Former KTD President Lama Karma Drodhul visited Ann Arbor from 24 to 26 March to give teachings, Refuge, and a Chenrezik empowerment.

Lama Karma taught on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, a poetic text written by Tibetan Monk and Scholar Gyalse Tokme Zangpo in the 14th century. It outlines the practices of an enlightened being committed to helping all beings (Bodhisattva).

For those of us who are not Bodhisattvas, the verses offer a lot of good advice for how to live a meaningful life.

Sorry we only recorded the Sunday afternoon Zoom sessions. The links to the recordings (which are posted on DropBox) are below.

On Sunday afternoon Lama Karma sang the Impermanence Song by Milarepa (near the beginning) and later (at 1:07:45 in the recording) chanted the 37 Practices with a traditional melody that they used in his Dharma School in Tibet.

Sunday Morning

Sunday Afternoon

Lama Tsultrim Gyaltsen, retreat master for the men’s retreat at our parent monastery’s retreat center, visited last weekend to practice with the members and visit his home town. Lama Tsultrim was a member of Ann Arbor KTC for several years.

One of the last acts of our founder Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche was to help prepare a set of images and practice materials to encourage his dharma centers to do Amitabha practice. While Lama Tsultrim was here we requested that he help us with all the details of the long Amitabha sadhana, and how to properly use the practice materials.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved teacher and guru, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, on April 1, 2021, at the age of 72. Born in Kham, eastern Tibet, he was recognized at a young age by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa. In 1977, His Holiness asked Bardor Rinpoche to help establish his new monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) in Woodstock, New York. 

Bardor Rinpoche served KTD for over 30 years, providing inspiration as he worked side-by-side with the volunteer construction crew that built the main monastery building.  Later he began teaching at KTD and its affiliate Karma Thegsum Choling centers (KTC’s), and was the main teacher traveling to the Ann Arbor KTC for many years. In 2003, Rinpoche established his own center, Kunzang Palchen Ling (KPL) in Red Hook, New York, to help preserve teachings from all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, including his own tradition. In 2020, he completed construction of KPL’s monastery building. 

Bardor Tulku Rinpoche and his wife, Sonam Chotso Lama, raised three daughters in Woodstock. He is also survived by his son-in-law and two young granddaughters, as well as a large extended family and a community of devoted students. 

More information, including a full biography,  can be found on the KPL website, https://www.kunzang.org/.

On the day of Rinpoche’s cremation, a cloud in the shape of a double dorje appeared above his cremation stupa in the morning: