As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje again was unable (or chose not) to attend the two biggest events in the Karma Kagyu calendar at which hundreds of monks and nuns from India, Nepal and Bhutan attend, at the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site of Bodh Gaya, India. Considering the 17th Karmapa recently spoke about the importance of everyone coming together for the biggest Kagyu Monlam, the question has to be was his absence a free choice, or was he blocked/”anchored” and prevented from doing so?
Some people suggested to me it was because he had not been issued a visa by the Indian government, others that is was not personally safe for him to attend. I was informed by an Indian government official “off the record” that last year, the Indian government had issued a ten year visa with multiple entry to the Karmapa on his new passport, so lack of permission/visa did not seem to be the reason. Whatever the reason, why did the Karmapa himself not announce or explain his absence? Even the advertised online teachings during the nuns Arya Kshema event, kept getting delayed and pushed back from starting on the 16th February, to starting on the 12th March for a total of only four days! The 17th Karmapa normally teaches for one month at these events.
So what happened? Since the last article about this, I have discovered a few other interesting facts about the 17th Karmapa’s whereabouts and activities during that time, which I thought interesting to share with other Karma Kagyu followers and devotees (see below).
This article was also written as some kind of cathartic healing and making sense of the sense of heartbreak and disappointment I, and no doubt many others felt due to his unexplained absence. While in Bodh Gaya, I practiced at the Bodhi tree every day, and requested the sacred Buddha statue and vajra seat to provide some clarity on the Karmapa’s situation, but also to remove from my life anyone who has been lying (or spreading slander about me) about me (or promoting those who do). Also, for the protectors to protect the Dharma from those who misuse it and abuse women and children using its power, name and influence.
When the India events had finished, and after briefly meeting and speaking to Drupon Dechen Rinpoche who turned up for the final day of the nuns event (more on that in the article), I returned to Thailand, and visited the place where it is said the 17th Karmapa had conducted two events during the programmes in Bodh Gaya. It was then I finally realised that ‘darker, unethical and political forces’ (even from within the Karma Kagyu community) had blocked/anchored the 17th Karmapa from going to Bodh Gaya, and from my meeting him in Thailand or India too.
In a melancholy mood, as I watched the sunset on the river running through central Bangkok, I placed my hand on one of the oldest sacred trees, wrapped in prayer scarves, at the boat pier, where I had spent many a sunset watching the skies change colour to burning reds and pink and the magnificent skyscraper skyline lights, and mentally asked the tree to take my shattered heart, hold it and heal it. The tree’s energy moved something in my heart and I began to weep with loss, grief and heartbreak. That old tree seemed to be a safer “pair of hands” to trust my heart to, unlike some “men in monastic robes” I had trusted with my heart far too much, for far too long.
Thus, although the symbolic message was not one I wanted to see or hear, the Buddha/wisdom had clearly shown me (and others) the actual situation. The 17th Karmapa performing and transmitting his new, sacred sadhana Noble Tārā texts (stunning in their original research, which the Karmapa must have spent much time and effort in producing) at a “swanky” (minus the “s” perhaps ha ha) expensive rented residence in the middle of a five star hotel/designer mall street.
Although it is certainly great that the 17th Karmapa visited Thailand and is making connections and activities there, why in such a location and at that time? Where is the money coming from to pay for such expensive ‘rentals’ and why not do it in a lovely Thai Buddhist temple, as the Kagyu Monlam was done previously? Especially as there didn’t seem to be any funds to have a few spare English language books available for lay participants who had travelled all the way to the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya! [1]
In any case, jokes aside, the “twisted fate” sense of betrayal, disappointment and even fury at the ongoing situation of the 17th Karmapa reached new heights, and the depression at the humiliation and blocking of his activities for political or worldly ‘negative’ reasons reached new lows. Samsara is a roller-coaster ride, I guess. Anyone want to get off? Until then, please enjoy the entertainment below.
Music? Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson, Simple Twist of Fate by Bob Dylan, The Bitter End and A Million Little Pieces by Placebo.
Written out of frustration, anger, love, compassion and devotion by Adele Tomlin, 26th March 2025.
Drupon Dechen Rinpoche’s absence and injured leg
The 17th Karmapa’s tulku friend, Drupon Dechen Rinpoche also did not attend the Kagyu monlam as planned, but he publicly arrived on the last day of the Arya Kshema event to hand out awards to the nuns. I was surprised to see Drupon Dechen Rinpoche’s sudden arrival in Bodh Gaya, as there had been no public announcement.
