His Holiness the Karmapa's message relating to the 14th Dalai Lama

This is a direct extract from His Holiness the Karmapa Oryen Trinley Dorje's Facebook ("Karmapa") reproduce in full below, from the English translation provided therein. No words were edited/changed. 

"Recently, when I had the good fortune to once again see His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Zurich, Switzerland, and hear his nectar-like voice, I felt a mixture of joy and sadness. It was different than when I usually see him in videos or the like. Seeing his face in person, he seemed to have aged significantly, and even hearing him speak, his voice has grown weak. It was so different from how he used to be that I could hardly bear it. His Holiness has used all the strength of his body, speech, and mind for our sake, and when I saw him so physically frail, it was as if the feelings of sorrow and gratitude that filled me were competing with each other.

Given his physical condition and seeming exhaustion, I did not say much but expressed how there is nothing greater that he could do for Buddhism and sentient beings than to live long. I wrote down the other matters I wished to share with him and offered them to him. He spent ten minutes reading them carefully and then spoke about the predictions that he would live to the age of 110, about how his main wish was to go on pilgrimage to Wutai Shan in China, and the importance of preserving, protecting, and spreading the complete teachings of the Foundation vehicle, Mahayana, and tantra, which are like a unique jewel found only in Tibet.

In brief, to see his face and hear his voice gave me a feeling of how rare and precious he is unlike any I have felt before. Moreover, we must accomplish all his wishes for what he would like to accomplish in this lifetime soon; there is no time for delay or distraction.

The difficulties His Holiness has undergone for our sake are beyond comprehension. Considering his current age and physical condition, there is nothing more important for him to do than to rest and take care of his health. All of us, myself and others, must definitely be conscious and heedful of this.

In particular, if His Holiness could return to Tibet in this lifetime and once again set foot on its soil, that alone would fulfill the hopes of all Tibetans, both the living and the departed, and fulfill the guru’s wishes. Thus it is crucial for all of us Tibetan brothers and sisters to cooperate harmoniously in serving His Holiness to fulfill his wishes and, at the very least, to make aspirations and dedications day and night.

Regardless of the region we are from, the religion we follow, or the views or positions we hold, for the benefit of Tibet as a whole, we must do what is important and let go of what is minor—it is important not to mistake gold for brass or to reduce sandalwood to ash before selling it.

Most importantly, I urge everyone to keep in mind that we have such a lama and wish-fulfilling jewel as him and to rouse even greater dedication toward working for the dharma and the welfare of the Tibetan people."

Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje August 28, 2024

#karmapa #dalailama #KarmapaOryenTrinley #Tibet

If you wish to read more post on Tibetan Buddhism, you can search or read this one: https://buddha-and-me.blogspot.com/2010/05/ray-of-hope.html  Note: Hahaha, the Tibet trip did not materialise at all. Never mind, there's a time for everything.