Canada Celebrates Karmapa 900,
Fetes HH 17th Karmapa's Birthday

(Vancouver, Canada, June 22) Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche served as presiding lama for the Karmapa 900 in Canada, held on June 22 at Thrangu Monastery Canada in Vancouver. Along with the presence of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, attendees were also blessed by a direct message from His Holiness the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.

Between 300 and 500 people attended the Canadian Karmapa 900 celebration, while another 500 individuals logged in to a live webcast of the event. Karmapa 900 Canada included messages and remarks by representatives of the federal government ofCanada, the provincial government of British Columbia and the city of Richmond. Thrangu Monastery Canada provided a wonderful host site for the entire event, with the radiant and smiling faces of all the Kagyu and other participants adding to the light in the shrine hall.

On July 26, Thrangu Canada held a celebration for His Holiness' birthday, which took place in front of the monastery. There was a lama dance, performances by young Tibetan pop singer, along with Chinese and Nepali singers as well as bagpipes.

A free copy of the Karmapa: 900 Years book was given to all participants, as was a beautiful thangka of Dusum Khyenpa by Karma Dradul, the artist of Thrangu Monastery. The unexpected appearance of a newly cast 3-foot tall Dusum Khyenpa statue, filled, consecrated and placed on the throne the evening before the Monlam, was yet another auspicious coincidence. It provided additional support for the devotion that was tangible in the shrine hall throughout the event and, in particular, during the communal practice of the Dusum Khyenpa Guru Yoga composed by His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa himself.

For more images and a VIDEO MESSAGE (with English translation) from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa on the occasion of the 900 year anniversary celebration, please visit the website: http://kagyumonlamnorthamerica.org/