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!

Before the Lunar New Year

Before the change of the Lunar New Year, it is traditional to engage in practices to clear out any remaining negativity lingering from the previous year. Before the beginning of the Year of the Iron Ox, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and the lamas at KC16 held pre-Losar Mahakala pujas with abundant offerings to clear the way for hard work, steady progress, and abounding auspiciousness.

Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and the lamas at KC16 offering a pre-Losar Mahakala puja
Protector Offerings on the Shrine

23rd Story Update: A Lifetime of Beneficial Activity

It has been said that Karmapa Center 16 founding board member, Damayonti Sengupta, is a daughter of the Karma Kagyu lineage, of which the Gyalwang Karmapa has always been the spiritual leader. While our hearts are filled with loving grief due to Damayonti’s passing on January 26, at age 51, we remember with joy and gratitude the numerous beneficial activities of her lifetime, including locating and helping to secure the site of Karmapa Center 16 in Wadsworth, Illinois.

In 2014, in addition to her role as Manager of Nalanda West in Seattle, Damayonti took on the task of finding a suitable property near Zion, Illinois, where His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa attained parinirvana in 1981. 

It was the wish of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche to establish a center to commemorate his guru, the 16th Karmapa, with a stupa, memorial, meditation hall, retreat center, and place to learn and study about the history of Buddhism and the Karma Kagyu lineage. Through devotion to her guru, Dzogchen Ponlop, Damayonti set the wheels in motion to accomplish his wish, with guidance and direction from founding member and President Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and founding member and Vice President Lama Phuntsok.

Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche (center), Damayonti Sengupta (left), and Tyler Dear (right) at Karmapa Center 16 Parinirvana Day Celebration in 2017.

Sophie Gordon, Karmapa Center 16 office supervisor, recalls watching Damayonti “navigate many obstacles with skill and grace. She embodied many of the excellent qualities to which bodhisattvas aspire, but in my experience, her equanimity was especially amazing! For me, she was equanimity in action fueled by unwavering devotion to her gurus, the lineage and all that the dharma has to offer. Her example was a vivid teaching. There are no words for how grateful I feel and how much I already miss her.”

Damayonti’s 49th day is March 15. If you would like to pray for Damayonti to support her journey through the bardo, it is suggested to first recite the Heart Sutra, followed by any type of nature-of-mind meditation practice, then finish by dedicating your practice to Damayonti and all sentient beings. 

If you would like to offer a gift in honor of Damayonti’s life and to help manifest her aspiration to complete the Stupa Project, you may do so by clicking on the button below.

Stupa Donation in Memory of Damayonti Sengupta

On the Passing of Damayonti Sengupta

Damayonti Sengupta,
Karmapa Center 16 founding board member

Dear Friends of KC16,

Our hearts are filled with loving grief at the loss of KC16 founding board member, Damayonti Sengupta. Damayonti died peacefully in the presence of family and Nalandabodhi sangha members on Tuesday, January 26, after a lengthy and courageous effort to treat pancreatic cancer. Damayonti was 51 years old. 

Damayonti will be remembered for her sparkling eyes and infectious laughter, her all-encompassing kindness and boundless joy. Her vast beneficial activities speak to her wisdom and skillfulness as a leader. Her tireless dedication, despite her illness, to the success of Karmapa Center 16 in general, and the Stupa Project in particular, was deeply inspiring.

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa along with Wadsworth mayor Glenn Ryback and village trustee Doug Jacobs sing Happy Birthday to Damayonti in 2018, with Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Chris Stagg smiling at her good fortune.

In honor of our beloved friend and KC16 founding board member, we are committed to fulfilling her mission and heartfelt aspiration to continue developing Karmapa Center 16, commemorating His Holiness with a stupa, memorial, meditation hall, retreat center, and place to learn and study about the history of Buddhism and the Karma Kagyu lineage. 

For those who wish to practice for Damayonti, it is suggested to first recite the Heart Sutra followed by any type of nature-of-mind meditation practice, finishing by dedicating your practice to Damayonti and all sentient beings. 

If you would like to offer a gift in honor of Damayonti’s life and to help manifest her aspiration to complete the Stupa Project, you may do so here or on the Donate page.

22nd Story Update: A world of gentleness, kindness

Greetings dear friends of KC 16,

As we learned in the previous email, His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, taught extensively and intensively with physical gestures and by his mere presence. In the video below, Don Winchell describes how he also created the environment around him and the way it brought about unexpected transformations. 

A student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Winchell served on the support team for the 16th Karmapa’s 1976 visit to North America.

Don Winchell reflects on the environment around His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa.

Through this delightful example of the enlightened activity of His Holiness, may we all aspire to create a world of gentleness and kindness!

We have received wonderful responses to the stories we’ve posted, and some included a personal experience with the 16th Karmapa. 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.

Twenty-first Story Update: Wherever the flag is flown, the Dharma Will Flourish

Greetings dear friends of KC 16,

Many of us have seen the yellow and blue Dream Flag or Namchen Banner of the 16th Karmapa, but not many of us may know the story behind it. We had the good fortune to speak to the person who, at the request of His Holiness, sewed the original flag — Deborah Luscomb. 

Deborah is a longtime student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and a professional seamstress. At the request of her teacher, she oversaw the national textile production — from wall coverings, bedspreads and chair upholstery to banners, shrines and thrones — for the 16th Karmapa’s third visit to North America. The first special request from His Holiness of Deborah was to make a new brocade cover for the Black Crown hatbox. The second special request was to make the Dream Flag, which was raised on Midsummer’s Day 1980, at Marpa House in Boulder, CO. In this video, Deborah recalls what happened:

Several inches of snow whiten the grounds at the Karmapa Center 16, while in front of the main house the yellow and blue Dream Flag flies despite the weather, and dharma indeed does flourish. 

With best wishes for a peaceful and joyous 2021, we send you our heartfelt thanks for your continued interest and support of KC16.

Nineteenth Story Update: Parinirvana Day of the First Karmapa

Rinpoche and lamas performing extended practices in the KC16 Shrine Room.

On this auspicious day of the Parinirvana of Düsum Khyenpa (1110-1193), the First Karmapa, KC16 Rinpoche and Lamas perform extended practices.

Historically, in Tibet, there were three “seats” of the Karmapas correlating with the sacred abodes of body, speech and mind of the Glorious Chakrasamvara. Kampo Nenang is the lower seat of “body”, Karma Gön is “middle seat” of speech and Tsurphu is the “upper seat” of the heart, or mind. Tsurphu became the main seat of all the Karmapas. Düsum Khyenpa attained Parinirvana at Tsurphu. We can see that the place of attainment of Parinirvana is important, and again remember what a special circumstance it is that His Holiness the 16th Karmapa attained Parinirvana in Zion, Illinois.  

Shrine for Düsum Khyenpa, the First Karmapa’s Parinirvana Day.