分类归档：Story

Ninth Story Update: Participate in “The Kindness Rocks Project”

Our world continues to suffer in a multitude of ways from the coronavirus. Reported cases surpassed three million and deaths are over three hundred thousand. People are struggling with anxiety, fear and isolation.

WHAT CAN WE DO?
As dharma practitioners, we have the tools to take inspiration from the vast loving-kindness of His Holiness The Sixteenth Karmapa, and be in touch with our own soft hearts. By doing that, we can radiate love and peace within ourselves, outwardly to specific beings we know are suffering and boundlessly throughout the globe to dissolve the energy of despair and unease.

In accordance with the One Million Positive Actions campaign, we invite you to touch in with your kind heart and participate in The Kindness Rocks Project which encourages painting an uplifting message on a rock and leaving it somewhere visible to others – such as under a tree, by a sidewalk or in a park, while taking note of Leave No Trace guidelines in consideration of our environment. The project is rooted in the belief that: “One message at just the right moment can change someone’s day, outlook, life!” 

HOW
Step one: Practice
Meditate on the presence of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. Acknowledge any fear, anxiety or pain you have. Take some time for the blessings to flow throughout you and dissolve your own suffering. When you have an experience of His Holiness’s enlightened presence, connect with the suffering of someone you know personally. Inhale their suffering and exhale the loving-kindness inside of you to alleviate the suffering of that being. Practice for a while to gain an experience of that being filled with the radiance of genuine love and peace. Then, finally, open your awareness to include all beings’ suffering as far as you can imagine. Inhale all that tension and unease, connect with your blessing-full, loving heart. Exhale all your positivity to dissolve all beings fear and suffering. Relax. 

Step Two: Paint
In your state of connection to loving kindness and compassion, on a stone paint or draw your message of love, hope and kindness, such as the rock below:

Step Three: Connect with One Million Positive Actions 
Take a photo of your message rock and share it with the KC16 bot via m.me/karmapacenter16 or social media and use the hashtags #KindnessRocks and #GoKind.
 
Step Four: Share your practice imbued message rock
Place your message rock in any place of your choosing. 

Step Five: Dedicate the merit
Take a moment to dedicate the merit in your favorite way. Karmapa Khyenno! 

Furthermore, please help us create more widespread kindness by:

  • Sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 
  • Encouraging family, friends, neighbors and community leaders to participate.
  • Asking any artists you know to create and post their own message stones (don’t forget to ask them to use #KindnessRocks and #GoKind in their posts!).

A deeply heartfelt thank you to all who continue to support The Karmapa Center 16 with all your capacity. May you be healthy, safe, and at peace. 

Karmapa Khyenno! 

Seventh Story Update: Teachings By HHK17 and Prayer to Pacify Disease

This week we’re fortunate to share Prayers for the Pandemic to Subside, the seven days of live-streamed prayers and teachings given by His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s, one week of prayers to help us and everyone struggling with the coronavirus. 

He kindly reminds us to consider our holistic health: “So when we are confronted by such great impermanence as now, we must do what we can not to panic and instead look inside ourselves.”

HH the 17th Karmapa’s Teachings

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa also shared “A Prayer for Pacifying the Fear of the Disease” by Thangtong Gyalpo, which is said to have stopped an epidemic at the great monastery of the Glorious Sakya tradition. It became renowned as the vajra speech radiating cloud-like blessings. Please join us in reciting this prayer. May its abundant blessings be with us always!

We welcome you to continue to share your photos and videos of kind actions with the KC16 Messenger Bot here: m.me/karmapacenter16 or using the #GoKind hashtag on social media platforms.  Now more than ever is the time to radiate kindness!

Thank you to everyone who continues to follow, share and contribute to The Karmapa Center 16 Stupa Project in any capacity. Please don’t be hesitant to reach out to us if we may be of any assistance.

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa conducting puja at The Karmapa Center 16 in May 2015. Photo by Scott Pownall. 

Sixth Story Update: #SpreadHope with a Rainbow in Your Window!

As COVID-19 continues to keep families at home, millions of children around the world are countering anxiety and fear by spreading hope through artwork. 

