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Karmapa
News Archive for May 1 - September 8, 2001
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Karmapa
in Ladakh September 7-8
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| Information
on the Ladakh tour from the Office of His
Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa |
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(Editor's
note: The
following is a continuation of a detailed daily
account of His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa's activities
in Ladakh reprinted from the account by the Office
of His Holiness Karmapa. Nalandabodhi's reprint
of the Office of the Karmapa's summary begins
with the arrival on September 2, here
; Nalandabodhi's review of news coverage of the
Karmapa's visit is here.)
September
7, 2001
In
the morning, His Holiness began his day with a
visit to Pethub Monastery, where he consecrated
and inaugurated the Temple of 16 Arhats, recently
built by Kyabje Royal Prince Bakula Rinpoche.
His Holiness's addressed a gathering of several
thousand devotees on how to develop positive actions
and clear away negative deeds.
His
Holiness next visited Kyabje Tokdhen Rinpoche's
Monastery, where he offered the Mani and Benza
Guri transmission to the huge gathering of devotees
there. His Holiness' next visited Neymo, Bheygo
and Peypal villages and Achi Chokhor Monastery
en route to a visit to Lu-khyim Monastery. At
the monasteries, as well as at each village, His
Holiness gave Mani transmission and spoke about
developing positive actions and refraining from
all kinds of negative actions. Besides paying
his respects, His Holiness viewed the collection
of statues and scriptures in monasteries, and
in particular the collection at Achi Monastery.
September
8, 2001
On Saturday September
8th, His Holiness started the day's pilgrimage
by going to Ri-dzong Gonpa at the invitation of
Kyabje Gaden Jangtse Choejay Rinpoche. He began
by consecrating a new stupa built on the main
gate by the Ladakh Regiment of Scouts and dedicated
to the Three Protectors. After blessing the entire
surrounds, the monastery received His Holiness
at the main congregation hall with a traditional
monastic reception led by Kyabje Jangtse Rinpoche.
After offering a mandala and ceremonial tea and
saffron rice was made, His Holiness gave the Mani
transmission to the large gathering. In accompanying
remarks, he spoke of the importance of receiving
teachings and empowerment from Kyabje Ri-Dzong
Rinpoche.
His
Holiness then departed for Lama Youdung's Monastery,
stopping along the way at the Nur-la and Phel-tse
villages. To a gathering of over two thousand
devotees at each village, he bestowed the Mani
transmission and taught on the importance of accumulating
virtue and forsaking negative actions. At the
Lama Youdung Monastery, His Holiness again conferred
the Mani transmission to a gathering of several
thousand devotees, and addressed them on points
of the dharma.
The
Karmapa concluded his pilgrimage and goodwill
visits on Saturday with an address at the Rimi
Samkhar Monastery. His Holiness also paid homage
to the Tara image that miraculously had manifested
in white marble stone at that location.
Click
here to continue with the account from the Office
of the Karmapa summarizing the events of September
9
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| Karmapa
in Ladakh September 5-6 |
| Information
on the Ladakh tour from the Office of His
Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa |
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(Editor's
note: The
following is a continuation of a detailed daily
account of His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa's activities
in Ladakh reprinted from the account by the Office
of His Holiness Karmapa. Nalandabodhi's reprint
of the Office of the Karmapa's summary begins
with the arrival on September 2, here
; Nalandabodhi's review of news coverage of the
Karmapa's visit is here.)
September
5, 2001
While
visiting Leh, His Holiness visited many of the
local monasteries to pay his personal homage and
devotion. Wednesday's visits began at 9:00 AM.
During the course of the day, His Holiness visited
Shekhar Thubpa, Chandley Gonpa, Drakthok Gonpa
(built during the time of Guru Padmasambhava),
Theksey Gonpa, and Dekyi-tsal Gonpa. At each monastery,
in front of the assembled the gathering, His Holiness
delivered the transmission of the dharani of the
six-syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara, spoke
on the importance of practicing Dharma, and generally
fulfilled the wishes of his hosts.
