We were pleasantly surprised to hear that His Holiness was giving teachings. Since we do not usually have these kinds of opportunities, we were really happy and overjoyed to be able to receive such extensive teachings. This is not something that only I felt; I asked around my friends and they also expressed what an incredibly precious opportunity it was! Even though we are physically far away from the Karmapa, these online teachings made us feel even closer to him than when he was residing in India. Personally, I feel that even though we had chances to receive his teachings in the past, this teaching felt more personal; it felt as if it was a one-to-one class.

In particular, it was quite unexpected to hear that he was giving teachings on the autobiographies of the Eighth Karmapa. Most people find that biographies deal with dull subject matter like dates of birth and death and so forth, but the content that the Karmapa presented was nothing of that sort, and this really had me in awe!

The Karmapa stated that biographies are the type of genre that is suitable for our modern era. In preparation for the teachings, he had conducted detailed research and consulted extensive historical research literature. Perhaps I am not learned enough, but when His Holiness translated the historical texts of Chinese Buddhism into Tibetan and explained them to us in a manner that was easy to grasp, it made us really interested and we looked forward to them daily.

During the teachings, he emphasized that the biographies we usually hear about, if written by a student, are full of praise and adoration. Needless to say, this was out of the student’s devotion to their teacher. However, the biography of the Eighth Karmapa that we studied this time was written by the Eighth Karmapa himself. It is an extremely realistic depiction, to the point where it felt as if he was just like us; he had met with numerous difficulties in life but, while experiencing hardship, never failed to practice the dharma .

Oftentimes, we feel quite upset that we are now living in a degenerate age, when the dharma is not flourishing as before. However, after having listened to Karmapa Mikyö Dorje’s autobiography, we were able to understand that these problems had already existed hundreds of years ago. Regardless of which age we live in, difficulties and suffering will continue to exist until we are able to tame our afflictions and uproot attachment, anger, ignorance, pride, and jealousy.

Although we reside in the twenty-first century, during this age of degeneration of the Dharma, we still have accumulated sufficient merit to be able to meet so many spiritual teachers and receive extensive oral instructions from them. In addition, the male and female Sangha members who practice these instructions are not scattered in various places; each Sangha community provides opportunities for learning and practicing dharma. Therefore, even though we are born in a degenerate age, being endowed with such conducive conditions for dharma practice is even more remarkable.

In general, even though the Karmapa is residing far away from us, he had especially set aside time to give us teachings. Even though he could not give them in person, like has been done over the past years at the Winter Dharma Gathering in Bodh Gaya, he was able to reach a wider audience including the monks and nuns in the shedras, monasteries and nunneries, and dharma friends through the online medium. Previously, the teachings were accessible only to the nuns; everyone was overjoyed that they could attend these teachings. We were all extremely delighted with the online teachings, as it made us feel much closer to the Karmapa.

Prior to the teachings, I was neither able to understand the complexities of the Karmapa’s situation nor to put myself in his shoes. However, during the teachings, he shared his personal experiences in an honest and straightforward way, without withholding or concealing anything. I was extremely touched by that, and simultaneously gave rise to greater devotion for His Holiness.

In the past, I only knew that after he had arrived in India, he was confined to one place and his movements were restricted. In addition, the financial management at his office had experienced severe difficulties. I think everyone is aware of these issues. That the Seventeenth Karmapa had undergone these experiences provided for a deep and moving explanation of the Eighth Karmapa’s autobiography; the difficulties he encountered are the ones Mikyö Dorje had encountered too.

We know from reading the biography of the Buddha that, while he was alive, his cousin Devadatta created numerous problems for him. Similarly, we were able to understand that the Karmapa had also encountered similar difficulties, and this reminds us that we have to be cautious: a student does not follow the teacher out of a desire to simply please them, but to integrate the teachings in order to tame their own mind. If a student does not practice the instructions given to them, no matter how close they are to their teacher, their dharma practice will only worsen and encounter more problems. It might come to the point where the student no longer views the teacher as such and attempts to seize the teacher’s authority.

From this year’s teachings, we understood the numerous difficulties the current Karmapa had experienced while young, and that the eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje faced similar situations. From both their experiences, I learned that simply staying very close to the teacher does not ensure that the student will be able to learn something. The point is to keep the instructions in our hearts and practice them, and to decrease our inner afflictions. Therefore, it does not really matter how far away we are from our teachers.

