06/02/2026
On Friday, July 24, 2026 Karmapa Center 16 will hold a consecration ceremony for a life-sized bronze statue of Guru Rinpoche, crafted by an artisan in Nepal and newly installed.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will lead the ceremony Friday, July 24, offering a teaching on “The Life and Teachings of Guru Rinpoche” Saturday, July 25.
Events are free and open to the public, onsite at the Center and broadcast live online.
Register https://karmapacenter16.org/2026/04/20/guru-rinpoche-statue-and-teaching/
Karmapa Center 16 was established near Zion, IL to commemorate His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to the statue, the Center will eventually include a temple with a large shrine room and meditation hall to house the Parinirvana Stupa (a reliquary monument for His Holiness), a library, classrooms, and other associated buildings. The site was chosen because Zion is where the Karmapa passed away at the Cancer Treatment Center of America on November 5, 1981. Karmapa Center 16 will be a pilgrimage site for Buddhists and is intended as a sacred space for everyone; dedicated to cultivating kindness, peace, understanding and compassion.
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche recently said, “In my view, anything one can do to extend assistance and support is not only deeply appreciated but is also a powerful contribution toward ensuring that the precious Kagyu lineage and all of its teachings remain present in the world, that His Holiness’ presence may remain uninterrupted, and that the world may continue to experience happiness, well-being, and benefit. That support and the contributions will help this benefit spread throughout the world.”
