Kagyu Monlam 2019 dates and streaming announced

August 28, 2019

The Kagyu Monlam 2019 will take place from 15-21 December 2019 in Bodh Gaya, India.

Thaye Dorje, His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, will preside over the most significant event of the year for the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

Every year, thousands of students, monks, nuns and other venerables gather under the shade of the Bodhi Tree, the place where the historical Buddha attained enlightenment, in order to pray for the benefit of all sentient beings.

As with previous years, several sessions of the Kagyu Monlam 2019 will be live-streamed on Karmapa’s Facebook page and on karmapa.org.

As it says on the Kagyu Monlam page:

The Tibetan word Mon-lam can be translated “Path of Aspiration”. Many aspiration prayers are recited during the Kagyu Monlam. The main prayer is what is known as the “King of Aspiration Prayers” or “Samantabhadra Wishing Prayer”. It is part of a large collection of the words of the Buddha preserved in the Kanjur.

The King of Aspiration Prayers centers around the supremely altruistic wish that we attain enlightenment in order to lead all beings to enlightenment. When everyone gathered at the Kagyu Monlam recites the prayer, its power is increased a hundred thousand or more times. This contributes to the well-being and spiritual development of all sentient beings and helps them reach enlightenment.

Students are invited to join Karmapa in person or online through the live stream.

In addition to presiding over prayers, Karmapa will also lead the Fifth International Karma Kagyu Meeting.