His Holiness the XVIIth
Gyalwa Karmapa, In India
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His Holiness the
Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa,
Urgyen Trinley Dorje,
Supreme Head of the Kagyu Lineage

Photo by Rudi Findeisen
photo © 1998 Rudi Findeisen
 

News Archives
 (note: references to online article locations may not be accurate as time passes due to the policy of many papers to move and restrict articles after a certain day)

• February 8-16, 2000
• February 4-7, 2000
• January 28-February 4, 2000
• January 24-27, 2000
• January 22-23, 2000
• January 20-22, 2000
• January 18-19, 2000
• January 15-17, 2000
• January 12-14, 2000
• January 11, 2000
• January 10, 2000
• January 9, 2000
• January 8, 2000
• January 7, 2000

-The Indian Express/Agence France-Presse

AP/MSNBC

AFP/WTN

Washington Post

Radio Australia

Canada News

Boston Globe

Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul)

San Francisco Chronicle

Anchorage Daily News (Alaska)

Australian Broadcasting Corporation News Online

After the main ceremony commemorating His Holiness Dalai Lama's 60th enthronment anniversary, reported in the stories noted below, the celebrations in Dharamsala shifted the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. The Indian Express reports that the "Karmapa Lama, spiritual head of one of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism,"  presided over the event in honor of the Dalai Lama as "the chief guest at a day-long cultural programme drawing hundreds of admirers."

His Holiness made his first public comments in Dharamsala over the wekend. Reports of those remarks have changed over the few days since originally made and we have posted above the best current account we have of them, above, updating it as we receive more information. We are working to obtain a verbatim transcript and translation.

As usual, tight security for His Holiness Karmapa continued at the event. The Indian government and Dharamsala authorities remain very concerned about threats against him, and very responsibly, and generously, insured over the weekend that nothing threatened the festivities. His Holiness went about his activities "amid tight security, comprising Tibetan guards and Indian policemen. Police patrolled the winding road to the remote Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts. " (The Indian Express)

His Holiness Karmapa has respected the request of authorities in India to keep public expression of his views low-key, and while doing so, pursuant to the ancient tradition in the Kagyu lineage, he has been intensively engaged in composing poems (usually referred to as "songs" when considered as expressions of realization within the Kagyu lineage, and often sung using spontaneously composed melodies). The performance at the Institute provided an opportunity for His Holiness to see the performance of his poetic compositions, as noted by the AFP: A "poem written by the Karmapa during his flight to India was set to music and was the first item in the colourful programme." The performance of the poem of His Holiness was described the AFP's very knowledgable reporter, Abhik Kumar Chanda, as follows: 

"The ceremony began with the young monk being greeted by more than a 100 people dressed in traditional Tibetan clothes who flanked the long entrance to the Institute. They played traditional Tibetan horns and beat drums as the Karmapa Lama made his way to a sprawling courtyard, where the cultural programme was performed.

The Karmapa's poem, 'a sweet memory of an auspicious occasion', had been set to music by a teacher at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts after the Karmapa Lama's arrival in India. Institute director Jamyang Dorjee told AFP the monk had specifically wanted "a sad tune because the words are sad. 'It is a very beautiful poem with a deep philosophical meaning,' he said.

It is our current understanding that the poem performed in Dharamsala, referred to in the article as "Sweet Memory," was in fact previously translated under the title of A Joyful Aspiration:  Sweet Melody for Fortunate Ones. The English translation available at this site had the advantage of being translated under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, the ranking teacher of the Kagyu lineage, who has agreed to serve as the Karmapa's tutor. In Joyful Aspiration, the Karmapa expresses his insight that Tibet is a healing land, and his aspiration that "the gracious beauty of luminous moonbeams, light of the spiritual and temporal worlds, conquer all strife, the darkness of the shadow side." He also praises the Dalai Lama, denominating him "the Supreme One holding a pure white lotus." A version of the song in its native Tibetan script format is also available from this site.

