I see him shining brighter every single day. His great wish is that we all experience the endless joy, richness, and prosperity only awakening can bring. This wish shows especially clearly on his glowing face here under the tree of Enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. His prayers are our prayers. This is the real gift of Monlam. Monlam literally means prayers. Uniting under one banner, one world in prayer. Uniting under all beliefs and all ways of life, letting go of all our so called differences and just loving one another for who we truly are. Prayer unites us. In this we have a common goal. When we come together we can realize the most important prayer of all; compassion and loving kindness for all sentient beings. That what Monlam is all about. What else is really important? What better aspiration is there to make, than to free all beings from suffering? Who else could be a better role model than Karmapa? What better prayer could one possibly make, and in what better place could we make it than here? Under the tree with Karmapa, we can all be Buddhas. We can all come together. We can all be free. One world, united in prayer.
