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| His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, Karmapa Facebook. |
His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje earlier recommended reciting The Verses that Saved Sakya from Sickness: A Prayer for Pacifying the Fear of Disease composed by Thangthong Gyalpo to stop the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Special Talk
On Tuesday, April 14, 2020 His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa gave a special talk on the Covid-19 pandemic which was livestreamed on the Karmapa's Facebook page. Watch the recording on the Karmapa YouTube channel.
The English translation was published shortly afterwards:
"I would like to wish everyone Tashi Delek.
"At this time when, as you all know, the coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the world, creating an inconceivable crisis, I have been staying in retreat, keeping some distance from society. But I am unable to bear the feeling, and would like to say a few words today.
From the time this epidemic began to spread, it has severely impacted the daily lives and health of everyone on the entire earth. We worry anxiously about what will happen in the future.
"The Bhagavan Buddha said that everything composite is impermanent. No matter what situation we face in our lives, it always changes, not staying still for even an instant. We are able to deal with a great deal of change, but merely knowing that is no substitute. When sometimes there are changes in a direction that we want or when positive changes exceed our expectations, we have the hope that there will even more or greater changes. But when it is the opposite and there are incomprehensible changes for the bad, we get afraid and do not know what we should do.
"So when we are confronted by such great impermanence as now, we must do what we can not to panic and instead look inside ourselves. For example, many things we ordinarily take for granted are actually incredibly precious. We should relax and think about our normal good health and what a great happiness it is to have people who are dear to us. Then we can use this crisis to improve ourselves and learn something new. I think that trying to do this will be very beneficial.
"This present pandemic does not discriminate between male and female, between races and nationalities, between those with wealth and power and those without. Even developed countries such as America, Spain, Italy, and the UK face great difficulties. Many developing and poor countries will face even greater hardships. Even if a country has only one coronavirus patient, the danger to the entire world is such that it is crucially important all of us on the earth must work together to face and overcome this crisis.
"Every day, the number of the sick increases. When we see the number of deaths increasing past the hundreds and thousands, we can be left numb. In actuality, each one of them is a living, breathing person. In particular, doctors and medical professionals are caring for the sick and making great sacrifices to fight this battle. It is very important that we all express our appreciation, support, and praise for them.
"Thus to show how we Buddhists support everyone during this current epidemic, starting from next Saturday, we have an hour-long prayer session on the internet every day for a week. We can all pray together for world peace and for the epidemic to be quelled. The time will be announced later. So I would like to ask everyone to pray together for everyone in the world to be happy and for this pandemic to quickly pass."
A Week of Daily Prayers
On Thursday, April 17, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa announced the timing and schedule for the prayer sessions. The Facebook post read:
"Regarding the Live-streamed Prayers for a Time of Pandemic:
"Over the next week, as we recite prayers together with the Gyalwang Karmapa for the pandemic to subside, please follow the rules and regulations of the country where you are staying. Instead of gathering in large groups, please remain in your own homes and pray as fervently as you can:
"That the sick may recover swiftly,
That doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals continue to find new treatments and medicines,
That those who have passed away move on to a happy rebirth,
That the pandemic may swiftly end everywhere in the world,
And that health, happiness, and prosperity may flourish."
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| His Holiness the Karmapa's April 17 announcement. |
That graphic, shared on Facebook, reads:
"PRAYERS FOR THE PANDEMIC TO SUBSIDE
Led by the Gyalwang Karmapa
Ogyen Trinley Dorje
April 18-24, 2020
GMT 2 PM PT
Sydney 12 AM
Los Angeles 7 AM
New York 10 AM
London 3 PM
Paris 4 PM
New Delhi 7:30 PM
Singapore 10 PM
April 18 - The Heart Sutra with The Repulsion of Maras
April 19 - The Noble Aspiration For Excellent Conduct & The Sutra in Three Sections
April 20 - Sutras of the Dharani of Akshobhya
April 21 - Praises of the Twenty-one Taras with Benefits
April 22 - Supplications to Guru Rinpoche
April 23 - A Prayer for Rebirth in the Pure Realm of Sukhavati
April 24 - Selected Dharani Mantras, The Prayer that Saved Sakya from Illness & Appeasing the Discord of the Mamos
Livestream:
Karmapa YouTube channel
Karmapa Facebook page
Download:
Tibetan-English Prayer Book
or at dharmaebooks.org"
His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa announced a new website, dharmaebooks.org, in February 2017. Dharma Ebooks has published a two hundred and forty page prayer book, Prayers for a Time of Pandemic, compiled by the 17th Karmapa Ogiyen Trinley Dorje. The prayer book is available for free download in several languages. It is for use during the upcoming prayer sessions led by His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa.
