From the Dalai Lama to the Karmapa

I left McLeod Ganj today. About the place, where the Dalai Lama has his residence I will report later. I have not all puzzle pieces together, I feel. I am coming back there in 10 days, having another Vipassana retreat close by, and I will stay some days after the retreat, to meet Holger, a friend from Flensburg, visiting Dharamsala with a delegation of the German Tibet Community.

It’s only 12 km to walk to the residence of the 17th Karmapa on the east side of Dharamshala. The temple is these days in use of a big teaching given by a teacher, who does it on behalf of the Dalai Lama. The Karmapa temple is bigger than the one in McLeod, but for the lecture, the 500 monks and nuns sit not only inside but also around the main hall. The teaching is in Tibetan, I understand nothing, even though it’s the second last day of a week teaching, I am welcome to sit with them. It’s just so wonderful to sit with the nuns and monks, just breathing and being there.

After the teaching I walk around the temple. Especially here I enjoy the ‚army’s‘ of smaller Buddha’s sitting around and in another level above the big statues. ‚Army’s‘ of meditating Buddha’s we need in the world!!!

Tomorrow I will sit again in the morning with the monks and nuns. ???