
Despite no prior publicity, thousands flocked to the venue seeking the “Red Avalokiteshvara Empowerment” from the 16th Karmapa, prompting Hong Kong police to maintain order.
Thus began the Mahayana and Vajrayana journey for many lucky people.
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Honoring the 10th Anniversary of Nalandabodhi’s Tara Drupchen
This practice-intensive is preceded by a traditional lung transmission offered by Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, followed by an opening teaching from Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Karmapa Center 16 is delighted to share that our friends at Nalandabodhi will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of their annual Tara Drupchen, a special practice-intensive gathering, taking place September 18–21, 2025, both onsite at Nalanda West in Seattle and online. This year’s Drupchen is particularly historic, as it is the first time in the West that practitioners will engage in The Ritual of the Five-Deity Tara and Tara Mandala—a compilation offered by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
The Tara Drupchen is guided by Nalandabodhi’s founder and Karmapa Center 16’s Advisor, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, together with Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, President of Karmapa Center 16, who will also play a significant role in this year’s event.
- Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche will offer the Tibetan lung (reading transmission) for The Ritual of the Five-Deity Tara and Tara Mandala, ensuring practitioners receive the blessings of the lineage and are fully connected to this profound practice.
- Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will offer an opening teaching, illuminating Tara’s liberating activity and the compassionate essence of this practice for our times.
- Acharya Lhakpa Tshering will help with the preparations and also join this practice-intensive retreat at Nalanda West.
The Drupchen also features the liturgy The Heart of the Two Accumulations: A Mandala Ritual from the Mind-Terma, Profound Drop of Tara, continuing the tradition of practice that has sustained many through these ten years. Participants will be able to join onsite, with their local sanghas, or online, ensuring the blessings reach far.
This 10th anniversary not only celebrates a decade of community practice but also deepens our connection with the activity of Tara, whose swift compassion has always been supported by the Kagyü lineage and the blessings of the Karmapas. From the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, who upheld the living heart of the lineage, to His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, who has carefully prepared this Tara ritual, the continuity of blessings is evident in this historic occasion.
For more details, registration, and prayer request forms, please visit Nalandabodhi’s website.
May the merit of this anniversary Tara Drupchen bring peace, healing, and the swift removal of obstacles for all beings.
Oṃ Tāre Tuttāre Ture Svāhā
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Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche at the 31st Treasury of Knowledge Retreat
Hosted by our friends at the Contemplative Resource Center
The Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism traces its origins to Buddha Samantabhadra, Vajrasattva, and Garab Dorje of Uddiyana, brought to Tibet in the eighth century by Guru Padmasambhava. Central to this ancient lineage are the Nine Yānas, with Dzogchen (Great Perfection) as the highest teaching.
The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), born into a tantric Nyingma family, received complete transmissions within both the Kagyü and Nyingma traditions. It was through visionary experience during retreat that he received the Dzogchen teachings from masters Vimalamitra and Padmasambhava, unifying the Dzogchen tantras of the Nyingma lineage with the Kagyü Mahāmudrā.
At the 31st Treasury of Knowledge Retreat from October 17 to 19, KC16’s dear advisor, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, will offer a talk on Dzogchen and the Nine Yānas, continuing the profound transmission of these authentic teachings rooted in the lineage of the Karmapa and the Great Perfection.
This retreat is hosted by our friends at the Contemplative Resource Center.
For details and registration, please visit this registration page on contemplativeresourcecenter.com.
This is a rare chance to receive guidance on these profound teachings from one of today’s foremost lineage masters and learn to bring the instructions of the Dzogchen into daily life and practice for the benefit of the world.
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Amitabha Teaching with Acharya Lhakpa Tshering
You are warmly invited to join for a special teaching by Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, Karmapa Center 16’s resident teacher, on the profound practice of Amitabha, ahead of the 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. 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.
We feel honored that Acharya Lhakpa Tshering kindly accepted our invitation to teach on the practice of Amitabha, and hope you will join us on October 26, from 10:30 to 11:30 am Central Time (Chicago, USA). This will replace our usual Sunday Meditation for All session.
Registration is free. You are welcome to offer a teaching gift or donation in support of the Stupa Project.
Commemorating the Parinirvana Anniversary
This special teaching is offered as part of this year’s 44th Parinirvāṇa Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. For the first time, 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.”
Through our collective aspiration, offerings, and chanting, we commemorate the Parinirvana by actively supporting our own practice, dedicating merit for loved ones who have passed, and extending benefit to the wider world.
We warmly invite you to join us in this year’s Parinirvāṇa Anniversary practices online (via Zoom) or onsite at KC16, on November 5 and 6.
16th Gyalwang Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat
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. Please note that this is a separate registration.
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, including this special teaching on Amitabha Practice.
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.
Karmapa Khyenno!
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.
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 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 |
| 2:30–3:30 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 |
|---|---|
| 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 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.
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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Photo Gallery
- 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. ↩︎