Black Crown, Black Mountains

I met the Karmapa in 1976 when he was invited to a farmhouse in the Black Mountains of Wales. If there is one event which you can say changed your life, this was it.

Karmapa occupied the throne completely. He had a spiritual dignity that made it his rightful seat, just as the lion proclaims his natural dominion. His eyes seemed to cover all directions and dimensions: the people crammed together bursting out the doorway into the sitting room,the house, the Black Mountains right out through space and time. One of his eyes was noticeably smaller than the other and seemed to move independently.

I looked at this man who seemed to see everything. His body seemed unlike flesh and blood. He was as pure as the elements: wind, water, earth, air and space. (A photograph taken of him a few years later would show a blur of multi-colored lights instead of a solid body.) His expression changed constantly like clouds shifting across the sky. Sometimes he smiled with delight like a child; sometimes he stared wrathfully black as thunder. The force of his presence alone brought a hushed silence to Karma Naro. It felt like the tiny room had turned into a cathedral-like space. A muffled sob came from behind me; I turned
round to look at Maggie, her face wet with tears.

Read Full Post »

Under Karmapa’s Black Crown

by Joost Willems

The Karmapa was due to arrive at  Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris on June 11 1977. I was part of a group  organising a coach for the his party in Belgium and we all went down to Paris to receive him. I had heard  many stories  and was very curious to see him.  He came off the plane and got into a limousine driving towards the VIP reception hall. He got out of the car about 50 or 60 meters from the outside stairs  leading into the hall. I could see him getting out of the car and noticed that he was aware of the circular waves of movement created by the 120 or so people standing around his car. As he walked through the crowd up the stairs in my direction, I felt  embarrassed because I was somewhat taller than him. So I bent my knees and as he came by he brushed my bended knees. He turned his head to the left in recognition and broke into thunderous laughter while slapping my shoulder.  It was  shocking but funny and I felt relieved at this joyful meeting.

In the press conference hall he  introduced a  Tibetan lama whose rayban sunglasses made him look somewhat mafioso. He had just arrived in Paris from India. Yeshe Norbu said: “This man is going to be very important in the West”, and introduced him: “Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rrrrrrrrrrrinpoche”, emphasizing the rrrs of the last word.  He then continued: “You will hear from him in the future.”

Read Full Post »