August 14, 2024 marked the 100th birthday of His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. As a tribute to him, here is a rare audio by his close disciple Sister Palmo (Freda Bedi), in which she describes the birth, illustrated with photos from the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa's years in Tibet.
The Birth of a Buddha
(excerpt from Radiant Compassion)
In 1923, less than two years after the parinirvāṇa of the 15th Gyalwa Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje, the abbot of Dzogchen monastery, Thubten Chökyi Dorje Rinpoche, visited a couple who were highly regarded throughout all of Derge province in eastern Tibet. The husband, Päljor Püntsok, himself a Lama, was a minister in the King of Derge’s cabinet and his wife Kalzang Chödän was considered a worldly dākinī*. Dzogchen Rinpoche was the couple’s root lama,* and when he arrived at their stately dwelling in Denkhok, they welcomed him with full honors and the highest Tibetan etiquette.
After he had been entertained and worldly and spiritual advice were requested, Dzogchen Rinpoche astonished the couple by announcing that they would soon be the parents of a great bodhisattva.* Shortly after the abbot’s visit, they joyfully discovered that Kalzang Chödän was indeed pregnant. The pregnancy went smoothly and, as happens with many mothers who are carrying highly realized masters, wondrous occurrences transpired. People recount to this day that even while in his mother’s womb the child recited “Om Mani Peme Hung,” the popular mantra of Avalokiteśvara. Kalzang Chödän had remarkable dreams, in one of which she saw the Black Crown of the Karmapas. The couple began to anticipate who the “great bodhisattva” that Dzogchen Rinpoche had predicted might be.
Since he was such a remarkable child, Dzogchen Rinpoche advised Kalzang Chödän to go into retreat during her pregnancy and to give birth not in the Athub palace but in a cave of Padmasambhava, the Lion’s Sky Castle, which was not far away. Padmasambhava* had practiced there in the 8th century, profoundly blessing the place. Thus, as the birth approached, Kalzang Chödän and Päljor Tsewang built a large tent in the flower meadow in front of the holy cave.
Nature itself reflected the imminent birth of an extraordinary being. Villagers saw a multitude of rainbows and spectacular cloud formations. The night before the birth, the richly decorated tent filled with light. Even now people say that ritual instruments and voices chanting in different languages were heard, although no one was seen conducting rituals. Tibetans believe there are beings which most of us cannot perceive and that these are not just mythical creatures. Buddhist teachings recognize and describe many other kinds of living beings besides humans and animals. For those witnessing the event, it was evident that the sounds came from Dharma protectors* who were attending the great bodhisattva’s birth and making prayers.
The important aristocratic Athub family of Karmapa had dozens of attendants who were all present on this auspicious occasion, when legend tells us that even more extraordinary incidents ensued. On the eve of the birth, the unborn child disappeared from his mother’s belly, naturally causing concern. At sunrise the following morning, however, her belly was again swollen—her son had returned. (Various lamas later explained that the bodhisattva had visited the pure realms.*) The mother, herself a dākinī, had a vision of a “black being” which she identified as the Dharma protector Mahākāla Bernagchen,* the main protector of the Karma Kagyü school.
At dusk on the full moon day of the sixth month of the year of the male wood mouse, according to the Tibetan calendar, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje was born, the event being accompanied by numerous auspicious signs said to be typical for the birth of a great master. Freda Bedi* sums up the many legends she heard about the birth:
As the sun rose, the child was born without his mother feeling pain and we are told that when he entered the world, he looked at her and smiled. That morning the water of the offering bowls on the shrine in the tent turned white as it would if mixed with milk. Some villagers rushed up to say that the Drichu river was also looking like milk in color. Above the tent there was a pile of rainbows, accompanied by a magical cloud collection, cumulus clouds, most heavenly signs, and behold two utpala-lotuses, such as found only in India, the Lotus-country. One white and one red lotus, blooming like the mountain flowers in Derge, were seen to have grown near the pillow of the mother. All these were signs that a great Bodhisatva had been born.
At the moment of birth, gentle rain showered down, perceived by some as a rain of flowers, and the earth trembled softly. Legend has it that, like many of his previous incarnations, Karmapa walked seven steps in every direction. Proclaiming “Mother, I will not stay,” he announced his fearless character, that of a great bodhisattva.
From Gerd Bausch: Radiant Compassion
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