Shamar Rinpoche, the 2nd highest ranking teacher in the Karma Kagyu lineage, will be giving a series of talks on “A Rare Commentary on the Mahayanasutralankara” from Wednesday January 27 to Tuesday February 2. The talks start at 7.30pm each night and will be held at The Bodhi Path Buddhist Centre of Hong Kong, 1/F Lungga Mansion, 46A Belcher’s Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong.
As such, there will not be a regular guided meditation on Wednesday 27th January, and neither will there be a Phowa preparation session on Saturday 30th January. Our regular meditation evenings will resume as usual next Wednesday 3rd February.
Best wishes, DWBHK
Course outline
Mahayana-sutralamkara-karika (The Adornment of Mahayana Sutras”) is one of the five treaties revealed by the Bodhisattva Maitryea and is regarded as a masterpiece of the Buddhist teachings in India. The teaching was delivered by Bodhisattva Maitreya at Tusita Heaven and was brought to the human realm through the great Indian Master Asanga in the 4th century CE. The Tibetan schools have maintained different commentaries on this treaty and “A Rare Commentary on the Mahayanasutralankara” to be taught by HH Shamarpa (a continuation of a series of teachings on the book) comes from the great Sakya scholar, Tog Med Sam Bo. The commentary of Tog Med Sam Bo consists of 21 chapters. It covers all the essences of Mahayana teachings and enables the practitioners to have a total understanding of theories and practices, thereby leading to their realisation of the ultimate truth.
About Shamar Rinpoche
An emanation of Buddha Amithaba, Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche is second to Gyalwa Karmapa in the spiritual hierarchy of the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. The first Shamar Rinpoche, Khedrup Trakpe Senge (1283-1349), was the principal disciple of the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje. His second incarnation, Kacho Wangpo, received the Red Crown from the 4th Karmapa, Rolpe Dorje, an exact replica of Karmapa’s Black Crown. With the Red Crown, the Karmapa bestowed on him the name of “Shamarpa – The One with the Red Crown.” Since then, Karma Kagyu texts speak of two Karmapas, the Black Hat and Red Hat Karmapas, always alternating as teacher and student throughout centuries and their minds are considered inseparable.
The 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, Mipam Chokyi Lodro, was born in 1952 in Derge, Tibet as the nephew of H.H. the 16th Karmapa. He was recognized as the Shamarpa incarnation at the age of 6, and was taken to Yang Chen Monastery, the main seat of the Shamarpas in Tibet. He left Tibet at the age of 9 together with the 16th Karmapa for Sikkim, India where he lived and studied under Karmapa’s guidance.
Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche received the entire teachings and transmissions of the Karma Kagyu School from the 16th Karmapa at Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. After Karmapa’s death, Shamar Rinpoche undertook the project of completing the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI) in New Delhi, India. In March 1994, he officially recognized Trinlay Thaye Dorje as the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. Shamar Rinpoche spends most of his time giving Dharma teachings around the world.
Website: www.shamarpa.org