His Holiness the
Dalai Lama extends greetings on 900th year of Karmapa Lineage[Wednesday, 8 December 2010, 4:11 p.m.]

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche, Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Speaker Penpa Tsering are seen during the opening ceremony of the year-long commemoration of the 900th birth anniversary of the First Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa or the Karmapa lineage, inBodh Gaya, India, on 8 December 2010/Photo by Lobsang Wangyal

DHARAMSALA: His Holiness the Dalai Lama has
offered his prayers and good wishes for a successful year-long
celebration of the 900th anniversary of Karmapa lineage, spiritual head
of Karma Kamtsang Kagyu school, one of the eight great practice lineages
within Tibetan Buddhism’s Kagyu tradition.The founder of Karma
Kamstang Kagyu or the first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa, was born to Dorje
Gonpo and Gangcham Mingdren in the Tibetan year of the Iron Tiger of the
2nd Rabjung, which corresponds to the year 1110, in a place called
Teshod Gangkyi Rawa in the Dokham province of Tibet.In his
message issued on 10 November, His Holiness the Dalai Lama: “Recalling
that the best way to please your spiritual teacher is to put his
teachings into practice, it is my humble appeal that people who are
interested listen to, think about and study all the schools of Tibetan
Buddhism, and dedicate themselves to preserving and promoting the values
that the Buddha taught in the hope that his wonderful message of
compassion spreads throughout the world.”“With my prayers and
good wishes that the celebrations and their associated events may go
very well,” His Holiness said.His Eminence the 17th Gyalwang
Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in his message said: “What we are
remembering and reflecting on with Karmapa 900 is the great kindness of
Dusum Khyenpa, the First Karmapa. Not only did he show measureless
kindness to beings: through his deeds in founding the Karmapa lineage
and the great lineage of the Karma Kagyu, Dusum Khyenpa was the source
of 900 years of kindness to beings. “Countless great beings have
come and engaged in enlightened activities over the past nine centuries
through this lineage. That was all possible only because Dusum Khyenpa
came into the world. He was the actual seed for the vast tree of the
Karma Kagyu, with its wide shade-giving branches and its blossoms and
rich fruits.“It is my personal duty and the duty of all
followers of the Karma Kagyu to honor his deeds and his great
compassion, courage and wisdom, by cultivating those same qualities
ourselves. Karmapa 900 is designed to serve as a reminder, and as an
opportunity to do so.”The grand opening ceremony of Karmapa 900
began this morning under the auspices of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa,
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in Bodhgaya. Thousands of Karma Kagyu lineage
lamas, disciples and supporters are gathering for a grand two-day
opening ceremony on 8 and 9 December, said a statement posted on
karmapa900.org, a website specially designed to celebrate the occasion.The
opening ceremony includes chanting of sacred song, prayer and speeches
by Gyalwang Karmapa, Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche and Kalön Tripa Samdhong
Rinpoche.The Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts will present a
special Karmapa 900 drama, while a sacred song (dohā) by Dusum Khyenpa
will be sung to a tune specially composed for the occasion by the 17th
Karmapa. In addition, a dohā by the great Indian mahāsiddha Tilopa will
be performed in Sanskrit by a four-member, world-class troupe from
Mysore, India. Other highlights of the two-day opening ceremony
includes Guru Yoga Feast Offering (an expression of joyful gratitude to
Dusum Khyenpa) at Tergar Monastery in Bodhgaya on the evening of 8
December and special prayer offerings at Kagyu Monlam stage on 9
December.