27th Story Update — Gerry Wiener: Tibetan translator, driver for His Holiness

Gerry Wiener, who first began is Buddhist studies with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1971, recently joined the Karmapa Center 16 Board of Directors and will oversee the center’s information technology.

Gerry Wiener with Karmapa Center 16’s advisor, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, at Nitartha Summer Institute (2014).

A software engineer at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, Gerry is also a Tibetan translator. After the parinirvana of his teacher, Trungpa Rinpoche, in 1987, Gerry continued his studies under Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and, with his guidance, has focused on the development of the Nitartha Digital Library.

Gerry first met His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa in Boulder, in 1974, when Trungpa Rinpoche hosted His Holiness. Gerry received many teachings and witnessed several Black Crown ceremonies during His Holiness’s 1974 and 1980 visits to the United States. Recalling a memory from 1974, when as a member of Trungpa Rinpoche’s Vajra Guards he was asked to drive the Black Crown from Stapleton Airport in Denver to Boulder, Gerry said, “The crown was next to me, sitting on the lap of one of His Holiness’s monks. I remembered thinking, ‘I need to be so careful and not get into an accident!’”

Continuing to serve in his role as Vajra Guard, Gerry traveled to Los Angeles and stayed in the same house with the Karmapa, where he had a momentary but powerful experience. He was woken early one morning, around 5 a.m., to help His Holiness attend his birds in the backyard. “I helped His Holiness up the stairs,” Gerry said, “and he put his hand on my hands for support. I had the feeling of not being in this realm anymore, for the briefest amount of time. I felt he is in this realm, but he is not part of the samsaric realm that we abide in.”

Gerry attributes much of his good fortune in meeting the 16th Karmapa to “tashi tendrel” or karmic connection or coincidence. “We’ve been taught, and I feel this to be the case, that lineage is important,” he said. “Without teachers like the Buddha, and lineage masters like Tilopa, Marpa, etc., we really don’t have a lineage that actually goes through the 16th Karmapa and then to my first teacher, Trungpa Rinpoche, without whom I would not be (on this path) today. I want to express great gratitude to Trungpa Rinpoche, who opened the door and cared for me in a very distinct way and also, without His Holiness, there would be no Trungpa Rinpoche whom I would know, so there is some kind of tashi tendrel or karmic connection or karmic coincidence, some fortuitous karma going on that allowed me to become a Buddhist, to study with Trungpa Rinpoche, who was recognized by His Holiness and eventually to meet His Holiness.”

Along those same lines, Gerry said, he received a Praise to His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa written by Trungpa Rinpoche and had the good fortune to translate it. Below is an excerpt from the translation. The full translation will eventually reside at Karmapa Center 16.

Gerry seated in the translators’ section at Nitartha Summer Insitute (2015)

IN PRAISE OF HIS HOLINESS THE 16TH GYALWANG KARMAPA
By Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Translated from Tibetan into English
by Gerry Wiener

In the mandala of profound brilliant Vajradhatu, you are the Supreme Guru of the simplicity of samsara and nirvana. Vajra luminosity, the delight that transcends words, the great bliss Heruka, holder of wisdom, the single and changing nirmanakaya, Rigpe Dorje, seeing your activities — how wondrous. You do not abide in any specific place. You are not contrived by anyone. Your activities continue without interruption. Karma Ka, I always pay homage to you. Not observed having a beginning or end, you possess the profound and vast dharma. Eternal form of Dorje Chang, you are Vajradhara in person.

Listen to Gerry read the translation:



If you’d like to share your memories or photos of His Holiness with us, please send them to: media@karmapacenter16.org.

The Anniversary of Gampopa

On this full moon day, the Karmapa Center 16 performed the Guru Yoga written by Dabzang Ngedon Tenpa Rabgye to honor the parinirvana of one of the forefathers of the Kagyu Lineage, Lord Gampopa, whose heart son was Düsum Khyenpa, the first Karmapa. In performing this Guru Yoga, the Karmapa Center 16 joined other monasteries, centers, and individuals all over the world that recalled the kindness of Gampopa, today.

