插曲二:领悟真正的佛法修持:观察与引导心念

在开场念诵之后,我们通过稳固而平衡的坐姿开始了止禅的修习。大家接受引导去观察心念的流动,可能会想到禅修前的活动,或被未来的事情所牵引。无需任何评判,我们可以通过简单地观察这种心念的流动来修习止禅。如果心被当前的感官输入(如声音、气味、记忆、感受或其他)所吸引,我们只需觉察它。通过这种方式,与身体保持连接的同时,我们向内转而观察心的流动。

当心开始安定下来时,我们可以通过生起觉醒的意念来引导它的流动。我们与这一意图相连,想着:“愿此心的流转指向佛果,指向觉醒,为了所有众生,无一例外。”一起静坐就是将这种意图付诸实践的一部分。

内观修习:我们何时修行?

止禅的一项重要功能是为内观创造空间,使我们能够深入观察心的流动,以及当我们执着于念头时所产生的生活状态。在禅修期间,我们开始思考这样一个问题:在一天中的哪些时刻,我感到自己在修行佛法?是否有某些时刻,我感到自己走在无畏的菩萨之道上?

所有参与者都被邀请从修行的三个方面进行思考:我们如何看待它(观察)、如何在情感上感知它(感受)、以及它如何与我们周围的环境互动(生活)。我们通过自问是否有任何特别的体会来结束内观修习,然后简单地放下,轻松地坐着。

在简短的讨论后,我们继续学习第十七世大宝法王鄔金欽列多傑在慈悲之道中关于修行的开示与建议。他将“修行”这一问题置于其关于第一颂——珍贵人身——教法的核心。

今日拥有修行的自由

无著贤菩萨在这一颂中指出的菩萨行第一步修行是闻、思、修。大宝法王强调,我们可以将听闻视为修行的愿望,将思维视为获得定解的方法,将修持视为将闻思转化为实际体验的途径。他特别强调了在我们拥有修行自由时立即实践的重要性。

在今天课程开始之前,我们简短地谈到了野火、暴雪、地震等自然灾害。我们怀着慈悲心,祈愿所有受影响的人都能够平安并获得必要的支持。与此同时,教法提醒我们,没有任何保障说我们当前的条件会一直对修行有利。今天看似稳定的状况,明天可能就不再如此。因此,正如阿阇黎拉帕策林对这一颂的评论所提醒的那样,我们需要在修行的机会显现时立即抓住它

修行的真实标志

法王强调,通过认识我们的自由并真诚地发愿修行,我们才能理解什么是真正的修行。为了说明这一点,他回忆了噶当派的一个故事。我们的课本《佛子行三十七颂》正是属于这一传承。在课程中,这个故事被详细地重新讲述,提出了关于什么是佛法真正修行的问题。以下是故事的简要概述:

有一个人决心追随佛法之道,并投入于转绕(转神山圣湖佛塔等)、读经和持诵等修行中。然而,每次他这样做时,都会遇到一位噶当派大师(很可能是阿底峡尊者的主要弟子仲敦巴),这位大师一边赞叹他,一边问:“如果你修行真正的佛法,岂不是更好?”

于是,这个人决定修习禅定。然而,他依然听到相同的问题,感到迷茫:“如果这些都不算佛法修行,那什么才是呢?”噶当派大师指出答案:“断除你的执着,这才是佛法的修行。

在对前行(Ngöndro)修行的开示中,第十七世大宝法王也提出了类似的建议。他分享说,他经常听到人们谈论前行修法的困难或是容易,也有人谈到某些特殊的体验。尽管这些都很有意义,但法王像噶当派大师一样强调:“修行的真实标志应是我们如何对治烦恼情绪。”

在课程中,通过反思这些例子,我们认识到,无论是转绕、读经、持诵等任何修行,都可以成为断除执着的方式,更概括地说,也都可以用于对治我们的烦恼或心理困扰。当我们这样做时,每一种修行都可以成为真正的佛法修行。此外,根据法王的开示,我们需要超越心与佛法的分离,将二者结合起来。例如,如果我们想生起菩提心,它只能在当下这一刻生起,而不是在其他时刻或别处。它必须在此刻此心中生起,因为菩提心只在这里显现。