My two most memorable impressions from His Holiness’s teachings are:

1. As the Buddha’s teachings flourished in Tibet, they also melded with Tibetan traditional culture and customs. In particular, some Vajrayana traditions primarily focus on yidam deity and dharma protector practices. There are also several large monasteries that mainly venerate dharma protectors. Not only are the offerings to dharma protectors quite elaborate and extravagant, but monastics are also scheduled to practice their sadhanas at set times. In contrast, we only offer seven bowls of water to the statue of the Buddha, and we do not arrange particular pujas either. I have had doubts about this for a long time; if we look at it logically, the Buddha is extremely important because the dharma teachings originate from him. Why is it that some monasteries leave him aside and focus more on the dharma protectors? Besides, when people visit monasteries, they tend to make offerings to the dharma protectors first. This is something I cannot comprehend.

During the teachings on the Karmapa Mikyö Dorje’s autobiographies, His Holiness stated that the main object of veneration at the Great Encampment (Garchen) was the Gandhola. The Gandhola had the same design as the Mahabodhi Temple and statue in Bodh Gaya. Without the Buddha, there would be no teachings; without the teachings, there would be no sutras or treatizes. We are deeply indebted to the Buddha. Upon hearing that the Karmapa Mikyö Dorje made offerings mainly to the Gandhola at the Great Encampment, it resolved the doubts I have had for years and helped me develop a deeper devotion to the Buddha. Dharma protectors are the ones who protect the Buddha’s teachings, so they are very important. However, we must certainly never forget the great kindness the Buddha has shown to us!

2. According to the autobiography, at the time of the Karmapa Mikyö Dorje, both monastics and lay practitioners resided in the monastery, and their conduct was unclean: there were problems including indulgence in meat and alcohol. The Karmapa Mikyö Dorje went on to resolve these issues and helped to restore the Sangha’s purity.

During that era, it suffices to say that not consuming meat meant to not eat at all. Agriculture was very limited in many parts of Tibet, so people were unable to grow vegetables; their main diet consisted of meat, cheese, butter, and milk. Being vegetarian was extremely challenging at that time. However, Karmapa Mikyö Dorje was a dharma practitioner who believed Buddhist philosophy teaches that we should bring no harm to sentient beings, so he worked fervently at getting people to give up meat and alcohol, thus acting in accord with the Vinaya teachings.

Vegetarianism was something that made a strong impression on me. When I was younger, I heard a story from a certain meeting at the monastery: Tibetan Buddhism started to spread in the West mainly due to the teachings on loving-kindness and compassion—the essence of Buddhism. Western students really enjoyed and liked it when teachers taught on that subject. Amongst those students, many had endured the first and second world wars. They had experienced numerous hardships, and thus yearned for love and compassion; they longed for an end to jealousy, pride, and anger because they knew it disrupts peace in the world. We now have organizations like the United Nations because everyone desires peace. Therefore, when the teachers were illustrating the importance of world peace by explaining compassion, students could easily connect with the teachings and thus Buddhism flourished rather quickly in the West. However, subsequently, various problems appeared, mainly because not all the teachers and monastics were vegetarians. Some of them ate meat. As a result, many Western students told them, “We like the content of the dharma you teach, but perhaps your compassion needs to start from the kitchen. You need to start by giving up meat.”

I felt quite ashamed when I heard those words because the practice of loving-kindness and compassion is more important than anything else. Teaching the dharma is the responsibility of the monastics, but we need to check whether we have put it into practice before teaching it. Consuming meat might harm many sentient beings, so I have always abstained from eating it. I was immensely moved when I heard about how much Karmapa Mikyö Dorje did to promote vegetarianism, for the sake of the teachings and sentient beings. The Seventeenth Karmapa prohibited the consumption of meat within monasteries, but there are no restrictions when we step outside the monastery. After the teachings, we decided during our monastery’s staff meeting that we would refrain from eating meat even when we were outside the monastery gates.

During the online prayers Aspirations to End Adversity, we found a piece of white cloth and were able to project the video directly on it. Later on, we managed to purchase a projector screen. We had also been using the built-in webcam on the computer, which was too small to accommodate everyone—the Karmapa usually asks the monastics to raise their hands to show that they could see him during the Zoom meetings. Thus, we also bought a wide-angle webcam in order to fit everyone onto the screen.

The two autobiographical texts of Karmapa Mikyö Dorje, Good Deeds and The Praise “He Searched Thoroughly…”, are published by Thrangu Vajra Vidya Institute in Varanasi, India. We contacted Khenpo Gendun, who was in charge of the Shedra, and requested him to send us the books. It was difficult to send things across the border due to the pandemic, but we managed to obtain them in time before the teachings started. In addition, prior to the sessions, we cleaned the shrine hall, made water and flower offerings, and so forth. On the whole, we made the best preparations we could.

