It was saddening (but not surprising) to see video and photos released yesterday, spread widely among the Tibetan media outlets, of the great 12th Khentin Tai Situpa (who is also elderly and suffering from various physical ailments) offering three “unnaturally” long prostrations on his knees for an all-male long-life offering ceremony to the 14th Dalai Lama.
An all-male event yet many White Tārā statues
As I have written about before regarding these all-male Buddhist events, considering so many White Tārā statues were offered/presented at the ceremony too, the lack of any female presence in the room, surely shows that wisdom/women left that “table/room” a long time ago and their absence is more than obvious to those with “wisdom eyes” to see. Unless such monastic culture thinks that statues have more value than actual female teachers and nuns and that two main pillars of the four pillar sangha (laywomen and nuns) are irrelevant? To those concerned with the status of women in Buddhism (and in general), it is actually making their tradition/culture seem more irrelevant and out of touch with contemporary values and life, but also of the historical significance of White Tārā to the Tai Situpa/Palpung tradition in particular (see below).
Guru Padmasambhava famously predicted in many terma that the “yellow hat Gelugpas” would almost destroy Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, and he had two female wisdom consorts who were powerful beings/teachers in their own right. Since the Kadampa influence, male monasticism seems to have taken over Tibetan and Vajrayana Buddhism, as I spoke about in my (subsequently censored) speech at the Vajrayana conference Bhutan in 2023, see here.
No prostrations from Gelugpa monks for 12th Tai Situpa
The long-life ceremonies for the 14th Dalai Lama are an almost monthly occurrence for the 14th Dalai Lama (but not for any other lineage master who are also elderly). Yet some (rightly) assert that long-life ceremonies have no source in original Buddhism itself (see here).
However, what was most saddening, but also revealing about these images was not only the fact that 12th Tai Situpa is elderly himself, and had to be helped by two monks on either side to kneel down and stand up to do the three prostrations, but also that not one Gelugpa monk there offered any prostrations to the senior (and historically significant to Tibetan Buddhist history and legacy) 12th Tai Situpa. Why was that? Did not one Gelugpa Geshe or monk think it suitable to offer such public reverence and respect to the senior lineage master as he arrived or afterwards?
It even looked like Tai Situpa was being held down in position by some kind of invisible “paralysing” force as he bowed his head for a very long time. Hope am wrong about the latter, but with the misuse of tantric techniques for political and worldly purposes by Gelugpas being prevalent for centuries, anything is possible when it comes to the levels of violence and suppression they will stoop to. One can only hope that the “paralysis” type effect was due to Tai Situpa’s genuine devotion and/or physical condition and not due to a commonly used tantric technique to stop a person from moving[2].
Also, in relation to Karma Kagyu, why is Tai Situpa still being prevented from spending time publicly with the 17th Karmapa (his lineage head and guru/student) and vice versa? Why are long-life ceremonies not being conducted monthly in public for Tai Situpa by the 17th Karmapa (and vice versa) and other great Tibetan Buddhist masters? A similar “event” happened last Summer, when the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa’s summer teachings were deliberately “interrupted” (and never recommenced) by the Gelugpas insisting he meet the 14th Dalai Lama in Europe, and again photos were taken and shared widely of the 17th Karmapa on his knees with the 14th Dalai Lama then too (see here).
Gelugpa sectarianism in Tibet and exile
The answer is (and can only be) a sectarian Gelugpa politics that seeks to maintain the public and private image of their dominance and authority over Tibet and Tibetan exile politics and culture since they were horrifically kicked out of Tibet and lost all power there sixty years ago.
As people who follow my website and writing know, as I wrote about recently in the Mongolian-Gelug shadow over Tibet: Six Decades of Failed US-Gelug policy (Buddhist Door Global, 2024), the karmically significant event of the Chinese government takeover of Tibet, that has caused so much suffering and destruction there for Tibetans (and the Gelugpas in particular) has its root karmic causes and conditions in the Gelugpa actions of using Mongolian military invasion and power to assert total dominance politically and religiously over Tibet and Tibetans for over three hundred years, via the Dalai Lama institution (a Mongolian name).
The Gelugpas later then even had the nerve to suggest that the 19th century ri-mey (non-sectarian) movement started by eminent masters like Jamgon Kongtrul the Great, Chogyur Lingpa and Jamyang Khyentse (formed in part to push back against that Gelug censorship, dominance and political dictatorship) was a form of sectarianism itself aimed at splitting/dividing Tibet and Tibetans. So any criticism of Gelugpa rule and authority became an expression of division and sectarianism according to the dictatorial rulers.
Yet, somehow that “Gelugpas as unifiers” narrative has become mainstream even among so-called “independent” academics and followers of Tibetan Buddhism in Europe, North America and across Asia. Very few English-language writers or academics, Tibetan or non-Tibetan have dared to challenge this “victors” narrative, and when they do, as I know from personal experience, they face defamation, slander, personal and public attacks on their characters, and isolation through deliberate bullying and sabotage of connections with anyone who dares to support or work with us privately or publicly.