September
6, 2001
On
Thursday September 6, His Holiness began in the
morning by visiting the Central Buddhist Institute.
The staff and students extended him a warm welcome.
In the assembly hall, the Principal of the Institute
presented an overview of the activities of the Institute.
His Holiness addressed the attendees, expressing
his appreciation for their good work. He spoke of
the importance of sincerity, a sustained commitment
to learning, the value of education, and expressed
his respect for the diligence of all staff members
and students.
Later His Holiness visited Dewachen Mahabodhi
International Meditation Center. There he gave
a speech on the essence of developing bodhicitta,
describing it as the heart of Buddhism. His Holiness
next visited Tanag Monastery, the main seat of
Tanag Rinpoche, followed by Mato Monastery. At
each monastery, His Holiness' fulfilled the wishes
of the huge assembly by giving them dharma teachings.
After taking tea at Mato Monastery, His Holiness
made a short visit to Hemis Monastery, to pay
His devotion to this ancient site.
Click
here to continue with the account from the Office
of the Karmapa summarizing the events of September
7-8
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Karmapa
in Ladakh September 3-4
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Information
on the Ladakh tour from the Office of
His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa
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(Editor's
note: The
following is a continuation of a detailed daily
account of His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa's activities
in Ladakh reprinted from the account by the Office
of His Holiness Karmapa. Nalandabodhi's reprint
of the Office of the Karmapa's summary begins
with the arrival on September 2, here;
Nalandabodhi's review of news coverage of the
Karmapa's visit is here
.)
September
3, 2001
At
the request and invitation of the local Tibetan
settlers, His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa visited the
Choglamsar Tibetan Camp at 2:30 pm. The Karmapa
graciously bestowed the transmission of the dharani
of the six syllable mantra of Avalokiteshvara, and
gave a precious teaching about the importance of
Dharma practice. Several thousand devotees assembled
to catch a glimpse of the Karmapa, to experience
his holy presence and hear his precious teaching.
At 7:30 pm on the same day, His Holiness attended
a dinner banquet and civic reception in His honor
at the Jo Khang Temple. The occasion was at the
joint invitation of the All Ladakh Buddhist Association
and Ladakh Gonpa Association. Among the numerous
eminent attendees were Royal Prince Bakula Rinpoche,
Tanag Rinpoche, Thutop Rinpoche, Her Highness
the Royal Queen of Ladakh and the local Head of
the Islamic Faith. To this eminent gathering,
His Holiness spoke on the development of Bodhicitta,
the compassionate heart inherent in each individual,
and on the importance of understanding, cooperation,
and harmonious coexistence among all faiths and
religions.
September
4, 2001
In
the morning, at the Peace Park, His Holiness,
bestowed the precious empowerment of Avalokiteshvara,
the embodiment of compassion. The mammoth gathering
of devotees was estimated at significantly more
than 15,000 (perhaps as many as 50,000) and included
eminent Rinpoches, sangha and laity.
Click
here to continue with the account from the Office
of the Karmapa summarizing the events of September
5-6
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Karmapa
in Ladakh September 2
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Information
on the Ladakh tour from the Office of
His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa
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(Editor's
note: The
following is a detailed daily account of
His Holiness Gyalwa Karmapa's activities
in Ladakh. The initial news reports were
previously detailed by Karmapa News below.
After the completion of the tour, the Office
of His Holiness Karmapa released a detailed
account of the Karmapa's visit. The Karmapa
arrived in Leh, Ladakh on September 2 and
departed the region on September 11, 2001.
Karmapa News is publishing the day-by-day
information from the Office of His Holiness
as a series of articles over the next few
weeks.)
September
2, 2001
Upon
arrival in Ladakh at the Airport in Leh, His
Holiness was accorded a warm welcome by eminent
personalities which included Royal Prince
Bakula Rinpoche, Theksey Khen Rinpoche, Tagnak
Rinpoche, Thuptop Rinpoche, Mr. Karma Senge,
the Tibetan Welfare Officer, the heads of
the Ladakh Buddhist Association and the Ladakh
Gonpa Association, as well as many other Rinpoches,
senior lamas and officials. Also present at
the welcoming reception were Nangzey Dorje,
the Additional Secretary of the Ecclesiastical
Department of the State Government of Sikkim,
numerous other civil leaders and thousands
of devotees. As arranged jointly by all, a
tea reception was held at the airport for
His Holiness.
