This 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 to give a special teaching during this retreat. Below is an impression 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 brief explanations about the meaning and practice of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga called “Rainfall of Nectar” and his personal connection with this practice. He noted that this was one of the very first Dharma teachings he received as a small child from His Holiness.
Later, the sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, instructed Rinpoche to offer reading transmissions or lungs of this Guru Yoga “Rainfall of Nectar” as one of his responsibilities. After receiving it himself from His Eminence the 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, he supplicated Gyaltsab Rinpoche to explain how to do this practice and compose a commentary, which he did. Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche’s teachings of the first evening of our Guru Yoga Teachings were based on this.
One of the aspects Rinpoche pointed out is how the guru is equal to the Buddhas in terms of excellent qualities, yet excels the Buddha in terms of kindness. He is someone who can directly guide someone to move away from negative qualities and cultivate positive qualities in terms of body, speech, and mind.
Sharing about His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s qualities and activities, Rinpoche mentioned that His Holiness was able to liberate the mindstream of others with his enlightened speech. Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche shared various stories to illustrate this. He also pointed out how the great love and compassion for animals were evident from His Holiness’ actions.
In his teachings, explanation of the practice, and reading transmission/lung of the 16th Karmapa’s “Rainfall of Nectar” Guru Yoga practice, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche also shared how he doesn’t have the prajna of hearing, experience of meditation, or the power of giving blessings himself, but through offering these during this Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat that the compassion and blessings of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa would be transferred to all present. Along these lines, we concluded this 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 in the morning, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche gave his first teaching during this retreat. He shared that “we are very fortunate to have this opportunity to be together and remember such an enlightened master [the sixteenth 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 sixteenth 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 sixteenth Karmapa, and 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 hear stories about the sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. What else was there to say on this third day of this year’s Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat to commemorate His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Parinirvāṇa Anniversary?
Yet, alongside His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga “Rainfall of Nectar”, songs and other practices, both Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche kindly 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 the experience of illness can deepen our experience and understanding of the teachings, like the nine ways of the genuine ones, and 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, 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 this year.
November 5: 43rd Parinirvāṇa Anniversary
In commemorating the 43rd anniversary of the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa’s parinirvāṇa, we held our annual pujas and prayers on November 5th.
This year, after our Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat last weekend, we recited the supplication to the Dagpo Kagyü, practiced His Holiness the 16th Karmapa’s Guru Yoga, sang songs, did Mahakala practice, made offerings and dedications at Nalandabodhi Taichung’s dharma center, Namkha Ösal – presided by Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Towards the end, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche shared a little bit about the history behind Karmapa Center 16. One thing he pointed out, is 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, and also offer 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, kindly joined by Lama Tashi Gawa and many dharma friends onsite and online, our annual parinirvāṇa pujas and guru yoga practices were also held (in Tibetan) at Karmapa Center 16 itself. A beautiful mandala was created with a special statue of His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa for today’s practice and Acharya expressed his gratitude to everyone for helping make this possible.
With these practices, we fully concluded this year’s 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 veel very fortunate that we were able to have this year’s extensive commemoration onsite in Taiwan and online, with teachings on HH16K’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 them have not met His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa personally, everyone has helped so greatly in appreciation of His Holiness’ kindness and enlightened activities.
Being able to gather and practice together onsite and online, with the presence of the sacred relics of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, is something we are deeply grateful for.
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 DPR 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 Sixteenth Karmapa. Thank you.”
We feel extremely grateful and blessed for the precious words this year by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, and wish for His Holiness to live long and continue to benefit all sentient beings.
All our activities to remember and honor the compassion and enlightened activities of the 16th Karmapa, putting the teachings of the Dharma and the lineage of the Karmapas into action for the benefit of everyone in this world as much as we can.
Karmapa Khyenno!
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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.
