Listen to Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel Teach During Covid-19

Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel, Twitter.

While reading about Thrangu Rinpoche and Thrangu Monastery Canada yesterday I happily discovered Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel is at Thrangu Monastery Canada. 

I came to know of him through attending the Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya and listening to his simultaneous English language translations of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje's teachings on my FM radio. When I hear his voice I think of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa.

Here are two photos from an April 24, 2020 Thrangu Monasery Canada Facebook post that says that the Thrangu Monastery Canada abbot and resident sangha participated in His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje's Covid-19 livestreamed prayer sessions last month.

Thrangu Monastery Canada, Thrangu Monasery Canada Facebook friends page.

Thrangu Monastery Canada, Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook friend page.

Then I found that Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel will be teaching on YouTube from the monastery this month beginning on Tuesday, May 5, 2020.

"Teachings on the World and Karma," Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook.

"Foundations in Abhidharma: Teachings on the World and Karma"

Daily online teachings by Khenpo David Karma Choephel

Starting May 5, 2020

Daily except Mondays

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM PT

"Two of the most fascinating chapters of Vasubandhu's Treasury of Abhidharma and its Commentary Youthful Play are the chapters on the world and on karmic cause and effect. In this online class, Khenpo David Karma Choephel will go through these two chapters in detail according the commentary by the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuck Dorje."

The teachings will be given in English.

Subscribe to the Thrangu Monastery Canada YouTube channel and request a notification when the first teaching starts on Tuesday, May 5 at 1:30 PM PT.

"Selections from 'A String of Pearls," Thrangu Dharma Society Petaling Jaya Facebook.

"Selections from 'A String of Pearls: A Collection of Dharma Talks'" by Gampopa

Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel recently gave a two-day online teaching for Thrangu Dharma Society Petaling Jaya in Selangor, Malaysia. 

There is some information about this teaching topic on His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa's website, and some additional information on the Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services website:

"A String of Pearls" is a collection of transcripts of talks on the essential meaning of Dharma, which Gampopa gave to his assembled students. These transcripts were carefully prepared and collected by Gampopa's nephew, Dakpo Tsultrim Nyingpo and each talk in the collection presents a concise and accessible teaching on a complete path of Dharma practice."

Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel's two-day teaching is available for viewing on the Thrangu Monastery Canada YouTube channel with the videos dated April 26 and 27, and the Thrangu Dharma Society Petaling Jaya Facebook page with the Facebook posts dated April 22 and 24.

Watch the first day of the teachings on the Thrangu Monastery Canada YouTube channel.

Venerable Khenpo David Karma Choephel

"Khenpo David Karma Choephel studied Buddhist philosophy at the Vajra Vidya Institute in Namo Buddha, Nepal, and Sarnath, India. He currently serves as Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche’s main English-language translator, and also translates for the Gyalwang Karmapa and the Kagyu Monlam.

"His published translations include Ngondro for Our Current Day by the Gyalwang Karmapa, Heart of the Dharma by Khenchen Trangu Rinpoche, Jewels from the Treasury, Vasubandhu’s Verses on the Treasury of Abhidharma, with commentary by the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, all published by KTD Publications; and Vivid Awareness: The Mind Instructions of Khenpo Gangshar by Thrangu Rinpoche, published by Shambhala Publications. 

"His most recent translation, The Torch of True Meaning: Instructions and the Practice Text for the Mahamudra Preliminaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye and the Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, was taught by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, A Collection of Commentaries on The Four-Session Guru Yoga, Compiled by the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, both published by KTD Publications."

Source: KTD Publications website.

Thrangu Rinpoche Gives Advice on How to Be of Benefit During Covid-19

Thrangu Rinpoche, www.thrangumy.com.

Watch the Very Venerable 9th Khenchen Thrangu Tulku, Karma Lodrö Lungrik Maway Senge's (Thrangu Rinpoche's) beautiful Covid-19 message published on April 1, 2020 on the Thrangu Media YouTube channel.

According to Thrangu Rinpoche's biography on Wikipedia, "Khenchen" denotes great scholarly accomplishment. He received his Geshe Lharamapa degree at age thirty-five followed by the Khenchen degree. He has been personal tutor to some of the most well-known Karma Kagyu lamas. His Holiness the Dalai Lama appointed Thrangu Rinpoche personal tutor to His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

Medicine Buddha Mantra

This is the spelling given in the above video:

TADYATHA OM BHAIKHAJYE BHAIKHAJYE MAHABHAIKHAJYE RAJA SAMUSGATE SVAHA

Thrangu Rinpoche said, "As you recite the mantra make aspirations and have vast bodhichitta so that you and all beings may be freed from suffering. In particular pray that they may be freed from the suffering of infectious disease. This will bring short-term and ultimate benefit to everyone. Please have such a motivation."