The ceremonial welcome reception received
by His Holiness upon his entry into Ladakh's
capital city of Leh overwhelmed the heart.
It included a monastic lama procession,
amidst devotees of all ages and from all
walks of life who thronged the side of the
road, many holding flowers and the traditional
symbolic welcoming vases.
His Holiness proceeded to the Jo Khang
Temple, the object of worship of the entire
Buddhist population of the area. A grand
mandala offering ceremony was offered to
His Holiness, followed by the traditional
offering of tea and saffron rice, symbols
of devotion and auspiciousness. At the completion
of the ceremony, His Holiness was escorted
to Tanag Labrang, which served as the residence
for His Holiness during the visit.
Security forces from the central government
of India, as well as contingents delegated
by the state governments of Jammu and Kashmir
were delegated to protect His Holiness during
his visit to Ladakh, and afforded him excellent
protection.
Click
here to continue with the account from the
Office of the Karmapa summarizing the events
of September 3
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News
Coverage of the Karmapa in Ladakh
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updated
NDTV
PTI
Times
of India
Ani
news agency at WTN
Information
on Leh
Information
on Ladakh
Map
of Jammu and Kashmir
Map
of Ladakh and adjoining area
Photo
of the Leh valley
Photo
of Leh Gompa
History
of Ladakh and Tibetan Buddhism
Karma
Triyana Dharmachakra
Photo
1 of Stakna Monastery
Photo 2 of Stakna Monastery
Photo
3 of Stakna Monastery
Photo
4 of Stakna Monastery
Times
of India
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News
Coverage of the Karmapa in Ladakh
NDTV
from India reported that His Holiness Karmapa
arrived Sunday, September 2, in Leh, the capital
of Ladakh. PTI
reported that His Holiness's main seat in
Rumtek, Sikkim released a statement on September
4th that the Karmapa had arrived in Ladakh at
the invitation of the All Ladakh Gonpa Association
and Ladakh Buddhist Association, and would tour
Ladakh through September 12. Times
of India.
The
Karmapa's first stop on this trip was Leh,
the capital of Ladakh.
The ANI
news agency reported that His Holiness "was
given a tumultuous welcome when he arrived in
Leh in northern Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
Leh is the main city of Buddhist dominated Ladakh
region of the troubled state. Buddhist monks and
local residents lined up the streets as his motorcade
passed through main thoroughfares.
Ladakh
is located in the eastern part of the Indian state
of
Jammu and Kashmir (map
). Leh, as well as most of the area in this Himalayan
region, is situated at 11,500 feet (3500 meters)
above sea level. (Photo
of the Leh valley; photo
of Leh Gompa) Ladakh has been closely connected
with Tibetan
Buddhism for many centuries, and many Kagyu
monasteries are located there. According to Karma Triyana
Dharmachakra, His Holiness visited the
Jokhang shrine in Leh, where he gave a short public
address, and then traveled to
Stakna Monastery, about 20 miles away, where
the Sixteenth Karmapa stayed in the early 1970's.
Stakna Monastery is said to be an imposing
structure built in 1580 by great scholar saint
Jamyang Palkar on a large hill at the foot of
the Zanskar mountain range. (For a dramatic shot
at the Monastery's situation amidst the mountains,
take a look at tjos photo
and at the third
photo down here. )
T.
Samphel, President of the Ladakh Buddhist Association
released a statement in which he said that Ogyen
Trinley Dorje "is the 17th Karmapa recognized
by His Holiness Dalai Lama and it is the most
happy occasion for Ladakhis that they got to see
him here in person. His seeking refugee status
in India has been an issue between the two countries,
but it should not be. Karmapa has come here in
search of Dharma. So we are very happy that he
is here." Mr. Samphel's statement about
"two countries" is a reference to New Delhi's
reported statements of its unwillingness to allow
His Holiness to travel freely because of a fear
that doing so will offend Beijing.
