June 11 2014 Dear Jigme Rinpoche, Chimey-la and all other family members of Shamar Rinpoche, I am very shocked to hear about the sudden passing of Shamar Rinpoche. I am so sorry to hear this news. Shamar Rinpoche and all my family are very close. He was especially close to my father Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. […]
Shamarpa in Stockholm
Shamar Rinpoche visited Stockholm and Karme Tenpe Gyaltsen for the first time in October 2012 and I was the lucky one to be the photographer. Rinpoche gave us Amitabha iniation and bodhisattva vows… our center was packed and it was a beautiful time. The picture you see is a relaxed moment after the initiation when […]
72076 Tübingen
I was in Renchen-Ulm for a course with Shamar Rinpoche, the second last. After I waked up and walk on the terasse, I suddenly look up to the window in second floor. Rinpoche was standing there an simply smile. I feel he is the great incarnation of Buddha Amitabha. The smile was like the description […]
Shamar Rinpoche in Karma Guen 1994
In the early 1990es, we were blessed by Shamar Rinpoche’s unannounced, informal visit to Karma Guen. After seeing the future stupa sight and the surroundings of the Center, he did prayers in our tiny meditation hall and gave us a teaching on the Dharma.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who joined me in supporting Mrs Mariam Yahia Ibrahim in her fight for freedom.
Thanks to all of you speaking out her death sentence has been reversed and she and her newborn daughter are said to be reunited with her family in the coming days. This will not truly be a victory until she has actually been released. We must continue to fight for her and all the women […]
A letter of support for Mrs Miriam Yehya Ibrahim
I would like to show my support for Mrs Miriam Yehya Ibrahim of Sudan. Her wrongful imprisonment and sentence to public whipping and death goes against international standards of Human rights. This is not an internal issue of one country but one that affects all of humanity. I ask that everyone including world leaders and […]
The Result of Shamatha and Vipashyana
Seven : The Result of Shamatha and Vipashyana The result of accomplishing shamatha is that mind becomes completely pure, that all the gross disturbing emotions are subdued and purified. The result of accomplishing vipashyana is that wisdom becomes completely pure. This means that basic ignorance is purified and removed, and disturbing emotions are also removed. […]
The Order for Practicing Shamatha and Vipashyana
Five : The Order for Practicing Shamatha and Vipashyana Generally, first you practice shamatha and after that you practice vipashyana. That is according to the Theravada tradition. But in the Mahayana, Vajrayana or Mahamudra tradition, it is not always the case. Sometimes they can be practiced simultaneously depending upon the individual practitioner. Your teacher should […]
The Levels of Shamatha and Vipassana
Four : The Levels of Shamatha and Vipassana This point will only be touched upon here, as it is explained completely in the detailed explanations which follow. There are nine levels of shamatha and four levels of vipashyana, which describe the stages of meditation. The nine levels of shamatha are: to settle the mind inwardly […]
The Essence of Shamatha and Vipashyana
Three : The Essence of Shamatha and Vipashyana The third point is a concise explanation of how shamatha and vipashyana become natural. In the beginning stages of shamatha and vipashyana, our meditation is not natural. It is somewhat contrived. Meditation is only completely real when it is natural, as I explained briefly in point two. […]