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Last night's rain gave birth to puddles throughout the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra campus this morning - while volunteers ate breakfast in the dining room, other workers were using long push brooms to slide puddles of muddy water from the floor of the 600-person tent pitched in the courtyard in front of the KTD Shrine building.
After breakfast the mountain was cloaked in mist as participants arrived for the second day of the first North American Kagyu Monlam. The weather lent an ethereal air to the moment, as though we were perched in the clouds reciting our prayers to the heavens around us.
"This is what places like KTD were created for," said one participant, as she worked her way toward her seat. Places to foster the dharma and promote its realization.
After breakfast the mountain was cloaked in mist as participants arrived for the second day of the first North American Kagyu Monlam. The weather lent an ethereal air to the moment, as though we were perched in the clouds reciting our prayers to the heavens around us.
"This is what places like KTD were created for," said one participant, as she worked her way toward her seat. Places to foster the dharma and promote its realization.
Participants weren't the only ones who were pleased, "The local deities must like dharma," said another woman. "The weather has been cool, misty, rainy, not really too hot, as it might usually be in July."
In fact, during the morning the local deities (or, at least the clouds) themselves came into the shrine room, rolling through the open front door and into the shrine hall.
First-day jitters had obviously had a chance to subside, and the quality of the chanting was smoother and more harmonious. People were feeling inspired by the event and ready to make the Kagyu Monlam their own.
The morning teaching covered the lives of the Third through Ninth Karmapas, detailing their various deeds.
The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, was a great scholar and meditator who continued the Karmapas' relationship with the emperors of Mongolia. He wrote many texts, including ones on the Outer, Inner, and Other Kalachakra. In the Kalachakra text, Rangjung Dorje lays out the system of astrology and calendar-making of the Tsurphu tradition. During Thrangu Rinpoche's remarks, he urged modern practitioners to take up the work of preserving and holding the precious Tsurphu calendar-making tradition
The Fourth Karmapa, Rolpai Dorje, continued the work with the Mongol emperor, and the Fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa, began a relationship with the Chinese Ming emperor. The Sixth Karmapa, Tongwa Donden, wrote the Chakrasamvara text used by Karma Kagyu practitioners today. The Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso, concerned that the common people seldom saw great teachers, traveled the country in an encampment called "The Great Encampment, Ornament of the World." The Seventh Karmapa staged plays about the lives of Buddha, and introduced many people to the dharma. "Now, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa is doing the same thing, " Thrangu Rinpoche said. "His Kagyu Monlam is spreading around the world and bringing benefit for many beings."
The Eighth Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, lived a simple life but was a great scholar who wrote many treatises, including "Disk of the Sun" on the Vinaya monastic discipline. "He also taught the way of Guru Yoga with his "Guru Yoga of the Four Sessions," Rinpoche said. "He told us with his words about the practi
ce of one-pointed devotion, with lines such as, "If is is not me praying to you, then who is praying? If it is not you looking at me with compassion, then who is looking at me?"
The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuck Dorje, brought many of the previous Karmapas' works to fruition. He also established a seat in Sikkim, which was ready when His Holiness the 16th Karmapa escaped there.
After the prayers for those who have passed away, the lunch break began. During the break, volunteers collected names for prayers for the living and the dead, which will figure prominently in the prayer service on Thursday. Also on Thursday, Thrangu Rinpoche is expected to give the Akshobya empowerment, as part of the observance of the holy day of the Buddha's First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.
When Thrangu Rinpoche came into the room for the afternoon session, the mist had dispelled and a cool breeze wafted in as afternoon participants came in from the rain. (Those sitting in chairs outside in the tent in the morning are admitted to the shrine room in the afternoon, and vice-versa, as a way of allowing as many participants to be in the shrine room daily as possible.)
During the regular afternoon chants, the routine was broken up when, after several recitations of the King of Aspiration Prayers in Tibetan, Thrangu Rinpoche's translator Karma David Choepel, announced the page and said, "in English."
