Karmapa’s Words

Dear friends,

From 2013 until today, Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa has been generously sharing his thoughts online, for everyone to read, share and connect to.
These posts can always be found on Karmapa’s website and facebook page.
Christian Masse from Montchardon has compiled them into one document, which now marks the 5th edition, recording all posts from August 2013 to May 2024.
We are delighted to share with you this pdf:


Download Karmapa’s Words

Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche
The Four Truths of the Noble Ones Empowerment of Mañjuśrī

From Friday the 13th until Sunday the 15th of September

We will make it possible for everyone who unfortunately cannot participate the course (it’s booked out), to attend just the empowerment.
The empowerment will be given on Sunday the 15th of September.

More than 2500 years ago, one week after his Awakening, the Buddha gave his first teaching to a group of five ascetics in the Deer Park of Varanasi, in Northern India. This first teaching – the first turning of the wheel of Dharma in the world – became known as “The Four Noble Truths” or, more accurately, “The Four Truths of the Noble Ones”:

The Truth of Suffering, the Truth of the Origin of Suffering, the Truth of Cessation and the Truth of the Path.
In brief, the first truth is a description of samsara and the different aspects of suffering inherent to a conditioned existence. The second truth examines the causes of our conditioning, that is, karma and the obscuring afflictions. The third truth describes the complete liberation from suffering. The fourth one presents the path and the methods that lead to this complete liberation.
These profound topics are not only the first teachings given by the Buddha, but they are entrance doors to understand and to follow the Buddha’s own process of realisation.

On Sunday the 15th, Rinpoche has kindly agreed to bestow the empowerment of Orange Mañjuśrī.
This particular empowerment comes from the collection of the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje: Knowing one liberates all (Tib. Chik shé kün dröl)
Mañjuśrī (Tib. Jampel) or Mañjughosha (Tib. Jamyang) is the awakened presence (Tib. yidam) primarily associated with wisdom.
“Mañju”, which literally means “soft” or “gentle”, refers to loving-kindness and the complete pacification of all sufferings, and “śrī “, which literally means “glory” or “splendour”, refers to the blazing qualities of realisation.
In this way, Mañjuśrī embodies, like all the Buddhas, the inseparability of compassion and wisdom.
The practice of Mañjuśrī and the recitation of his mantra is meant to enhance intelligence, memory, eloquence, and, ultimately, to support genuine insight.


We are already looking forward to welcome you again.
Sincerely,
from Dhagpo Möhra