Though
the Karmapa may officially travel anywhere except
Rumtek and Baijnath, any movement by His Holiness
first seems to require a preceding "green signal
from the ministry of home affairs." Times
of India . The Times also reported that the
Karmapa had decided to postpone trips to Kinnaur
and Shimla, but did not say whether this had to
do with traffic signals from the Centre.
In
other news from Dharamsala, the Tibetan Government
in Exile statesman Tashi Wangdi released a statement
that there should be "no controversy" over the
Seventeenth Karmapa. Times
of India. "He said the claims made by two
persons, Thaye Dorje and Dava Sangpo Dorje, both
based in Sikkim, of being Karmapa, were false
and baseless and allegations that the Dalai Lama
was supporting Ogyen Trinley Dorje "due to
financial reasons were ridiculous." The Tibetan
government has also asked the government to step
up security for the Dalai Lama due to new threats
to his safety. Times
of India.
The NDTV report is also recorded in print form
at the NDTV
website. The Times
of India report is available at the Times
website. The PTI
report is available at the Financial Times website,
through BBC Monitoring Reports.
Click here for a detailed daily account of His
Holiness' visit to Ladakh released by the Office
of the Karmapa
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Karmapa
fashion
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Elle
Magazine
(text of article on Karmapa not yet available)
The
Herald (Scotland) Saturday Magazine archive
World
Tibet News
Tribune
Streaming
video of "The Boy King" a BBC documentary about
the Karmapa (appx. 50 minutes)
Photo
journal of Karmapa in Varanasi at the Thrangu
Dharma Society website
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The
staff of Karmapa
News
was jolted out of its summer vacation when the
Karmapa appeared amidst the "Elle 25" in Elle
Magazine's September issue. His Holiness
is mentioned after "Cate and Merryl," and before
"Ms. Ciccone" (aka Madonna). Trish Deitch Rohrer
of Elle describes the Karmapa as "a fourteen-year-old,
six-foot-tall, poetry-writing, Internet-surfing
Tibetan monk, Ugyen Trinley Dorje, known as the
Karmapa--the highest-ranking Tibetan Buddhist
after the Dalai Lama." The editors of Elle,
who inform us that the magazine is "always first
in fashion," predict that "everyone" will be conversing
about the Karmapa when he visits the U.S. The
article has a photograph of His Holiness apparently
taken at the Dalai Lama's anniversary celebrations,
also attended by HH Sakya Trizen, in the background
of the photo.
The
article is an annual effort by Elle to
"clue[] you in to who (or what) everyone will
be talking about in the next few months." The
magazine predicts
that the Karmapa will hit North American shores
soon: "This winter the Karmapa, who is graced
with a soft voice, a hawklike gaze, and uncanny
wisdom, is expected to fly to America, beginning
what many hope will be a long, bicontinental life.
That is, he would spend much of the year in none
other than Woodstock, New York, presiding over
a monastery-on-a-hill left to him by the last
karmapa, who died in 1981." Thank you Elle;
we hope that you truly did provide the second
big Karmapa News scoop of the new millenium so
we can soon visit His Holiness in North America.
The
article text is not online, but the article itself
is mentioned in this month's online synopsis of
the magazine at
Elle Magazine's
website. The issue of the magazine is now selling
on newsstands in North America and throughout
the world.
From
Scotland, The
Herald's
Jean West reports on her visit to His Holiness
in Sidbhari, in a feature from the Saturday edition
of the paper. "It is his eyes that seal
his status. Beautiful, dark and hypnotic like
horizontal teardrops that hold the secrets of
the past 1,000 years. Cloaked in flowing maroon
and saffron, his copper skin shining with adolescence,
Ugyen Trinley Dorje exudes a spiritual opulence
that belies his relatively modest surroundings."
(If you cannot find the article on The Herald's
site, you may wish to read the report at the
World
Tibet News
site.)
