Having traveled from the United States at the invitation of Lama Jigme Rinpoche for the second consecutive year, Trungram Gyatrul Rinpoche devoted his four mornings of teaching (August 13–16, 2026) to transmitting a teaching by Gampopa Seunam Rinchen, founder of the Karma Kagyu lineage, which addresses the nature of mind and the specific meditative methods associated with it.
This year, Gyatrul Rinpoche focused on the nineteenth text in Gampopa’s collected works, entitled The Extraordinary Nectar of the Mouth. Building on his teaching from last year, which explored the work and unique aspects of Gampopa’s often little-known teachings, he chose this year to delve into the heart of this specific path, drawing on the words arising from Gampopa’s realization and recorded in writing by his students.
Distinguishing between the instructions from the Kadam and Kagyu traditions contained in the text, Gyatrul Rinpoche made accessible the methods for seeing the essence of our mind—its original, unaltered state—particularly through the “armor of view” and the “armor of insight.”
The armor of view is associated with our daily practice, the accumulation of merit, and an understanding of and respect for the workings of karma. The armor of insight relates to the mind and to taking all the experiences we encounter—and particularly our conceptualizations (རྣམ་རྟོག namtok)—as the path. These conceptualizations are inseparable from the mind, since they are its very activity, much like the sun and its light. By becoming aware of the space between each concept that arises, it is possible to see the mind in its essence—the unaltered mind—as it is before any duality.
Gyatrul Rinpoche focused on terms that describe the mind, its functions, and its nature, providing precise and deeply valuable explanations—especially in our Western context, which has a limited vocabulary to describe them. He also granted refuge to about ten people, marking their entry onto the Buddhist path.
Each afternoon, Lama Jigme Rinpoche revisited points from Gyatrul Rinpoche’s teachings, explaining them in greater detail for newcomers. In particular, he emphasized the balance between Dharma study, the bodhicitta mindset, and meditation, so that our practice may lead toward enlightenment rather than reinforcing our own tendencies.
On the sidelines of these four rich and intense days, the Dhagpo Kagyu Ling Association held its annual general assembly, during which information was shared regarding center attendance, program developments, the training of instructors, and the activities of urban centers in 2025.
On August 15, Gyatrul Rinpoche conferred the empowerment of Amitayus, the Buddha of Long Life, offering concise explanations of the two aspects of the ritual—the purification of our afflictive obscurations and the awakening of the wisdom that is already within us. At the same time, at Europe Center in Germany, Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, was bestowing the same empowerment. That same day also marked Lama Jigme Rinpoche’s birthday. Coincidences or auspicious interdependent connections?
Relive all these moments of shared joy in this photo retrospective!