5 February, 2017 — Monlam Pavillion, Bodhgaya

Hundreds of nuns, monks and laypeople are working non-stop to finish the preparations for the upcoming Monlam. The first major event will be the Chakrasamvara Empowerment, to be given by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, on the afternoons of 7th and 8th February, 2017.

This will be the first time that His Holiness, unassisted by any other Lama, will have given an Anuttarayoga Tantra [often translated as Unexcelled Yoga Tantra or Highest Yoga Tantra] empowerment, since his arrival in India in 2000.

The empowerment will be followed by three days of teachings on Guru Yoga. The first two days will cover the chapter on Guru Yoga in Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye Rinpoche’s text: The Torch of True Meaning.

The third day will be very special: His Holiness the 17th Karmapa’s pith instructions on the practice of the 8th Karmapa Mikyo Dorje’s Four-Session Guru Yoga. This text is a primary practice for Kagyu practitioners and this is the first time that His Holiness has given this teaching.