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 BoudhaStūpa
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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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.
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.”
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.
His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s father, Honorable Karma Dhondup, passed away on Buddha Purnima Day, the 15th day of the Vesak month (May 23, 2024).
According to the Tibetan calendar, Buddha Purnima is called “Düchen Sumdzom,” meeting three special occasions: the day when Buddha Sakyamuni was born, attained enlightenment and passed away into parinivana.
The resident lamas and members of Karmapa Center 16 in Wadsworth, Illinois, will be holding daily prayers and butter lamp offerings through the 49th day
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.
KC16 raised “Lungta” prayer flags, or wind horse flags, and recited a long life smoke puja composed by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa on Friday, October 30, 2020.
His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Photo Courtesy of Karma Lekshey Ling Institute
This upcoming lunar year – the year of the ox – is an obstacle year for HHK17. Therefore, beginning today, October 24, 2020, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and KC16 Lamas will preform Tara feast offering puja on every 10th of the lunar month, Mahakala feast offering puja on every 29th of lunar month and recite Amitayus sutra every day to clear away obstacles for HHK17 for this particular year.
In a recent post, we learned that one of the main practices of the 16th Karmapa was Tara, but did you know that White Tara was His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s’ yidam? We practice Tara for three main reasons: She is powerful, her blessings are fast, and she is immeasurably kind.
White Tara is practiced by all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is the main deity of other Buddhist practitioners and scholars, including the great master Atisha. She played an important role helping Buddhism flourish once again in Tibet, following some great obstacles, when Atisha was invited to Tibet to reestablish the teachings. Wondering whether he should go or not, Atisha supplicated the White Tara statue in Bodhgaya. She appeared to him in a pure vision and said his journey would be a complete success, that it would benefit many sentient beings, but it would lessen the years of his life.
Due to his great bodhicitta, Atisha went ahead to Tibet and, as prophesied by Tara, accomplished the enormous task of revitalizing and reforming the teachings, and founding Kadampa Buddhism. With good reason, Tara has since been one of the four main yidams of the Kadampa lineage.
Tara is also an important deity in the Kagyu lineage that began when Milarepa’s student Gampopa integrated the Mahamudra teachings of Milarepa with the Kadampa teachings of Atisha, including the practice of Tara. Green Tara symbolizes the fearless and compassionate energy of our mind’s true nature and the resolve to dispel suffering and fear, while White Tara is associated with longevity and healing practice.
KC16 will join Nalandabodhi International for its fifth annual Tara Drupchen to be held online from September 24 to 27, 2020, offering prayers and smoke pujas in Tibetan.
As a precursor to the Tara Drupchen, please enjoy this special audio file of Tara practice in Tibetan recorded in the shrine room at KC16:
We hope you will join us for the Drupchen! The event is free and everyone is welcome to participate by joining practices online, making prayer requests, aspirations, and offerings, and choosing to #gokind in thought, word, and deed. For information and registration please email: communications@nalandabodhi.org.
Friends of Karmapa Center 16, we wish you a very happy summer, the season in which both the 16th and 17th Karmapa were born. In honor of their summertime births, we would like to share a special prayer by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, “Toward the Supreme Illumination.” It’s our aspiration that His words fill your every breath and your every step of every day.
Kindness is contagious in the very best sense of the word. It spreads warmth and joy, inspires generosity towards others and helps us open to our own innate kindness. You can help spread kindness across the globe this summer and the possibility for others to connect with His Holiness by:
• Sharing our posts on social media with the hashtag #GoKind • Submitting your images and videos of kindness to the KC16 bot via: m.me/KarmapaCenter16
The Karmapa Center 16 thanks you and the worldwide Sangha for all your support — no matter the form or action it has taken and continues to manifest.
