“Real friendship is based on two things: respect and trust.”
‘Unity is good but not if it rides roughshod over truth and general ethics.”
Today, on 4 December 2023, the official 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, together with (the unofficial contender for the Karmapa title) Thaye Dorje, released a joint written statement (in Tibetan and English) regarding their agreement on a joint future recognition of the Shamarpa Rinpoche incarnation. Their full statement can be read in full here.
As someone who is a devoted follower and writer about the 17th Karmapa (and the Karmapas in general) for many years, I, like others, had mixed feelings reading this statement and seeing the two men pictured together again in an attempt at public unity. On one hand, trying to create harmony and friendship is a good thing. It is also wise that the statement mentions that as it “is a crucial point of concern within the Kamtsang, we will not accept interference from any uninvolved parties.” That means the Drigung Kagyu, Nyingma and Sakya teachers and followers need to keep well out of it, and not get involved as they did before!
But such ‘peace’ will not last for long if it is at the expense of truth, accountability and genuine change. After all, honesty is one of the root Buddhist vows of both monastics and laypeople. And what about the 16th Karmapa’s handwritten letter given to Tai Situpa before he passed away, which all three main Karma Kagyu regents: 12th Tai Situpa, 12th Gyaltsab and Jamgon Kongtrul 3rd all accepted as authentic (see video of them all speaking about it here). Are we all supposed to forget about that and pretend that sacred document does not exist? Are we all supposed to forget that 14th Shamarpa and his followers called Tai Situpa a fraud and the letter fraudulent? The false accusations that led to the schism in the first place? That would be ridiculous and expecting far too much of people.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that a title/name does not make someone that. The truest test of the Karmapa is the breadth and depth of their activities, teachings, lineage transmissons, realisations, talents, abilities etc. No title can bestow that on someone. If it could, then anyone who is called Sangye (in Tibetan) would be a fully awakened Buddha! In that respect, it is clear to anyone with discernment who the 17th Karmapa is.
In the Vajrasattva practice a wrong is only purified completely if there are the four powers, of confession, acknowledgement, genuine regret and a vow not to repeat that action again. So the importance of seeing and hearing changed conduct and attitude is not ‘divisive’ talk but essential for pacification and purification.
Also, on a more general note, forgiveness and peace should not only be for powerful, well-known male teachers/lamas should it? How about some genuine reconciliation, hand of friendship and amends offered to female survivors of lama misconduct who have been shunned, ignored, defamed and isolated? Or is forgiveness a one-way street only for influential men? After all, Buddha took honesty, discipline and ethics seriously and members of the sangha were expelled if they breached Vinaya rules. There were also regular and transparent meetings held in which wrongdoings were openly and fairly discussed and resolved within the community itself. The main people who will be really cheering on this joint photo and statement will be those who think they literally ‘got away with murder’. However, it is important to remember that forgiveness is an inner thing but truth and karma are infallibly indestructible.
For my full opinion piece on this joint statement, ‘hot off the press’ at Teahouse Buddhist Door Global, see here. I conclude in the piece that:
“In sum, a “ceasefire” can only last and bring peace when there is genuine acknowledgement and accountability taken for clear lies and wrongdoings. Brushing it all under the carpet and hoping it all goes away has never worked practically, emotionally, and certainly not karmically. There can be no real peace without justice and accountability, and no justice without truth. Unity is good but not if it rides roughshod over truth and general ethics.”
In any case, the joint statement is about the future recognition of the Shamarpa not who is the actual 17th Karmapa or not. On that matter, for me and the vast majority of Karma Kagyu, the evidence is clear from 16th Karmapa’s letter, from the prophesy of Guru Padmasambhava revealed by Chogyur Lingpa, from who holds the actual transmission lineage of all the Karma Kagyu and according to whom the vast majority of Karma Kagyu monasteries and nunneries follow. In addition, forgetting about titles and followers, Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s teaching, Dharma activities and progressive ideas are beyond compare, not only with those of Thaye Dorje but with other lineage heads.
May the ‘big-hearted’ 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje be soon allowed to visit and teach at Rumtek Monastery and travel to India and other parts of Asia freely, and may the legacy and activities of the Karmapa flourish and prosper.
Music? Back to Life by Soul to Soul, and Bring Me to Life by Evanescence, Lost Ones by Lauryn Hill, Hurt by Johnny Cash.