让禅修与睡眠更有意义:两条建议

在对《佛子行三十七颂》的开示中,第十七世大宝法王也提出了类似的建议。他分享说,他经常听到人们谈论前行修法的困难或是容易,也有人谈到某些特殊的体验。尽管这些都很有意义,但法王像噶当派大师一样强调:“修行的真实标志应是我们如何对治烦恼情绪。”

  • 在正式冥想结束之前,为了防止修行像指尖弹动般迅速离我们而去,或者慢慢消失,我们可以对自己说:“在结束这次修习后,接下来的一整天,我会努力保留这种体验和心态的滋味。”
  • 在入睡之前,我们可以反思自己一天的生活。今天做了什么?哪些是善行,哪些不是?“当我们将善与不善区分开后,可以承诺明天我们将努力增加善行,减少不善行。”法王指出,如果我们以这样的方式入睡,“我们的睡眠将不会是无用的或无意义的;它会转化为一种正面的心态,从而增强善行的力量。”

带着第十七世大宝法王的这两条实用建议,我们结束了本次课程,并以回向功德作为结束。在下次课程中,阿阇黎拉帕策林将从第八颂开始继续对无著贤菩萨的经典进行开示。



Karma Rigpai Lhamo译 Ella Peng校对

插曲:追随第一世噶玛巴的足迹

我们2025年国际新年的首次课程专门用于纪念第一世噶玛巴杜松虔巴的涅槃周年。2025年1月3日,尊胜的第十七世噶玛巴邬金钦列多杰在Facebook上分享了一首优美的偈颂。尽管要完全传达法王以藏文写作的深刻和美感是非常困难,甚至几乎是不可能的,但我们为课程准备了一份英文译文,并在课上共同朗读。

“三世所知之海,奔涌万法清流,
汇聚于无所不知的智慧之器——
伟大的圣者,一念摄尽显现与存在,
光辉的尊胜上师,今日我深情追忆您。”
——噶玛巴 邬金钦列多杰

安住于心,敞开于怀

由于阿阇黎拉帕策林的《佛子行三十七颂》开示将在1月19日继续,我们本次课程以回顾此前已经学习的偈颂为起始,并结合经续中的补充教言以及第十七世大宝法王噶玛巴第十世桑杰年巴仁波切的释义。在讨论这些内容之前,我们首先进行了日常的止禅修习。

提醒自己身体和心理姿势的重要性,我们鼓励在场的每个人都以舒适的姿势端坐——既要稳固扎根,又要放松,不去执著于过去或未来,而是安住于当下。大家在轻松的状态下,受邀敞开心扉,生起菩提心。我们留意心念的变化——当思绪纷飞或因困倦而失去正念时该如何应对——我们练习止禅, 让心安住。正如阿阇黎拉帕策林常说的那样,简单地保持觉知。

《佛子行三十七颂》:一部菩提道次第经典

在《佛子行三十七颂指南》一书的引言中,克里斯托弗·斯塔格(Christopher Stagg)提到了无著贤菩萨所著根本偈颂的格式,这部经典遵循了菩提道次第(lamrim),即修行的各个阶段。这意味着它属于噶当派的传承体系,噶当派被认为最早由伟大上师阿底峡尊者(Atīśa,约公元982年–1054年)传授。阿底峡尊者也撰写了奠基性经典《菩提道灯论》(藏文:བྱང་ཆུབ་ལམ་གྱི་སྒྲོན་མ།,英文:Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment)。

无著贤菩萨是这一传承中的后期注疏者。该传承追溯到阿底峡尊者,通过伟大的噶当派大师们——哲嘎瓦、夏拉瓦、朗日塘巴、波图和阿底峡的主要弟子仲敦巴。与阿底峡尊者一样,无著贤菩萨的经典遵循了菩提道次第教义的一个关键方面:他根据三种众生(或人类)能力的不同——较低、中等和卓越,逐步分类不同的修行法。在第8、9、10颂中,他指明了这三种能力,阿阇黎拉帕策林很可能将在后续讲解中对此进行阐述。