This is not a new phenomenon either. The violent and sexual abuse of children of the Dob-Dob culture ( of the Ganden/Gelugpa monastic and aristocratic elite) had similar “punishment” for any “critics” for three hundred years in Tibet itself. Such repression is attested by contemporary Tibetan writers such as Gedun Chophel, Tashi Tsering in Struggle for a Modern Tibet, Tsering Shakya (University of British Columbia) and Jamyang Norbu (author of the Shadow Tibet website) have all tried to push back against this Gelug religious and political hegemony, which has caused (and still causes) so much harm to the Tibetans in Tibet and in exile.
White Tārā and her protection during the persecution of Tai Situpa and the Karma Kagyu
Ironically, the White Tāra a lineage particularly associated with the 8th Tai Situpa and Karma Kagyu, was painted in the Palpung thangka art style, with a new addition newly representing one of the eight fears Tārā protects from, as fear of enemy armies. Historically this was referring to the Gelugpa military forces, that continued to harass and persecute Tai Situpa and the Karma Kagyu even after they had fled their violence into Lijiang/Yunnan (see my research on that here).
Conclusion
In sum, these events are intended to create a public image of superiority, dominance and respect for the 14th Dalai Lama (and by proxy the Gelugpas) in the Gelugpa narrative mindset (and those brainwashed by it). However, these days it looks more like “desperate” clinging to political power and relevance via public media events.
Although the humility of 12th Tai Situpa is to be commended and praised, karmically the “wisdom” result is counter-productive for the Gelugpas, in that such events reveal how disrespectful/biased the Gelugpa monks and politicians still are, not only to other non-Gelugpa lineage heads and masters, but also to Buddhist women/nuns.
Sources and articles
Where Were the Women at the Global Buddhist Summit? The Diplomat magazine (April 2023)
THE MONGOLIAN-GELUG SHADOW OVER TIBET: Six decades of failed US-Gelug policy
KĀLACAKRA AND THE DALAI LAMAS/GELUGPA. The 20th Century/Chinese communist roots of mass Kālacakra empowerments; the 9th Panchen Lama and Chinese support for the first public empowerments , the 14th Dalai Lama’s takeover of Kālacakra in Tibet and exile, inappropriate timing of the empowerments and the Gelugpa’s mass suppression of other lineages and texts
Endnotes
[1] I recently came back from a short visit to Chengdu, China (see report here), and the photos prominently displayed there were Nyingma, Sakya and Karma Kagyu masters, like Tai Situpa and 17th Karmapa. So even that narrative that Tibetan Buddhism is completely forbidden and repressed there is inaccurate. The Chinese government have always stated that it is the Dalai Lama clique they have issues with. Although am not condoning violence and repression by the Chinese against Tibetans either, is it not time to pushback against the narrative that Gelugpas are equivalent to Tibet and Tibetans? Especially if that narrative is holding back any movement from China on Tibet, and harmony between India, China and Tibet?
[2] Especially now the Gelugpas say they no longer rely on worldly deities to do their “political work” for them, recognising that (they say) the worldly being is harming not helping them or Tibetans. Where is the love and compassion for that being they used and misused though?
I am very interested in the idea that Tai Situ is unable to contact the Karmapa. What is the real meaning of so few lamas ublically acknowledging His Holiness?
I do not know if Tai Situpa is unable to contact the Karmapa at all. What I do know, is sadly they are still forbidden from meeting publicly together after the grossly false accusations (from the 14th Zhamarpa and Thaye Dorje followers) that Tai Situpa was a Chinese spy and that the 16th Karmapa’s sacred prediction letter given to Tai Situpa by the 16th Karmapa, was fraudlently created by him and he lied about it’s origin. The Gelugpas and other lineages took advantage of that whole issue to weaken the Karma Kagyu and the 17th Karmapa’s importance within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Also, it could be due to fear or retaliation? Gelugpa sectarians basically target anyone for domination and control who is too openly and powerfully helping the Karmapa’s activities, and have been doing so for years. Look at how they are now targeting HE 12th Tai Situpa for their long-life ceremonies and “on the knees” photo opps for the mass media, since the 17th Karmapa (wisely) left India and their controlling and domineering ways behind. That seems the most likely reason, if what you say is correct.
Thank you for your reply.
Thank you for continuing to call this nonsense out, publicly. I know it has garnered you a reputation and bad treatment, but that’s a reflection of those people, not you. I have serious concerns that the Tibetan tradition will die out or lose its goodness completely, in the future. Between the tulku corruption, dod-dob, sexism, and greed of a large percentage of the monks, it looks pretty bleak for the negative karma they are generating. It doesn’t bode well. Sending you big hugs today!🫂💛🙏🙏🙏
Thank you, yes “bad reputation” but then they also tried to kill 10th Karmapa, Gedun Chophel and look at the treatment meted out to Yeshe Tsogyel and Sera Khandro. Not saying I am equivalent but a “bad reputation” in Tibetan Buddhist and Vajrayana communities, especially as a lone person/woman, often means one might be doing something right and threatening to those who are not doing anything much for Dharma or beings, or worse actively harming them, right?