Dharmaebooks.org is also offering a free Medicine Buddha practice book and a free Green Tara practice book.
To watch the livestream on Saturday, April 18, use this YouTube link.
"In June 1985 a son was born into a nomad family in the Lhatok region of Eastern Tibet. In the months prior to his birth, his mother had wonderful dreams. On the day of his birth, a cuckoo landed on the tent in which he was born, and many people in the neighborhood heard a mysterious conch-like sound, resounding throughout the valley. In Tibet, such events are considered auspicious portents of the birth of an enlightened teacher.
"The young nomad boy was called Apo Gaga, “Happy Brother”. From the beginning, his family regarded him as special, and believed that he might be the reincarnation of a rinpoche. When he was four years old, they sent him to the local monastery to begin his education, though he continued to spend much of his time at home with the family. Then, in the late spring of 1992, the now seven-year-old announced to his parents that they should move their encampment to a different valley, and told them to expect a visit from traveling monks. They did as he said and, shortly after setting up home in the new location, a group of Karma Kagyu lamas arrived. Unbeknown to the family, the lamas were searching for the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa, following instructions left in a secret prediction letter, written by the 16th Karmapa before he died. This letter contained details of the year of his rebirth, the location, and the names of his future mother and father, and the details matched Apo Gaga’s life exactly. He was duly recognized as the 17th Karmapa, and given the name Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama issued a formal letter, supporting the recognition of Apo Gaga as the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, and the Chinese Government supported the choice too."
Continue reading on His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa's website.
Karmapa YouTube channel
Karmapa Facebook page
Download:
Tibetan-English Prayer Book
or at dharmaebooks.org"
New Prayer Book Available
His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa announced a new website, dharmaebooks.org, in February 2017. Dharma Ebooks has published a two hundred and forty page prayer book, Prayers for a Time of Pandemic, compiled by the 17th Karmapa Ogiyen Trinley Dorje. The prayer book is available for free download in several languages. It is for use during the upcoming prayer sessions led by His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa.
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| Prayers for a Time of Pandemic, compiled by the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje. |
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| Prayer book page 195, extracted from Prayer for Rebirth in the Pure Land of Sukhavati. |
Dharmaebooks.org is also offering a free Medicine Buddha practice book and a free Green Tara practice book.
First Day of Prayers
To watch the livestream on Saturday, April 18, use this YouTube link.
His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje
"In June 1985 a son was born into a nomad family in the Lhatok region of Eastern Tibet. In the months prior to his birth, his mother had wonderful dreams. On the day of his birth, a cuckoo landed on the tent in which he was born, and many people in the neighborhood heard a mysterious conch-like sound, resounding throughout the valley. In Tibet, such events are considered auspicious portents of the birth of an enlightened teacher.
"The young nomad boy was called Apo Gaga, “Happy Brother”. From the beginning, his family regarded him as special, and believed that he might be the reincarnation of a rinpoche. When he was four years old, they sent him to the local monastery to begin his education, though he continued to spend much of his time at home with the family. Then, in the late spring of 1992, the now seven-year-old announced to his parents that they should move their encampment to a different valley, and told them to expect a visit from traveling monks. They did as he said and, shortly after setting up home in the new location, a group of Karma Kagyu lamas arrived. Unbeknown to the family, the lamas were searching for the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa, following instructions left in a secret prediction letter, written by the 16th Karmapa before he died. This letter contained details of the year of his rebirth, the location, and the names of his future mother and father, and the details matched Apo Gaga’s life exactly. He was duly recognized as the 17th Karmapa, and given the name Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama issued a formal letter, supporting the recognition of Apo Gaga as the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, and the Chinese Government supported the choice too."
Continue reading on His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa's website.
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