Written by Adele Tomlin, 4th December 2023.
Update 7th December 2023
Since writing this article, I have already faced insulting and derogatory comments in messages and online from Thaye Dorje supporters. This is not surprising and quite the norm. One well-known commentator on lama misconduct, who does not apply those same rules of truth and justice Shamarpa/TD for some reason, privately told me that now “Ogyen Trinley diehards like me are toast.” In addition, I have received messages before this, even recently from Thaye Dorje followers insulting me and my work on 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley calling him a ‘rapist’ and Tai Situpa a fraud and liar. Hardly much room for trust and friendship is there? How can anyone really move forward with this when there still has been no detraction of their slander of Tai Situpa and 16th Karmapa’s handwritten letter as fraudulent? The 16th Karmapa’s letter is a sacred and important document and should be treated as such by all.
Sources
The Sacred Letter of Prediction by the 16th Karmapa (Kagyu Office)
I am honestly appaled by your comment. I have followed you for years and mostly refrained from commenting. But seeing such vitriol I cannot help but ask, are you sure you are not blinded by your own views and agendas?
Why do you seek fault in such a sign of good will as a statement from both candidates signed by nothing but their own names?
Not to mention that I’d expect you to take to heart that the advice of performing 100 000 vajrasattvas adn 1000 35 buddha practices. Not seeing them as forgiveness for ” powerful, well-known male teachers/lamas should it?”. But who am I to tell you how to think of things.
I am just very saddened by the level of sectarianism within the Karma Kagyu schism.
As for a context for you to criticise me I am a male and a follower of Drikung Kagyu, never had anything in common with Karma Kagyu except for a sadness about the schism which I have tried to study as closely as possible for a couple of years.
Vitriol? That is your perception only. As you do not follow the Karma Kagyu perhaps you should keep out of this whole business, as you may not fully understand the history and origin of the division and conflict. In fact, it was the external influences and judgements of other lineage teachers and followers, including some from the Drigung Kagyu, that also caused a lot of the issues and division in Karma Kagyu too by supporting the unofficial contender, TD. Put yourselves in the shoes of the vast majority of Karma Kagyu followers. How would you like it if there was a contender to the title of the Drigung Kagyu head, whom hardly anyone in Drigung Kagyu accepted and whose followers are mainly white Europeans started making huge problems and a court case to prevent the actual Drigung Kagyu head from visiting Drigung Kagyu Dharma centres? And then teachers and followers of other lineages began supporting and meeting with the impostor contender? I doubt you would be so keen for others outside Drigung Kagyu to then tell you to move and accept both of them, right?
In any case, this joint statement has absolutely nothing to do with who is the 17th Karmapa or not, it is about the future recognition of the Shamarpa teacher, the one who caused the huge division in the first place by stating (and encouraging his followers) to think that the letter the 16th Karmapa handwrote and gave to Tai Situpa was fake and that Tai Situpa was a liar and fraud. In that respect, as I said, it is a good idea to try and avoid future conflict and division over the Shamarpa teacher too.
The evidence is clear who the 17th Karmapa is, from 16th Karmapa’s letter, from the prophesy of Guru Padmasambhava revealed by Chogyur Lingpa, from who holds the actual lineage of Karma Kagyu and from whom the vast majority of Karma Kagyu monasteries and nunneries follow. In addition, the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s teaching, activities and progressive ideas are beyond compare, not only with those of TD but with other lineage heads, including that of Drigung Kagyu. The joint statement was about the recognition of the Shamarpa not who is the legitimate Karmapa.
“…it is about the future recognition of the Shamarpa teacher, the one who caused the huge division in the first place by stating (and encouraging his followers) to think that the letter the 16th Karmapa handwrote and gave to Tai Situpa was fake and that Tai Situpa was a liar and fraud.”
Even if this joint statement does not directly have anything to do with who is the 17th Karmapa or not, this article clearly shows some of the direct and indirect dramas and effects this question still causes.
Being a Karma Kagyu student for more than 30 years, I deeply understand the human conflict and drama that arose amongst all students during this division. We were all forced to take a stand – in the midst of the drama; very tough on our big ego’s, because … after all, it’s MY lineage holder and MY path of enlightenment, we’re talking about here, right? Furthermore, Sanghas and friends, who had practised together for years, were divided, and all in all it caused a lot of confusion and pain.
