Monk boxing?

Recently, on a visit to the office of Lunchbox Communications, home of Digital Dharma Director, Dafna Yachin, I had the great pleasure of meeting her energetic staff who were hard at work on her newest documentary!

From the life of Gene Smith – whom many describe as the most unlikely person to have been crucial to the survival of Tibetan literature – to a boxer in Philadelphia – Dafna is really showing her range of subject matter. But, of course, this time around she doesn’t have to journey all over the world to film her subject.

But I can share one really unique fact which most people probably don’t know. There is a link between Tibetan Buddhism and boxing!

One of the most amazing teachers of the 20th century

I have been personally told by close students of the 16th Karmapa that he was a big fan of boxing. The 16th Karmapa would sit in his large chair and watch his monks box! I was in a state of shock when I heard the tale – and asked several times – and heard clearly that the Karmapa found it quite funny – laughing all the while in his chair!

So Dafna, while you might have felt that you were moving far afield from Tibetan Buddhism – you may’ve been actually getting closer to a past great teacher than you knew.

I personally owe Dafna a debt of gratitude as the film Digital Dharma connected me to the staff of TBRC and inspired me to make a big change in my work life.

Please everyone check out Dafna’s Kickstarter fundraiser here http://kck.st/15xbsco and follow your inspiration.

Can’t wait to see the final work! Best of luck to Dafna and the Lunchbox crew.

Hard to imagine Rumtek Monastery as a boxing venue?