似乎是一个颇为殊胜的巧合,使我们停下来思考第1至第7颂。到目前为止,我们所学的内容可以视为一系列初步的修行法门,具有一个共同的智慧目标:将心从轮回转向佛法。这一部分以关于皈依的颂句结束——包括外在和内在的皈依,正如阿阇黎拉帕策林在我们上次课程中所解释的。

修心法:人人可修的菩提心要诀

无著贤菩萨也承袭了修心法(Lojong)的传统。克里斯托弗·斯塔格解释道,这一类经典“特别专注于相对菩提心和究竟菩提心的培养,并且在日常生活中,切实地与个人的处境直接互动。”

为了使这些教义对每个人都可行,包括那些没有时间深入学习大量经典和注释的人,这部经典以偈颂形式呈现,总共仅有四十三颂。我们可以在前七颂中看到这一特点,这些偈颂直接触动我们的内心。在他的注释中,阿阇黎拉帕策林通过经常将这些偈颂与我们自己的生活和当今世界相联系,进一步强调了这一点。以下是阿阇黎系列开示的总览:

“生起菩提心”这一指示的含义

在第十颂指向大乘之道后,无著贤菩萨的经典余下部分则呈现了适合具有第三种最高(人类)能力的修行法门。在这里,培养菩提心被放在每一条教义的核心。虽然阿阇黎拉帕策林将在接下来的课程中进一步阐述这一点,但我们简要探讨了菩提心这一广泛使用的术语的定义。

在伟大的噶举派大师冈波巴《解脱庄严论》书中,肯·霍尔姆斯翻译、图丹金巴编辑的版本中,菩提心被定义为:

“‘觉醒的念头’,一种为了所有众生的利益而成就佛果,所发起的无私决心。”

仔细审视这个定义,我们可以看到,它有两个特点:一个是对象——佛果的完全觉醒;另一个是目的——他人福祉的实现。

此外,菩提心 通常分为两部分,常译为“相对菩提心” 和“究竟菩提心”。前者与无私的决心相关,而后者则是关于完全觉醒的心识空性的直接觉悟。

所谓相对菩提心,又可以分为两种,冈波巴如是描述:

  • 愿菩提心:渴望获得真实的觉醒念头。
  • 行菩提心:在觉醒念头上的实际修炼。

在我们修行的开始,通常会受邀“生起菩提心”。了解上述内容有助于我们理解这究竟意味着什么,并意识到,如果我们真诚地希望成就觉醒念头(愿菩提心),这本身可能已经是一个伟大的成就。因此,阿阇黎拉帕策林常说的教导是具有启发性的,并且有伟大的指导意义:“生起正念,想着‘愿此修行成为一切众生成就觉悟的因缘’。”

修行使经文生动

在稍微深入了解了经典的背景以及贯穿所有颂句的菩提心主题后,我们再次审视了第二首开篇颂句:这部经典的目的。

在当代噶举派大师桑杰·年巴的注释中(该注释仅有藏文,在此专门为《大众禅修》翻译),特别强调了“利益与幸福的源泉”这一概念,并将其与“依赖于对他们修行的理解”联系在一起。这是什么意思呢?首先,他提出了一个问题:“为何圆满的佛陀是利益与幸福的源泉?”这关乎于一个事实——佛陀不仅降临于世,更重要的是他教导了真实的法门,“没有这个事实,我们就无法开始修行真正的法。”

因此,我们非常幸运,佛陀降临到我们的世界并教导了法。然而,这还不够。桑杰年巴仁波切带着一丝玩笑指出,我们可以将许多佛陀的经典堆叠在一起,但如果我们从不学习和思考它们,更别提付诸实践,那将完全毫无意义。

