Karmapa's Statements about Nepal at Monlam in NY

Karmapa's speech was brief and from the heart, following an intense series of prayers at Riverside Church in Manhattan today, during the special monlam initiated to pray for both those who have passed away, and those who have survived and are suffering.

The vast pews were filled with students praying in tandem. 

Nepal is the birthplace of the Buddha, and has a "tremendously close connection" with the Tibetan people,  and the devastation is "a matter of great concern and intense feeling" for Tibetans, said the Karmapa, who is head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and lives in exile in India. He was in Woodstock, NY, his North American seat, as part of this month's U.S. teaching tour, when the earthquake happened, and immediately began to pray.

"I want to offer my strongest prayers and aspirations for a good and happy rebirth for all those who have passed away (due to the earthquake) and for the quick alleviation of suffering for those who survived, and may they all be speedily returned to a state of comfort and happiness." To this end he vows to do everything in his power to assist.

He expressed gratitude to all those across the world who are assisting with disaster relief, including those who attended the monlam, and asked those in attendance to do all they can with body, speech and mind to assist.

THANK YOU KARMAPA

Live stream Karmapa in New York Prays for Nepal

HH KARMAPA is in New York at Riverside church now, with students, having initiated a prayer monlam for victims of the earthquake in Nepal.

If you are reading this around 3 p.m., you can see it live stream.

May all beings be relieved of suffering. May they know hope, comfort, happiness.

May assistance and healing be swift. May the lamp of our hearts be lighted so we might love and be useful, and know unity within and with our brothers and sisters. May all beings be free of fear and know faith.

Woodstock prays for Nepal

As Chogyaak Taktho Sherpa said: Let's join Hands for new Nepal and world.

As Karmapa said: Many thousands of people have been killed or injured, and historic buildings and private homes have been turned into ruins. At times when we are faced with such a desperate situation, we can not sit idle, unfeelingly. We must join forces and carry the burden of sorrow together. It is important that each one of us light the lamp of courage.

We're with you Nepal! The power of authentic prayer and useful action.

I wanted to write--something that could be helpful to someone who had maybe forgotten how to 

pray their own way. 

Or had lost faith that their prayers were good enough. 

Or who felt so sad and helpless to do anything--about Nepal, or a person right in their immediate circle, or the entire world and their place in it. 

These images of others praying for Nepal across the U.S. and throughout the world have been helping me to orient my heart to love and usefulness to Nepal.

In my experience--the single best source of protection, guidance, love and healing---has been a unity and flow between another being and me,  or between my Higher Power and me.

It happens in person if you are lucky, and it happens so powerfully in prayer. Like these colored candles and lights offered to the people and land of Nepal,  your own heart can be lit within when you are lucky enough to  spontaneously pray. Sometimes just closing your eyes--sharing wordless comfort. Sometimes it hurts and burns like a fire, as my teacher Karmapa said.








And sometimes it is gentle and warm.

And sometimes, even if you want to pray, or think you should pray--sometimes there is a tight feeling, or a even numbness, a guilty sense of not good enough.

 I don't want to turn away! Or be overwhelmed to the point of falling apart. I don't want to charge in obsessed. I don't want to let someone down. I don't want, I want--but then, comes the grace where I simply am with you, or you with me, because some door opened.

These are not just some words I'm writing-- Prayer opens a channel  for miracles. A great great mystery, but quite provable, in my opinion, and even scientific somehow.

When I look back, I am as grateful for the moments and times when I was truly with another being, in person or in prayer--as for the times when another being was truly with me, again in person or in prayer. These times were simply the very best of my life--the most healing, the most important.

Me with them or them with me--even if it started out as them helping me, or me helping them, looking back, there is no difference in these moments of unity. The boundary between us, when we were truly with each other--dissolved.

To pray your own way, to show up your own way, to quietly ask yourself--how do I really feel? Is there anything I might do? 

When I have an attitude like this,  if I can be with whatever is rising in me, without judgement or analysis--something breaks through

and I know it as truth. THEN I am better able to act with love and to do something useful.

 Does Nepal not move your heart?

Let's admit, for some, there are times when their own grandmother does not move their heart--

but if she needs you, you will be there, and then the love often comes--and if not, at least you showed up!

