Karma Kagyu
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A surprise visit of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa in Kamalashila Institute, his European seat!
On 19 June 2016 – the day before he was scheduled to leave Europe – His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje spontaneously decided to come to the Eifel to meet with the core team of Kamalashila Institute and to talk about its future development. Shortly before his arrival, we informed the participants of a seminar on “Dying and End of Life Care”, which was taking place in Kamalashila on that weekend, of who was about to arrive at Kamalashila. Needless to say, they were totally amazed! After his arrival, we first had the most wonderful opportunity of celebrating … Next -
The Karmapa / 2016
His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje visited Switzerland and France in 2016. He gave a variety of teachings and empowerments on three weekends in Geneva, Zurich, and Paris. He spoke on environmental issues, happiness and peace, and Buddhism in day-to-day life. All of the teachings, photographs, and reports of his third visit to Europe are available at www.kagyuoffice.org and on Karmapa – YouTube. Next -
Buddhism
Are you interested in “personally encountering the Buddha” and following the spiritual path described by him? If you are, then there are a few things you should know before you begin your journey. Buddhism is primarily a path on which you study, get to know, and train your own mind. It is a spiritual and not a religious path. The goal is self-knowledge rather than salvation, and freedom rather than a heavenly kingdom. Buddha’s path is based on rational thinking and analysis and on contemplation and meditation, the goal being to transform mere knowledge “about things” into knowledge that transcends … Next -
The Karmapa
The world we live in is getting smaller and people’s actions have tremendous impact. In the era in which we live people cannot get away with clinging to their beliefs. I don’t have any personal attachment or clinging to being a Buddhist. We need to step outside the boundaries of Buddhism and really go out and share the benefits of our Buddhist practice with the rest of the world. Next -
Becoming a Member
Would you like to support Kamalashila Institute? One way of supporting Kamalashila Institute is by becoming a sponsoring member in the association Karma Kagyü Gemeinschaft Deutschland e.V. Through your membership, you’ll be supporting both the association and Kamalashila’s activities. Membership in the association entitles you to participate in its annual meeting, which means you have a voice in important decisions, including those concerning Kamalashila Institute. Members also receive rebates on the course fees in Kamalashila Institute in Langenfeld and at other affiliated centres. Members also receive the association’s annual magazine “Dharma-Nektar” free of charge. The magazine reports on the most … Next -
German Karma Kagyu Association
Kamalashila Institute for Buddhist Studies and Meditation is a part of and is simultaneously the main centre of the Karma Kagyü Gemeinschaft Deutschland e.V., a German association that functions as the official representative of the Karma Kagyu lineage and of the activities of H.H. the Karmapa in Germany. In the 1970s, prestigious teachers of the Karma Kagyu tradition, such as Kalu Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa, began travelling to Europe and North America. In the wake of these visits, several Kagyu centres were also established in Germany, which necessitated the founding of an association for the organization and administration of … Next -
Spiritual Director
Karma Sungrab Ngedön Tenpe Gyeltshen was born in Indian in Rumtek/Sikkim in 1965 and was soon recognized as the 7th reincarnation of Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche. He is therefore one of the most important teachers of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche grew up under the care of the 16th Karmapa. He received comprehensive training in the contemplative, intellectual, and artistic disciplines of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. He graduated from the Karma Shri Nalanda University in Rumtek/Sikkim and afterwards studied English literature and comparative religion at Columbia University in New York. He is a lineage holder of both … Next -
The Institute
Kamalashila Institute was founded in 1981. It is one of the first Tibetan Buddhist centres in Europe and is the European seat of the Karmapa. The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. The 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is one of the highest ranking lamas of Tibetan Buddhism. The spiritual director of Kamalashila Institute is Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche, who himself grew up under the care of the 16th Karmapa. Although he lives in the USA and runs his own centre in Seattle, Rinpoche still visits us on a regular basis. Next -
The Karma Kagyu Lineage
Over the centuries, Tibetan Buddhism has been developed and passed on directly from the teacher to the student through the so-called transmission lineages. One of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism is the Kagyu tradition, which in turn is subdivided into several main and secondary lineages. Kamalashila Institute belongs to the Karma Kagyu school, which is headed by the Karmapa. Tradition holds that the transmission of the Kagyu lineage began with the Original Buddha, Dorje Chang. Dorje Chang is a so-called transcendent buddha who is seen as an embodiment of absolute truth. From him the typology of the five … Next
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