Historic First Visit to the U.S.

In May and June 2008, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa visited the West for the first time. People from North America, Europe, Asia and beyond traveled to three U.S. cities to meet and receive teachings from one of the greatest spiritual masters of our era.

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, is head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Although just 22 years old, the Karmapa is seen as the embodiment of wisdom and compassion and is regarded by many followers as a ‘living Buddha.’

People are drawn to the Karmapa’s public appearances and teachings because of his profound spiritual and meditative mastery and his transformational and enlightening effect on almost everyone who comes into his presence. The Karmapa brings a very positive and hopeful spiritual message for these turbulent times.

Many people in the West anticipated and prepared for the first visit of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa to America for nearly two decades. During the 1970s and 80s, the tours of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa were historic occasions for the Western Buddhist community. The first visit of His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa also proved to be a momentous event, touching the lives of as many as 20,000 people across the U.S. During the visit, the Karmapa was featured in TIME, The New York Times, and other publications.

Blog

The Karmapa Visit blog features regular updates and news about His Holiness Karmapa's visit to America, along with photos, video clips and more. Visit the blog at:

http://karmapavisit.blogspot.com

Recordings

His Holiness Karmapa's public teachings were recorded and will be made available on DVD after going through post-production. Subscribe to our email list (use Sign Up form at left) to receive information about DVD recordings of the Karmapa's teachings from the U.S. tour.

Commemorative Merchandise

Commemorative merchandise and souvenirs that were available at the public teachings in New York, Boulder and Seattle may now be purchased online through our partnership with Ziji. Items include T-shirts, caps, posters, tote bags, pendants, shrine photos, and a Lion's Roar CD set, along with a commemorative issue of Bodhi magazine featuring extensive teachings by Karmapa.

Click here to visit Ziji's official Karmapa In America '08 merchandise page. Proceeds support the Karmapa Foundation.

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