Vol 4 l Issue 13 THE GREAT ILLUMINATOR The eye of new awareness Special Issue Kagyu Monlam WELCOME TO KARMAPA INAUGURATION KARMAPA AT REMEMBERING SHAMARPA RINPOCHE’S KAGYU MONLAM & TEACHING AT NALA LADAKH SHAMARPA RINPOCHE LAST INTERVIEW Publisher’s Acknowledgement WELCOME TO KARMAPA INAUGURATION KARMAPA AT REMEMBERING SHAMARPA RINPOCHE’S KAGYU MONLAM & TEACHING AT NALA LADAKH SHAMARPA RINPOCHE LAST INTERVIEW Cover Photo © Tokpa Korlo PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF Pasang Sherpa DAO Ktm Regd. 207 – 068 / 069 The publisher gratefully acknowledges the generous help of sponsors for their www.vairochana.com continuous support. My sincere heartfelt appreciation for providing support and Vairochana: is a quarterly magazine. No part of this publication may be funding for Vairochana’s continuity. reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopy Dedication without written permission. Vairochana is not responsible for statements “Vairochana” offers this dedication to the expressed in signed articles or advertising claims. Triple Gem, or the three treasures, the Your financial support is needed for Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Vairochana continuity. Support from private individuals or company would Wishing everyone an inspiring and be greatly appreciated. You can enjoyable read ahead! also help us by subscribing or by becoming a sponsor of Vairochana future issues. Please send us your contact details at Pasang Sherpa [email protected] Remembering Shamarpa Contents 48 Rinpoche Welcome to Kagyu Shamar Rinpoche’s Grand 6 Monlam 2015 54 Vision for Nepal The meaning of Kagyu Shamarpa Rinpoche’s 20 Monlam Prayers by Karmapa 60 Final Words of Advice Karmapa on Pilgrimage Shamarpa’s Life History 36 in Ladakh 68 in Pictures warmA welcome to the 2015 Images by Magda Jung & Tokpa Korlo 6 | www.vairochana.com Kagyu Monlam!www.vairochana.com | 7 It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 2015 Kagyu Monlam, led by His Monlam – The Path Holiness Thaye Dorje, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. Kagyu Monlam is one of the most important events of the year. It is the exceptional time when Karmapa, of Aspiration high Rinpoches of the Kagyu lineage, lamas and lay practitioners gather from The Tibetan word Monlam all over the world to meet, share, and practice together for the benefit of all can be translated “Path of Aspiration”. Although many sentient beings. We rejoice in your participation, celebrating our auspicious different aspiration prayers connection with Karmapa and the Karma Kagyu lineage. are recited during the Kagyu Monlam each day, the main prayer is Sangcho Monlam, The Noble King of Prayers of Excellent Conduct, also known as the Samantabhadra Wishing Prayer. This prayer comprises the final verses of the Avatamsakasutra and is a profoundly effective method of developing limitless bodhicitta. When the prayer is recited in unison at Kagyu Monlam, its power is increased one hundred thousand times or more. This contributes to the well-being and spiritual development of all sentient beings, helping all beings progress on the bodhisattva path. Kagyu Monlam – Shamar Rinpoche in Lumbini, At the 2009 Kagyu Monlam, birthplace of the Buddha. Shamar Rinpoche gave an A Precious Event Since 1996, Thaye Dorje extensive teaching on the meaning of The Noble King of The Kagyu Monlam event is held and the late 14th Shamarpa Prayers of Excellent Conduct. every December at the Bodhgaya Mipham Chokyi Lodro led the Shamarpa explained that Temple, where the Buddha achieved supremely meritorious event. Buddha Shakyamuni taught enlightenment while meditating After the passing of Shamarpa the Samantrabhadra Wishing under the great bodhi tree. Rinpoche last year, the 2014 Prayer to urge practitioners Bodhgaya is the main pilgrimage Kagyu Monlam was dedicated to emulate the aspirations, site for Buddhists of all traditions to his swift return, when many intentions, and actions of and is the sacred place that we can prayers were also recited at great bodhisattvas, such as easily contemplate and connect the end of each day for the Samantrabhadra, for the benefit with Buddha’s enlightenment and fulfillment of this supreme of all sentient beings. By doing accomplishments. wish. It is said that the effect of reciting an aspiration prayer so, disciples can connect At Kagyu Monlam, hundreds of a single time at this holy site, with the power of the wish- enlightened masters, lamas, and and in the presence of great fulfilling accomplishments of lay disciples of the Kagyu lineage bodhisattvas such as His the bodhisattvas, who mastered recite meritorious aspiration prayers Holiness Karmapa, is more the Paramitas and are able to for world peace. The Kagyu Monlam powerful than reciting it a bestow the blessings of their tradition was revived in 1994 by million times on your own. accomplishments. 