28th Story Update: Taking Refuge with the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa

Karmapa Center 16 is grateful to have longtime Buddhist practioner Lynne Conrad Marvet now serving on its Board of Directors as secretary.



An artist, performer, teacher and professional fundraiser, Lynne grew up in Chattanooga, TN, and began meditating when she was 16 years old. But it wasn’t until she met His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, four years later, that she connected with Tibetan Buddhism and the Karma Kagyu lineage of His Holiness. In 1980, while living in New York City, Lynne’s friend suggested they attend the Black Crown ceremony held in the city during His Holiness’ third, and what would be his final, tour of the United States. So, they went, and the connection for Lynne was made.  

“The strongest connection to my heart was the description given for the Refuge Ceremony,” Lynne said. “At the time, I was not well versed in what taking ‘refuge’ meant. But the way His Holiness described it, I remember having a very strong feeling of ‘Yes, Yes’ this is what I want to do. I still get chills. (It was a) powerful experience: It was the principle of compassion, the power of his speech, his presence, and the message that this is a path to help transcend confusion and help all sentient beings. Because of meeting His Holiness, I felt very connected to the Karma Kagyu lineage.”  

Shortly after the ceremony, Lynne met her first Tibetan teacher, Khyabje Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche who served, from 1978 until his death in 2019, as abbot of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock, New York, the first Karma Kagyu monastery established in the United States and the North American Seat of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. Her current and longtime teacher is Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, acknowledged as a heart son of the 16th Karmapa.  

Lynne shared with us a special description of the life of the 16th Karmapa spontaneously spoken by Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, guru of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, during an interview in Seattle in 1999. She had supplicated Khenpo Rinpoche for his words about His Holiness, which were then translated from Tibetan into English by Ari Goldfield.

THE WONDERFUL, MIRACULOUS LIFE STORY OF HIS HOLINESS THE 16TH GYALWANG KARMAPA
By Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche

In the glorious valley of Gurum, there is a monastery called Tsurphu. It is the palace of glorious Chakrasamvara. The all-pervasive lord is Rangjung Rigpe Dorje himself. Simply meeting him causes faith to expand. Simply listening to his speech vanquishes the darkness of doubt. Receiving pith instructions from him causes dualistic appearances to be self-liberated. This is his wonderful, miraculous life story. He brings outer, inner and other together in Mahamudra and causes all of existence to shine as the infinite expanse of purity. His practice of the rituals of the four classes of tantra is uninterrupted. This, too, is his wonderful, miraculous life story…

Listen to Lynne read the rest of the story:


When asked about the stupa for Karmapa Center 16, Lynne said in many ways, it is incredible that the stupa doesn’t already exist.

“His Holiness had such a huge impact on people,” she said. “And, because he passed away (in Zion, IL), that place is blessed. To continue to share that with many generations to come, it is important to have a physical representation of his sacred body, which is what the stupa is: his enlightened body, speech, and mind. To have a stupa there will be a great blessing to not just those in close proximity but to the entire United States.”

“Recently, I’ve been thinking about the importance of blessings and what that does for one’s practice. I can’t say enough of adhisthāna or blessings that can be received as a result of the physical presence of the teacher or the representations of enlightened beings… It is something very real even though it is intangible. The Karmapa Center 16 is already that place, but it will increase, I have no doubt. It is important for us to invest in this dream.”


If you’d like to share your memories or photos of His Holiness with us, please send them to: media@karmapacenter16.org.

As always, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your continued interest and support of KC16. May the Center be of great benefit to all beings!

Celebrating His Holiness’ Birthday

Today the Karmapa Center 16 held a ceremonial ritual in celebration of His Holiness Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s 36th birthday, with aspiration prayers for his long life and the flourishing of his activity. It was followed by a traditional tea and rice offering to His Holiness and everyone gathered. 

