News
by Jo Gibson on 2 June, 2016
Bülach, Switzerland – May 29, 2016 The Karmapa sat on stage in a comfortable armchair covered in red and gold brocade for this final session, held on his last afternoon in Switzerland. He began by recollecting his own childhood in a remote area of Tibet, devoid of modern technology and other aspects of the contemporary world. Within this very traditional… Read More
by Michele Martin on 2 June, 2016
Bülach, Switzerland – May 29, 2016 Bülach’s city hall was filled to the brim with over two thousand Tibetans and westerners who came this morning to receive the empowerment of Avalokiteshvara from the Gyalwang Karmapa, who is considered an emanation of this deity embodying the compassion of all the buddhas. The sound of six-syllable mantra filled the air while the… Read More
by Jo Gibson on 30 May, 2016
Bulach, Switzerland – May 28, 2016 In the afternoon session, the Karmapa examined the remaining two thoughts: karma, cause and effect, and the defects of samsara. His Holiness began by dispelling some common misunderstandings of the term karma. He noted that this Buddhist principle was very much linked to themes from the morning session, such as the difficulty of attaining… Read More
by Michele Martin on 30 May, 2016
Bulach, Switzerland – May 28, 2016 The morning began with a fulsome praise of the Karmapa offered by Namkha Rinpoche, who requested the Karmapa to remain until the end of samsara to benefit living beings. After the accolade, his students presented the supports of body, speech, and mind to the Karmapa thanking him for his teachings and requesting him to… Read More
by Michele Martin on 29 May, 2016
Sixteen to Twenty-Five, What Do They Think? The Gyalwang Karmapa Meets with the Younger Generation of Tibetans in Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland – May 27, 2016 Today the Gyalwang Karmapa met with more than sixty young Tibetans living in Switzerland, many of whom were born here. Most of the young women were dressed in their best chupas and some of the… Read More
by Michele Martin on 28 May, 2016
Zurich, Switzerland – May 26, 2016 The Karmapa began this day of a dance performance and audiences by meeting with a group of over ninety Tibetan Kagyu practitioners. He gave them the transmission of Guru Rinpoche’s mantra and that of Avalokiteshvara, the two yidam deities with whom he is most closely associated. After he was offered the supports of body,… Read More
by Michele Martin on 27 May, 2016
Rikon, Switzerland – May 25, 2016 On the way to the Tibetan Institute in Rikon, the Karmapa stopped to have lunch at Junger Farm where he found a familiar sight: two yaks grazing on the hillside. He could also hear the familiar sound of a conch shell but this time playing in fusion with the Swiss Alpenhorn. In this idyllic… Read More
by Michele Martin on 27 May, 2016
The Karmapa visits Padma Company Wetzikon, Switzerland – May 25, 2016 This morning the Gyalwang Karmapa traveled to a small town just outside Zurich to visit the offices and production site of Padma Company, which manufactures a variety of Tibetan medicines. The organization will soon celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. The Karmapa first visited the production site, where in an area… Read More
by Michele Martin on 26 May, 2016
The Gyalwang Karmapa Visits the Rigpe Dorje Center in the House of Religion Bern, Switzerland – May 24, 2016 On his way from Lausanne to Bern, the Karmapa stopped today at Thupten Jamtse Ling Dharma Center to give a blessing to this lovely place of practice. It was founded by Patrick Stillhart, whose generosity has helped centers of different Tibetan… Read More
by Karma Wangdu on 25 May, 2016
Zurich, Switzerland – May 25, 2016 Bringing to a close a day of travel outside Zurich, the Karmapa returned to visit the headquarters of ROKPA, which means “help” or “assistance” in Tibetan. Its purpose is to aid people in remote areas of the world, where it participates in more than 100 projects to provide food, health care, and education. Founded… Read More