As long as our dualistic drama and human nature rules our thoughts, words and actions within the spectrum of the 3 poisons (of ignorance, attachment, and aversion) and not the ultimate truth; whether we think, we have chosen the ‘right’ car, lawn mower, Karmapa … or not, our choices are always based on what we think, we know as the ‘right’ or ‘wrong’. And if we think that what we know is the ‘right’ thing, then, furthermore it happens, that we not only think we are ‘right’, but also that others are ‘wrong’. Even worse, we might think we need to defend ourselves and/or fight others. On and on we go … creating more suffering for ourselves and others.
On the other hand, during every conflict, in the midst of the clouds of our basic human need to defend ourselves and/or our choices, if we become aware of our dualistic drama and the habits of our own mind, we have a precious opportunity to transform our dualistic view. Being aware that thinking something is ‘right’ might not be the ultimate truth, we transform the rigidity of our dualistic tendencies.
Then, we are able to see clearly; one thing we actually have in common is that relative truths of ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ are constantly created by ourselves and other human beings.
Still today I wonder how anyone – other than the few people who were directly involved – can claim to fully know the truth about this matter?
We can take a stand, and we can hope we made the ‘right’ decision for the benefit of ourselves and all sentient beings.
We can become fully aware that the one and only true contender, on our common path towards enlightenment, is deeply rooted within ourselves.
How can any of us judge anyone about this matter?
And if we do, who is really the “impostor contender”?
May the teachings of the Buddha Dharma flourish within all lineages, and may the former, present and future Karmapas and Sharmapas benefit the most. May the ultimate truth of Buddha Dharma lead us beyond our limiting human dualistic concepts, showing us the true nature and vast potential of our mind.
Storm, on one hand, yes in non-duality we don’t need any distinctions, names, titles or public statements right? ha ha
However, while we are operating dualistically with samsaric beings who are not Buddhas, then we have to be discerning as to who is an authentic teacher and lineage holder or not. On all the evidence available, there is absolutely zero to support Thaye Dorje (TD) other than Shamar’s saying so.
1) TD has very few followers within Karma Kagyu itself in Tibet or in exile. Almost all the KK monasteries and nunneries follow TD. You can’t force them to follow TD if they don’t see him as the Karmapa. Most of TD’s followers are a white Europeans from the Diamond Way Buddhist centres.
2) The 16th karmapa left a handwritten letter clearing stating he will be born as OTD in Tibet to those parents. That is clear evidence.
3) Tai Situpa was given that letter by the 16th Karmapa, he did not lie and fraudulently create such a sacred letter. The fact t Shamar/TD group don’t apologise for saying that , and don’t retract that slanderous statement is evidence that they are not trustworthy or reliable.
4) Chogyur Lingpa revealed 150 years ago, that Guru Padmasambhava had prophesised that the 17th Karmapa would be one mind with Tai Situpa.
5) Even if we were to forget all of that and just focus on the teachings, activities and minds of the two men, it is clear that TD is imcomparable to OTD. Like a puddle compared to an ocean. In fact, OTD’s activities are above an beyond that of any other Tibetan Buddhist lineage head at the moment.
6) On top of that, TD does not hold the vast majority of lineage teachings of the Karma Kagyu.
7) The 14th Dalai Lama also stated that there was no evidence he saw or heard from Shamarpa that TD is the Karmapa.
These things all matter when it comes to deciding and following a teacher, never mind the actual lineage head of KK, supreme Gyalwang Karmapa!
Having followed this unfortunate controversy from the beginning, please forgive me if I remain skeptical about the motives of the Shamar faction.
Indeed, you are not alone, did you actually read what I wrote? The main people I see and hear cheering this on are the Shamar/TD group who frankly have done and said some terrible things in order to push TD onto people and have totally failed to do that within the Karma Kagyu.
Even since I wrote this article, one well-known commentator on lama misconduct but also a follower and supporter of TD/Shamar group insulted me and all those who follow OTD as ‘diehards who are now toast. Get used to it.’ Hardly inspiring is it? In addition, some TD followers have even messaged me before this calling me and OTD all sorts of names like ‘rapist’ etc. Public appearances are not the same as changed minds, attitudes and genuine regret for falsehoods and slander they have said about OTD, Tai Situpa and the 16th Karmapa’s followers, as well as stop the court case they launched for power and control of Rumtek that has prevented the 17th Karmapa going and teaching there for years!
