Where Is the Black Crown?

Here are four different views of H.H. the XVIth Karmapa wearing the Black Crown. The first (black and white) image was taken in Tibet. It is plain this is not the same black crown he is wearing in the three photographs that follow.

When I attended the Black Crown ceremony, it was with the understanding that merely to see the Karmapa wearing the Black Crown would be sufficient to confer liberation at the time of death. I had the rare opportunity to examine the crown closely, and I do believe it is true: the crown is made from dakini hair.

Gesar, Trungpa & Flags

Robin Kornman, who is translating the Gesar epic, has the above flag noticed on his website. He calls it Trungpa Rinpoche's "secret flag," and explains that Trungpa designed it during a calligraphy workshop. Nevertheless, Robin is asserting a copyright in the design, which apart from being ridiculous is also charming. Doubtless Robin will assign this copyright to the 12th Trungpa Tulku.

According to Robin, the above depicts a Chinese character which he describes as the character for "Universal Monarch." Well, yes and no. The character, "Wang" (or "Wong," if you prefer, but certainly not "Huang") can be considered the character for "King." To depict this character in black is incorrect. It should be imperial yellow. Similarly, the six dots to the left should be on an aquamarine blue field, and should be the six colors white, blue, yellow, red, green, and charcoal black.

A Splendid Model

Here is a lovely, home-sized altar.

Of Temples

Everybody is always telling me how difficult it is to build a Tibetan Buddhist temple in America. Do you think it is easier to build one in Tibet? Proportionately speaking, it seems to me that it is much more difficult to build in Tibet where there is less population, far less wealth, less sophisticated logistics infrastructure, and so forth. Indeed, after 45 years dealing with Buddhism in America, I have come to the unhappy conclusion that the only reason we do not have more temples is because American Buddhists are fundamentally tight-fisted and lazy. The prevalent attitude seems to be, "go find a Taiwanese millionaire and let them pay for the American temple." I am ashamed to think about such things, and I am ashamed to say such things, but true is true. The representative of a Tibetan Buddhist group came to me in California and asked for help in building a temple. I told her I would donate all of my earthly possessions and wealth, with the sole exception of the clothes on my back, if all the members of her group would do the same. Unfortunately, there were no takers. This does not make any sense at all. Should we wait on Taiwanese millionaires, or should we handle these issues right here and now? Take a close look at the Tibetan temple in the photograph above. Pay particular attention to the image of Buddha at the left. Notice the terrain, and then tell me if this was easier than plunking down a million U.S. dollars.

Jamgong Mipham Rinpoche's Monks

Here is the crew at H.E. Jamgong Mipham Rinpoche's monastery. They are living only for your happiness. What are you living for?

Liberation Upon Seeing

They even make bumperstickers of these, which may or may not be what the terton Migyur Dorje had in mind, but who knows? Isn't the objective to get this in front of the largest number of people? Suppose we rent billboards for this image? In any event, the promise is as follows:

"Those who see this script will not experience the three lower realms and will be liberated from the fear of falling into the lower realms; will be purified of the five poisons and will be freed from the results of one's karma; will be freed from the fear of remaining in samsara."

Mipham Rinpoche

H.E. Jamgong Mipham Rinpoche and his wife, Dechen Wangmo

Col. Olcott and the Buddhist flag

Col. Olcott, and the International Buddhist Flag.

Most people (outside of Sri Lanka, where they have statues of him in public places) do not realize that an American, Col. Henry Steele Olcott (1832-1907) is indeed the designer of the Buddhist flag, among his many other contributions.

Jigme Lingpa statue

Here is a really splendid rupa of Jigme Lingpa.

Of the Terton

Terton Sonam Gyaltsen (1856-1926)

My teacher often referred to him with the greatest respect.

Notions of Tonglen

Thought Transformation in Eight Stanzas
By Langri Tangpa Dorje Senge

1.
Being determined to accomplish
The highest welfare for all beings,
Who are more precious than the wish-fulfilling gem,
I shall constantly hold them dear.
2.
When accompanying anyone,
I shall view myself as the lowest of all
And in the depth of my heart,
Shall hold others dearly as supreme.
3.
Examining my continuum through all actions,
As soon as an emotional affliction arises
That endangers myself and others,
By facing it, I shall strictly avert it.
4.
When seeing a being of wicked nature,
Who is forced by violent wrongs and sufferings,
I shall hold dear this one – so hard to find -
As though discovering a precious treasure.
5.
When others, out of jealousy,
Treat me badly with abuse, insults and the like,
I shall accept their hard words
And offer the other the victory.
6.
When someone whom I have assisted
And in whom I have placed great hope
Inflicts me with extremely great harm,
I shall view him as my supreme spiritual friend.
7.
In short, I shall offer benefit and bliss to all mothers,
In this life and in the future continuum
And secretly I shall take upon myself
All of the harms and sufferings of my mothers.
8.
When, having not defiled all these by the stain
Of preconceptions of the eight worldly feelings,
And perceiving all phenomena as illusory
Free from aversion and clinging,
I shall release from bondage.

In Memory of A Friend

"Altogether we are happy to die.

We take our joy along with us.

It is unusually romantic to die:

Born a monk,

Died a king-

Such thunderstorm does not stop.

We will be haunting you, along with the dralas.

Jolly good luck!"

--from Trungpa Rinpoche's Last Will & Testament

Patrul Rinpoche

Hello to Patrul Rinpoche!

Jigme, Making the Rounds

"A TIBETAN POEM
Each Choice--by Jigme Lingpa

As the eagle soars in the endless blue,
Its shadow races after it, far below.
Yet space does not divide: bird and shadow are linked.
So too each act—each choice
and consequence.

Source: Tibet, 18th Century"

This, above, is making the rounds of the various blogs today, and soon we will see it on bumperstickers.

The precise translation, from the Treasury of Precious Qualities, is:

"When the eagle soars up, high above the ground,
For a while its shadow is nowhere to be seen;
Yet bird and shadow still are linked. So it is with our actions:
When the right conditions come together, their effects will manifest."

Tharpaling in Bhutan

Tharpaling in Bhutan (best available photograph). The place needs care and above all, Jigme Lingpa slept here, so what are we waiting for?

Third Kalu Rinpoche

Here, by request, is a photograph of the Third Kalu Rinpoche.

Restoration in Tibet (Tsering Jong) and Bhutan

I am particularly interested in the restoration of Tsering Jong in Tibet, and Tharpaling, in Bhutan. Anyone who shares a similar interest is invited to contact me. Note that the photo above is of Tsering Jong, scanned in from Janet Gyatso's book, which apart from H.H. Dudjom Rinpoche's book is the only public depiction I know about. If anyone else has any photographs of Tsering Jong available, I would like to see them.

Dalai Lama to Visit Pasadena

His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, seen here tinkering in his workshop (he likes to repair watches and things), will be visiting Pasadena again, September 12, 2006.

Need Help With Prayer Wheels

We cooked up a project to erect some prayer wheels. The basic, 12" x 10" diameter units (pictured above) cost us USD $175.00 each, and then we would purchase some timbers and set them up so people could spin them. This is a relatively inexpensive way to put up prayer wheels in public places: a far cry from the USD $3,600.00 they want for the trillion-mantra "high tech" prayer wheels manufactured in Washington State. I will never understand why Dharma centers victimize each other financially, but they do, so what can we say? Anyway, if you want to help, or you know somebody who wants to help, please let us know. I will put a prayer wheel anyplace anybody will let me put a prayer wheel.

Five Buddha Crown

Here, by request, is picture of the Five Buddha Crown.