The Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi

The Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi
Author: Charles Manson
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 305
Release: 2022-11-29
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834844508

The life and writings of a Tibetan meditation master who became the Buddhist priest to two Mongol emperors and is recognized as one of the earliest reincarnated lamas in Tibet. Karma Pakshi is considered influential in the development of the reincarnate lama tradition, a system that led to the lineage of the Dalai Lamas. Born in East Tibet in the thirteenth century, Karma Pakshi himself was the first master to be named Karmapa, a lineage that continues to modern times and has millions of admirers worldwide. During his lifetime, Karma Pakshi was widely acknowledged as a mahāsiddha—a great spiritual adept—and was therefore invited to the Mongol court at the apogee of its influence in Asia. He gave spiritual advice and meditation instructions to the emperor Mӧngke Khan, whom he advised to engage in social policies, to release prisoners, and to adopt a vegetarian diet. After Mӧngke’s death, Karma Pakshi was imprisoned by the successive emperor Kubilai Khan, and much of Karma Pakshi’s writing was done while he was captive in northeast China. He was eventually released and returned to Tibet, where he commissioned one of the medieval world’s largest metal statues: a seated Buddha sixty feet high. Centuries later, two Buddhist meditation masters, the First Mingyur Rinpoche and Chӧgyam Trungpa Rinpoche, were inspired by Karma Pakshi to write meditation practices that are profoundly important to contemporary Tibetan Buddhist practitioners: respectively, the Karma Pakshi Guru Yoga and the Sādhana of Mahāmudrā. This first-ever comprehensive biography of Karma Pakshi in English reveals new information about a pivotal historical figure in the development of Tibetan Buddhism and his interactions with two Mongol emperors. Also included are translations of several newly available songs attributed to Karma Pakshi and translations of ten excerpts of his writings on reincarnation, meditation, dreams, visionary experiences, tantra, and consecration. Details on the music of Karma Pakshi's singing of the maṇi mantra are also given.

The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje

The Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje
Author:
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2020-11-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1611807085

The first comprehensive overview of the life and writings of the Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, a revolutionary figure in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Known for his mastery of teachings across sectarian lines, his treatises on medicine and astrology, and his work as spiritual advisor to the last Yuan emperor of China, Rangjung Dorje (1284-1339) is considered one of the most important and influential figures in Tibetan Buddhist history. First recognized as a tulku, or reincarnated Buddhist master, at the age of five, Rangjung Dorje became the Karma Kagyu lineage holder and instituted the reincarnation-based inheritance structure within Tibetan Buddhism that led to the formation of important lineages of tulkus such as the Dalai Lamas. In this groundbreaking work, Ruth Gamble synthesizes her extensive research on Rangjung Dorje into a sweeping biography covering his life, legacy, and important selected writings. Included in her discussions are Rangjung Dorje's synthesis of Dzogchen and Mahamudra in his writings, his devotion to spreading the teachings of Buddha nature, and several works never before translated into English. As the most comprehensive work available on Rangjung Dorje, this book is an indispensable resource for scholars and Buddhist practitioners alike.

The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 5

The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa: Volume 5
Author: Chogyam Trungpa
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2010-09-28
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0834821540

The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa brings together in eight volumes the writings of one of the first and most influential and inspirational Tibetan teachers to present Buddhism in the West. Organized by theme, the collection includes full-length books as well as articles, seminar transcripts, poems, plays, and interviews, many of which have never before been available in book form. From memoirs of his escape from Chinese-occupied Tibet to insightful discussions of psychology, mind, and meditation; from original verse and calligraphy to the esoteric lore of tantric Buddhism—the impressive range of Trungpa's vision, talents, and teachings is showcased in this landmark series. Volume Five focuses on the lineages of great teachers who have transmitted the Tibetan Buddhist teachings and on the practice of devotion to the spiritual teacher. It includes inspirational commentaries by Chögyam Trungpa on the lives of famous masters such as Padmasambhava, Naropa, Milarepa, Marpa, and Tilopa, as well as an excerpt from The Sadhana of Mahamudra, a tantric text that Chögyam Trungpa received as terma in 1968. Among the selected writings are "Explanation of the Vajra Guru Mantra," an article never before published, which deals with the mantra that invokes Guru Rinpoche; seminar talks available in book form for the first time; and previously unpublished articles on Milarepa.

History of the Karmapas

History of the Karmapas
Author: Lama Kunsang
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2012-04-16
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1559393904

Masters of esoteric knowledge and miraculous practices, the lineage of the Karmapas is the earliest of all the recognized incarnate lineages and is said to descend from the great Indian tantric master Tilopa through a chain that includes Naropa, Marpa, and Milarepa. The Karmapas are distinguished by their black crowns, said to have been woven by dakinis and symbolizing the activity of the buddhas. Unlike other Tibetan Buddhist lineage heads, each Karmapa has specific knowledge of his next reincarnation and leaves behind a "Last Testament," a letter to his disciples describing the place and circumstances of their future rebirth, the name of their parents, and so on. At a very young age, each successive incarnation is often able to recognize himself as the Karmapa. In their recounting of the histories of the seventeen Karmapas, the authors reveal the universal and marvelous concealed in the everyday world. Their lively account peppered with anecdotes is the most comprehensive in the West on this subject, with information from Tibetan, Chinese, Mongolian, French, and English sources.

