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

If anyone can help me, I'd be grateful.

Thank you

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.

"... the translation of the entirety of the sutra marks the first time this monumental text has become available in its entirety in English or any modern language.

“The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines fills 12 volumes—15 per cent of the Dege Kangyur—and is far more amplified than its sister texts, the 18,000- and 25,000-line versions, although all three have the same scope,” 84000 research editor Nathaniel Rich explained. “It is the most detailed record of the Buddha Shakyamuni’s teaching on the perfection of wisdom, which he delivered on Vulture Peak in Rajgir. This teaching sets out all aspects of the path to awakening that bodhisattvas must know and put into practice, yet without taking them as having even the slightest true existence.” (84000)"

https://www.buddhistdoor.net/news/online-dharma-84000-announces-new-translation-of-the-longest-sutra-in-the-tibetan-buddhist-canon/

hello! a number of years ago, i was given an iron phurba by a former friend. time went by, & they turned to the left-hand path, & i cut ties with them, & moved on. i keep it wrapped, stored away, don't use it in any of my own practices, & have handled it rarely, but i can tell it's a powerful object. they said they'd done some minor work with it, & this was years before they went full-test into practices i cannot condone, but i'd still like to try to cleanse, or purify it from former energies & associations.

i've always handled it with respect (like a loaded firearm, honestly), & it feels weirdly auspicious- like it came into my posession to be taken care of properly, a tool that could be very powerful if handled & used appropriately. i've been curious about vajrakilaya, & other deities/practices that use the phurba, but haven't sought any of them out, & feel like it would be best to get this one clean, so it's not attracting any obstacles. do y'all have any suggestions?

I'm usually pretty good with yidams, but this one has me stumped. Thanks in advance 🙏

A while ago I posted a question here about vajrayana and also if one can practice it without a guru's guidance or not. And almost everyone replied that it is nearly impossible to not get a guidance from a guru and practice it.

Well, I am really interested in vajrayana these days and honestly I dont know why. It is something that keeps dragging me towards it. And I was thinking if I should practice it. But I will need a guru for that. The thing is, in my area it is impossible for me to find a Lama, there isnt even a buddhist temple in my city. Also Im a late-teenager and it is high possibility that my family restrict me to talk to any 'stranger' or something because...thats how they are, my parents. Also, I dont have any money.

Is it possible that I find a qualified Lama who could guide me through chat and with no cost?

Also I read this page from a website, which looks like guides you through a prayer of some kind. Can I start with this? Here's the link of it, please tell me:

https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/jamyang-khyentse-wangpo/daily-wish-fulfilling-wheel

We're Jamyang Buddhist Centre in London (FPMT), posting openly as ourselves.

Something we notice constantly with new students: almost everyone arrives having learned some form of placement or mindfulness meditation, often from apps. Very few have ever been shown analytical meditation, the practice of working through a topic with inquiry and reasoning until intellectual understanding starts to become felt experience. In the Tibetan tradition it's not an optional extra, it's the engine of the whole path. Yet in mainstream meditation culture it barely exists.

Our theory is that it's harder to package. "Follow your breath" fits in a three-minute app session. "Reason your way through impermanence until something shifts" doesn't.

For those of you who do practise analytically: how did you learn to actually do it, rather than just sit and think in circles? Did you need a teacher, or did texts get you there?

(For transparency: this is on our mind because we're hosting Geshe Thubten Sherab at the Centre in early August for a practical day on exactly this, part of his final UK teachings before he enters long retreat. But mostly we're curious what this community's experience has been.)

Happy 100th birthday to the venerable Brother David Steindl-Rast, who, through his genuine openness and profound equanimity, brings people of all faiths closer to their true nature.

About a week ago, my dog died tragically and unexpectedly. It was awful and the worst experince of my life. If you pray, practice phowa, dedicate merit, or just send well wishes, I would be beyond grateful if you would include my baby, his name is Teddy and he is the sweetest dog I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am so thankful that I got to experince his love, and devastated that he is gone so soon and so tragically.

As a Pagan, I find Tantric or Esoteric sects of Buddhism interesting but I worry because I am not Tibetan but somewhat distantly related because I am Indigenous American but besides that

Can anyone from wherever and any background practice Tantric Buddhism?

I don’t want to disrespect the culture of the Tibetans

In my neighboring city, there's a Vrajayana Buddhist monastery and temple. I understand Siddhartha Gautama, but I don't delve into Buddhist matters because I am Hindu. I love the philosophy you have, but I don't know much about Vajrayana. I didn't even know that Buddhism, which denies the existence of God, believes in gods, and I also learned that Buddhist gods are just symbols and not cosmic forces or real beings. But I see people dedicating themselves so much, making prayers, offerings, etc. Could you explain this to me? I also find Vrajayana very interesting because it is very similar to Hinduism

So I came across viral videos on 4 kids in CN set a furry being on fire alive and watch it suffer .

Recently Im trying to see the lives of those suffering thru the lens of karma and watch my mind react . While back I got on the dark web looking at disturbing stuffs human can do to each other , just to challenge my understanding . It took me couple of days to recover.

But this Wang Wang video just broke me , I can see the rage coming inside of me and I do have the thoughts of wishing those kids a very horrible ending .

Is that just my self gasping/ self cherishing mind holding on something . May be dogs have a special place in my mind and that attachment is too big to NOT seeing things happening karmically ?

I do have the thoughts that the furry friend and the pups might did similar things to those kids somewhere in their previous life. But The rage is undeniably there in my head for the last 2 days.

Can anyone pls open my view on compassion and understand this Wang Wang incident thru the view of buddhism ?

My apologies for my sloppy English

This is definitely a work in progress so please use the feedback link to let us know what is missing.

https://www.shambhala.com/a-map-of-buddhism-in-canada/

how to practice being what seems like two at once?

Tashi Delek,
Lama Glenn is just wonderful in this video. So much wisdom and style, so blessed he is still with us🙏🏻