On a lighter note, the celebration prevailed throughout the day. "Other traditional songs and dances followed the Karmapa's poem. They ranged from lilting songs and tunes to martial performances with male dancers kicking their heels Cossack-style to fast music. The costumes were exotic and colourful and comprised blouses with sleeves upto the dancers' knees, fur-brimmed hats, brocade robes and gowns and fur-trimmed skirts. Tempa Samker, an official at the Department of Information, told AFP that the dances were drawn from 'all the provinces and districts of Tibet. Friday was the start of year-long celebrations here and around the world. We have asked Tibetan exiles and Tibetan support groups to celebrate the 60 years of the Dalai Lama in a befitting manner,' he said."

The Karmapa also thanked the Dalai Lama, Tibetan leaders and the Tibetan community in exile here for working to preserve the Tibetan culture. Full text of The Indian Express/Agence France-Presse article is at the Indian Express website and WTN site. The AP/MSNBC article is on the MSNBC website, and the many other media outlets reporting the same story based on Addario's second AP wire report are listed in the margin.

UPDATED

AP/Washington Post

AP photos of Dalai Lama and Karmapa

More AP photos

-BBC text report

-BBC streaming video report by Mike Woolridge

-BBC streaming audio analysis by Jane Little

AFP/WTN

AFP photo of the crowd

ABC News Online

The Hindu

The Tribune

Tribune photo

India Today online

South China Morning Post

Asian Age

Channel NewsAsia

The Guardian

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Salt Lake Tribune

The world-wide media covered the ceremonies in honor of the Dalai Lama held today in Dharamsala and Delhi, on the 60th anniversary of his enthronement. The BBC described the ceremony as the scene of "celebrations" bringing "together the heads of all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, including the 14-year-old Karmapa Lama who escaped from Tibet last December." His Holiness the Dalai Lama made an appeal to the audience to continue to work for Tibet at the ceremonies today. Speaking to several thousand supporters in Dharamsala, the gathering was said to be unprecedented in recent Tibetan history because of the presence there of the leaders of Tibetan Buddhism's major orders. The AFP's Abhik Kumar Chanda described it as "a glittering religious ceremony attended by top Tibetan monks including the 14-year-old Karmapa Lama."

The AP reports that the "Dalai Lama delivered a message in Tibetan of peace, nonviolence, and universal brotherhood, the United News of India reported. It said he asked people to develop goodness in their hearts and share it with others." The Hindu reported that "Himachal Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri, who also attended the function, presented a Himachali cap and shawl to the spiritual leader. Shastri said in today's hatred-and-anger-ridden world, Dalai Lama had become an inspiration for compassion, non-violence and peace."

The BBC reports that the Dalai Lama told listeners that "the most important thing today is to save Tibetan Buddhism and culture. The younger generation has to take more responsibility ... and work for the Tibetan issue in a non-violent way." Among the younger generation who heard his talk was His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa.

The BBC noted that "in his address, the Dalai Lama said he was very glad the Karmapa Lama had managed to get out of Tibet. 'He is safe here. He is very young right now.'" "The Karmapa was among four senior lamas who appeared on the upper pavilion of the Namgyal Monastery to join the celebration Friday in Dharmsala, seat of the Dalai Lama's government in exile," Lynsey Addario of the Associated Press reported. (We note that Addario's piece for the Associated Press was widely carried in the online sites of many newspapers in addition to the Washington Post site noted below, including the New York Times and Guardian (London).)

The Tribune reports His Holiness as saying that "'We Tibetans, as refugees, will always feel grateful to the people of India, not only for giving help and shelter to this generation, but for many generations we Tibetans have received light and wisdom from this country. So we will always feel indebted,' he stated. Appreciating the hard work and sincerity of the officials of the Tibetan government-in-exile, he said we all have faults and as such there is always scope for improvement." The South China Morning Post , adds that the Dalai Lama reiterated his request for new refugees from Tibet to return home. "It is not easy to go back to a motherland where there is repression. But I ask you to go back with happiness because the future of Tibet depends on the six million Tibetans living there."

Chanda of the AFP also recognized that the Dalai Lama had stressed the role played by "'westerner friends'" and the international community "'who have shown interest, sympathy, support and solidarity'" for the Tibetan cause. "'It is because of them that the Tibetan cause is known in every corner of the world. Ours is a demand based on truth and justice. I appeal to the world community for more support.'"

