We also had the good fortune during that retreat to host a visit by H.H. the Sixteenth Karmapa, one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist masters of the last century. His Holiness was giving a talk and blessings in the meditation hall, seated on a high brocade-covered seat, as is customary for a high lama giving teachings. After his talk, the Karmapa touched each of us with a ritual whisk in blessing. When Dipa Ma stepped forward, however, he took her head in his hands and touched foreheads, a Tibetan gesture of respect and deep connection. Although they had never met, there seemed to be a profound recognition of the vast inner dharma realm they shared. Even though they had each mastered different practices and traditions, in that moment it felt like a mutual recognition of the boundless emptiness and love at the heart of their realization. While I could only imagine the depth of their understanding, that moment seemed to transcend differences in methods and viewpoints—an inspiring aspiration for us all.
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Joseph Goldstein is cofounder and a guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, and its Forest Refuge program, and helped establish the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. His books include A Heart Full of Peace, One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism, and Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening.
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Part 1 of 3:
https://t.me/wordsofbuddha/6230
Part 2 of 3:
https://t.me/dhammapadas/4474
Part 3 of 3:
https://t.me/lorddivinebuddha/5000
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Buddha dharma teachings channel:
https://t.me/lorddivinebuddha
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