What if we do not have to make a choice--between loving our own "people" who need us--and loving and helping suffering beings who are far away. What if there were unlimited spiritual resources?

 We need to discern--how and when and where, perhaps to offer our material resources and our time. But the power of a prayer is faster than the speed of light, costs nothing and does more. 

This is UNLIMITED when tapped into.

But as ordinary humans who suffer in our lives--some of us never experiencing such catastrophe, there will be many more times where our minds are confused, or stubborn, our resources feelings limited, and it will seem as if our powers are puny and we will drain ourselves by reaching out in too many directions. 

At times like this, I know I find sanity when I see what is right in front of me and do my best, and pray in any way I can, take the time and more in a a positive direction until again my heart connects with this way of unity, and I come to know again, yes, it is not only possible, but it is happening right now--I am with this tiny being on my finger that I rescued from a pool--or I am with this entire nation of Nepal, all the way.

I know from experience that charging ahead or acting obsessively is not as useful as being in prayer and offering practical help in a balanced way, as part of my day-to-day life.  But when the ones you love are in danger--logic flies out the window and passion grips your heart.

You fly--no mountain stops you--you take a bullet--you offer water first to the other--without thought. Either way--all ways, any way--I pray to do the next best thing right now. I'm as grateful for the chance to show up, as I am for the thousands of times someone else has helped save my life with even a moment of their true love. 

Nepal! The world holds a light for you

Beautiful prayers for Nepal across the world.

Prayers for Nepal at Karmapa's North American seat

Tonight, hours of prayer and blessings at KTD Monastery, the Karmapa's North American seat, during his teaching visit to the U.S.  Here is HH 17th Karmapa official statement.

Here are some practical ways to help the people and the land of Nepal NOW.

Karmapa in Woodstock!!!

My teacher, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan buddhism has been here in Woodstock, his North American seat. This is the town I came to almost half a century ago at age seven. What can I say? I san see the top of the mountain out my window, and yesterday I was up there early in the morning watching Karmapa planting trees--and later, at the same humble spot where I--and later my two daughters--used to lie on a towel in the sun at day camp--and the same spot where I saw HH Dalai Lama speak in 2007--His Holiness spoke--to old and new Woodstockers about
the interdependent nature of our world, encouraging us to take an active role in healing this world and environment.

What could this mean?

What on earth could this mean for you and me?



Some day I will tell you how my life changed from my long association with this teacher.
Only the smallest drops of change are coming into my heart--true methods of handling strong emotions and challenging circumstances. Learning to become proactive instead of reactive. These are not easy things, and this has been a lifelong process, to be ready to forgive, love, be useful--and to take practical steps day by day, moment by moment.

All I can say is a few years ago I suffered three extreme injuries--and no longer could sit or walk or exist without extreme pain. At the same time I lost my home to hurricane, and in the same time period my two closest friends died. My career dissolved to nothing and I had a full-time aide and was a virtual prisone of my house, in constant pain--with no hope from doctors--and with a shattered mind.

I was in a retreat, I was told by the retreat lamas conencted with the monastery. A retreat of the most difficult kind. With their loving support--I survived--and one day,  I set out and began to walk--and I got stronger. But my healing and recovery did not begin until I walked down the hill to a meeting of ordinary people and discovered basic daily principles--and love, and service, thoughtfulness and action, all in one room. Today I am walking, sitting, driving! My mind has become calmer. For the first time in m life--I feel included among humans--because I include them, and do not run away or fight or hide because I am not getting my way. I am included because I show up as myself, and am so amazed to know that this is good enough. To show up with love and willingness, to be a being among other beings , to be useful,  and to accept. For some this seems bnatural, for me it took a lifetime.

I feel part of the world--and my dear, dear family again--and overflow with the blessings of this life, even standing among sorrows--have learned so man things, and some day hope I could offer them to you--or anyone who feels they do not know the way out and through.

Keep going!

I owe so much to this great teacher. I wish he would stay forever.



Karmapa, along with his seemingly unearthly powers and abilities, is a human who also suffers like
us, and also wishes, like us, for love, freedom and happiness. Today I wish that he might be blessed with all he offers in every waking moment to beings and the world.