Photos: The Karmapa has a very stern expression on his face in a photograph from Agence France Presse in Asian Age. But he is smiling in a photo by Lynsey Addario of the AP. In these photographs and in the Wooridge video segment, he appears on the podium sitting on the right side of His Holiness Sakya Trizen, who is seated to the right of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The South China Morning Post carries a close-up picture of a very stern looking Karmapa, perhaps a crop of the first photo. ABC News Online carries another, smaller picture of His Holiness Karmapa getting into his car. (We again unhappily protest the addition of the unnecessary appellation "lama" being applied to His Holiness Sakya Trizen and the Karmapa, which we believe unnecessary.) Two other AP photos show His Holiness Karmapa exchanging a Buddha statue and katak (ceremonial scarf) with His Holiness Dalai Lama, and a festive hand-clasp between the Karmapa and Dalai Lama. The front page of The Tribune has a nice photo, but the caption misidentifies the persons "flanking" His Holiness Karmapa.

It appears that the ceremony was quite formal at times, with little opportunity for interaction between The Dalai Lama and the Karmapa. The interpretation on this absence of interaction varies in different reports, with the Channel NewsAsia the most seemingly garbled.

Regarding the Karmapa's attendance at the ceremony, Mike Woolridge reports in his video segment that while the Indian government had not formally ruled on whether he could stay, "in making his most significant public appearance to date at these celebrations, he didn't look as if he were about to be expelled."

But politics were "on the sidelines" according to Woolridge. Addario also observed that the "Dalai Lama smiled and laughed through much of the four-hour ceremony honoring the 60th anniversary of his enthronement at age 4 as spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. He briefly tapped the Karmapa's hand as he blessed the monks and lamas." His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama explained to his supporters that "the issue between China and the Tibetans was not about one side winning and the other losing - but both being able to see it as a victory." The AP wire is reported in various locations; we have linked to a report at the Washington Post website. The BBC reports are all available at the same page on their website, or directly by clicking on the links in the margin.

The Tribune reports what appears to be an unconfirmed statement from an individual within the Tibetan Government-in-Exile's Department of Information and International Relations, to the effect that the Tibetan Government-in-Exile plans to "steer clear of the controversy over the real head of the Kagyu sect." The official voices his position that the "14-year-old boy, Ugyen Trinley Dorjee, was no doubt the real incarnation of the 16th Karmapa, but it was for the senior regents and monks of the Kagyu sect to decide as to who was the real head of this school of Tibetan Buddhism. . . To decide as to who would be the head of the Kagyu sect, there needs to be unanimity within the sect, as it is totally their internal matter." 

The exile government refers to itself as the administration of the Dalai Lama. Like any govenmental organization, it is not a monolithic group but a collection of individuals, each one holding an individual view of how best to serve their constiuents, in this case the Tibetan people. We have noted on occasion that different voices in the exile government express different views. This is of course a healthy exercise. However, in listening to those voices, observers of that government need to be skillful in the same way that they would be skillful in listening to the nightly news reports of sources "within the Administration" of [your country here]. Any such report has to taken with a grain of salt, and evaluated.

In the United States, unauthorized press leaks are a well-known phenomena. For example, say that someone in the Presidential administration is outvoted by the majority on a policy issue. We often hear in such cases of leaks of opposing information to the press prior to the official announcement of the policy, in an attempt to use the press to influence the policy. Shortly thereafter comes an official announcement clarifying that policy is just the opposite. This is something we hear often. We would expect similar incidents to occur in any govermental administration. Indeed, we would be more worried if it did not happen. For the fact that it does happen is an expression of a democratic process and free press at work.

At the same time, it is our role to evaluate reports in the press. With respect to the Tribune article under consideration, we believe that to the extent that The Tribune's Pratibha Chauhan seeks to imply that the dissent by an anti-Karmapa faction over the Karmapa's recognition has changed Tibetan Government-in-Exile policy towards the Kagyu order or hierarchy, the reported position seems to be a misstatement of settled Tibetan exile government policy. It is contrary to the Dalai Lama's and exile government's prior stated positions on this matter. They have repeatedly acknowledged the existence of an anti-Karmapa splinter faction but have also stated in numerous contexts that the splinter faction does not undermine the unanimity within the order regarding the Karmapa and the Kagyu policy of tolerance in general. It was indeed on this basis that the Dalai Lama issued his "Buktham Rinpoche " (official ceremonial letter) about the Karmapa's recognition.