Saka Dawa

On the great occasion of Saka Dawa, the lamas of the Karmapa Center 16 performed praises and aspirational prayers to the Buddha Shakyamuni, today. On this day, the extraordinary deeds the Buddha manifested 2,600 years ago are remembered by Buddhists all over the world. Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche said that for Tibetan Buddhists, a small difference lies in the way the 15th day of this lunar month day is observed. Some commemorate this full moon day for the Buddha’s deeds of having entered into the womb of his mother, having attained enlightenment and passing into mahaparanirvana. While other Tibetan Buddhists regard his birth, his enlightenment and his passing into mahaparanirvana today. The difference between these two is that the first observes the conception, while the second the birth of the Buddha as the first deed.

Drupon Rinpoche said this lunar month makes special emphasis of six extraordinary deeds of the Buddha. On the seventh day, Tibetan Buddhists remember the Buddha entering his mother’s womb or taking birth; on the eight day, developing renunciation and becoming ordained; and on the 15th day, entering his mother’s womb, or taking birth, overcoming the Mara’s hosts, becoming fully enlightened, and manifesting passing into mahaparanirvana. 

We have to apply these deeds of the Buddha to ourselves so that we can remember that we also can attain enlightenment, said Rinpoche. “We also have the capacity to attain these qualities,” Rinpoche added.

26th Story Update — Acharya Lhakpa Tshering: monk, scholar, accomplished meditator

Karmapa Center 16 is delighted to welcome Acharya Lhakpa Tshering to its Board of Directors. He will oversee fundraising for the center.

Lhakpa Tshering was born in a remote village in Dagapela in southern Bhutan. One of nine siblings, he and his family lived in an “environmentally friendly house” with no electricity or running water. 

At the age of five, he remembers his father offering a butter lamp every evening of the full and new moon in front of a black and white photograph on a shelf in a corner of the house. Growing up with no electricity, Acharya said the memory of a butter lamp in the dark is still very vivid in his mind.

Once in while, his father would take down the photo and wipe off the soot that had collected on it with a piece of cloth. Later, when he was in second grade, Acharya was able to read the caption below the picture: “HH the Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorji.” It was a photograph that his father had cropped from a Bhutanese monthly newspaper.

His father had the good fortune of meeting His Holiness, and Acharya kindly shared the story with us.


My Father’s Meeting with His Holiness

By Acharya Lhakpa

In 1966, at the age of 32, my father, Dawa Sherpa, traveled to Sikkim with two other companions from his village to make an offering to His Holiness the 16th Karmapa in Rumtek, on behalf of his late maternal uncle for his rebirth in higher realm. Traveling by foot and vehicle for a week, they arrived in Rumtek on the 15th day of the lunar month, a full moon day. Soon after their arrival at the monastery, His Holiness was scheduled to give a Black Crown ceremony. My father and his friends considered it auspicious that upon emerging from an audience with His Holiness, they were able to receive the blessings of the black crown. After the ceremony, my father made an offering to His Holiness and requested prayers for his uncle. His Holiness responded with gracious smile. For the sake of tendrel (making a spiritual connection), my father requested His Holiness to give him the transmission of Avalokiteshvara’s six syllable mantra. Today my father still has a vivid memory of the young, majestic Sixteenth Karmapa.

Though he never met His Holiness in person, from an early age, Acharya felt a connection to him through his father.
In 1993, Acharya enrolled at Rumtek Monastery’s Karma Shri Nalanda Institute in Sikkim, India, where he served as an assistant teacher and member of the student welfare committee.
During his time at Rumtek, he received many teachings and empowerments from His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche, regent of the Karmapa lineage, who in turn had received the teachings directly from the 16th Karmapa. Acharya strongly feels that his mindstream has been blessed by the lineage and that through his own engagement on the Buddhist path, his precious human life has become meaningful.
Acharya completed his post-graduate or acharya degree in Buddhist Studies in 2002. He then served as co-librarian with Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, taught at Karma Shri Nalanda Institute and acted as an editor for Nitartha international in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In 2006, at the request of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, he moved to Nalanda West in Seattle, Washington, USA, where he supports students as a resident teacher. He is also a visiting teacher at Nalandabodhi centers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Latin America.


