THE SMILING “GOLDEN HEART” OF A CHILD: Red crown ceremony of 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Three Roots Combined empowerment, the ongoing absence of the 17th Karmapa, and Marme (Light Offering) Monlam, with 1000-armed Avalokiteshvara vision of light

“Be the light you wish to see in the world. Be a light unto yourself and others.” –Shakyamuni Buddha

“The Tibetan Mahasiddha Karma Pakshi [2nd Karmapa] said: “Whoever sees the crown and the wearer together, will not fall into the lower realms.”

“The benefit of seeing the precious crown that brings liberation upon seeing, is such that regardless of whether one’s faculties are complete or impaired, one’s samaya is pure of broken, one is male or female, old or young, anyone who sees it will plant the seed of liberation within themselves. Whoever hears about the crown will establish a virtuous karmic imprint in their mind. Whoever remembers it with devotion will receive enormous blessings. Whoever makes offerings to the crown, prostrations or heartfelt supplications, circumambulates it, or tosses even a single flower towards it, will accumulate an enormous amount of merit. Even those who hold wrong views towards the crown will be led on the path to liberation.” –1st Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye

The Red Crown ceremony: 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche

After the final day of Kagyu Monlam, the following day (12th February 2025) HE 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche performed the powerful, sacred red hat ceremony. I have seen Rinpoche perform this several times now, also at his Palchen Choling Monastery in Sikkim. Fortunately, I was able to get a seat right at the front, and had a good “bird’s-eye view” (excuse the pun ha ha).

The 12th Tai Situpa Rinpoche, who performed the red hat ceremony at the Kagyu Monlam Bodh Gaya last year, was unable to attend the long life offering of the Three Roots combined as announced. Two elder Khenpos gave a brief teaching on the red hat ceremony. For more information about the Karma Kagyu red crowns, their origin, power and benefits, see my prior research article here.

The Three Roots Combined Offering and Empowerment by 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche

The 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, showing great fortitude and determination, despite his age and physical health issues, afterwards bestowed the Three Roots combined empowerment in the afternoon for a packed tent of monastics and lay devotees.

While taking the empowerment, a young toddler girl (about 5 years old) was running up and down behind me. I tried to stay focused. When the empowerment had finished, I turned round and she had accidentally spilled lots of tea from the cups and was trying to clean it up on her own with a tissue. As symbolic appearances go, young girls/children can create such a  ‘huge mess!’ if there is no adult guidance or control, hmmmm.  For more on the origin and practice of the Three Roots combined, see my short article here.

Light Offering (Marme Monlam): a more Buddhist and ‘sober’ event

Then the majestic and heart-warming finale of the day was the Marme Monlam (light offering). I had caught a bit of the ‘Bodh Gaya cold/cough’, and was not feeling 100 percent (as well as personally rather deflated that the 17th Karmapa had not attended in person), but decided to go nonetheless to share the dedication and aspirations with the Karma Kagyu community gathered.

These days (after 2018 and the COVID lockdown epidemic) the Light Offering is a much more sober and sombre affair with Buddhist chanting by monastics and nuns. Not a pop band, “dollybird presenter’,  or music biz type in sight, what happened to them? And where were the three young, handsome men I politely requested to present this year? ha ha ha.

Jokes aside (have to laugh or might cry right?)  if we can learn/see anything from that ‘bygone era’ (let’s say) it is that, those who were really dedicated to the Karmapa and Karma Kagyu still attend and come together for the Monlam with devotion, hope and bodhicitta, whether the 17th Karmapa attends or not. And those that no longer attend, or do not have much interest in doing so anymore, perhaps were always ‘in it’ for themselves, or for the wrong reasons. Sorting the wheat from the chaff, so to speak!