另一方面,如果我们深入修行一部经典,它即可以消除我们的烦恼并处理我们困惑的根源。“如果我们将佛法与自己分开,就像把一样东西放在这里,另一样放在那里,那将毫无益处。”因此,无著贤菩萨指出了圆满佛陀的修行法门,目的是让我们能够与之相应修行。

吾将灯具传与你,然道需汝亲自行

为了进一步支持上述解释,桑杰年巴仁波切常常引用佛经。在今天的课程中,我们思考了佛经中的两句话。第一句翻译成英文如下:

“我已向你展示了解脱的方法。然而,解脱依赖于你自己。”

桑杰年巴仁波切评论道,这两句包含了所有的佛法(指佛陀的教义)。它阐明了佛陀教导了我们应当舍弃什么——不善业,以及应当修持什么——善行。他还教导了如何获得解脱,如何走过五道十地。然而,桑杰年巴仁波切幽默地评论道:“佛陀不能只抛一块石头在空中,然后突然每个人都得到解脱。”他说,解脱依赖于我们自己。为此,我们需要修行。

佛经中的第二句是:

“你是你自己的保护者;你也是你自己的敌人。”

这与阿阇黎拉帕策林在我们之前的课程中解释的内容密切相关。我们可能会认为他人是我们的保护者或敌人。我们可能认为地狱等存在于某个地方,认为其他的力量会导致我们堕入黑暗和痛苦。然而,正如佛陀的这些话所指出的,并非如此。正如阿阇黎所说,“当我们非常愤怒时,地狱就在那里。”在这种情形下,我们就是我们自己的敌人。

这也意味着,如果我们将学习、思考和禅修作为菩萨道的最初修行,并通过三学的修炼,那么我们就能获得解脱和成就佛果。从这个意义上来说,我们是我们自己的保护者。

在今天的课程结束时,我们总结了桑杰年巴仁波切的注疏,强调我们必须了解修行并亲自付诸实践,否则我们将无法实现真正的佛法。通过思考佛陀的直接教导,并将其与阿底峡的教义相联系,我们可以说,正如无著贤菩萨在我们所学的这部经典中所传授的那样,他们已经为我们点亮了灯,但我们需要自己走这条道路。

在提醒大家下次课程中我们将进行观禅练习,并学习第十七世大宝法王噶玛巴鄔金欽列多傑的注疏后,我们以回向功德结束了今天的《大众禅修》课程:愿我们跟随第一世噶玛巴的足迹,所有众生都能成就全知的佛果。



Karma Rigpai Lhamo 译 Ella Peng 校对

43rd Parinirvana Anniversary of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa

Karmapa Center 16 commemorates His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa every year on November 5th, the day of his passing at the clinic which is now called City of Hope Cancer Treatment Center, in Zion, Illinois. Under the guidance of our resident teacher, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering, and Lama Tashi Gawa, we will be hosting a full day of pujas and practice in Tibetan. Please register below to receive the Zoom link. If you’d like to join onsite, please make sure you indicate this on the registration form. 

We are also deeply honored that our friends in Taiwan will be hosting a 16th Karmapa Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat with a special teaching by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, as well as practices and teachings by our advisor, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and our president, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, from November 1 to 3, and November 5. You can join online (via Zoom) or onsite. Teachings will be in English or Tibetan with translation into English and Chinese. Recordings will be made available to all registrants. 

In addition to the teachings, this special retreat includes a traditional lung (oral transmission) of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Sadhana (from Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche), and practicing this Guru Yoga together in the presence of sacred relics of His Holiness. 

Please find a tentative schedule below. Registration includes access to both the Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat and the Parinirvana commemoration. When you register, we will share the Zoom links, how to access recordings, and other practical information. For more information and registration in Chinese, please visit KC16 Taiwan’s Facebook Page.

May we always honor the radiant compassion and enlightened activities of His Holiness. 