If you’d like to share your memories or photos of His Holiness with us, please send them to: media@karmapacenter16.org.

As always, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your continued interest and support of KC16. May the Center be of great benefit to all beings!

25th Story Update: A Pithy Teaching

Throughout his remarkable life, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa gave powerful teachings around the world with his physical presence as well as his speech and mind.

In 1980, despite his declining health and physicians’ directives to rest and not travel, His Holiness embarked on a third major international tour, focusing on North America and East Asia.

An early North American dharma student, Lyle Weinstein, shared with us a memorable and pithy teaching given by His Holiness in eight simple words. Thank you, Lyle!

Karme Choling, Barnet, VT (1974.09) © Robert Del Tredici, Shambhala Archives Collection

THIS IS THE TIME
By Lyle Weinstein

It was 1980, and His Holiness the 16th Karmapa had just concluded his last Black Crown Ceremony. At that time, his health was rapidly declining, and when the crowd of more than 400 people lined up to receive his blessing, they suddenly heard a concerned voice: “Your Holiness, it is clear that you are tired and not feeling well. Most of us here already received your blessing, maybe it is better if we don’t all line up, and you can go and rest.”

His Holiness replied: “That is the time to extend yourself further,” and continued with a gentle smile. Nearly two hours later, every person without exception had been given the blessing of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.


In spite of his illness, His Holiness continually extended himself on that tour, giving blessings and ensuring that the dharma seeds he’d planted during his lifetime would be strong enough to survive his departure until he could return once again.

Karmapa Center is fortunate and grateful for the blessings His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa bestowed on the proposed stupa ground on May 4, 2015. With Rinpoches, Acharyas and Lamas in attendance, His Holiness conducted a smoke puja beneath a sun rainbow in a clear sky, with birds singing and spring flowers in bloom.

If you’d like to share your memories or photos of His Holiness with us, please send them to: media@karmapacenter16.org.

As always, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your continued interest and support of KC16. May the Center be of great benefit to all beings!

Announcing New Board Members

Karmapa Center 16 welcomes three new members to its Board of Directors: Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, Lynne Conrad Marvet and Gerry Wiener. They will be joining current board members: Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, President and Lama Phuntsok, Vice President and advisor to the board, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

Acharya Lhakpa Tshering was born in Bhutan and entered monastic school at age 12. In 1993, he enrolled at Rumtek Monastery’s Karma Shri Nalanda Institute in Sikkim, India. In 2002, Acharya Lhakpa graduated with a masters in Buddhist studies, also known as an acharya degree. After completing his studies, he served as a teacher and co-librarian with Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche at Karma Shri Nalanda Institute, and as an editor for Nitartha Publications in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Acharya Lhakpa moved to Nalanda West in Seattle, Washington, in 2006. Since then, he has served as a resident teacher for Nalandabodhi centers on both the East and West Coasts, and he recently was a visiting teacher at Nalandabodhi in Brazil. Acharya Lhakpa will oversee fundraising for the Center.

Lynne Conrad Marvet, who will assume the role of secretary of the board, is an artist, performer, teacher and professional fundraiser. She was introduced to Buddhist philosophy and meditation at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, before moving to New York City in 1980, where she attended a Black Crown Ceremony with His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Afterwards, she became a student of the late Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Abbot of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra.

