The Sixth and Seventh Karmapas

This week’s dharma talk by meditation instructor Eric Weinberg begins with a few personal reflections, after which he continues our examination of The Lives of the Karmapas. The Sixth Karmapa, Thongwa Donden, composed a great number of texts on rituals to establish a solid and consistent liturgical basis for the lineage, and developed the reproduction and distribution of sacred texts. The Seventh Karmapa, Chodrak Gyamtso, spent many years in retreat and was known for both skillful meditation and kind attentiveness to others. He emphasized the education of monks, development of philosophical teachings, dissemination of texts and established a large college in Tsurphu which achieved an unequalled reputation for the high standards of its teachings.