Official Tibetan Government-in-Exile policy regarding internal divisions within a Tibetan order may be discerned from its 1997 response to a similar incident within the Gelugpa order. On that occasion, the exile government acknowledged that dissent within an order, even if vocal and the subject of widespread newspaper reporting, is not necessarily a sign of internal division of the order, particularly when the dissent is caused by a fundamentalist faction opposed to harmony among all the Tibetan orders in general. The situation with the anti-Karmapa faction within the Kagyu order is quite similar to that situation faced by the exile government in 1977.

In that year, the Dalai Lama's steadfast rejection of the requests of a splinter faction within the Gelugpa to emphasize a practice called "Shugden" or "Dolgyal" resulted in protests against the Dalai Lama and charges in the press of religious intolerance by the exile government. This incident is discussed extensively on the Government-in-Exile's website under the heading "Controversy Surrounding Dorjee Shugden Practice," which contains a thorough and open airing of the claims and counterclaims, and the Tibetan exile government's response. This incident within the Gelug order, in which international protests against the Dalai Lama were launched in Britain and elsewhere, is identical in structure to the campaign now being waged by an intolerant faction within the Kagyu order.

The Government-in-Exile's official statement in 1997 explained that "a small number of Shugden devotees in the exile Tibetan community and their vociferous Western supporters, mostly based in Britain, have launched vitriolic disinformation campaigns against His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile." Similarly, in 2000, a small group in the exile Tibetan community and their vociferous Western supporters, mostly based in Europe, have launched a vitriolic disinformation campaign against His Holiness the Karmapa and his teachers. But just as in 1997, the problem in 2000 is not confined to a particular order, but is in fact something affecting the entire Tibetan people.

In that 1997 campaign, it at first appeared to the uninformed world-wide media that the dispute was an internal dispute about religious worship. Indeed, the Shugden sect claimed it was led by highly placed persons in the Gelug order, such as a former tutor to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who now disagreed with the Dalai Lama about religious practices. Fortunately, the Government-in-Exile at that time recognized that it was not an internal dispute at all, but rather the campaign of an opposition group designed to undermine, rather than increase, freedom of worship by Tibetan Buddhists. In response, the government courageously faced down the Shugden group and proclaimed to the world its position of "pluralism and national unity" in opposition to the sectarianism and divisiveness of the Shugden group.

Indeed the press campaign by the anti-Karmapa faction seems modeled on, and probably learned a great deal from, the 1997 Shugden campaign against the Dalai Lama. The exile government described the 1997 campaign as "foreign proponents of Shugden, mostly based in the UK, embark[ing] on a highly aggressive and sophisticated smear campaign against His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his exiled administration." The sect manipulated world concern over its own so-called "religious freedoms" as a cover for a campaign of religious intolerance designed to put an end to freedom of worship within the Gelugpa order by enforcing the Shugden practice's restrictions on worship. (The methodology is similar to the way the Klu Klux Klan in the United States demonstrates publicly under the U.S. Constitution's protections of freedom of expression in support of its view that  non-Aryan peoples are not entitled to freedom of expression.)

The current problems facing the Karmapa are very similar in that the anti-Karmapa splinter faction seeks to force on the rest of the Kagyu order a Tibetan brand of factional "nationalism," so to speak, whereby the Kagyu will be forced to specifically oppose the central Tibetan government in exile, and to seek to undermine non-Kagyu religious traditions. Though the Kagyu order is essentially unified against this threat, a splinter group is making noisy objections through the international media that the opposition violates unspecified Kagyu "traditions", and making a number of unjustified claims against the Karmapa. In opposing this group, the entire Kagyu order stands together to oppose the movement towards divisiveness and factionalism which has so plagued Tibet in the past.

In 1997, the Government-in-Exile was sufficiently sophisticated to be able to separate fact from fiction. To the extent there are still doubters within the Dalai Lama's administration, we suggest that they dust off those 1997 analytic skills and apply them to the current dispute, which is not "within the Kagyu" at all, but between a small band and the rest of the Tibetan people. Full text of the Tribune article is at its website. Extensive information on the 1997 fundamentalist controversy is available at the official website of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.