Missing the Karmapa…..deflated disappointment and virtual reality

Thus, as the Marme Monlam ended with the beautiful candle lights and hopeful songs sung by all in unison, the 17th Karmapa’s image and voice (not live but a prior recording of a Marme Monlam) was beamed up on a big screen for all to devotedly gaze at, call me a “party-pooper” but there seemed to be something utterly tragic about that all too.  It was as if we have all become so used to gazing at screens and online, that we have forgotten the simple, human art and value of communicating face to face with listening, respect and care.  Mentally and in our hearts we can all maintain the connection with the guru, 17th Karmapa, but practically speaking, are we really doing all we can to make sure he attends in person and is able to visit and teach at Rumtek Monastery Sikkim? That is difficult to say, seems like people are not, to an ordinary person like me.

For example, in his final speech for the Monlam (see translation here), the 17th Karmapa spoke about how important it was for all those Karma Kagyu followers to take the once a year opportunity to come together in the sacred site of Bodh Gaya. Yet, the 17th Karmapa did not (or was not able) to attend and no reasons were given for that.

A question of merit too? Lack of books by 17th Karmapa and lack of compassion for animals right next to Bodhi temple

The 17th Karmapa’s continuing absence at the Kagyu Monlam also made me wonder about the important question of merit and compassion of those participating.

For example, I noticed while at the Monlam that there were no English language (nor Tibetan) chant books available, they told me they had sold out. Instead, people were told to download the texts onto their smartphones, which is environmentally friendly, but certainly not reader-friendly at all, not easy to scroll and especially for those with poor or failing eye sight.

Oddly, there were also no books by the 17th Karmapa himself on sale in the Tergar Monastery bookshop, or the several stalls outside the tent selling many of those of other Karma Kagyu teachers, like Thrangu Rinpoche and 12th Tai Situpa. This struck me as bizarre, how is it possible that there could be a Kagyu Monlam with no books by the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa? Was I the only person there who even noticed this? When I asked people there, it seemed no-one had noticed (or even cared).

On a more general observation, how is it possible that so many “Buddhist” pilgrims ignore the 17th Karmapa’s advice and example (he took a lifetime vow abandoning meat) and the Shakyamuni Buddha’s advice and Vinaya rules, not to eat slaughtered animals, never mind eating animals at the most sacred Buddhist site on the planet, Bodh Gaya?

I saw a butcher shop right next to the temple grounds, with chickens cooped in cages in the heat, filthy, unable to move for hours, watching birds being taken out and chopped up for people lusting after chicken meat. I even saw a Tibetan family with two young children buying meat, while their children could see the chicken cages there in front of them.

Merit and compassion and wisdom are important accumulations in order to attain full awakening. So perhaps people also should not be so surprised that things are not going so well for them, when it comes to their country, environment, climate change and precious teachers? If they cannot even generate discipline and compassion for the beings who are suffering intensely right in front of their eyes, just so they can have a half hour meal of diseased and tortured animal flesh? Of course, this is all hidden in Europe and North America, but the horror is the same, if not worse!

Indian restaurant owners I spoke to about why they provide meat right next to the Bodhi temple, told me that traditionally they never eat meat there, but they were catering to foreign and Tibetan demand for it. This had then effected the dietary habits and tastes of Indians there too.

In addition, there are lots of street dogs roaming everywhere in Bodh Gaya, like many other parts of India. Even though the dogs are hungry, sick and cold, in Bodh Gaya they are relatively harmless too, and more scared of humans, than vice versa.

However, sadly, in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh the main residence of 14th Dalai Lama, CTA and Tibetan exiles, the opposite was true and an ‘idiot compassion’ shown by well-meaning foreigners running dog charities, and Tibetans living there led to a dangerous dog situation right next to the LTWA and Tibetan hospital opposite, which I personally experienced myself.  They were also regularly feeding the street dogs meat, which has been scientifically proven to make animals more aggressive but they saw no issue with it as the said the dog ‘did not bite Tibetans’, see endnote below [1].

