Today's episode comes from the Gyalwang Karmapa's maiden tour of Canada where he gave teachings all over the country. Many Canadian students had been waiting for years to hear him speak, and so it was a particularly special occasion.

This teaching is on the subject of meditation and how we can use this Buddhist practice to find inner freedom and bring about a more happy and beneficial life. The Karmapa approached the topic from the point of view of his own personal experience, and a wonderful, practical and sometimes humorous occasion unfolded over the course of the hour. 

The talk is in Tibetan with an English translation and has been slightly edited for length and audio clarity.

Download this episode // Subscribe in iTunes






How to Find Freedom Through Meditation (Podcast Episode #014)

The Gyalwang Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and a guide to millions of buddhists around the world. This podcast is dedicated to bringing you selected teachings and talks on buddhist philosophy, meditation, the environment, happiness and much more. Subscribe in iTunes to be notified of new releases.

"We have to remember that we are always changing. Every second we're changing. We're changing from moment to moment. As the watch goes 'tick tock, tick tock' we are also changing with every second. So what this means is that while we might have a problem in the first moment, in the next moment we have an opportunity to be a new person who doesn't have that fault. We have the choice that we can actually be a new person in every moment." - Gyalwang Karmapa

Today's episode is from a teaching that the Gyalwang Karmapa gave to school students back in 2013 where they asked him questions about meditation, caring for the environment, becoming a happier person, and much more. The Karmapa sat on the floor with the children and his translator, David, and carefully addressed all of the different topics that they raised. Please subscribe to the podcast for future updates, or download the episode directly to your smartphone.



Photo thanks to Olivier Adam.

Karmapa Teaches Mindfulness and Meditation to Young People (Podcast Episode #018)

The Heart Sutra (Sanskrit Prajñāpāramitāhṛdaya or Chinese 心經 Xīnjīng) is one of the most popular and important texts for understanding the Buddha's view of reality, especially throughout East Asia, Tibet, and now the Western world.

		
	

		 
	 

	
		
			
		 
	 

	
		
			
	
		
			In 2016, the Gyalwang Karmapa traveled to New Delhi and gave an extensive teaching on the Heart Sutra at the request of disciples from around the world. This was the first time that the Karmapa had taught directly on a sutra as opposed to a commentary.
These profound and very detailed teachings auspiciously began on India's Independence Day and lasted for several days, covering topics such as history, line-by-line explanations, meditations, and even sessions where the Prajñāpāramitā Sutra was written out on paper in a calligraphy style.

		
	

		 
	 

	
		
			
		 
	 

	
		
			A copy of the Heart Sutra written out by the Gyalwang Karmapa in calligraphy style.
		 
	 

	
		
			
		 
	 

	
		
			
	
		
			Today's podcast episode is the complete teachings on the Heart Sutra given by the Karmapa in New Delhi. At almost seven hours long, it is an inspiring and detailed look at how to truly understand this wonderful and essential text outlining the view of the Buddha for those on the Bodhisattva path.
You can download the episode in iTunes or directly using the link below. Please ensure you are subscribed in iTunes to be notified of new episodes and releases.

How to Understand the Heart Sutra (Podcast Episode #017)

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa has long spoken of the importance of environmental protection and regularly encourages Buddhist students and others to engage in activities that benefit the natural world.

In today's podcast we go back to a short and powerful teaching by the Gyalwang Karmapa about the current climate emergency and how he has become involved through promoting a vegetarian diet, the protection of forests, and by encouraging all monasteries and nunneries to partake in various conservation measures.

The Karmapa teaches us how environmental protection accords with the Buddhist principles of compassion, interdependence, and loving-kindness, and how we can use these meditations to strengthen our resolve and reduce human greed and desire.

The episode is in Tibetan with an English translation.

Buddhism and Environmental Protection (Podcast Episode #016)

This very special episode comes from the Gyalwang Karmapa's recent trip to Canada where he participated in a dialogue between the three major traditions of the Buddha Dharma - the Theravada, Mahayana, and the Vajrayana.

The topic was on how to transform disturbing emotions, and the discussion involved a 'question and answer' format, as well as a short teaching by the Karmapa himself on how meditation and Buddhist philosophy can be used to overcome difficult situations in life.

This episode has English, Chinese and Tibetan translations. You can listen to the podcast episode below or subscribe in iTunes to be notified of future releases.



 


How to Find Freedom Through Meditation (Podcast Episode #014)

Download our free app to listen on your phone