Asked if he would visit Scotland, Jean West's
homebase, the Karmapa mentioned that he wished
so to do, but could not predict when he would
be allowed to go: "I am a person who likes
to travel around. Sometimes I feel I would like
to go wherever I choose. But I have to face up
to my time and situation." The Karmapa's
freedom of movement continues to be circumscribed,
supposedly for his own safety. West states that
security has recently been heightened due to the
purported existence of a "Taleban hit list [that]
bears the Karmapa's name."
West asked the Karmapa point-blank whether he
had supernatural powers, and received a typically
sober reply from His Holiness: "You call
it supernatural powers. I believe that whatever
power is there is the power of the dharma [Buddhist
teaching]. It is because of this that all my predecessors
did many things like leaving hand or footprints
in stone. People say there are many things I can
do. But, for whoever practises [dharma], these
things might happen."
In the article, West recounts the background
of the Karmapa's escape from Tibet and interviews
Situ Rinpoche at Sherab Ling about the Karmapa's
current situation. She also discusses Samye
Ling, the major Kagyu center in Scotland. West
notes that though His Holiness wishes to visit
Samye Ling and Sherab Ling, "Rumtek is [the Karmapa]'s
ultimate goal. 'Going to Rumtek monastery would
be like returning home to continue the activity
of my predecessor."
Until
he can go to Rumtek, the Karmapa will have to
stay somewhere, and his current residence was
never intended for a long-term stay. The Tribune
of India
is reporting that the authorities are looking
for someplace new for His Holiness Karmapa to
live. "The Gyuto monastery at Sidhbari, on the
outskirts of this town, was meant to be a temporary
residence for the Karmapa, who landed here in
India, on January 5, last year. With the Indian
Government reluctant to grant permission to the
Karmapa to go to the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim,
search is on for a permanent abode for him in
Himachal Pradesh." Tashi Wangdi, the spokesman
on Karmapa matters for the Tibetan Government
in exile, informed the Tribune News Service that
"though the Sherabling monastery is appropriate
for the Karmapa from the point of view of security,
comfort and religious studies, with the Indian
Government having reservations about the place,
we are still looking for a[nother] place."
For
those of you who missed the BBC documentary on
the Karmapa aired in the United Kingdom and Australia
(our previous comment on the documentary is below).
Thanks to khandro.net, we provide here a link
to a streaming
internet video replay of the BBC documentary "The
Boy King"
from the BBC News website. You need RealPlayer
(a free download)
to view the 44 minute broadcast of the Correspondent
segment, which containts a number of interviews
of the Karmapa, as well as his staff and fellow
travellers.
We
also recommend for photography buffs the photo
journal at the Thrangu Dharma Society website
of
His Holiness' visit to Varanasi, which took place
in March. (See our comment below
.)
His Holiness pilgrimage to Varanasi and elsewhere
has since been documented in the official video
documentary released by his administration entitled
The
Pilgrimage.
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Karmapa's
Birthday
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AP
photo of His Holiness at his birthday celebration
The
Tribune
Gangtok
Times
The
Guardian
AP
BBC
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The
AP
has released a very nice photograph
from Dharamsala of His Holiness Karmapa at a celebration
for his 16th birthday (according to the Tibetan
calendar, the Karmapa is 17, since Tibetans count
themselves as one year old at birth). His Holiness
is depicted on his throne accepting traditional
offering gifts. Happy Birthday Karmapa!! An account
of the celebrations was described by The
Tribune
,
as follows:
"The Karmapa today spent the day at Gyuto Monastery,
offering customary prayers in the presence of
his followers and senior officials of the Tibetan
Government-in-exile. He offered special prayers
before the portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader,
the Dalai Lama, placed on a throne.
Two senior regents of the Karma Kagyu sect, Tai
Situ Rimpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche, also offered
special life long prayers before the Karmapa,
the head of sect. The Minister for Religion and
Culture in the Tibetan Government, Mr Tashi Wangdi,
and Chief Kalon Sonam Topgyal were present on
the occasion.
