karmapa kagyu karmapa, buddhism, tibet karmapa karmapa kagyu tsurphu karmapa, buddhism, tibet karmapa tsurphu karmapa kagyu karmapa, buddhism, tibet karmapa

Welcome to my home!

The Original Samye Ling was a huge monastic complex in Tibet ...

old samye

... today it is in South-West Scotland!

 

Samye was the first Buddhist monastery and study centre to be established in Tibet, some time in the late 8th century. For twelve centuries it has been one of Asia's great centres of learning.

When the present Samye Ling was founded, in 1967, it was the first Tibetan Buddhist centre in the West. Although almost a thousand others have emerged since, it still remains at the forefront, both in terms of its size and work as well as in the way it keeps pioneering the introduction of new fields of Tibetan spirituality and culture into the world at large.

Samye Ling strives to ensure the preservation of Tibetan religion, arts and medicine. Being a main point in the international network of ROKPA organisations, it also provides humanitarian aid in many countries, especially Tibet, India and Nepal. It has also become a centrepoint for an interesting programme of self-help therapy. It is living up to its name, for "Samye Ling" means unimaginable place.

I am Ken Holmes, Director of Studies at Samye Ling, where I translate Tibetan texts and try to help people understand Buddhism, by passing on some of the things I have learnt during 36 amazing and incredibly fortunate years spent close to some of the greatest spiritual teachers of the Kagyu tradition. I have been based here since 1971.


Content

The Karmapa: Supreme Head of the Kagyu tradition

[the Kagyu is the Tibetan Buddhist lineage to which Samye Ling belongs. The Karmapa is considered to be a living Buddha]

My work and publications:

The Kagyu Samye Ling Homepage:

The SAMYE Homepage:

[a site covering all Dr Akong Tulku Rinpoche's activities in the realms of spirituality, therapy and humanitarian aid.]

Buddhism and the Kagyu tradition

[a simple introduction to Buddhism and the specific teachings of the Karma Kagyu tradition]

A few important points about meditation

[mainly for newcomers and non-Buddhists or non-vajrayana Buddhists. This does not actually contain any meditation techniques]


Thanks for visiting my homepage. I wish you peace and happiness and hope your feet may tread the leafy paths of Samye Ling some day.
If you have any comments or suggestions, please drop me a line: kenholmes@rokpa.org

The symbol in the left margin is that of blazing jewels, on a lotus. The jewels represent the preciousness of truth, those who teach it and those who preserve it, and the lotus represents purity.

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