16th Karmapa

16th Gyalwa Karmapa. His Holiness Rangjung Rigpe Dorje died on November 5th 1981 in the film posted below one can gain insight into his powerful spiritual presence and stature. In 1978 and 1980 I had the great fortune to spend many months photographing His Holiness, The regents, Shamar Rimpoche, Jamgon Khongtrul Rimpoche, Gyaltsap Rimpoche, Situ Rimpoche and many others of the Karma Kargyudpa Lineage. Monks, Paintings, Rupas, Texts dances etc. The experience was transforming. Gregg Eller's film has sparked and rekindled those memories for which I am very thankful. I retain an archive of large format photographs of those times which can be now printed up to A2 Giclee on archive quality heavyweight paper, if you so wish.

Recalling A Buddha, a film by Gregg Eller. The life story of the Sixteenth Karmapa is told by those close to him in Tibet, the generation of teachers that he trained and many others that he touched. This feature-length film looks closely at enlightened qualities and examines them in the context of historical events such as the fall of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism's migration to the West.

How Karmapa lived and how he died gives us the example of an awakened being: a person with a noble heart.

The DVD includes two hours of Extras material:

1. Interview with a Buddha: Karmapa XVI, Jamgon Kongtrul and Karmapa's retunie appeared on a half hour talk show. The entire program is the extra.
2. The Ceremony of the Vajra Crown: In 1980, a director who would later be nominated for an Oscar filmed the Black Crown ceremony in beautiful 16mm color.
3. The Line of Karmapas: Thrangu Rinpoche, senior teacher of the Karma Kagyu lineage, eminent scholar Gene Smith, and Beru Khyentse Rinpoche share thoughts on the previous 15 incarnations of Karmapas.
4. Preserving the Dharma Texts: H.E. Shamar Rinpoche and Gene Smith recount the partnership between the Sixteenth Karmapa and the U.S. Library of Congress to reprint sacred texts brought out of Tibet and made available to the newly forming monasteries in Asia.
5. Rumtek: various "alumni" of Rumtek monastery, seat of the Karmapas share memories of living in a high concentration of realized masters.
6. Connecting to Karmapa: Westerners who entered the mandala of the Karmapa share how they came to relate to the Sixteenth Karmapa.