It is truly spectacular, I have never seen such a place in my life. It’s enormous, with a giant Buddha statue outside that must be nearly 100 feet tall, a very large Stupa, and manicured landscapes full of gardens and flowers blooming in every shade of the rainbow. A cascading meadow of green spotted with golden treasures and pink flowered trees softly moving in the wind. There are several smaller temples, and another gigantic 16 meter Buddha inside the main hall, which could be the centerpiece of the center all by itself. When we arrived I could hardly believe my eyes. Every square millimeter is either hand carved, adorned with precious stones, or hand painted in amazingly ornate dazzling colors and designs. All the hallways, corners and walls are full of intricate metalwork, gold leafed sculptures, or antique thangkas and statue masterpieces everywhere you look. They have a collection of swamp wood sculptures that are wild, I’ve never seen anything like these, one is the size of a large van. It took me a full two days to really digest it all, I would still find little details and hidden gems every time I was in there. Just sit in a chair and let your eyes wander, you’ll find something new and amazing to look at. While gazing at the Buddha one time I was leaning on something, which, when I turned I could clearly see it was an incredible three meter Thangka of all the Dharmapalas covered in glass and antique frame. Nicest I have ever seen. Everything you find could be the centerpiece of a very nice collection, here there is more than I could try to count, each more impressive than the last. I would say a finer - and frankly more overwhelming - collection of beautiful artifacts and Buddhist art there is not in any center in the world.
Karma Kagyu Monastery is the center of Lopon Rinpoche, a long time devotee and supporter of His Holiness, and he is truly gracious and kind beyond words. He doesn’t speak English, but every time I saw him he gave me a big smile and wave, I was deeply touched and he said plenty with that. When we first arrived there was a procession from the main road to greet Karmapa, must have been several hundred people all carrying offerings, flags and flowers as we walked slowly to the center. You could see the giant Buddha statue and stupa peeking above the tree line, and then the main hall came into view, and I knew we had arrived. Karmapa was greeted by Lopon Rinpoche, and you could tell they have a very special relationship, always smiling and holding hands. They have known each other for a long time, and it was joyful to see them together. In the main hall Lopon Rinpoche then offered Ku Sung Tuk, offerings of body speech and mind, to His Holiness, after which it seemed like every single member of the Sangha also offered golden objects in a never ending line of respect and gratitude. Everyone here loves Karmapa so much. They always bow, they always smile, they all work from morning to late night taking care of every little thing the center needs, super, super devout. When Karmapa arrives they all cheer with glee, and when he leaves the room they always applaud and wave with excitement. I heard “Xie Xie Fawang” (which means “Thank you Your Holiness” in Chinese) so much it is deeply imprinted in my mind, whenever Karmapa was there, that’s how they said goodbye. They set a very high standard for devotion, very moving. Karmapa seemed to appreciate their presence quite a lot, he was as joyful and razor sharp as ever.
We are spending 10 days here, and now I understand why Karmapa wants to spend such a long time in one place. There is a lot happening everyday, and the space is pretty incredible. There is audiences to endless lines of people all the time. One evening Karmapa gave the Empowerment of Vajrasattva, the next a mind-blowing teaching on the 8th Karmapa Guru Yoga that lasted more than 6 hours. It was intense! Karmapa taught in Tibetan, it was only translated into Chinese, but I felt every word in my heart like fire. One of most incredible teachings I have ever be present for. Like Lopon Rinpoche’s soft gaze and welcoming smile, no need for translation. I took that one to heart. More to come my friends, stay tuned!