Rousing Aspiring and Ultimate Bodhicitta and the one-thousand armed Avalokiteshvara inner vision and golden heart aspiration

So, the hopeless and helpless sadness of the 17th Karmapa not attending the Monlam again, the sad and diseased chickens cooped up in the cages, the mangy, hungry street dogs trying to find food and warmth in the rubbish tips, and children sleeping on the streets, the lack of material development and basic infrastructure,  as well as yet the beautiful smiling faces and warmth of those children and people struggling to survive, working twelve hours plus per day (with no holidays), who still managed to have basic common decency, honesty, openness and kindness despite their environment provided more than ample appearances/material and inspiration to pervade my mind/space as I sang the Monlam aspiration. Rousing the aspiring bodhicitta that may I one day be able to help all such beings wherever they are to to be free of suffering and have genuine lasting happiness, and may we all have the shining courage and determination and heart of gold, in the most challenging of circumstances.

As the bodhicitta arose and descended, the lights of the candles transformed into white and red Avalokiteshvaras, and started descending too not only in the tent but outside in the streets, giving light and warmth to all the children, dogs, animals, and humans struggling to survive and thrive with dignity and love. The Indian flower, fruit and bread sellers at the temple providing food, beauty and joy daily to pilgrims at the temple, the rickshaw drivers, kitchen and restaurant staff and more. The unseen (and often unappreciated) of Bodh Gaya.

This time, there was a vision of the central Vajra seat in Bodh Gaya temple, sending out masses of light into the tent that transformed into a one thousand armed, multi-headed Avalokiteshvara chanting the six syllable mantra. Joy, love, warmth and smiles filled the space and all transformed into four-armed Avalokiteshvara.

As Streisand powerfully sang in Somewhere, “we’ll find a new way of living, we’ll find a way of forgiving, somewhere.” The inner, secret sounds of the central channel Buddha nature started playing their sweet, reverbarating melody,  softly breaking the heart wide open with the intense and endless suffering of samsara revealing its gentle, loving bliss essence hidden and encompassed deep within all.

At the end, a young toddler girl sitting next to me, full of innocent joy and well-being, was staring at and taking photos (like many others) with, a big and expensive mobile phone. And as symbolic appearances go that was probably the most meaningful and memorable to takeaway.

It was a symbol of many things, but also that material wealth also does not necessarily equal inner riches (and may even reveal a deep inner poverty) and that it depends on how we use material objects but also that only the inner practice and generosity of Buddha Dharma and full awakening could end the endless samsaric suffering, physical and mental, of sentient beings.

After dedicating the merit, we exited the tent to the constant sounds of horns of cars and rickshaws, dogs barking, and I walked the dusty road back to the guesthouse, filled with a renewed bitter-sweet hope, sadness and aspirations to do and say more, no matter how small, and not get lost in a hedonistic/materialist life. Even a smile can be a major blessing and gift to someone in need of love and warmth!

Music? Marme Monlam Prayer sung by 17th Gyalwang Karmapa (2018 Monlam, USA),  Somewhere by Barbara Streisand,  What’s Going On? by Marvin Gaye, and Flower of the Universe by Sade.

Dedicated to all the unseen, unloved and unwanted children (and all sentient beings) on this planet. May the Buddha Dharma flourish and may we all attain full awakening.  Written by Adele Tomlin, 13th February 2025.

Endnotes

[1] One evening, in April 2023 (a few days after the incident with the Indian boy’s oral ‘tongue-sucking incident’ with the 14th Dalai Lama hit the Indian and global media) I experienced a ‘street dog attack’ when I was walking alone around 8pm past the Library of Tibetan Works of Archives. I have lived in India many years and always used to feed street dogs, so this experience was shocking in many ways.  Around 8pm, while walking down the hill to Gamru,  a female voice whispered ‘devil/satan’ to me as I went in front of the Tibetan hospital, which was very odd as I normally never think of that word.  A few seconds later, some strong energy pushed me towards the side of the road where a big white street dog was lying peacefully not barking, or acting aggressively at all, like many I had seen before in fact. This time though as I walked past it without looking, the dog suddenly launched into the back of my leg and bit deep, then ran off. I was shocked and bleeding profusely.

Some Indian taxi drivers near the taxi stand saw it and came over to help me. Some Tibetans in the shop next to the dog came too. I told them a dog had bitten me and if they knew the dog who did it. They immediately told me the dog had bitten many people before there without reason or warning. I was shocked to hear that and asked them why they had not arranged for the dog to be taken away from the area and they told me that the ‘dog did not bite Tibetans’. As I was bleeding and in a state of shock/trauma I was shocked to hear their response, yet left them to go to the Tibetan hospital opposite.