Medicine Buddha, Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook.

Thrangu Rinpoche's seat in North America, Thrangu Monastery Canada, is in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada just south of Vancouver.

Thrangu Monastery Canada

Thrangu Rinpoche's chief representative for North America is Dungse Lama Pema. Lama Pema is the head resident lama of Thrangu Monastery Canada. He shared the below messages and photos on the Thrangu Monastery Canada's Facebook friends page.

March 23, 2020 Facebook post:

"Dear Thrangu family:

"Tashi Delek to everyone. Globally As we have been facing the difficult times with the Covid 19. Due to this we have lots of fear/anxiety and we isolate from the social lives. I hope you will cherish yourselves as well as with your family during this epidemic period when you are accompanying your family. In addition, Improving Four Foundations or preliminary Practices and Continue practice other methods as well. The Monastery is praying for the Three Treasures, Green Tara and Mahakala and so on. We will work together to practice the Dharma and make a vow to subdue the epidemic. We will meet soon!

Dungse Lama Pema"

Thrangu Monastery Canada sangha, Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook personal page.

March 25, 2020 Facebook post:

"Dear Thrangu Family,

"During the outbreak of this virus everyone is sticking together with their family. I hope everyone treasure the present moment, take care of yourselves and your families. Those of you who are practising, carrying out virtuous deeds and persisting with the Four Foundation Prelimary Practices, please continue to do so. And those of you doing other Dharma practices, please carry on as well. The monastery is still performing prayers daily, supplicating the Three Jewels, continuing with Green Tara and Mahakala practices. Let us keep up our efforts in our Dharma practices, make aspirations and dedications to quickly dispel this pandemic. We shall meet again soon!

Dungse Lama Pema"

Dungse Lama Pema, Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook friend page.

The best way to keep current on the monastery's activities is to follow the Thrangu Monastery Canada Facebook friends page and Thrangu Monastery Canada's YouTube channel.

Very Venerable 9th Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

"The Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche was born in Kham, Tibet, in 1933. At the age of five, he was formally recognized by His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa and Tai Situpa as the ninth incarnation of the great Thrangu tulku. In 1959, Thrangu Rinpoche was forced to flee to India. Due to his great scholarship and unending diligence, Rinpoche was given the task of preserving the teachings of the Kagyu lineage; the lineage of Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa. Rinpoche has now taught in over twenty-five countries and has seventeen centers in twelve countries. He is especially known for making complex teachings accessible to Western students. Furthermore, he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the personal tutor for His Holiness the 17th Karmapa."

Read more about Thrangu Rinpoche and his many charitable projects on the Namo Buddha Foundation Canada website.

Watch teachings Thrangu Rinpoche gave in the 1980's on the DHARMA jewels YouTube channel. Watch more teachings from Thrangu Rinpoche on the Gompa - Tibetan Monastery Services YouTube channel. More recent teachings are available on the Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services website.

Visit Thrangu Rinpoche's website for his schedule and more. Thrangu Dharma Society Petaling Jaya in Selangor, Malaysia is also a good source of information about Thrangu Rinopche as well.

Thrangu Monsatery Canada

Thrangu Rinpoche opened Thrangu Monastery Canada on July 25, 2010.

"Thrangu Monastery Canada, located in Richmond, British Columbia, is the first traditional Tibetan Monastery in the Pacific Northwest.

"It teaches in the Buddhist tradition that one needs to accumulate both merit and wisdom in order to generate the auspicious circumstances for realization. For many centuries, the vast knowledge of the Kagyu Lineage has been preserved and propagated in many monasteries throughout the world. The monasteries have served as a refuge for study and practice, undisturbed by worldly concerns. In this way, monasteries serve as a means to accumulate wisdom.

"Beginning in the 1970s, the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje and many other great masters have traveled and turned the Wheel of Dharma. Because of this, the Dharma has newly spread to and flourished in many countries, especially in North America. In 2003, the Thrangu Tulku Karma Lodrö Ringluk Maseng sent the Venerable Lama Pema Tsewang to Canada to establish a Dharma center promoting the Buddhist teachings."

Continue reading about Trangu Monastery Canada on the monastery's website.