RADIANT COMPASSION: GLIMPSES OF THE LIFE OF THE 16TH GYALWA KARMAPA
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    • From Volume One, Chapter One >
      • Enthronement in Tsurphu
      • Lama Tönsang about Tsurphu
      • Tireless Dharma activity despite escalating violence
      • Garchen
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      • Birth of a Buddha
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      • Visit to the Hopi Nation
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        • Vienna 1977
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        • The Black Crown of the Karmapas
        • Moments that Changed Entire Lives
        • Bardor Rinpoche
        • Peace!
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Picture
Lama Tönsang and Lama Ani Mingyur about their time in Tsurphu, the Tibetan Seat of the Karmapas.

Today only a few monks who lived in Tsurphu at that time and witnessed the daily routine are still alive. Lama Tönsang is one of them:
"I entered Tsurphu monastery as a monk when I was seventeen years old. At that time the Karmapa was mostly in retreat. We saw him very rarely, only four or five times a year. The 16th Karmapa slept just a few hours. We saw this by observing from the monastery’s yard whether or not his room was lighted. His light was doused at midnight and he usually woke up by three o’clock. We had no watches at that time but we knew this because it was when the first cock crowed. The entire monastery knew this since a gong was played. First a Sang pūjā—a ritual of fire and purification—was carried out, and next the monks performed the morning rituals. After that the Karmapa had a meditation session. At around six o’clock he ate breakfast. We knew this because a bell was rung at this moment. This was his daily schedule.
He came out of retreat for about two months around New Year and then we had more opportunities to meet him. He would give us teachings and perform the Black Crown ceremony. We could only meet him during that period. Even as monks of his monastery, we did not see him often in those early days."
Tsurphu had no nunnery, but above the monastery were caves where earlier Karmapas had practiced. The nuns practiced there, and Karmapa cared for them just as he cared for his monks. Contrary to the general Tibetan habit, nuns were not for him second class practitioners. Ani Mingyur remembers:
"There was a small cave with about ten nuns in retreat, including the 15th Karmapa’s consort. Sometimes we invited Karmapa and he visited us. He explained the ngöndro* to us and always asked how we were doing and how our practice and our understanding were advancing. In Tsurphu he gave many teachings and initiations—such as Mahākāla, Padmasambhava, Chenrezi (Avalokiteśvara)—which we all got together with the monks.
Even though it was unusual in Tibet at that time for nuns to receive many teachings, Karmapa clearly recognized that their spiritual progress required that they receive the same education as the monks.
"
(From Radiant Compassion. Life of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. Edition Karuna.
© Gerd Bausch 2018.)


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  • Welcome
  • Short Biography of HH the 16th Karmapa
  • Words of His Holiness
    • Prophecies >
      • Prophecy 1944
    • Vajrasongs >
      • Spontaneous Vajrasong at the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Shri Nalanda Shedra in Rumtek
      • Words of Advice >
        • Short Wisdom Quotes
    • Interview 1980
    • Long-life prayers by HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
    • Western Visitor's Interview
    • Letter to European Disciples 1978
    • Words of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa: From Social Media, Part One
  • A book about HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
    • Presentation of the book about HH the 16th Karmapa >
      • Interviews
      • background informations
  • Extracts from Radiant Compassion
    • Table of Contents
    • prefaces and introduction
    • From Volume One, Chapter One >
      • Enthronement in Tsurphu
      • Lama Tönsang about Tsurphu
      • Tireless Dharma activity despite escalating violence
      • Garchen
    • From Volume One, Chaper Two: Travel to Nepal, Bhutan and India >
      • Birth of a Buddha
      • Construction of the Rumtek Monastery
      • travels
      • Minor Obstacles Abroad
      • The First Western Students
      • The 16th Karmapa in the USA 1974
      • Visit to the Hopi Nation
      • extracts of volume two >
        • Vienna 1977
        • Laying of the Foundation Stone of the KIBI
        • HH the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa's Parinirvana
        • Birdstories
        • Steve Roth Supreme Lord of Compassion
        • The Black Crown of the Karmapas
        • Moments that Changed Entire Lives
        • Bardor Rinpoche
        • Peace!
  • Who's the Karmapa?
  • Texts about HH the 16th Karmapa
    • Sickness and Parirvana
    • Visit in Rumtek 1965
  • Videos
  • background
    • rumtek shedra >
      • additional information >
        • dates
        • risks
  • bibliography
  • mistakes and modifications
  • links
  • about the author
  • contact, disclaimer, copyright
  • Dana - Donations
  • Acknowledgements
  • Feedback and Reviews
  • Disclaimer
  • sitemap
    • original documents >
      • ranking
      • Letter to Practitiones in Scandinavia
  • Contact
  • additional interviews and accounts
  • Bookorders Volume One and Two
    • Prices
    • Volume Two
  • the latest posts