Today, it was announced on Facebook by the Zurmang Kagyu Buddhist Society Nepal (with an accompanying short video clip) that on 21st February 2025, HH 17th Gyalwang Karmapa performed for the first time, in the presence of HE Dilyag Rinpoche and HE Zurmang Rinpoche (a couple of other monastics) and a small group of about ten unknowm laywomen, the new Kar-lug Four Mandala Offering to Tara composed and published by the Karmapa recently.
Although the actual location was undisclosed it seems to have been in Nepal because it was published by the Nepal group and Zurmang Rinpoche had travelled to Nepal after the Kagyu Monlam.
Interestingly, especially as the 17th Karmapa did not attend the recent 39th Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya, India (where hundreds of Karma Kagyu monastics and laypeople had gathered hoping he might attend) the small group in attendance at the Tara practice “premiere” were all laywomen (and one layman, the former oral translator of the 17th Karmapa, Ngodrub). Any ideas why? 🤣🤔
Frankly speaking, after having attended the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya, and on seeing the small private ‘audience’ event, I felt depressed and sad for a variety or reasons,it seemed rather empty and ‘cheap and tacky’ in the circumstances.
One can only wonder at the ‘wisdom’ of it, considering the current challenges and situation the 17th Karmapa is facing with public accusations of misconduct (and even an unplanned child) from laywomen in particular. Regardless of his motives, to attend such a small private event when he could have attended the Kagyu Monlam is baffling indeed, and no explanation given for his absence this year either. One Indian government official insider remarked to me that the Indian goverment offered the 17th Karmapa a ten year visa with multiple entry on his new passport (but he cancelled his trip last minute), so accusations that he was refused a visa by India is false. They also stated that the presence of mainly laywomen at this surprise, secret event also made him (and the people who organised it) look immature and lacking the ability to judge the wrong impression it might give the general public.
The 17th Karmapa does not seem to have any plans to attend the Arya Kshema nuns annual event in Bodh Gaya, India either, at which hundreds of Karma Kagyu nuns are attending. The online teachings of the 17th Karmapa normally take place over one month, and were announced to take place between 16th February to 16th March this year. However, it was recently announced that he would now only give one week of online teachings from 10th to 17th March. Did the ‘private event’ in Nepal (or somewhere else) interfere with the planned teachings too?
Whatever the reasons, I might be wrong, but it seems like the 17th Karmapa is spending a lot of his time with laypeople these days, as we saw in the recent surprise photo shoot in Switzerland last Summer, with the 14th Dalai Lama (that also caused the disruption and cancellation of his Summer teachings).These few photos of his meeting with HE Zurmang Rinpoche were also posted of the small private event on the FB page of Zurmang Kagyu Buddhist Society Nepal (see below). Enjoy!
Music? You Can’t Always Get What You Want by Rolling Stones 🤣🥲.
For my new translation of the Red Tara praise written and published by the 17th Karmapa recently, see here.
For the 17th Karmapa speaking (in 2019) about how he is not an ordained monastic and was given unrequested monastic vows by the 14th Dalai Lama, see here.