I requested an Indian taxi driver to help me visit the on-site doctor there. There was one Tibetan nurse on night duty staring at her phone when I came into the emergency area of the hospital. I was a little distressed but told her I had been bitten by a dog and asked her to help me clean and dress the very deep wound. She hardly looked up from her phone and told me she did not have any injections and to go to the local Indian hospital about ten minutes drive away in lower Dharamsala. I was shocked to hear her say this and asked her to help me clean and bandage the wound before going in the taxi as blood was flowing heavily. She refused and told me to go to the other hospital. As I knew that time was of the essence and I should clean the wound asap, I went over to a sink just next to the reception area and started cleaning it with water there myself and with a bottle of mineral water I had bought. The nurse stood and watched me do it. At no time, did she offer any help or assistance and no bandage or dressing. She also informed me that the dog had bitten lots of people before. I again asked her why the dog had not been removed. There was no answer.

When I finally arrived back after having two injections at the local Indian hopsital, there was a hail storm and all the electricity went off. It started to feel like a ‘demonic’ attack/black magic ritual. As it happened a few days after the 14th Dalai Lama incident with the Indian boy too, which I did not think was appropriate and hold told some people there that too.

In any case, I made a complaint to the elder male Tibetan director of the hospital, who called the nurse in, and then apologised to me for her standing and watching me while I tried to clean the wound. The nurse did not apologise. He informed me privately that the issue was too many staff there looking at their phones, and also one woman (a dentist) was doing Chod practice at the hospital itself, which he said he was not happy about either, and inviting street dogs into the hospital (which should be a clean and hygenic place).

Afterwards, I contacted the Dharamsala local authorities and dog charities, to request the dog be confined and removed from the area, to protect others from harm, yet neither of them said it was their responsibility to remove the dog from the area and protect people from it. They even started to  treat me as if I was the problem, and that I was not showing compassion for the dog! One even said I was being aggressive for trying to protect humans from getting bitten. Seriously.   I asked them that if a human being was standing by the side of the road randomly hitting or attacking people as they walked by, would they let the person stay there doing that? No, they would not. So why the dog? In Europe, North America, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and many other countries, the dog would have been swiftly removed from the area and confined as soon as they had bitten a human, and treated as a potentially dangerous/harmful animal (which it clearly was).

In addition, the local Indians there told me they had wanted the dangerous dog removed and confined a while back but the ‘compassionate’ Tibetans (and well-meaning local animal-loving foreigners) would not let them, and worse the Tibetans were feeding the dogs meat (murdered animals), which was why the dogs never bit the Tibetans there. The locals told me that Indians never normally feed dogs meat, because it makes them more aggressive and used to give them dal and rice only. Those same Tibetans who were showing so much ‘compassion’ for the dog, had zero compassion it seems for the people who had been bitten, which takes many toxic and unnecessary injections and months to recover from. The psychological trauma of a dog bite, especially when the dog gives no warning, also lasts for months and even years. I never used to be afraid of street dogs, but since that time I have felt very weary and cautious of them.

In any case, the Tibetans and foreigners there who were so protective of a dangerous dog/animal,who would not tolerate a human being doing the same, often thought nothing of giving the dog murdered animals to eat, and even ate meat daily themselves. What a tragic joke! As for the Tibetan nurse who refused to even offer basic first aid to an injured woman alone at night, maybe I had interrupted an important phone call, or something she was watching or playing, who knows, but needless to say, I did not feel any sense of compassion or care from her whatsoever, even though that is her job/profession to offer help to injured people. Was it because she was on her phone, a bit lazy, did not have any compassion, because I was a white foreigner, or something even more sinister than that?

It took over three months (and several toxic injections for rabies, even though the dog was not rabid) to recover and heal from the deep wound though (which was never properly cleaned). As there was zero compassion from the hospital staff or ‘animal loving’ community there, clearly there is a huge difference between compassion in words only, and compassion in action!