8 | www.vairochana.com www.vairochana.com | 9 The Six Paramitas are the heart of the Mahayana Path and this particular prayer is the heart of the Paramita of Aspiration, a component of the Paramita of Wisdom. Shamarpa explained that by accomplishing one Paramita in the proper way, all Paramitas will be perfected. The perfection of the Paramitas is the realization of limitless bodhicitta,which is none other than the attainment enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. 10 | www.vairochana.com www.vairochana.com | 11 His Holiness Thaye Dorje, The the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, explains the meaning of the Kagyu Monlam Great Kagyu Monlam and the Group Prayers group aspiration prayers. 12 | www.vairochana.com www.vairochana.com | 13 Corresponding to the pointed”, “accumulated”, individual aspirations and “accumulate” and “aspiring inclinations of his students Venerable Shariputra, if, for example, one this for that purpose”. the perfect buddha, Buddha drop of water falls into a large ocean it Shakyamuni, gave an will not vanish, but become inexhaustible, The practise of dedication immense variety of dharma and aspirations is extremely teachings. Yet all of these never-ending until the all-consuming fire important in that they change serve the purpose to gather at the end of an aeon. Likewise the roots even a tiny amount of virtue into something extremely the two accumulations and of virtue fully dedicated to enlightenment to purify the two types of vast and inexhaustible. obscuration. will not vanish, but become inexhaustible, The Buddha taught this never-ending until one’s achievement of for example in the Arya The foremost among Akshayamati Nirdesha Sutra: these methods enabling a the heart of enlightenment. practitioner to gather the two “Venerable Shariputra, if, for accumulations is bodhicitta example, one drop of water based on great compassion falls into a large ocean it and the virtue accrued will not vanish, but become thereby. On this basis, the inexhaustible, never-ending fruition of the enlightened until the all-consuming fire at state with its two buddha- the end of an aeon. Likewise kayas is attained and the the roots of virtue fully unsurpassable method to dedicated to enlightenment accelerate this attainment will not vanish, but become is the practise of dedication inexhaustible, never-ending and aspirations (mon-lam). until one’s achievement of the heart of enlightenment”. A spiritual path comprising the practises of dedication In general, whatever type and aspirations is not found of virtue one practises on in any other religion. It is the Mahayana path, one thus an extraordinary feature sets out with generating of Buddhism: virtue is great compassion and dedicated towards all beings’ bodhicitta. One then does complete enlightenment and the actual practise based aspirations form the link to on wisdom which does not of virtue to be dedicated this unsurpassable fruit. conceptualize in a perceiver, whereas mere aspirations perceived and perceiving, Ascertaining this practice to don’t. The original Sanskrit and finally, one has to seal be specific to the Mahayana, term for (the Tibetan word) the virtue by means of the noble Nagarjuna once “Ngowo” (which in English dedication and aspirations. said: “The bodhisattvas’ translates to “dedication”) aspirations, their vast is “parinamana”. It literally Furthermore, the Buddha conduct and their dedication means “complete change”. taught in the vinaya-sutras were not taught in the The original Sanskrit term that whatever minor or shravaka-path”. for (the Tibetan word) major virtue is practised “Monlam” (which in English during the various days As to the difference between translates to “aspirations”) commemorating great dedication and aspirations: is “pranidhana”. It literally dharma-occasions such as dedication requires roots means “fully settled”, “one- the Month of Miracles, the 14 | www.vairochana.com www.vairochana.com | 15 Month of Vesakh, the Descent from Heaven etc. at sites associated with the Buddha’s activities such as Bodhgaya, Lumbini etc. is – due to the power of the place and time – multiplied a hundredfold, a thousandfold etc. Therefore, to practice the accumulation of virtue such as making offerings to the Three Jewels with a large monastic sangha- community is said to be especially powerful. In the same sutra it is taught that the monastic sangha symbolizes the Three Jewels, that they are authentic recipients of offerings and the main reference for the accumulation of merit. Thus it is extremely important to make offerings at special places to the monastic sangha, to seal the accumulations of merit deriving from teaching, debating, meditating, gathering and reciting by means of practising the dedication and the aspirations, and to do so carefully and sincerely. It is just as Milarepa, the foremost of siddhas, said: “The great meditator who practises in a cave and the benefactor who provides for his living will – due to dependant occurances – attain buddhahood together, and the heart of dependant occurances is dedication.” Likewise, regarding the practise of aspirations: Shantideva taught in his Shiksasamuccaya that the ten types of countless aspirations of bodhisattvas as taught in the sutras are subsumed in the “Aspirations for Excellent Conduct”.