Chicago Karma Thegsum Chöling has recorded most of the teachings given at the new center on video and is in the process of making most of these teachings available to the public on-line, on this web site. Audio recordings from Chicago KTC and other centers will be made available as well. Transcripts, links to other teachings and e-zines will also be added.
[Note from webmaster: the audio section of this page is progressing slowly due to the fact that I'm first transferring the old tapes to CD before anything else. My first priority is getting the old teachings off of decaying audio cassettes and into digital format (and ultimately onto archival quality CD-R media -- most CD-R media is not archival). I will soon begin the process of digitally cleaning and editing, then converting the audio to MP3 format for the web.]
Video Recordings
The following videos are in Macromedia Flash Video format and require that Flash Player 8 or later be installed on your computer (the latest Flash Player can be found here). Additionally, because the Flash videos open in a new window you must allow pop-ups for this web site in your browser or turn off pop-up blocking altogether (temporarily). If you need a guide on how to allow pop-ups for this web site in your browser, please follow the link below that corresponds to the browser you use:
Before you watch, listen or read these Dharma teachings, please try to engender Bodhicitta (the wish to achieve Buddhahood in order to liberate all sentient beings from their sufferings). If you can, please recite the Kagyu Lineage prayer (before) and dedication prayer (after) as well. If you are new, don't trouble your mind or feel uncomfortable about not knowing what those are, rather, rest your mind naturally and listen to and contemplate the Dharma teachings.
Public Talk:
"Overcoming Obstacles to Mindfulness and Compassion"
November 7, 2003
Weekend Seminar:
"Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance"
November 8 & 9, 2003
By Venerable Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Chicago KTC
In November 2003 Venerable Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche visited Chicago KTC's new center for the first time and gave a Friday evening public talk entitled "Overcoming Obstacles to Mindfulness and Compassion." Over that weekend Rinpoche gave a seminar on Wangchuck Dorje's Mahamudra text "Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance." Wangchuck Dorje is the 9th Karmapa of the Kagyu Lineage. To read more about the life of Wangchuck Dorje please see this short biography .
This teaching series was translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso, an accomplished Lama, author and scholar.
The public talk continues from tape 1 until tape 3. The weekend seminar starts on tape 3 (after the end of the public talk). This video series will be re-encoded and uploaded in the coming weeks in the proper sequence.
For the "low-speed" Internet users, there is an audio only version available under the audio recordings section below.
Please do not open more than one video window at a time.
- Video 1 (~17 minutes)
- Video 2 (~57 minutes)
- Video 3 (~57 minutes)
- Video 4 (~53 minutes)
- Video 5 (~56 minutes)
- Video 6 (~56 minutes)
- Video 7 (~54 minutes)
- Video 8 (~40 minutes)
Public Talk:
"Teachings on Impermanence and Death"
October 6, 2004
By Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
Chicago KTC
In October 2004 Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche came to visit Chicago KTC. It was Rinpoche's first visit to the new center. Rinpoche was keen to thank the diligent Chicago KTC members for all of their hard work and donations that made the new center possible. He then taught on the topics of Impermanence and Death and how contemplating these essential truths can motivate us to practice harder and live life in a fuller manner. The talk was translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso.
Please do not open more than one video window at a time.
Weekend Seminar:
"Origin of the Tara Tantra"
September 2005
By Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
Chicago KTC
In September 2005 Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche came to Chicago KTC. It was his second visit to the new KTC center. Rinpoche taught a weekend seminar on Jonang Taranatha’s classic text "Origin of Tara Tantra."
"Origin of Tara Tantra," though dependent on legends and largely anecdotal, has nevertheless about it a strong feeling of historic time and provides an important and accurate account of the lineages of the Siddhas who worshipped Tara and passed on her Upadesas, revelations and Tantra, besides giving a background to the masters of the Tibetan Siddhas who grew from India's rich tantric soil.
A translation of Taranatha's text by David Templeman is available at the Namse Bangdzo bookstore.
Sometime in the near future (hopefully) a book based on these teachings by Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche should be available.
Please do not open more than one video window at a time.
If you can't hear the audio clearly, please try headphones.