Previously, when I had met Dechen Drupon Rinpoche at the Kagyu Monlam Thailand in Chiang Mai (see photo) in early January 2025, I asked him where he planned to go to afterwards, and he replied to the forthcoming Kagyu Monlam. I also asked him where the Karmapa was and he told me that he did not know and also he did not feel comfortable asking the Karmapa his location. I was very disappointed to hear that he did not know where the Karmapa was and if he was in Thailand or not. I had been hoping and praying that the Karmapa would come there.
So, based on that information, trusting that Rinpoche was being honest and not lying, I headed off to Kagyu Monlam looking forward to the upcoming programme there and being back at the sacred Bodhi tree and temple.
However, Drupon Dechen Rinpoche also never showed up for the Kagyu Monlam either. So when I saw the photos of him at the final day of the nuns event on 17th March 2025, I went to seek an audience with him at the guesthouse he was staying at the following day. Fortunately, Rinpoche kindly agreed to an audience and when I met him his leg was in a cast and he explained that he had fallen badly after the Kagyu Monlam Thailand, on returning to Rumtek Monastery. It was shocking to hear. Coincidence or some strange energy/force trying to interfere with him going?
When I enquired further, he then told me that after his leg injury in India, he returned to Bangkok Thailand in early January 2025, and met with the 17th Karmapa who was also there, and attended a long-life ceremony the Karmapa gave to 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche, who then went to the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya. I wondered if the Karmapa’s planned visit to Bangkok had been deliberately concealed from me, and others who were in Thailand at the Monlam. If so, why?
Private events in Thailand with the 17th Karmapa
a) Long-life empowerment of Gyaltsab Rinpoche and meeting Dulmo Rinpoche
b) Transmission and practice of two new Tārā commentaries and sadhana texts
On 29th February 2025, three weeks after 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche’s programme at the Kagyu Monlam, Bodh Gaya had finished (on 8th February), and after the Arya Khshema nun’s event had started (12th February), some photos and a very brief video were released on Facebook by the Zurmang Rinpoche Buddhist Society Nepal of a second private event, showing the 17th Karmapa in a small, almost “empty room” with HE Zurmang Rinpoche, Dilyag Rinpoche , and the 17th Karmapa’s elderly former male oral interpreter, Ngodrub [2] and a small group of about ten “young-looking” laywomen, all seated at the side of the room itself, away from the Karmapa and the tulku lamas.
Moreover, the Facebook post stated (in Tibetan) that it happened on 21st February 2025, when the 17th Karmapa was giving the premiere transmission and practice of the new Kar-lug sadhana text he had recently composed and published. [For the Praise to Red Tara from that text, see my translation here].
As I wrote about it at the time here, where were the nuns, monks and male and female laypeople of all ages in that almost “empty room”? The ‘leaked’ video however, captured this “behind the scenes” shot, otherwise none of us would have been any the wiser!
At the time, it seemed that it had to be in Nepal, as the only people who had posted it online were the Zurmang Rinpoche Nepal FB admins, and Zurmang Rinpoche had posted on his Facebook that he went to Nepal after the Kagyu Monlam. If it was not in Nepal (as it now seems it was in Thailand) why did the people who posted it mislead people into thinking it was in Nepal, and correct them if it was not? [2]
In any case, regardless of the suitability of the location, the main question (for me at least) is why would the 17th Karmapa deliberately choose to give such an important transmission in person in such an environment to such a small group of people, and not at the Kagyu Monlam or Arya Kshema itself? Especially, as on the final day of the Kagyu Monlam, 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche gave an empowerment for the five-deity Green Tara Sadhana practice, newly published by the 17th Karmapa. Then, during the Arya Kshema event, the nuns all performed the Five-Deity Tara for two full days, which I was fortunate to attend, see here.
Investigations “on the ground” in Thailand: a 5 star hotel/luxury shopping mall area in Bangkok
Some people suggested that the reason the 17th Karmapa did it there and not in Bodh Gaya was because someone must have donated a big money offering. I had never considered this before, and it seemed possible (although unlikely one hopes).
In any case, after the Arya Kshema nuns event finished in mid-March, I found out from a reliable source in Thailand, that the Karmapa ‘secret’ events had taken place in a ‘rented’ residence in a super-expensive street in central Bangkok. I have been to this area of Bangkok a couple of times, and generally do not stay there long. It is full of 5 star hotels, expensive restaurants, luxury cars, designer shopping malls, massage parlours, professional escort women (aka prostitutes), and very expensive/materialist/capitalist area. I personally prefer to stay in the less consumerist, more “beautiful” and “old-school class” of Talad Noi vintage area myself! Areas like Sukhumvit are all a bit too “nouveau riche” (and way too expensive) for a snobby budget backpacker Lotsawa Brit like me! ha ha ha.
