“Two thousands years after my passing, The teachings will spread in the land of the red-faced ones, Who will be the disciple of Avalokita. At that time, the bodhisattva, Simhananda, known as “Karmapa” will appear. Possessing mastery over samadhi,he will tame beings and establish them in bliss through seeing, hearing, recalling and touching. Endowed with a name beginning with ‘Ka’ and ending with ‘Ma’, there will appear an individual who will illimunate the teachings” –Samādhirāja Sūtra
A few days ago, I updated the petition for 17th Karmapa’s Return to Sikkim requesting people contact Penpa Tsering and a six person delegation from the CTA in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India regarding their visit to Ravangla, Sikkim and attendance at the 600 year anniversary of the First Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche lineage at the Palchen Choling Lachi Monastery.
Therefore, I was delighted to be informed yesterday, by a supporter of the 17th Karmapa petition to Return to Sikkim, that at the Gyaltsab Rinpoche event in Sikkim, Penpa Tsering announced a promising development with a court case in Himachal Pradesh in relation to the 17th Karmapa. This shows the power of the petition and the pressure being placed on people with some influence in India to take action. Sadly, as you can see from the photo, it was yet again a very male-dominated meeting too!
In his speech, Sikyong Penpa Tsering is reported to have remarked on the resilience and growth of Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet. According to the Sikyong statement, there are currently 292 registered monasteries and nunneries under the Religious and Cultural Department of the Central Tibetan Administration, with around 40,000 monks and nuns. Of these, 69% come from the Himalayan region, 29% are Tibetans, and 2% are non-Tibetans and non-Himalayans, composed of Mongolians and others.
Addressing the state of Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim, Sikyong Penpa Tsering expressed his gratitude to the leadership and people of Sikkim, along with Buddhist leaders, for their tireless efforts in representing the matter to the Government of India. In conclusion, Sikyong Penpa Tsering referenced a recent development concerning a case involving the Enforcement Directorate in the Himachal Pradesh High Court. “Just yesterday, there was a hearing regarding the Enforcement Directorate case, and the outcome of that proceeding seems promising. I believe it will create a conducive environment that may further encourage 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Rinpoche to return to Sikkim,” Sikyong Penpa Tsering concluded, extending his appreciation to all those involved.
One of the main obstacles that has been blocking the 17th Karmapa’s return to India and Sikkim, as an Indian government source reliably informed me (as I wrote about here), were the court cases launched many years ago against the 17th Karmapa by the people connected to the unofficial Karmapa claimant, Thaye Dorje and his mainly European followers for full control of Rumtek and its property. More recently, it was the Thaye Dorje followers who had been pushing for a court prosecution in Himachal Pradesh for alleged money laundering by the 17th Karmapa and his Karma Kagyu labrang administration, and insisted to the Indian courts that the 17th Karmapa himself face prosecution. Hardly a basis for friendship and trust is it?
Although this is a very positive movement in the right direction, the concern some have, including myself, is that the court cases for full control of Rumtek seem to be still pending and only the case in Himachal has been dropped. The 17th Karmapa was very much controlled and restricted by the Gelug exile authorities in Dharamsala, and effectively made to stay near the 14th Dalai Lama, in a Gelugpa monastery, Gyuto, the whole time he was based in India, which is outrageous. He was also unable to set up his own monastery and centre in New Delhi or in Himachal Pradesh, or even purchase the land to do so.
The 17th Karmapa should have been able to visit and teach at Rumtek Monastery, and perform the sacred black hat ceremony there years ago. In fact, he was expected to visit Rumtek in 2018 during his 33rd Birthday after getting the permission from the Indian authorities to visit, yet this never materialised either.
Thus, it is important to maintain the pressure on those with influence to not allow the 17th Karmapa to effectively become a controlled puppet of the Gelugpa institutions and authorities there again and to have freedom to reside wherever he wishes, in particular to visit Karma Kagyu monasteries and teachers freely in India without restrictions.
It is the first time in two decades that the leader of the CTA and other representatives (publicly at least) have shown any signs of trying to support and help the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. Most of their energy seems to have been focused on maintaining the Gelug dominated power base and institutions, even though the US-Gelug joing policy with China and Tibet has been a total failure. As I wrote here in the Mongolian-Gelug Shadow Over Tibet (August 2024), the reasons for this failure is not only geo-political but also karmic and based on the horrific and destructive actions the Gelugpa historically took with the support of the Mongolian military invasion to completely suppress, and almost destroy the spiritual, textual and architectural legacy of other major lineages such as Karma and Drugpa Kagyu, Nyingma, Jonang. However, that has also been a failure. Despite all the major obstacles facing the 17th karmapa since he was enthroned as the official Karmapa at the main seat of the Karmapas in Tshurphu Monastery Tibet, with the support of the main Karma Kagyu heart sons and the majority of Karma Kagyu monastic institutions in Tibet and internationally, the Karmapa has managed to demonstrate to many his unique and progressive vision and wisdom, in particular on the status of women and nuns in Buddhism, the environment and the importance of not eating slaughtered animals.
Karmically, in terms of a spiritual legacy and impact the return of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa to India, Sikkim and other countries such as Bhutan and Nepal can only be of benefit to the Buddha Dharma and the teachings. This may also even lead to a greater political harmony and dialogue between India, China and Tibet.
Sources
Sign The Petition: Support Karmapa’s Return To Sikkim
Sikyong Penpa Tsering Joins in Celebration of the 600th Birth Anniversary of 1st Gyalwey Gyaltsab Drung Goshri Paljor Dhondup