Unfurling the Large Applique Thangka in Bodhgaya on New Year’s Eve (via Kagyu Office)

This morning, in a two-hour ceremony at the Monlam Pavilion, a magnificent appliqué thangka of Buddha Shakyamuni, flanked by the bodhisattvas Maitreya andManjusri, was unfurled and consecrated. It had taken six months, from June to December 2011, to make the thangka, measuring 20 feet by 30 feet.

via Current Activities of the Karmapa.

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His Holiness Karmapa’s Teaching on the Vajradhara Lineage Prayer – Day 3

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His Holiness Karmapa’s Teaching on the Vajradhara Lineage Prayer – Day 2

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HH Karmapa teaching on Vajradhara Lineage Prayer – English 1 of 3

 

This teaching is being webcast live from Bodhgaya, February 26-28. For the live webcast go here: http://www.kagyumonlam.org/Webcast/live_webcast.html

To view part 1 of yesterday’s teaching on Youtube:

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Making the Tormas for the 29th Kagyu Monlam (Kagyu Monlam Blog)

Karma Samten makes a butter sculpture for the 29th Kagyu Monlam

For an excellent slideshow go here:

http://monlam.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/making-of-tormas/

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H.H. Karmapa Dances in the Black Hat Cham

watch?v=61rLEm6-HGM&feature=player_embedded#!

 

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Mahakala Empowerments, Reading Transmissions, Explanations, and Practice have been taking place in Bodhgaya since Feb. 12

via Kagyu Office

Mahakala (Bernachen) painted by H.H. the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje

For many days before the Tibetan New Year, the sangha traditionally engages in a practice of the Protector Mahakala (known as Gutor) to clear away the obstacles of the previous year and open the way for the new one to come. This year in Bodhgaya, the Seventeenth Karmapa has organized ten days of Mahakala practice, empowerments, reading transmissions and explanations to take place at Tergar Monastery, his residence here. The sessions began with empowerments on February 12 and will continue through February 21. Special this year is the text of the practice, which His Holiness has revived after this powerful ritual had lain dormant for centuries.

to continue reading:  Current Activities of the Karmapa.

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The Gyalwang Karmapa Supervises the Cham Dress Rehearsal in Bodhgaya

via Kagyu Office: the Website of His Holiness Gyalwang Karmapa.

As the Tibetan year draws to a close, Tsurphu traditionally offers a special ritual known as Gutor. This ten-day long ritual is dedicated to the Great Protector of the Karma Kagyu, Gonpo Bernakchen, (Mahakala in Sanskrit). This year’s ritual will be very special as, for the first time since the Gyalwang Karmapa came to India, the complete Tsurphu Gutor Ritual will be offered, including ritual dances, known as Cham in Tibetan, performed by monks from seven Karma Kagyu monasteries in Nepal and India: Rumtek, Ralang , Mirik, Benchen, Phodong, Old Rumtek, and Old Ralang.

To continue reading go here.

 

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The Karmapa Inspects the Butter Sculptures Created for the 29th Kagyu Monlam

This video shows the Karmapa inspecting this year’s Kagyu Monlam butter sculptures and the tormas created for the upcoming Mahakala pujas. The monk walking beside him is the Torma Master, Lama Sangye. The Gyalwang Karmapa requests monk and nun artists from Karma Kagyu monasteries and nunneries throughout India, Nepal, and Bhutan to come to Bodhgaya about a month before the monlam begins to create the butter sculptures.

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The Longchenpa Parinirvana Tormas

A puja commemorating the Parinirvana of Longchenpa is currently taking place in Bodhgaya. 

Longchenpa (Tib. ཀློང་ཆེན་པ་, Wyl. klong chen pa), also known as Longchen Rabjam (Tib. ཀློང་ཆེན་རབ་འབྱམས་, klong chen rab ‘byams), ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer (1308-1364), was one of the most brilliant teachers of the Nyingma lineage. He systematized the Nyingma teachings in his ‘Seven Treasures’ and wrote extensively on Dzogchen. He transmitted the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings and practice to Jikmé Lingpa, and it has since become one of the most widely practised of traditions.

via Longchenpa – Rigpa Wiki.

Enjoy this extensive slideshow of the Longchenpa Puja’s shrine and tormas:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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