Schedule

Tuesday, November 5, 2024 (at Karmapa Center 16 and online)

All times are shown in the local time zone, Central Standard Time (Chicago). Please note: Daylight Saving Time ends on November 3, 2024.

time (US Central Time, UTC-6)puja
7:00–8:00aTara
9:00–10:30aGuru Yoga (composed by Tai Situ Rinpoche)
11:00a–12:30pGuru Yoga (composed by Tai Situ Rinpoche)
2:00–3:30pGuru Yoga (composed by Tai Situ Rinpoche)
4:00–5:30pMahakala
Schedule for KC16 pujas onsite in Wadsworth, IL, USA on November 5, 2024
Click here to see the start time in your local time zone.

Please click to see the tentative schedule for His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat (Taiwan).


Registration

After making an offering (of any amount) below, a resource page with Zoom links and participation information for the Taiwan and KC16 Wadsworth events will be automatically emailed.

Please see the detailed schedule of pujas prior to the 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary program. The Zoom link will be delivered in a confirmation email. Thank you for being part of this year’s Parinirvāṇa Activities and kind support.

The Karmapa Center 16 celebrates Parinirvana of His Holiness

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, with Tyler Dewar translating, welcomes guests to the celebration of His Holiness’ Parinirvana.

The annual weekend celebration of the Parinirvana of the 16th Karmapa

Under a full moon shining on the waters of Lake Michigan, the annual weekend celebration of His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa’s Parinirvana opened with a teaching by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche on Friday, November 4, at the Illinois Beach Hotel in Zion, Illinois.

Damayonti Sengupta, founding board member of The Karmapa Center 16 (KC16), greeted the audience, many of whom had traveled long-distances to be there, hailing from Asia, Europe, Canada, Mexico and numerous cities across America. Sengupta introduced the President of KC16 Board of Directors, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche, who was present at the time of His Holiness’ death; Board Vice President and caretaker of the Center Lama Phuntsok Samkhang; and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, who envisioned the Center and was a life-long student of His Holiness.

FRIDAY NIGHT TEACHING: Manifesting loving-kindness and compassion

After extending a warm welcome to everyone, Rinpoche gave a teaching on loving-kindness and compassion that illustrated how his teacher, the 16th Karmapa (HHK16), manifested those qualities at all times towards all creatures throughout his life.

Rinpoche spoke about the physical and mental challenges present in our world today, about our fear that this is the worst time ever. Yesterday looks better, he said, even though the problem is the same. He then referenced an interview with His Holiness during the Cold War. Rinpoche recalled that His Holiness burst into laughter when the journalist asked him about current international tensions, replying “The world is always the same!”

We all want to make the world a better place, Rinpoche continued, but who will do that? You or me and how shall we do it? If we focus on the material problems and potential solutions, we miss the point of who is suffering, the people who are going through the hardship and pain. Looking beyond the labels, race, religion, the differences, we then see the similarities — we all are looking for freedom, joy and happiness. “If we can connect heart to heart, the boundaries do not exist, there is no judgement,” he said. “When we connect brain to brain, there are so many differences, so many concepts about differences. When we pay attention to the person, we connect with the heart of loving-kindness and compassion.”

Research today now shows what the Buddha taught over 2500 years ago — that all sentient beings possess loving-kindness and compassion. Buddha’s teaching to love all sentient beings without bias is present in every wisdom teaching of the world. “The one who manifested that unbounded love for all was His Holiness, my teacher,” Rinpoche said.

Rinpoche then gave the remainder of the talk in Tibetan, with Nalandabodhi translator Tyler Dewar translating into English.Though it is difficult to image all the enlightened qualities of HHK16, Rinpoche said he had the good fortune of being nurtured as a young boy by the 16th Karmapa and as his attendant, he witnessed His Holiness’ many activities. There are many profound instructions given by gurus and teachers, Rinpoche said, but the most profound teaching is the life example of a master, seeing how a great master uses the teachings to help self and others. While many people teach loving-kindness and compassion, His Holiness’ conduct manifested those qualities all the time towards all creatures. His mere presence — his great humor and joy — gave relief to many who met him. “His service focused on beings who needed his help,” Rinpoche said. “We only saw him performing benefits for other sentient beings. We hear the word bodhisattva thrown about, but he is the true example.”