This global campaign began last month when children in Italy began hanging drawings of rainbows with the phrase “Andrà tutto bene” (“Everything will be alright”) in their windows. Now children (and people of all ages) everywhere are participating.

The international youth empowerment organization, Global Dignity, is promoting this initiative to youth, parents and teachers in 80 countries around the world, with a simple way for sharing that anybody can follow (see details below). 

Karmapa Center 16 is inviting everyone to #SpreadHope this week by inviting their children (or anybody who enjoys painting or drawing) to draw a rainbow and put it in their window as part of this campaign. 

Just follow or share these easy steps to participate: 

On a piece of paper, draw or paint a rainbow.
 
Add “Everything will be alright” (in your language) below your rainbow, along with any other hopeful messages you’d like.
 
Take a photo of your rainbow and share it with the KC16 bot via m.me/karmapacenter16 or post it to social media (make sure you use #SpreadHope, #GoKind and #GlobalDignity).
 
Hang your rainbow in a window to spread hope to your neighbors!

Please help us spread this idea even further by:

Sharing our posts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

Encouraging teachers, principals, community leaders, or others you know to have their students take part.
 
Asking any artists you know to create and post their own rainbow (don’t forget to ask them to use #GoKind #SpreadHope #GlobalDignity in their posts!).

It’s a simple way for children—or people of any age—to support their neighbors, uplift spirits and help calm fears.

Thank you and see you next week! 

Fourth Story Update: James Gimian Shares His [Video] Recollections About His Holiness the 16th Karmapa

“The 16th Gyalwang Karmapa seldom gave Dharma teachings through words but taught intensively through physical gestures and tamed beings through his mere presence. One of his major activities was to liberate all those who saw him … so there is undoubtedly great value in any visual connection made with him.”*

— His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa

During this difficult time of the global coronavirus pandemic, we can find solace and inspiration by seeing images, watching videos, and perhaps recalling one’s own experience of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa. His spontaneous and joyous actions benefited beings wherever and in whatever way conditions permitted, despite any obstacles. 

We are pleased to present a way to visually connect with the 16th Karmapa by sharing photographs and videos about him. Contemplating his life and the lives of other lineage masters can benefit our mind stream and help us find the courage to open our hearts as we move through distressing times. When we benefit ourselves in this way, we are better equipped to support others both directly and indirectly.

We hope these offerings about His Holiness are indeed uplifting and an inspiration for yourself, your family, friends, colleagues and communities. We will soon include new ways to share acts of kindness so that those positive actions may ripple outward to be felt far and wide.  

This week’s video features James Gimian, who first became involved with Buddhism in 1972, as a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Two years later, he held a lead role during His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s first visit to the United States for the ten day Dharma Festival in San Francisco, in 1974. In the video interview Mr. Gimian, who is the publisher of Mindful Magazine, describes how His Holiness was a vital catalyst for introducing Buddhism to the West by facilitating “the diaspora of the teachings coming to the west.” 

Knowing that His Holiness was instrumental in the blossoming of Buddhism in Western culture, Mr. Gimian also recognizes how the Stupa in Wadsworth, in the Heartland of America, will serve as “ground zero for the dharma becoming deeply rooted in North American soil.” 

The story of His Holiness’ positive influences on those who cared for him at the end of his life in Illinois, reminds us of the power we all have to make a difference in the lives of others and vice versa. It made us think with tremendous gratitude and prayers for the safety of the millions of brave and selfless pandemic healthcare workers around the world. We can also follow His Holiness’ example and express gratitude, kindness, joy, generosity, and compassion in our everyday interactions regardless of challenging circumstances. We can be the positive change we all long for.

We give great thanks to everyone who has generously donated to help bring this vision to fruition by supporting our campaign for the Stupa. While the campaign will continue through June, we understand that making a donation is not possible for many at this time. Should you be able to give or feel moved to support the campaign at any point, your gift will be gratefully received.

We wish you all good health and well being, and look forward to sharing more about His Holiness with you next week.

*Excerpted from Dharma King: The Life of the 16th Karmapa in Images

James Gimian shares the significance of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s visits to North America. Video produced by Sam Scoggins. (Click on photo to view video)