The Karmapa blessed hundreds of his followers
from all over the world amid chanting of mantras
and playing of the traditional musical instruments.
A day-long prayer service was held at the monastery."
The
Tribune reports that the Karmapa's request
to spend his birthday at Sherab Ling monastery
or to go to Rumtek were turned down by the government
of India. The Gangtok
Times
reports, however, that a delegation from Rumtek
monastery met with Minister George Fernandes on
these points when he visited Sikkim at the end of
June.
Karmapa News apologizes for the delay in referencing
these stories.
In
other news, Leslie
Forbes of The Guardian
has written a nice travel article about Sikkim
which notes close historical connection to the
Karmapa and Himalayan Buddhism.
The
Karmapa's name has also been referenced in stories
about another young incarnation in Tibet and another
disputed youngster. Pawo Rinpoche, who is now
8 years old, is one of the main teachers of the
Kagyu lineage, was recognized by the Karmapa.
According to the AP,
Pawo Rinpoche and his monastery have been placed
under significant new restrictions by Chinese
authorities after the escape of His Holiness.
Duncan Hewitt of the BBC
has also written an informative story on the visit
to Shanghai of the child named by Chinese authorities
as the "Panchen Lama." The BBC rightfully notes
that the child touring under the auspices of the
Chinese government is not the same young boy recognized
as the Panchen Lama by His Holiness the Dalai
Lama.
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The
Pilgrimage
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A
review of The Pilgrimage by Bodhi
Online
VHS;
color; 73 minutes; English narration
Dharma Chakra Center
Available in either NTSC or PAL format
The first visit of His Holiness the Seventeenth
Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje to the sacred
pilgrimage places of India is richly documented
in this rare video footage produced and distributed
by Dharma Chakra Center, Rumtek, the official
seat of His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwang Karmapa.
The film follows His Holiness from Delhi to the
most revered locations in Buddhist history: Sarnath,
where the Buddha first turned the wheel of dharma
and taught the four noble truths to a small group
of disciples; Bodhgaya, the holy site of the Buddha's
enlightenment; Nalanda, the historic site of the
great Buddhist monastic University; Rajghir, where
at Vulture Peak Mountain the Buddha taught the
profound Prajnaparamita sutras of the second turning
of the wheel; and Lake Rewalsar or Lotus Lake
associated with Guru Padmasambhava. This video
offers viewers a direct glimpse of the youthful
Karmapa, supreme head of the Kagyu lineage and
seventeenth in a line of renown Buddhist masters.
Striking scenes of His Holiness's imposing and
compassionate presence are interlaced with scenes
of the myriad devoted monastic and lay disciples
who gathered around him for blessings, empowerments
and the sheer joy of seeing their long awaited
spiritual leader. The video also offers us the
pleasure of viewing other highly respected and
warmly regarded teachers, such as Khenchen Thrangu
Rinpoche, who is the personal tutor of His Holiness.
For Buddhist practitioners or those simply interested
in an authentic glimpse of this age-old tradition,
The Pilgrimage is a wish-fulfilling gem.
Information
on The Pilgrimage (VHS video in NTSC and
PAL format)
Karmapa
News retrospective
on His Holiness pilgrimage (PDF file)
The Bodhi Dharma Store (for online purchase of
the Pilgrimage)
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BBC
Two Documentary
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The
BBC network television website for the program
Correspondent contains an article
about the Karmapa with some of the most
striking streaming video excerpts of His
Holiness Karmapa to date, excerpts from
Reporter Carol Wightman's interviews of
His Holiness Karmapa and His Holiness Dalai
Lama. (An edition of the Correspondent
about His Holiness Karmapa entitled
"The Boy King" aired Sunday, May 27 on the
BBC2 network in the UK).
The most powerful sequence comes at the
end of a segment about the Karmapa's press
conference, where His Holiness addresses
the assembled reporters in English. Other
streaming video excerpts include an interview
with His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking
of the importance of the Karmapa to the
Tibetan people, and an interview with His
Holiness Karmapa at Gyuto monastery, his
temporary residence in Dharamsala.