Rinpoche cited several personal examples of His Holiness’ altruistic activities and said that the flourishing of the Buddhadharma and Vajrayana Buddhism in the West is due to the vision HHK16. He spoke about His Holiness’ visits to the West, his encouragement of young lamas to establish centers here and his intentional blessing to America by passing away in Zion. He was the first Karmapa to display Parinirvana outside of Tibet. Parinirvana, Rinpoche explained, is when the enlightened mind of a great master parts with the enlightened body and dissolves into the space of true nature.

KC16 is an important project, Rinpoche said, because it is a physical commemoration of the life example of His Holiness, and when we recollect his life example full of loving-kindness and compassion, we can extract blessings to manifest those teachings in our own life.

Karmapa means “one who manifests enlightened activity.” Karmapa makes manifest all the compassionate actions of the Buddha. “The actions of HHK16 matched the meaning of his name,” Rinpoche said. His Holiness focused on others. When we focus on another human being, heart to heart, then self focus naturally disappears, and we are freed from delusion or confusion of a superimposed self-image. Research corroborates that, Rinpoche said, confirming that those who focus on others have greater joy and happiness.

Concluding the evening’s talk, Rinpoche said, “We are celebrating the immeasurable heart of compassion that manifested in this master. We are trying to emulate that experience of joy and caring and loving-compassion.”

Tea and snacks were served after Rinpoche’s talk, allowing old and new friends to greet and meet each other.

SATURDAY TEACHING: The spiritual journey

After a torrential morning downpour, the rain stopped in time for guests to gather at KC16, located on 10 bucolic acres in the township of Wadsworth, Illinois, five miles from the hospital where His Holiness passed into Parinirvana on November 5, 1981. Everyone took a seat in a large tent erected next to the barn on the property for Rinpoche’s teaching. Damayonti welcomed everyone to the Center, the blessed land and blessed teacher, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Tyler again translated for Rinpoche.

Rinpoche began the teaching by recounting the story of the Buddha and his journey of awakening. An Indian prince, Siddhartha was full of curiosity about discovering the meaning of life and the real truth behind what we see, hear, feel and experience. That genuine enthusiasm led him on a “beautiful journey,” which he achieved under the Bodhi Tree. “It was a moment of awakening,” Rinpoche said. “Awakening is very short. It is the journey, the dream, to that moment that makes it beautiful.” Of course, awakening is also beautiful, he said, but it is one moment. The path is what is really exciting.

What the Buddha showed us was not just about the moment of awakening but also about the journey of what did and didn’t work. We have all chosen a path for living, Rinpoche said; the Buddha’s teaching involves living a life of caring for others, with wisdom, love and compassion. “His teaching is a genuine science of mind and way of living,” Rinpoche said. “It is controversial as it is other-centered not ego-centered. Like pure water — and we’ve had a lot of water today! — Buddha’s teaching can quench the thirst of beings’ minds tormented by thoughts and emotions.”

However, a good container is necessary to hold the nectar of dharma, he said, or it cannot be put into good use. If the container is not good, then no matter how profound the teaching, it is difficult to bring the wisdom and compassion to others. The vision for KC16 is to create a pure container to hold the dharma and share it with “as many limitless beings as possible.”

If the container could be anywhere in the world, then why in Zion, Illinois, Rinpoche asked. Because this is where His Holiness passed into Parinirvana. “That moment,” he said, “is the most potent moment.” Zion is a “sacred place of our most important master of the 20th Century. His Holiness dissolved into the dharmakaya right here in Zion.”

There is a spiritual power in the earth of a sacred place, and it influences the activities performed there, Rinpoche continued. “A sacred place has the energy to bring more joy, compassion, love and awakening from deep state of delusion.”

Rinpoche then told the story of the first Karmapa’s spiritual journey that took place 1400 years after the Buddha and finished with the spiritual journey of the 16th Karmapa that brought him to the United States.