- Video 1 (~37 minutes)
- Video 2 - Part 1 (~70 minutes)
- Video 2 - Part 2 (~30 minutes)
- Video 3 - Part 1 (~22 minutes)
- Video 3 - Part 2 (~54 minutes)
- Video 4 - Part 1 (~61 minutes)
- Video 4 - Part 2 (~25 minutes)
Weekend Seminar:
"Mind at Ease"
October 2004
By Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche
Chicago KTC
In the late fall of 2004 Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche came to Chicago to give a weekend seminar on his latest book Mind at Ease: Self-Liberation through Mahamudra Meditation. Rather than merely quote or read from his work, Rinpoche provides a complete summary presentation of his work, followed by questions and answers.
About the book:
"In this uniquely insightful overview and practice guide, Traleg Kyabgon presents a thorough introduction to the Kagyu lineage's Mahamudra tradition. The author's approach is straightforward—he presents the Mahamudra teachings as a means of seeing things in, as he says, "a positive and open light. Even things we might normally regard as bad and undesirable can be interpreted in a more uplifting way due to the expansiveness of the Mahamudra vision." Mahamudra—which means "great seal" or "great symbol," referring to the symbol or mark of ultimate reality, or emptiness—points to the true nature of mind as well as the ultimate insubstantiality of all things. The book includes an exploration of Mahamudra fundamentals and thorough explanations of Ground, Path, and Fruition Mahamudra, including meditation techniques for investigating, experiencing, and contemplating these teachings."
Please do not open more than one video window at a time.
If you can't hear the audio clearly, please try headphones.
Note: there was a problem with the videos playing for some people, this has been fixed. If you still have problems please email the KTC webmaster at the email address at the bottom of this page.
- Mind at Ease - Video 1 of 10 (~58 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 2 of 10 (~38 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 3 of 10 (~53 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 4 of 10 (~60 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 5 of 10 (~57 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 6 of 10 (~11 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 7 of 10 (~61 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 8 of 10 (~60 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 9 of 10 (~5 minutes)
- Mind at Ease - Video 10 of 10 (~9 minutes)
Public Talk:
"The Meditative Experience"
October 2005
By Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche
Chicago KTC
In October 2005 Venerable Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche gave a Friday public talk on 'The Meditative Experience'. That teaching is presented here in full. Over that weekend Rinpoche taught on Takpo Tashi Namgyal’s text 'Clarifying the Natural State.' [The weekend seminar may be added here at a later time.]
Rinpoche's public talk describes a variety of experiences that may be useful or could become obstacles to gaining true benefits from meditation. He stressed the need to avoid attachment to meditative experiences that may arise during our practice, whether they be pleasurable or painful. He taught of the need to continue to practice despite seemingly 'good' or 'bad' experiences that may arise - and how such experiences are actually a natural part of the meditative experience. In this teaching he offers practical advice which is suitable for both the beginner and the experienced meditator.
Coming Soon...
- Video: 'Dharma and Family Life' by Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche
- Video: Ven. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche - "Clarifying the Natural State"
- And hopefully more...
Audio Recordings
The following audio recordings are grouped into two categories: historical and recent. The 'historical' recordings are mainly from cassette tape, and are a sampling of some of the historically important public teachings that have happened at Chicago KTC. Many of these old recordings were processed with noise and hiss reduction software after being digitized (hopefully with minimal loss in quality). To keep size small enough for the dial-up users the teachings are presented here as low bitrate MP3 format audio files. Question and Answer sessions have been removed to make the files smaller. The copies at KTC will contain the full teaching, at full quality. The 'recent' recordings are from Chicago KTC (and other KTC or KKSG centers in some cases) and are public teachings from the last several years. Some are also posted here because they relate to a video teaching and are provided as an alternative or supplement to those.
Some files are in ZIP format which contain multiple MP3 audio files and a playlist.
Right click & choose "save as" to save to your computer.
Chicago KTC's historically important audio teachings:
- "Loving Kindness and Compassion" a teaching by H.E. the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche (~53 minutes - recorded at Chicago KTC on November 1, 1981). His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa died four days later, on November 5, 1981.
- Many, many more in the works!
Recent Teachings (Chicago KTC and elsewhere):
- "Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance" a teaching by Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche (Chicago KTC, November 8-9, 2003) Part 1 Part 2 (with Q&A) Part 3 [If you downloaded this talk in audio before, please do so again as the Q&A and a translation section were missing. That has been fixed.]
- "Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance" parts 1 and 3 (Hay River KKSG and Ann Arbor KTC, respectively) will (hopefully) be added soon.
- And much more...