Karmapa

Karmapa
Author: Lea Terhune
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 322
Release: 2004
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0861711807

Award-winning journalist Lea Terhune paints a portrait of an extraordinary young man who will likely play a key role in the future of Tibet & Tibetan Buddhism.

Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism

Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism
Author: Ruth Gamble
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 345
Release: 2018-07-09
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 019069078X

Reincarnation in Tibetan Buddhism examines how the third Karmapa hierarch, Rangjung Dorjé (1284-1339) transformed reincarnation from a belief into a lasting Tibetan institution. Born the son of an itinerant, low-caste potter, Rangjung Dorjé went on to become a foundational figure in Tibetan Buddhism and a teacher of the last Mongolian emperor. He became renowned for his contributions to Buddhist philosophy, literature, astrology, medicine, architecture, sacred geography and manuscript production. But, as Ruth Gamble demonstrates, his most important legacy was the transformation of the Karmapa reincarnation lineage to ensure that, after his death, subsequent Karmapas were able to assume power in the religious institutions he had led. The inheritance model of reincarnation instituted by Rangjung Dorjé changed the Tibetan Plateau's power relations, which until that time had been based on family associations, and created a precedent for later reincarnate institutions, including that of the Dalai Lamas. Drawing on Rangjung Dorjé's hitherto un-translated autobiographies and autobiographical songs, this book shows that his reinvention of reincarnation was a self-conscious and multi-faceted project, made possible by Rangjung Dorjé's cultural, social, and political standing and specific historical and geographical circumstances. Exploring this combination of agency and historical coincidence, this is the first full-length study of the development of the reincarnation institution.

The Life of the Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje

The Life of the Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje
Author: Meng Wang
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2022-11-08
Genre: History
ISBN: 1666913464

The Sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, was the first Tibetan Buddhist leader to make extensive teaching tours to the West. His three tours to Europe and North America from 1974 to 1980 led to the global expansion of Tibetan Buddhist schools. This book presents the most in-depth analysis of the Karmapa’s contribution to the preservation and transmission of Tibetan Buddhism in exile. It is the first study to combine Tibetan life-writing and biographical materials in English with a thorough examination of the transformation of Tibetan Buddhism in the modern era of globalization. Drawing on a wide range of data from written accounts, collections of photographs, recordings of interviews, and documentaries, the author discusses the life and activity of the Karmapa through the lens of cross-cultural interaction between Buddhism and the West with a particular focus on Asian agency. The study shows that the Karmapa’s transmission strategies emphasized continuity with tradition with some openness for adaptation. His traditionalist approach and his success on the global scale challenge the popular assumption that the transmission of Buddhism is primarily a matter of Westernization, which, in turn, calls for a broader view that recognizes its complex and dynamic nature.

Buddha's Not Smiling

Buddha's Not Smiling
Author: Erik D. Curren
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass Publishe
Total Pages: 352
Release: 2008
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9788120833319

The book shows a complete picture of the controversy on that aspect of religion, and challenges the reader to judge for themselves.Interest in Buddhism has exploded in the last couple of decades, and millions of people around the world view Tibetan Buddhism as the religion's most pure and authentic form. Yet, a political conflict among Tibetan lamas themselves is now poised to tear the Tibetan Buddhist world apart and threaten the ntegrity of its thousand-year old teachings. On August 2, 1993, Rumtek monastery was attacked. Its monks were expelled and the cloister was turned over to supporters of a boy-lamas appointed by the Chinese government. But Rumtek was not in China, and its attackers were not Communist troops. Rumtek was in India, the refuge for most exiled Tibetans. And it was Tibetan lamas and monks themselves who led the siege. Yet, evidence shows that Chinese agents directly supported Tibetan lamas and monks who attacked Rumtek monastery. While a complete picture of this controversy has been blurred by the media's focus on international Buddhist celebrities, Buddha's Not Smiling challengers Readers to Judge for themselves the health of Tibetan Buddhism today

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma
Author: Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Publisher: KTD Publications
Total Pages: 420
Release: 2004
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780974109206

Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma includes the text as taught by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) from 1999 to 2003, with translations by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Chojor Radha. His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa (Rangjung Rikpe Dorje, 1923-1981) asked that Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche present Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma to Western students. In accordance with this wish, Khenpo Rinpoche began teaching this text in 1999 at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, the North American seat of His Holiness, located in Woodstock, New York. Rinpoche omitted chapters that he considered restricted; these restricted or secret parts will be taught and published separately at Karma Ling Retreat Center for use by qualified students. This work makes the entire contents of Karma Chakme's Mountain Dharma available in English for the first time.