In the 1980s, Lynne coordinated programs and received teachings from numerous great Tibetan Buddhist masters, including Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who became her teacher in 1988. In 1990, she began serving as Rinpoche’s travel secretary. In 1994, Lynne and her husband, Marty, helped Rinpoche establish Nitartha international before moving to Seattle in 1999 to help him establish the headquarters for Nalandabodhi, the Buddhist community of his students.

Lynne is a meditation instructor and facilitates Buddhist study classes for Nalandabodhi Seattle. She helped found Nalanda West in Seattle and served as co-director from 2004 to 2008. She currently serves as a board member of Nitartha International. A Certified Fundraising Executive, Lynne has raised more than $40 million for nonprofit organizations in the greater Seattle area and New York City.

Gerry Wiener is a software engineer working at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. In addition to his board work, Gerry will oversee information technology for Karmapa Center 16.

Gerry began his Buddhist studies with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1971, and studied under Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche until his parinirvana in 1987. Gerry received teachings from His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, in 1974 and in 1980 when His Holiness visited the United States. Gerry has continued his Tibetan Buddhist studies under Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, focusing on Tibetan translation and the development of the Nitartha Digital Library.

May the new board of directors, along with all the supporters of Karmapa Center 16, swiftly and excellently manifest the parinirvana stupa in honor of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa and for the benefit of all beings!

24th Story Update: A Glimpse of Avalokiteśvara

What I saw […] was not His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa but radiant and resplendent Avalokiteśvara. It was totally overwhelming and breathtaking to witness other-worldly compassionate activity taking place in this human realm.

— Steve Roth, personal driver of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa

There are many remarkable stories recounted about His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa by those lucky enough to have seen him, received his blessings, been his student or served him in a myriad of ways.

Steve Roth, an early student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, became the Karmapa’s personal driver during two of his visits to North America. In the story below, Steve describes his own extraordinary experience witnessing His Holiness perform the Black Hat Ceremony in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The story, “A Glimpse of Avalokiteśvara,” is excerpted from the recently released book, Radiant Compassion, The Life of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje Volume 2, by Gerd Bausch.

His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa with his personal driver, Steve Roth, in San Francisco, 1974

A Glimpse of Avalokiteśvara

By Steve Roth

During the 16th Karmapa’s 1980 third and final tour of North America, he visited Santa Fe, New Mexico and performed the Black Crown Ceremony. On November 3rd, I traveled in a VW bus from Boulder to Santa Fe with four other dharma practitioners, including Pema Chödrön. Upon arrival, we went to the local convention center where His Holiness was performing the Black Crown Ceremony. We had no idea which part of the ceremony would be taking place. We just wanted to see him.

We entered the convention center, and took the elevator up a few floors. It led to one of the portals that opened directly into a large indoor amphitheater. We were well above the amphitheater’s ground floor where fifty or so people were each receiving blessings from His Holiness after the Black Crown Ceremony. What I saw the instant we emerged from this portal into the amphitheater was not His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa but radiant and resplendent Avalokiteśvara. He was luminous white with many arms which were simultaneously blessing everyone. His hands were moving so rapidly bestowing potent and limitless blessings in so many different directions—this is quite challenging to describe. It was totally overwhelming and breathtaking to witness other-worldly compassionate activity taking place in this human realm. Avalokiteśvara’s transparent body was complete with crown, jewel ornaments, rainbow colored raiment, exactly as painted in countless thangkas. Then I blinked and saw His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa seated blessing people one-by-one. I don’t know what else to say, other than this knowingness that Avalokiteśvara thangkas are literally painted exactly as he appears in the Saṃbhogakāya. This experience resulted in a radically enhanced view of the sacredness and fathomless power of thangkas as well as increased devotion towards the Karmapa.

— from Radiant Compassion, The Life of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje Volume 2


If you’d like to share your memories or photos of His Holiness with us, please send them to: media@karmapacenter16.org.

As always, we offer our heartfelt thanks for your continued interest and support of KC16. May the Center be of great benefit to all beings!