Nalandabodhi has closely followed the coverage
of His Holiness's April 27 press conference
(commentary and references are in articles
on this page), and found that reporters
the world over were uniformly impressed
with the Karmapa. This points to an oddity
of the perspective of the Correspondent
report. The Correspondent piece emphasizes
the fact that the press conference was carefully
prepared, implying that such preparation
was inappropriate. Such an implication,
apparently to inject controversy into the
report, fails to put the press conference
in context. (Similar programs in the United
States, such as 60 Minutes, are known
for taking controversial viewpoints in order
to boost ratings.)
The
undeniable facts of the press conference
conference include these: His Holiness is
15 years old (according to the Western calendar;
16 according to the Tibetan system of age
reference), and for the first 14 years of
his life living in Tibet, hardly ever met
a member of the press. He certainly never
attended a press conference, nor was he
ever the main speaker at one. Accordingly,
that for his first encounter with the media
the youthful Karmapa freely answered questions
of the reporters was a demonstration of
extraordinary confidence in the abilities
of this young man. That he answered the
questions in such a forthright and assured
manner, given his background and lack of
experience, is amazing. Indeed, Rahul Bedi,
reporting from Sidbhari for the Telegraph
(London)
,
wrote that the 15-year old Karmapa "completely
dominated" the estimated 100 reporters of
the world's press. In calmer times, when the
passage of relative time provides some historical
perspective to spectators of the conference,
we believe that stories of the press conference
will join the Karmapa legends alongside tales
of Karmapas leaving their footprints in stone.
The website article remarks wryly that
at "16 years old," His Holiness is "Tibet's
most ancient spiritual leader. " The Correspondent
production crew apparently intends this
as a tongue-in-cheek reference, but in suggesting
that His Holiness should be judged according
to the standards of seasoned veterans of
press conferences even though he is 16 (rather
15) years old and from a country where press
conferences do not happen, the production
crew sends a message which belies any editorial
slant focusing on controversy: those who
see the young Karmapa forget the worldly
context in which they were working and naturally
begin to treat him as a Seventeenth incarnation.
The article at the website quotes His Holiness
on the restrictions on his activity: "At
certain significant occasions, there was
a feeling of restriction. Basically what
would happen was that when I was attempting
to go with the responsibilities, people
would prevent me in certain situations from
carrying these out. The reason for my escape
was connected with these restrictions."
Wightman also interviewed His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, who said of the Karmapa:
"'He is one of the most important lamas
in Tibetan society. He also has a large
number of followers. Many people respect
him and so he has a great important role.
The identity of Tibet has been given a huge
boost by the Karmapa's escape. Even before
he came out he also demonstrated by himself,
through his own intentions, that he is quite
tough.'" Notably, the article and video
also contains excerpts of an interview with
a member of the Karmapa's escape team, who
provides a vivid description of the hardships
of the Karmapa's dramatic escape from Tibet.
Wightman provides some insight into the
various interest groups attempting to take
advantage of His Holiness. Though the show
itself is no doubt preoccupied with this
conflict, the producer is also gracious
enough to acknowledge the Karmapa's own
response: "'I myself have no political
intentions or ambitions. In spite of that
there is still some political consequence
in my coming here. But it is still fine
for me to say that this wasn't my intention.'
Wightman concludes for the website portion:
"sitting in front of me, surrounded by senior
lamas, tense minders, western devotees and
armed Indian police, the young Karmapa told
me that his 'function is to work for the
benefit of others'. Precisely how he does
this remains to be seen." To start with,
we think that the Karmapa's beneficial activity
can be seen in the splendid interview sequences
filmed by the show.
The article and streaming videos are at
the BBC
website for the Correspondent program.
The website article also contains new pictures
of His Holiness and of others interviewed
by the Correspondent program.
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His
Holiness Karmapa's news conference of April 27,
2001
Statement
Transcript
Photographs
Initial
press reaction
Full
coverage in the Karmapa News Archives: click
here
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