Last Day of Gyalwang Karmapa’s Teaching on Madhyamika

December 21, 2008, report by Jo Gibson, photos taken by Tashi Paljor

Gyalwang Karmapa completed the transmission of the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje’s The Lion’s Roar which Destroys Confusion. He spoke about the Four Yogas of Mahamudra, one-pointed, simplicity, one-taste, and no-meditation, and the three stages within each yoga - greater, middle and lower. He described each one and mapped it onto the five paths and ten levels of the Bodhisattva. His Holiness went on to discuss what “appearances are mind” means, and then gave more detail about the controversies between the rangtong and shentong viewpoints.

He concluded with two short speeches to the laypeople and foreigners present – thanking them for attending the teaching and wishing them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – first in Chinese and then in English.