So, how do we connect with the 16th Karmapa, Rinpoche asked. If we recollect His Holiness, then a connection is made, he answered. To properly recollect, one needs the experiential connection of directly seeing the presence of the Karmapa. “That is why we are building the stupa,” Rinpoche said, “to establish the center as a commemoration of the Karmapa so people can make a direct connection with him.”

The goal also includes building a museum and library to learn about the Karmapa through texts, videos, photos and other memorabilia.Together we will accomplish that goal, Rinpoche said. No single skill will make it happen; rather it is everyone’s contribution who is interested in making a connection. Rinpoche invited everyone back to the Center to do retreat, work practice and/or provide financial support. “With everyone’s help, the power of the blessing will blaze.”

Rinpoche concluded the talk by thanking everyone who helped with the weekend and thanked the leaders of the Wadsworth Village before inviting guests to view the relics of His Holiness and other masters on display at the front of the tent. Nalandabodhi translator Chris Stagg explained the significance of each relic.

In the evening, KC16 gave a dinner party for the guests — held in the barn! Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche shared how the project began, recounted being in the presence of His Holiness, the importance of this project and praised the work of staff members, honoring Lama Phuntsok who oversees and cares, on an ongoing basis, for every detail at the Center. Damayonti then thanked by name the major donors and volunteers. She highlighted the importance of each contributing donor at any level and the vital work of volunteers, which is a beautiful and fortunate opportunity for everyone to make a meaningful connection with the life example of the 16th Karmapa. The evening was a joyful celebration!

PARINIRVANA SUNDAY: Puja and prayers


Early Sunday morning, the day of His Holiness’ Parinirvana, sandhill cranes, Canada geese and other flocks of birds passed over the tent where the 16th Karmapa Guru Yoga and puja were held in Tibetan. The puja began at 8 a.m., included a short break for breakfast, and ended at noon. Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche presided over the puja, with Lama Phuntsok leading the chants as umdze.

Lunch was held in the barn, with Wadsworth Mayor Glenn Ryback and Village Board Trustees Ben Dolan, Doug Jacobs and Jim Zegar and their families, including Charlie, the Zegar’s dog. The Wadsworth dignitaries attended the afternoon session of Guru Yoga held in English, with Nalandabodhi member Stephanie Johnston leading the chants as umdze.


At the conclusion of the puja the weekend guests departed, brightening the gray, foggy day with their bright, warm smiles. The joy of being together — the presence of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and practicing on the sacred land of His Holiness’ Parivnirvana — was evident: it a brilliant display of blessings received.

Join our campaign to purchase The Karmapa Center 16 land by October 31st, 2015

His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa with Chogyam Trungpa RInpoche in the United States.


We have an incredible opportunity to purchase the Wadsworth, IL land located 5 miles west of the 16th Karmapa’s parinirvana at the cancer center and blessed by the 17th Karmapa. We invite you to join us in this auspicious undertaking to establish this pilgrimage site in North America!

As we complete ecological and traffic studies to prepare for the county and village meetings and permit approval process, we are simultaneously fundraising to purchase the land. To date, approximately $300,000 has been raised… 

in order to close on this property, we require an additional $650,000 by October 31, 2015.  

How can I help, you ask?

We’re so very glad you did! There are several ways to make a connection to the project and contribute meaningfully:

  • Donate in the following ways:
    • Online
    • Write a check to “The Karmapa Center 16” and mail to: 41230 Kilbourne Road, Wadsworth, IL 60083
    • Wire transfer or direct deposit by contacting us at info@karmapacenter16.org, Subject line: DONATION
  • Spread the word
    • Tell your friends!
    • Share the news on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn
    • Contact us at info@karmapacenter16.org for brochures/pledge card packages to distribute
  • Share your stories, experiences, pictures and memories with the 16th Karmapa by emailing us at info@karmapacenter16.org
    • Video yourself sharing the story
    • Write your story
    • Scan your pictures or memorabilia

We look forward to hearing from you!

HHK blesses proposed Stupa ground
HHK17 blesses the proposed HHK16 parinirvana stupa ground at The Karmapa Center 16