We all gathered in the shrine hall for the online teachings. Since we were receiving the teachings together, we recited refuge and bodhicitta prayers at the beginning of each session and dedication prayers at the end. The nunnery’s main shrine hall was damaged by the Nepal earthquakes. With the assistance of Tzu Chi volunteers, repairs were made. Not long after the construction of the flooring of the shrine hall had finished, the Karmapa’s teachings started. Such auspicious circumstances filled us with joy.

I mentioned earlier that, even though we were all gathered together in the shrine hall for the teachings, it felt as though His Holiness was addressing us individually. We each became very focused the moment his image appeared on the screen.

We started congregating for online teachings after the Karmapa began the Aspirations to End Adversity. Prior to this, none of us had any experience of online classes. After the Aspirations and the Gunchoe, we gradually became accustomed to this mode of interaction. The nuns, especially the younger ones, really enjoyed these online classes. They are amazed that they are able to meet His Holiness online. Every time his image appears on screen, I see all of us bringing our palms together with deep veneration and joy.

In addition, before the teachings and during intermission, we showed pictures of the Karmapa and his shorter teachings, along with the teachings of our root guru Khechen Thrangu Rinpoche. His Holiness’s teachings coincided with the first month of the Tibetan calendar (2021); it was also Chötrul Düchen, and the parinirvana anniversaries of the Kagyu lineage masters Marpa and Milarepa. Therefore, we also played the Biography of Milarepa found on YouTube, and it made everyone extremely happy. Through this opportunity, younger nuns were also able to learn how to operate the projector and so forth. Now they are able to set it up by themselves.

During traditional teachings, we were able to see and hear His Holiness, and could also make offerings of the body, speech, and mind. However, there were usually a thousand of us gathered together; in comparison, the virtual interaction actually seemed more intimate. In the traditional setting, we were unable to see his appearance clearly from afar, but with the online teachings, we can achieve this. The screen is huge, and it was easier for us to focus and not become distracted. It felt like it was a one-to-one teaching.

The Arya Kshema Spring Dharma Teachings came after a period of long anticipation, and we treasured it very much. Each session was also considerably shorter, thereby easier for us to stay attentive.

Even though the teachings were given online, we gathered together in the shrine hall to receive them. In addition, although it was the New Year holidays, ninety-nine percent of our nuns, who go outside for walks or to buy stuff, would return before the sessions started. We share a common anticipation for these teachings.

If we were to receive the online teachings alone in our room, it would be possible to take a shower if the weather was hot, to help us focus better. However, the most important thing is to arouse bodhicitta. We need great merit in order to receive teachings from the Karmapa. He is not like any common spiritual teacher, but one with the oldest lineage. What a remarkable opportunity this is!

In addition, when we keep in mind the sublime qualities of the content, the teacher, and this precious opportunity, this type of pure motivation helps us to stay focused and cherish the teachings. In particular, when we remember the severity of the global pandemic, we will not waste any time and really treasure these online teachings!

There were a few occasions where we had to wait for ten to thirty minutes for His Holiness to arrive for the teachings. At first, we were wondering why was he not on time? We felt deep regret once we heard his explanation. He was late because he had been preparing continuously for the teachings; it was definitely not out of a lack of consideration. Towards the end of the teachings, he even had to take a few days of rest in order to continue teaching. The Karmapa had put in such effort in these dharma activities. Did it matter if we had to wait an extra few minutes? Therefore, I told the nuns to utilize that waiting period to meditate or do recitations of Karmapa Khyenno.

After the teachings, Thrangu Dharmakara especially conducted online interviews with monastics from various monasteries to share their thoughts on the teachings. These are published in the magazine Thrangu Nectar of Dharma. This is certainly not an easy feat, and I personally rejoice at this. I believe that those who did not have the opportunity to attend the teachings will definitely find these articles very helpful. I offer my thanks and gratitude towards Khenpo Tengye, Ani Jangchub, and all the staff at Thrangu Dharmakara. Thank you very much.

We do not have the habit of sharing our impressions of a teaching, but I did ask a few staff members at the monastery. They felt that it was a very precious opportunity to be able to receive the teachings, and they were extremely overjoyed to meet His Holiness online. They also mentioned that if the Karmapa had continued to reside in India, he would have a packed schedule with many, many visitors wanting to meet him daily; he would not find the time to compose dharma texts. He gained a lot of free time during his recent retreat. The Karmapa also stated that he had started to write a commentary on the Jewel Ornament of Liberation, and planned to compose commentaries to the Five Great Treatizes. This is such a wonderful endeavor.