Jokes aside, it was rather depressing to discover. After all, the two locations one of Bodh Gaya, and the other five star hotel Bangkok street could not be more different physically and of course spiritually/energetically. One is extremely materially poor and undeveloped, yet the world heritage temple site of Bodh Gaya where Buddha attained full awakening. The other extremely materially rich and developed, yet frankly rather spiritually bankrupt in terms of the general history, energy, activities and entertainments on offer there (despite the presence of some Buddhist temples scattered about amidst the massage parlours and hotels). Far removed from Tilopa’s low caste Indian prostitute “boss” who treated him like a slave to reduce his pride and arrogance!
When I met Drupon Dechen Rinpoche in Bodh Gaya after the nuns events, I asked him why the 17th Karmapa did not attend the Karma Kagyu events, and what they had been doing during those whole two months in Thailand. Rinpoche told me that it was not only Red Tara the 17th Karmapa had transmitted, but all the five Tara deities. At this point, I thought I might scream or cry or both ha ha ha. This was even more a disappointment.
As a scholar-translator-practitioner, who has translated and transcribed prolific amounts of works on Karma Kagyu and the Karmapas, never mind as a follower of the 17th karmapa) I personally would have loved to have attended. Especially, as I had just finished (for zero payment) translation of the first two sections of one of the 17th Karmapa’s new texts (on the origins and lineage of Five-Deity Tara) but not the final section, the sadhana itself. What had I done wrong? ha ha ha.
Thankfully for us, it seems the 17th Karmapa had a “change of heart” too about the reduced brevity of his online teachings, and announced that he would extend the teachings for a couple more weeks (due to start again soon), otherwise they would not be able to finish the text next year. However, who or what took up all his time during the Kagyu events this year? Was all his time being taken up with the “events” in Thailand? I may have misunderstood but that seemed to be what Drupon Rinpoche was saying.
The symbolic message and ‘wisdom”?
To end, I leave readers with this question to ponder. Why did the 17th Karmapa choose (or was forced) to conduct such important sacred Karma Kagyu transmissions of his new Noble Tara texts, in such a materialist, and expensive worldly environment, (only a 3 hour direct flight away from Bodh Gaya)? Was it a) for money payment, b) because he was unable to come to Bodh Gaya for reasons outside of his control, or c) because he simply did not want to attend the most important Karma Kagyu annual event and preferred to spend private time teachings his laywomen and tulku ‘friends’ in a fancy residence in central Bangkok?The latter seems highly unlikely, as the 17th Karmapa has said several times that he wants to return to India, unless he is being disingenuous about that (also unlikely).
Whatever the reason, on a more general note, what is the symbolic message we can take away from it? What is wisdom showing us in it? After all, it certainly has not improved the perception of the 17th Karmapa among the Indian government and public or even among followers such as myself who travelled and spent a long time in Bodh Gaya, in the hope he might also attend. One Indian government official remarked it seemed ‘selfish and immature’ of him not to go. Perhaps that is too harsh, but certainly a lot of hopes and dreams were shattered into a million pieces on his absence.
Also, how is it possible that the great 17th Gyalwang Karmapa was reduced to teaching for a mere four days online, yet giving private teachings to an empty room of mainly laywomen at a luxury private residence. If it was not the 17th Karmapa’s deliberate choice to do that, and he had planned and wanted to attend the events, but was forced to stay in Thailand, for political reasons or outside third parties, that is a ‘spiritual crime’ of the worst kind, and should also be investigated. If it was because the 17th Karmapa himself did not want to attend the Karma Kagyu events in India, that is also a message we should all take on board, loud and clear.
Needless to say, this latest nonsense really ‘brought me to my knees’ in terms of testing my own respect, samaya and devotion to the 17th Karmapa and even more frustration with the worldly, unwise people surrounding him. Let’s face it, anyone with even a tiny bit of class/intelligence/wisdom knows that there is nothing genuinely ‘rich’ or ‘beautiful’ about five star hotels, luxury brands and dollybird women, and never has been. Yet, it seemed such wisdom was completely absent/barred from those events in designer hotel and shopping mall street.
“Love Bombed” what happened to the Marme Monlam music acts, like Kara
On 13th March, in another timely (and funny) coincidental “twist of fate”, I wrote a slightly satirical (yet serious) piece about the new pop single release “Love Bomb” by Kara Marni (one of the performers at the Vinaya-breaking Monlam concerts in 2018). Marni’s promotion features her prancing about in underwear and stockings, in an “expensive” hotel room singing about a man not having genuine love, respect for her and just love bombing her on the phone when he wanted some “hotel bedroom” action. Yet, there was no sign of Kara promoting the 17th Karmapa or Buddha Dharma on her social media. So even Kara did not go to that Thailand Noble Tārā transmission, despite the fact that the location and general vibe seemed a lot more “up her street” than mine (pun intended!). Seems like karma always does have the “last tragic laugh” in the end!
