Karmapa gives Dharma talks, empowerments in Harrogate, Manchester

August 1, 2024

Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, arrived in Harrogate on the 18th of July by train from London, and was welcomed at the station by Lama Jampa Thaye, the founder of Kagyu Dechen Buddhism, as well as representatives of Kagyu Ling and Kagyu Dechen Dzong.

Karmapa was then escorted directly to the venue, the Pavilions of Harrogate, a beautiful showground located on the outskirts of the town and surrounded by countryside, where he granted the empowerment of Green Tara to the assembled practitioners.

Once all the participants had received the blessing with the ritual implements, Karmapa was driven to Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre in Manchester, where he would stay for the next five days. Kagyu Ling, like Kagyu Dechen Dzong, is part of the Dechen association of Buddhist centres in the United Kingdom established by Lama Jampa Thaye.

Over the course of the following weekend, Karmapa gave two Dharma talks about the Buddhist way of life at the Manchester Central convention centre. Once again, he offered the participants plenty of opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Buddha Dharma by asking questions related to their practice.

Karmapa also transmitted the empowerments of Sangye Menla, usually translated into English as the Medicine Buddha, and Chenresig, the wisdom aspect representing enlightened compassion. On both occasions, Karmapa gave detailed explanations about the meaning and the stages of the practices, so the assembled practitioners had a clear understanding of what to focus on.

On the following day, he granted the initiation of Dorje Phagmo (Sanskrit Vajravarahi) to a smaller gathering of practitioners.

During his stay at Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre, Karmapa also consecrated the newly finished stupa on the premises of Kagyu Ling, and was given a presentation of the project of the Mikyo Dorje Institute, which will be a new Dechen centre located in the heart of England and dedicated to the study and practice of authentic Tibetan Buddhism.

Karmapa departed from Manchester airport on the 23rd of July, headed for the Europe Centre in Allgäu, Germany.