The Karmapa mentioned that giving teachings online is a very convenient method. On the one hand, he does not have to travel around the world. On the other, students do not have to take days off work to attend teachings and do not have to spend money on flights and accommodation.

The internet enables us to be connected to the whole world. This efficient method could be considered as a different expression of the Great Encampment. In the past, the Great Encampment consisted of pitching tents at a location and then relocating to another after a few months. Now that we are in the twenty-first century, we have the Great Encampment of online teachings.

The Internet era has allowed external things to develop extremely rapidly, resulting in a lack of sense of security in people. It is more difficult for the younger generation to calm their mind. Through the online teachings, the Karmapa spoke from his personal experiences, with an honesty that is direct and sincere. His explanations are neither vague nor out of reach to us. This helped to shorten the distance between realized masters and common people like us. Perhaps it might be a little disrespectful in saying that, but the scriptures state that “Everyone of us has buddha nature”. When the spiritual teacher teaches in a way through which we can relate to them, our devotion to them naturally increases.

It might be impolite in mentioning this: If we fold our palms in reverence to a spiritual teacher sitting high up on a throne, does it indicate that we actually have a lot of devotion? The Karmapa was very direct and straightforward during this teaching, thus we were able to generate intense devotion to him, affirming the relationship between teacher and student. On the other hand, when there is a generational gap between the teacher and student, we are only able to rejoice in the teachings, but cannot actually connect with it.

The Karmapa will continue to give more online teachings in the future, and I hope the content will be relevant to this generation. This is because in the future, today’s younger generation will be in charge, including as the leaders of countries. If the content is relevant to the current generation, it can help to bring about peace in the world, and also eliminate the inner suffering of each individual.

If the compassionate dharma teachings of the Buddha reside continuously, it will undoubtedly bring immense benefit to many people. Continuing to teach in a traditional manner benefits only Buddhist communities; it does not really help the dharma to flourish outside of them. If the teachings are relevant to the younger generation, we will be able to go beyond boundaries and benefit more people.

I always believe that there is no expiry date to the Buddha’s teachings. Some things expire, but the dharma does not. As long as there are attachment, anger, ignorance, pride, and jealousy, the medicine of the dharma will not expire. It is unlike most medicines nowadays which focus on temporary well-being and are unable to tackle the root of the problem—afflictive emotions will continue to arise.

The original Tibetan text of Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje’s autobiography is very extensive, and His Holiness did not finish the entire text during this teaching. If he did so according to the presentation of the text, it would have become a traditional teaching; once the sessions became too long, listeners would have felt overwhelmed. Since we already have the texts, we can read them slowly in our own time. During the teachings this year, His Holiness took the essence of the autobiographies and incorporated it with his own personal experiences, which made a deep impression on us.

His way of teaching was also strongly compatible with a modern audience. If the content had focused mainly on things like the pure realms, the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm, most of us would have been unable to integrate it with our own experience, and would probably have grown restless after listening for long.

In regards to the content of this teaching, students must remember this: The teacher and the student do not have to be at each other’s side all the time. The essential point is to keep the teacher’s instructions in mind and practice them! Lord Gampopa mentioned in his teachings that students must practice the teacher’s instructions in order to tame their own mind. It is not very helpful to us even if we stay at the sides of great masters when we do not take the teachings to heart and practice them.

Khenpo Chonyi （Abbot of Thrangu Tara Abbey） Ordained at Thrangu monastery at the age of six, he began his studies at the Institue for Higher Buddhist Studies in Namo Buddha in 1994, and graduated with top grades in 1999. Due to his sharp intellect and calm personality, he stayed to teach at the Shedra for two years as an Acharya. In 2003, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche bestowed him with the Khenpo title and appointed him as the Principal of Shree Mangal Dvip (SMD) School in Nepal. Khenpo Chonyi has accompanied Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche to several countries and is one of the spokespeople for Thrangu monastery. Since 2010, he has been the abbot of Thrangu Tara Abbey in Nepal.

JAMYANG 蔣揚

A native of Taiwan, Jamyang grew up in Singapore and gradually developed an interest in studying languages. He is currently learning Tibetan.

出生在台灣的蔣揚，在新加坡長大，並對語文感到興趣，目前正在學習藏文。