Dear Adele Tomlin,
Please, share with us the evidence that the 16th Karmapa had written a letter about his future incarnation, that he gave it to Tai Situ Rinpoche, and that the letter refers to OTD.
That evidence would shut the mouths of all disbelievers.
Many thanks.
Karma Jamyang Tenzin
The evidence is there for all to see (and has been there for years):
1) the letter itself. When produced by Tai Situpa from an amulet that 16th Karmapa had given him: https://kagyuoffice.org/in-tibet/the-sacred-letter-of-prediction-of-his-holiness-the-16th-gyalwang-karmapa-1981-1992/
2) the video of all the three main KK regents (except Shamarpa) talking in the 1990s about the actual letter and how it came into the hands of Tai Situpa. They all accepted that letter and what Tai Situpa said about it as genuine, including the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anzw8EdLH8I
3) The letter clearly gives the parents’ names as those of OTD and the location in Tibet. In fact, the letter led to the discovery of OTD, who also passed several tests he was given and whose birth was accompanied with many auspicious signs.
4) Chogyur Lingpa revealed Padmasambhava’s prophecy 150 years ago that the 17th Karmapa would be ‘one mind with Tai Situpa’.
Although the 14th Shamarpa did initially issue a letter accepting the letter as genuine, he backtracked on that later, accused Tai Situpa of forgery and the letter as fake, and put forward his own candidate, Thaye Dorje as the only genuine Karmapa, which no-one in Karma Kagyu ever accepted. See his statement about that here: https://www.facebook.com/KarmapaImage/photos/a.613444778802507/628452847301700/?type=3.
In that statement, he clearly accuses the Tai Situpa of forgery and says the letter is a fake and then puts forward Thaye Dorje as his own candidate, despite the fact none of the other KK lamas accept him, and the 14th Dalai Lama also told him there is no independent or substantive evidence to show that TD is the Karmapa. That really should have been the end of it, but sadly it was not.
What more evidence do you need than that? Are you saying the 16th Karmapa letter is fake and that Tai Situ lied about how he got it? Are you saying that the other main Karma Kagyu regents were conned by him too? I do not think so. Who would dare even suggest such a malicious and slanderous thing about a KK Rinpoche like Tai Situpa.
Dear Adele Tomlin,
I asked you for evidence that the 16th Karmapa had written a letter about his future incarnation, and you replied that the letter itself is the evidence. I’m sorry if I’m a bit dim-witted, but I don’t understand your argument. Could you, please, explain how does the letter itself prove that it was written by the 16th Karmapa?
Many thanks.
JT
Are you being serious? I’m a qualified lawyer, it’s a signed and sealed document by the 16th Karmapa, with his name and signature on it . Given to Tai Situpa in an amulet by the 16th Karmapa according to Tai Situpa. Are you saying that 16th Karmapa gave Tai Situpa a letter with his seal and signature that he did not sign or write?? Yes that would be rather dim-witted to think that.
Any court of law would accept it as a genuine document unless someone asserted or could prove that Tai Situ forged it. Are you seriously suggesting Tai Situ lied about 16th Karmapa giving it to him and he forged the letter? That’s really stupid and unethical if you are saying that. Can you prove that? No.
I don’t know how you expect the vast majority of Karma Kagyu followers in Tibet and exile to have genuine harmony and peace with people who think and say such awful, unfounded things either. I doubt the 16th Karmapa would be very happy to know his sacred letter is being treated in such a shoddy and disrespectful way by his so-called followers either! Please don’t comment on here again and waste your or my time. Thank you.
All the power to you Adellee for your service to the lineage. You’re right to state the obvious about the overt scandalous behaviour exhibited by said faction.
And the necessity of accountability there of.
Obviously HHKOTD is not in the position to call that out. His approach will be purely
compassionate, in the sense that such wrongdoing is oft perpetrated by uninformed or misguided individuals who beleive that their opinion is the correct one.
And that they have limited choice not to conform to the group mind.
One must also consider the history of holy shenanigans of the previous incarnation of the Sharmapas which if i recall Correctly often became politcal and involved assorted rifts and schisms and such.
These karmic relationships might just be very personal and may have to be resolved on that level.
Round round we grow