The group then participated in a lovely English-language chant led by Karma Choepel, with English readers from many nations participating. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, sitting next to Thrangu Rinpoche, beamed with a smile as he listened to the English-language chanters, including his nephew Lama Karma Drodhul.
Fortuitously, KTD Publications received two new books today - several preview copies of "Ngondro for Our Current Era," by His Holiness 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, a book giving details of a Mahamudra Ngondro practice composed by His Holiness; and several cartons of "The Heart of the Dharma, Mind Training for Beginners" by Thrangu Rinpoche. These books will be available to the public in a day or so.
In fact, during the morning the local deities (or, at least the clouds) themselves came into the shrine room, rolling through the open front door and into the shrine hall.
First-day jitters had obviously had a chance to subside, and the quality of the chanting was smoother and more harmonious. People were feeling inspired by the event and ready to make the Kagyu Monlam their own.
The morning teaching covered the lives of the Third through Ninth Karmapas, detailing their various deeds.
The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje, was a great scholar and meditator who continued the Karmapas' relationship with the emperors of Mongolia. He wrote many texts, including ones on the Outer, Inner, and Other Kalachakra. In the Kalachakra text, Rangjung Dorje lays out the system of astrology and calendar-making of the Tsurphu tradition. During Thrangu Rinpoche's remarks, he urged modern practitioners to take up the work of preserving and holding the precious Tsurphu calendar-making tradition
The Fourth Karmapa, Rolpai Dorje, continued the work with the Mongol emperor, and the Fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa, began a relationship with the Chinese Ming emperor. The Sixth Karmapa, Tongwa Donden, wrote the Chakrasamvara text used by Karma Kagyu practitioners today. The Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyatso, concerned that the common people seldom saw great teachers, traveled the country in an encampment called "The Great Encampment, Ornament of the World." The Seventh Karmapa staged plays about the lives of Buddha, and introduced many people to the dharma. "Now, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa is doing the same thing, " Thrangu Rinpoche said. "His Kagyu Monlam is spreading around the world and bringing benefit for many beings."
The Eighth Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, lived a simple life but was a great scholar who wrote many treatises, including "Disk of the Sun" on the Vinaya monastic discipline. "He also taught the way of Guru Yoga with his "Guru Yoga of the Four Sessions," Rinpoche said. "He told us with his words about the practi
ce of one-pointed devotion, with lines such as, "If is is not me praying to you, then who is praying? If it is not you looking at me with compassion, then who is looking at me?"The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuck Dorje, brought many of the previous Karmapas' works to fruition. He also established a seat in Sikkim, which was ready when His Holiness the 16th Karmapa escaped there.
After the prayers for those who have passed away, the lunch break began. During the break, volunteers collected names for prayers for the living and the dead, which will figure prominently in the prayer service on Thursday. Also on Thursday, Thrangu Rinpoche is expected to give the Akshobya empowerment, as part of the observance of the holy day of the Buddha's First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma.
When Thrangu Rinpoche came into the room for the afternoon session, the mist had dispelled and a cool breeze wafted in as afternoon participants came in from the rain. (Those sitting in chairs outside in the tent in the morning are admitted to the shrine room in the afternoon, and vice-versa, as a way of allowing as many participants to be in the shrine room daily as possible.)
During the regular afternoon chants, the routine was broken up when, after several recitations of the King of Aspiration Prayers in Tibetan, Thrangu Rinpoche's translator Karma David Choepel, announced the page and said, "in English."
The group then participated in a lovely English-language chant led by Karma Choepel, with English readers from many nations participating. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, sitting next to Thrangu Rinpoche, beamed with a smile as he listened to the English-language chanters, including his nephew Lama Karma Drodhul.
Fortuitously, KTD Publications received two new books today - several preview copies of "Ngondro for Our Current Era," by His Holiness 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, a book giving details of a Mahamudra Ngondro practice composed by His Holiness; and several cartons of "The Heart of the Dharma, Mind Training for Beginners" by Thrangu Rinpoche. These books will be available to the public in a day or so.
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Photo credit: Stephanie Colvey.
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