Endnotes
[1] Some of my online “haters” (enablers of lama misconduct) like to point to the fact that the Karma Kagyu community and the 17th Karmapa never publicly acknowledge the huge amount of original research, transcripts and translations I have done for the sake of beings, the Karmapa legacy and the Karma Kagyu lineage teachings (all for zero financial payment or public reward). Nonetheless, I have never allowed such criticism to detract from my passion, devotion and purpose.
However, seeing this event in Thailand, would it really have been too much effort for someone in the Karma Kagyu who knew it was happening, to kindly inform me about it? Considering how much effort the 17th Karmapa himself is putting into research and translation the last few years, why is there not more support for female translators/researchers such as myself, and not for the dollybird “selfie-takers” only?
[2] “I was also surprised and puzzled to learn that the 17th Karmapa had conducted these private events in Bangkok, Thailand and not in Chiang Mai, which would have been the more logical and ‘Buddhist’ location, especially as the Kagyu Monlam had just been hosted there. As, readers of my website will know, I spent several months in Thailand the previous year, and one of the Chinese female organisers of the Kagyu Monlam had told me then that the Buddhist university had gifted a huge plot of land surrounded by mountains just outside central Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Nothing had so far happened with the land as they were waiting for the people close to the 17th Karmapa to contact them and get things moving on the project. She informed me that she found the people around the Karmapa to be “slow, uncommunicative and not particularly well-organised or intelligent”, sadly I had to agree with her.
[3] Seeing Ngodrub, the 17th Karmapa’s former oral translator at the second private event in Bangkok was interesting too, as I had briefly seen him at the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya, India on the day that 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche performed the red crown ceremony. I was happy to see him there though, as I thought that was a sign the 17th Karmapa was either there, or might be coming.
I was weary of speaking to Ngodrub though (who is close friends with the Brit-pop manager and Marme Monlam VIP guest, music businesswoman, Chloe Roberts) after an unforgettable incident with him in Kagyu Monlam, Bodh Gaya 2006, where he started shouting loudly at me in a restaurant that I was a “f**king arrogant big-head” (to the extent I had to get up and leave the restaurant), in response to my pulling him up on some sexist remarks he had made about one of the Chinese women followers there (“being seen with a different man every night in the cycle rickshaw), and the fact I had also previously relayed a message to him from someone else that his oral translation was not quite right. Classic case of shooting the messenger! As far as am aware, Ngodrub is not a Buddhist Studies scholar, and has never produced any written translation to an academic standard.
I remember after that incident in Bodh Gaya, and before I went to do postgraduate studies in Tibetan Buddhist Studies in Europe in 2014, I went to see the 17th Karmapa, to ask him for a suggestion of a small text to translate. He kindly told me he would think about one (Ngodrup was present during this audience). Outside, in the grounds of the monastery afterwards, I was met with a very different (and hostile) reception by the people close to Karmapa, Tashi (the media manager) who it seems had been spoken to by Ngodrup, scolded me for asking the Karmapa for a text, and that “who did I think i was?” I was a nobody, not even a scholar, and saying that they would never have allowed the audience if they had known I was going to ask that. Charming eh? And people wonder why the 17th Karmapa’s situation has been as it is in India and internationally with people like that “supporting” him?
Further Reading
Gosh Adele, reading your articles such as these is such a rollercoaster ride for me – i had no idea (bit naieve i guess!) that Buddhist politics was/is as bad as this.
It’s just so shocking, because for me ( and for you), we (quite rightly) expect, given the teachings on karma, and the dire consequences of negative actions, that peeple in the Dharma would behave properly and ethically.
Okay, i realize we are still in samsara here, and so it is understandable that there will be peeple (in the Dharma) whose conduct falls short of expectations.
But for me, it’s the scale of the problem, and the sheer pervasiveness of negative attitudes/actions/behaviors that you have encountered in the Buddhist world, that i find so shocking.
Like you tho, i still thankfully, have total faith in the Buddha’s teachings.
I once saw a comment that sed something like, “have love and compassion for all beings, but just don’t put too much trust in them”!
So i pray that you keep on doing what you can to promote the Dharma, and don’t get too disheartened by the negative stuff.
Best wishes
jon
Thank you Jon! Yes, it has been difficult at times not to turn away from it all, including the Dharma, but that is what negative beings/entities want. The Dharma is pure, but let’s not be fooled by corrupt and worldly unqualified teachers either. We are supposed to be examining them VERY well and vice versa!