|
HIS HOLINESS THE XVII. KARMAPA,
OGYEN TRINLEY DORJE
BIRTH AND EARLY YEARS
In the 1985 an infant was born into a nomad family in the Lhatok region of Eastern Tibet. In the months prior to his birth, his mother had wonderful dreams. On the day of his birth, a cuckoo landed on the tent in which he was born, and many in his home valley heard the call of a mysterious conch shell being played. In Tibet, such events are considered auspicious portents of the birth of an enlightened teacher.
The young nomad was named Apo Gaga. His early years were full of blessings, but at first the child did not speak of a connection to the Karmapas. When he was seven years old, however, in 1992, he asked his family to move the location of their nomadic home to another valley. Then misteriously, he told his parents to expect a visit from travelling monks. Putting some clothes on the back of his special pet goat, he said, “Now I am ready to go ty my monastery. It would be a good idea to take a few gifts from Kalek Monastery (where he had been training as a young monk) with me.”
Soon apfter Apo Gaga’s family set up their home in a new location, followers of the Sixteenth Karmapa arrived there, following the prediction letter left by the previous Karmapa. The birth and the other details of Apo Gaga’s life matched the preditctions of the letter. How was the child Apo Gaga discovered and confirmed to be the Seventeenth Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, in 1992?
WISDOM REBORN: FINDING THE XVII. KARMAPA
The previous Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, was one of the most revered teachers of the Buddhist world. He served as a beacon of confidence and compassion for Tibetans, and won the hearts of multitudes in Asia, North America and Europe. In 1981, the 16th Karmapa passed away near Chicago, in the United States, after a long illness. After his passing, it became the responsibility of the 16th Karmapa’s students to continue his activities, and especially to find and enthrone the 17th Karmapa.
To pass on the lineage, it is the Karmapa’s close students who identify the new reincarnation of the Karmapa. Uniquely among all the reincarnation lines in Tibet, the Karmapa provides instructions to a key disciple on how to locate the next reincarnation. In almost all cases this instruction is communicated in the form of a letter with details of the circumstances of the Karmapa’s next birth. This prediction letter is the key to the identification of the next Karmapa.
His Holiness the XVI. Karmapa wrote just such a letter. The prediction letter was eventually located in a protection amulet that His Holiness had given to Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of his four heart sons, and a member of the search committee for the next Karmapa. On March 19th, 1992, the four regents of the Karmapa, Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsap Rinpoche, met to review the letter, which read as follows:
EMAHO. Self-awareness is always bliss: the Dharmadhatu has neither centre nor edge. From here to the north in the east of the land of snow is a country where divine thunder spontaneously blazes. In a beautiful nomad’s place with the sign of the cow, the method is Dondrub and the wisdom is Lolaga. Born in the year of the one used for the earth, with the miraculous, far-reaching sound of the white one – this is the one known as Karmapa. He is sustained by Lord Donyo Drupa. Being non-sectarian, he pervades all directions. Not staying close to some and distant from others, he is the protector of all beings. The sun of the Buddha’s Dharma that benefits others always blazes.
Once the prediction letter was found, plans were immediately made to locate the XVII. Karmapa. The search would begin north of Rumtek monastery, in Eastern Tibet, according to the letter’s prediction: “To the north in the east of the land of snow.” Following the letter’s guidance,“Where divine thunder spontaneously blazes, is a beautiful normad’s place with the sign of a cow. The method is Döndrub and the wisdom is Lolaga.”
The search party went to the village of Bakor (“ba” is one word for “cow” in Tibetan), near Lhatokgar, in the province of Lhatok (“Lha” means “god”, or “divine”, and “thok” means “thunder”). Upon arrival, as a ruse, they stated that they had come from India with letters for a “Mr.” Loga. “Was there someone by that name in the village?” They were told that there was a woman in the village by that name. One important detail of the letter was thus confirmed. They inquired about her husband’s name and were told it was Döndrub. They discovered that the couple had a young son, born in the Wood Ox Year, and that his birth had been accompanied by many miraculous signs.
When the search party arrived in Bakor, they found that the eight year-old son of Döndrub and Loga was expecting them. He had for many weeks been planting trees and performing special blessing rituals, preparing to depart soon. After the advance search team located the Seventeenth Karmapa, they accompanied him to nearby Kalek monastery.
Meanwile, Tal Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsap Rinpoche waited at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India, for news of the search. When the good news came from Tibet, they departed for Dharamsala to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama and seek his confirmation of the discovery.
When Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsap Rinpoche arrived in Dharamsala, however, they learned that His Holiness the Dalai Lama had left for Brazil. Through the office of His Holinesss in Dharamsala, their Eminences relayed the information they had gathered, including the sacred letter, the confirming information about the details from Tibet, the manner of the search and examination, a drawing of the birthplace, a prophesy from Guru Rinpoche, and other details. In response to this, His Holiness the Dalai Lama provided his informal confirmation, replying that “It is appropriate to recognize and confirm” the candidate Apo Gaga as the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa.
Based on this confirmation, the advance party decided to bring His Holiness Karmapa to Tsurphu, the traditional scat of the Karmapas. After consideration of the evidence and additional meetings with the four regents, His Holiness the Dalai Lama officially approved of the new Karmapa’s identity:
Confirmation by H.H. The XVII. Dalai Lama (June 1992)
“The boy born to Karma Döndrub and Loga in the Wood-Ox Year (of the Tibetan calendar) identifies with the prediction letter (left by the late Karmapa) and is hereby recognized as the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa. With prayers for his well-being and for the success of his activities.” - The Dalai Lama (translation by Kalon Tashi Wangdi)
When the joyous confirmation of the new Karmapa’s identity was received at Kalek monastery, the XVII. Karmapa was presented with special robes and sacred blessings brought from India. Customary offerings were made to the Karmapa’s parents to express gratitude for the care that they had given him up to the time of discovery. After a short period, His Holiness departed with an entourage for Tsurphu Monastery.
