Notre-Dame fire and Portugal bus crash: Karmapa’s message

April 18, 2019

Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, shares the following message in the wake of the Notre Dame fire and the fatal bus crash in Madeira, Portugal.

Dear dharma friends

All things are transient. When we are faced by impermanence, whether it is the sudden loss of life, or the sudden destruction of a magnificent monument, it can have a strong effect on us.

The tragic bus crash in Portugal, in which at least 29 people have lost their lives, and the massive fire at Notre-Dame, are just two of countless examples in which we are confronted by the challenging reality of impermanence.

As we seek to rebuild our lives in the face of change, may we learn to understand and accept impermanence in all its forms. Suffering is only compounded when we resist our constantly changing reality.

Please join me in praying for all those affected by events in Portugal and France, and other tragedies around the
world.

With compassion

Thaye Dorje

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa