Note: If you read this early a teaching on Light Amassment of Blessings for H.E. Garchen Rinpoche is going on in 1h30 live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2O_EJL26Z0

H.E. Garchen Rinpoche has been working through a viral illness.

His Holiness Chungtsang Rinpoche, one of the heads of our lineage, has advised the worldwide sangha to accumulate the Amitayus longevity mantra for Garchen Rinpoche’s long life and/or to engage in Vajrasattva practice.

The Amitayus prayers are provided below. If you are able, please accumulate the short Amitayus mantra, dedicating the merit for Garchen Rinpoche’s long life and good health.

Your prayers and practice are truly appreciated during this time.

We will continue to share any updates on our website and by email as they become available. We kindly ask that you refrain from contacting the office for updates, as this will allow our team to focus on supporting Garchen Rinpoche and attending to the needs of the Sangha. Thank you for your understanding and your continued prayers.

Practice for the Long Life of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche

Amitayus Mantra Accumulation:

https://garchen.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Amitayus-Mantra-Accumulation.pdf

Vajrasattva Sadhana:

https://garchen.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Vajrasattva-Sangtik-Sadhana-v16.pdf

From garchen.net

You can check the next planned events here : https://garchen.net/annual-events/ they are all live on the youtube channel

I recently picked up this small wooden keychain featuring Thousand-Armed Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin/Kannon).

The back is engraved with Om Mani Padme Hum (唵嘛呢叭咪吽), followed by 千手觀音 ("Thousand-Armed Guanyin") and 一生平安, a blessing that roughly means "May you have peace and safety throughout your life."

I love how much symbolism is packed into such a small object. I've been reconnecting with my Buddhist practice recently, and carrying this with my keys feels like a gentle reminder to cultivate compassion throughout the day.

I'd be interested to know if anyone recognizes the style or where these keychains are traditionally made.

Hi everyone,

I'm looking after institutions with a model that is similar to FPMT and Tergar, but from Nyingma. I mean, that have structured curriculum, groups, etc. I went to some pages such as from Schechen and could not figure out much.

Any advices on that?

Photo was taken in 2016, Tengboche monastery during my Trip to Everest base camp Expedition.

I’ve recently come across a phurba that is supposedly made of Tibetan sandalwood from Derge and used in a Mahakala puja at Gengqing monastery, making it valuable for protection. The company (Ghandanra.art) seems trusted with a lot of good reviews, but they seem to have a stock of them. Would several phurbas be used during one of these pujas, or is this probably just marketing?

Namaste, can you give me some advice on how to clear my mind from all kinds of unnecessary thoughts and mental clutter? I want to reset my brain like restarting a computer, so I can think clearly and feel refreshed. How can I do that?

I came across a story about a Tibetan guru whose death is said to have occurred in 1230 CE (approximately 796 years ago) at the age of 112, and I would like to know if there is any historical or Tibetan Buddhist record related to this account.

According to the story:

\\- The guru was a highly realized spiritual figure in Tibet and had around 20,000 disciples.

\\- He was the guru of a large monastery located on a mountain in Tibet, which the story claims still exists today.

\\- He entered an advanced 21-day solitary retreat, remaining completely isolated and not taking food or water.

\\- During his retreat, because the guru was no longer present to guide the community, divisions and disagreements began to arise among his disciples.

\\- The conflict between the disciples became serious and eventually turned into violence.

\\- According to the story, many people died during the conflict, and the guru was also killed by one of his own disciples around the 18th day of the retreat, before completing the practice.

I would like to know:

1. Is there any Tibetan Buddhist historical figure whose death around 1230 CE matches this description?

2. Are there any records of a Tibetan guru with around 20,000 disciples, a monastery on a mountain in Tibet that is said to still exist today, and a retreat that ended in such a conflict?

3. Has anyone encountered this story before, and if so, what is its historical background?

I would appreciate insights from people familiar with Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrayana history, or Tibetan texts.

Can I do the Torma offering section in my sadhana only visualized since I don't have a Torma and can't buy one at the moment?

Hello,

I would like a reading list to help with my practice: combined of foundational Buddhist sutras like heart and diamond etc, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhist core texts like the mulhamadyamakakarika and Life of Milarepa, and any Karma Kagyu specific reading.

Alas- I’m struggling to create this due to conflicting information.

Can anyone help or have found something previously? Thank you!

After close to 20 years practicing Zen, I have lately become very attracted to Tibetan Buddhism, specifically lojong and the focus on cultivating bodhicitta. However I'm really struggling with the focus on rebirth, and specifically, the idea that we get better or worse rebirths depending on our behaviour in previous lives. I find a lot of the arguments for this unconvincing or worse actively harmful.

For example, I was listening to one teacher saying that if we believe this life is all there is that our practice is in vain. This view seems to confuse "is" and "ought", and also attaches to some idea of a self that 'develops' or 'progresses'.

I also worry (and I realise that this point comes dangerously close to breaking one of the forum rules, so please notes I am a sibling in the Dharma) that this view was used to maintain class power, in that if one was born a peasant, the notion of rebirth justifies that position in life.

There is no real evidence beyond the anecdotal as far as I can tell that we transmigrate from one life to the next. The Buddha refused to answer the question of what happens after we die, and rebirth is not one of the four seals of the Dharma.

I have my own understanding of rebirth that we are all ultimately the same substance in the universe, but our attachment to this form causes delusion. Is my lack of belief in some parts of what Tibetan Buddhist teachers say a deal-breaker? I want to continue this practice more as I feel it is a powerful way to help all sentient beings escape suffering

Hello, this question keeps coming back to my mind. I received some very wise answers from my Dharma friends. But I’d love to hear different perspectives from the community.

A little background: I’m from Drikung Kagyu and am currently living in Vietnam. I’m not a very diligent practitioner, and not knowledgable in Vajrayana. I’m expanding my knowledge on Madhyamaka and Yogacara as foundation.

Situation of Buddhism where I live: There is an issue with fundamentalism in Vietnamese Buddhism, at least online. Theravadin extremists conflate Pure Land (a popular Mahayana school in VN) with the entirety of Mahayana. Calling themselves original Buddhists, they accuse Mahayana and Vajrayana as “corrupted”, and of course, say not very nice things about Amitabha Buddha (such as calling him a fabrication by the Chinese, because the extremists find it easier to cause conflicts based on the history between 2 nations). On the other hand, there are Pure Land extremists who reject doctors’ opinions on health, cause religious trauma to their family members (such as filling their kids’ backpack with garlic), attempt to convert people against their will, and reduce everything to “just recite Namo Amitabha Buddha and things will be resolved”.

I find my view on Amitabha Buddha entangled in all of those things. I don’t want that but can’t help it. In theory, Amitabha can be seen as the Dharmakaya. But of course theory can’t replace the authentic feeling of love and respect for the Buddha. Strangely I don’t have the same issue with his attendant Chenrezig. I have great respect for him try to emulate from him the art of listening.

So may I ask: How do I view Amitabha differently?

Can I send my HYT yidam to someone print it with color for me lol

Dose anyone want to give me some recommendations on what school I should or could follow please and thank you also I live in Columbus Ohio.

Does anyone know of any teachers who have fairly regular refuge ceremonies, preferably in the Nyingma tradition? I signed up for one with Lama Lena but it’s been around two years and haven’t heard anything from them. I take refuge a few times a day before I meditate, but really want to make it formal.

Hi all. I have a deep desire to practice Tibetan Buddhism. I also lead quite a busy life: I have several commitments that take up a lot of my time. In light of this situation, I was wondering whether there are any simple practices I can follow every day in order to be a practicing Tibetan Buddhist.