Since 1959, Tsurpuhu Monastery had been without a Karmapa in residence. Thus the arrival of the reincarnation of the 17th Karmapa was greeted with anticipation. When word reached the Tibetans that the reincarnation of the Karmapa had been found and that he was being brought to Tsurphu Monastery, thousands of his followers gathered in great joy. His Holiness the 17th Karmapa was greeted with excitement and ceremony at Tsurphu, where he was enthroned later that year.
At Tsurphu, the Karmapa began his studies in the Buddhist sciences of mind, ritual, and sacred arts, such as dance. Each day he received hundreds of visitos from throughout Tibet and around the world. He eventually began to offer empowerments and participate in various rituals at the monastery. At the age of about 10, His Holiness recognized the rebirth of such eminent teachers as Pawo Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, and the Dabzang Rinpoche.
He remained at Tsurphu until early 2000 after which he arrived, to the great surprise and overwhelming joy of the world, In Dharamsala, India, where he was met by His Holiness the Fourtheenth Dalai Lama.
LIFE IN INDIA
The Karmapa’s arrival in Dharamsala received extraordinary coverage by every major international media outlet, including the Associated Press, Agence-France Press, The BBC, CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, The Economist, Newsweek, Time,The New York Times, The Times of India, the Hindustan Times, and most of the other media outlets throughout the world. Their Eminences Tai Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche, and the General Secretay Tenzin Namgyal, joined the Karmapa in Dharamsala shortly after his arrival. Many eminent Kagyu masters, lamas, and the lay and monastic community from Rumtek arrived in Dharamsala to welcome and joyfully celebrate the arrival of the Karmapa. The Karmapa was offered a temporary residence at Gyuto Tantric University in Siddhbari, a thirty-minute drive from upper Dharamsala.
His Holiness the Seventheenth Karmapa has been studying rigorously and mastering the teachings of the sutras and tantras. His teachers have included contemporary great masters of the Kagyu lineage, including his primary tutor, Chief Abbot Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, as well as the Retreat Master Bokar Rinpoche, Vajra Master Tenga Rinpoche, and the great scholar and yogi Khenchen Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. He has been receiving the quintessential Mahamudra and tantric transmissions from his main teachers, His Eminence Tal Situ Rinpoche and His Eminence Goshri Gyaltsab Rinpoche. He is surrounded by many junior khenpos, archaryas and rinpoches, such as Tashi Gyaltsen, Tsultrim Namdak, Rinchen Thondup, Khangser Tulku and Geshe Changchub, who continually support his studies in Buddhist philosophy and offer many reading transmissions.
Apart from study and practice, his daily schedule includes granting audiences and visits to different heads of religious schools, devotees and visitors from east and west. He gives teachings and transmissions to public audiences several times a week. Since 2001 His Holiness has regularly visited the sacred places of Buddha Shakyamuni and has presided over the annual Great Monlam Aspiration of the Glorious Unequaled Kagyu Sangha at Bodhgaya for world peace. In September of 2001, he toured Ladakh at the invitation of Buddhist monasteries in the region. The Karmapa also leads the Annual Kagyu Winter Program of Philosophy and Debate, the Karma Gön Chö, a winter seminar for all monks from different Kanyu monastic colleges. In October 2004, His Holiness presided over the concluding funerary ceremonies for the Very Venerable Bokar Rinpoche at Bokar Monastery in Mirik, Darjeeling, India, where tens of thousands of people gathered from Sikkim, Bhutan, West Bengal and Nepal to receive the Karmapa. He also presided over the anniversary services the following year, and received the same enthusiastic reception. In 2005, His Holiness made a historic tour of the major monastic institutions of Tibetan Buddhism in southern India, where he was greeted with full honors by leading Tibetan Buddhist masters of the Kagyu, Nyingma and Gelugpa lineages. He gave teachings and lectures at numerous monasteries and Tibetan settlements, including presiding over the grand assembly at Ganden, Drepung and Sera Monastic Universities, where he offered remarkable teachings and advice to the thousands of assembled monks, headed by abbots and geshes.
In September 2002, His Holiness was guest of honor at a Maha Bodhi Society celebration of the 138th Anniversary of the birth of Anagarika Dharmapala in Kolkata, and subsequently was a guest of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at a conference hosted by the Mind and Life Institute in Dharamsala. In January of 2005, he gathered with all the heads of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism to offer prayers for world peace. In February of 2006, he was Chief Guest at the 2550th Buddha Jayanti Celebrations in Bodh Gaya at the invitation of the Maha Bodhi Society of India. In further celebration of the anniversary, he was the Chief Guest at the Global Conference for Peace held in New Delhi in April 2006.
The Karmapa continues to reside at Gyuto Tantric University, focusing on restoring and rejuvenating the study and meditation practices of the Kagyu lineage, in addition to continuing his own training. Until His Holiness is able to return to Rumtek Monastery, the traditional seat of the Karmapas in India, his Administrative Office is operating from Gyuto Tantric University under the present General Secretary Drupon Rinpoche.
Information about His Holiness’s activities in India since his arrival as well as his current schedule are available online at Kagyu-Office.
With permission of H.H. The XVII. Gyalwang Karmapa taken from » Heart Advice of The Karmapa «, 2008 Altruism Press, India. The German translation will be published 2010 under the title »Herzensrat des Karmapa« by KAGYÜ DHARMA VERLAG, Germany, ISBN 978-3-933558-04-6.
| |
