Sunday Meditation for All: Shamatha and Vipashyana

“We have the same basic responsibility which underlies everything in our life. This is getting hold of our mind.” – Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, A Guide to Shamatha and Vipashyana Meditation

When his Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa came to the West, he was asked what practice would be appropriate for Westerners. He said that he felt the most appropriate practice was Mahamudra. 

Inspired by the path of simplicity, Thrangu Rinpoche — who was recognized by the 16th Karmapa, served as abbott of Rumtek Monastery, and whom Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche described as the abbott of the Karma Kagyü lineage — taught Shamatha and Vipashyana meditation to students new to, and already practicing, the Dharma. 

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Anyone can Practice Meditation, Anytime

Dharma Ebooks recently published a collection of Thrangu Rinpoche’s teachings, A Guide to Shamatha and Vipashyana, in which Rinpoche explains “ that regardless of what our particular responsibilities and work in this life may be, the practice of Mahamudra will be effective in achieving realization.”

Guided by Rinpoche’s teachings and drawing from the instructions of other Karma Kagyü masters, we will study and contemplate the practice of Shamatha and Vipashyana to take hold of our minds. 

Sunday Meditation for All

Meditation can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, and will benefit ourselves and others in the short and the long term. So, whether you are new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, familiar with the Dharma or simply curious, you are more than welcome to join us on Sunday for our weekly Meditation for All session. 

What: Meditation for All: Shamatha and Vipashyana
When: Every Sunday, 10:30 – 11:30 AM Central Time (Chicago, USA)
Where: Online on Zoom

Registration

Making an Offering

Making an offering or donation is optional and is not required to register for our Meditation for All: Shamatha and Vipashyana. You can join for free by selecting  “Free Ticket.” If you would like, you can make a donation of any amount to support our Stūpa Project and our weekly meditation session. After selecting a free ticket or making an offering below, the Zoom link and other practical information will be delivered in a confirmation email.

Purpose of Practice

The purpose of all practice, Thrangu Rinpoche says, “is to clear away the negative emotions and thoughts that afflict our mind, thereby allowing our good qualities to develop.” By taking the responsibility of getting hold of our mind through practice, we can develop a state of mental happiness and peace, and be more effective in our actions for the benefit of all beings. 

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday! 

Karmapa Khyenno!

KC16’s Tibetan Language Class: Basic Dharma Discourses

On Sunday evening, we continue to study and practice basic dharma discourses in our Tibetan Language Class together with some colloquial conversations, grammar, and the art of translating Tibetan. Everyone is welcome to join.

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!

Traditional Pujas and Vase Ceremony Ahead of Onsite Groundwork

From April 11 till April 19, special pujas (meditation practice with melodic chants and instruments) will be held at Karmapa Center 16 in preparation for the onsite groundwork that will begin later this spring. This is a significant step forward in our three-phased project and will literally create the foundations for the Parinirvāṇa Stupa Temple, a residence for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and two retreat houses. 

The pujas are intended to remove any obstacles, create the most auspicious conditions for the engineers, all workers, and volunteers to start our work together, and to promote environmental harmony. You are warmly invited to join our practices onsite or online, and make offerings in support of the lamas, practices, and the second phase of our Stupa Project. A link will be sent after an offering of any amount.

Schedule

Friday April 11 to Thursday, April 17

time (Central Time, UTC-6)puja
9:00–10:00 AMཟབ་ཏིག་སྒྲོལ་མ། Green Tara
10:30–12:00 PMམགོན་པོའི་བསྐང་གསོལ། Mahakala Practice 1
2:00–3:30 PMམགོན་པོའི་བསྐང་གསོལ། Mahakala Practice 2
4:00 – 5:30 PMམགོན་པོའི་བསྐང་གསོལ། Mahakala Practice 3
Schedule for KC16 pujas onsite in Wadsworth, IL, USA from April 11 to April 17, 2025
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.

Saturday, April 19th, 2025

time (US Central Time, UTC-6)puja
10:00–12:00 PMལོ་ནག་བཅོས་བུམ། Vase Ceremony
Schedule for KC16 ceremony onsite in Wadsworth, IL, USA on April 19, 2025
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.

Be Inspired by the Lineage of the Karmapas

We feel very fortunate to take this next step as part of creating a place for pilgrimage, study, and practice of the Dharma, the Kagyü, and especially the lineage of the Karmapas. In particular, to commemorate and be inspired by the life and teachings of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. May all be auspicious! 

Karmapa Khyenno!