Continuity by Prophecies, Visions and Dreams

The Karmapa line of Tibet is the progenitor of the reincarnate lama (tulku) system of Tibetan buddhism. Dating back to 1110, the "Golden Rosary" of 17 Karmapas pre-dates even the Dalai Lamas by some 300 years.

Unique among the thousands of subsequent lines of tulkus, who rely for their recognition exclusively on the visions and dreams of other contemporary, omniscient masters, the Karmapas are recognized on the basis of a prediction letter written by Karmapa himself describing the details of the next rebirth. The discovery of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, took place exactly in accord with this extraordinary tradition.

The 17th Karmapa was born in 1985 to a family of nomads in Eastern Tibet. He was discovered in 1992 on the basis of the 16th Karmapa's prediction letter, which detailed the names of his parents, their place of residence and the date of birth. The location of the Karmapa's rebirth also matched an omniscient vision by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who at the time had not yet seen the prediction letter.

Consensus Among the Spiritual Leaders of the Kagyu Lineage

After the discovery of the prediction letter, the successful search for the reincarnation, and exhaustive consultations among the 7 primary spiritual leaders of the Kagyu linage alive at the time, 6 out of these 7 endorsed the recognition of Ogyen Trinley Dorje. In 1992, at the age of 7, the 17th Karmapa was formally enthroned at Tsurphu Monastery, the original seat of the Kagyu in Tibet, in full accord with over 800 years of tradition.

Only one leading figure, Shamar Rinpoche, recanted his initial acceptance and split from the mainstream of the Kagyu lineage, supported by his uncle, Topga Rinpoche, a highly-placed lay official in the monastic administration.

Schisms, Accusations and Conspiracy Theories

After all attempts at reasoning failed and Shamar Rinpoche continued to incite discord and even physical conflict, he and his uncle were asked to leave Rumtek, the primary monastic seat of the Kagyu lineage in India. Shamar Rinpoche had by then found support from Ole Nydahl, a Danish-born buddhist teacher and organizer, upon whom he bestowed the titles of Vajra Master and Lama, despite the latter's lack of formal training usually associated with these. Shamar Rinpoche subsequently proposed and enthroned his own candidate for 17th Karmapa, Thaye Trinle Dorje, who lives and tours largely within the circle of centers established by Ole Nydahl in Europe. Shamar Rinpoche no longer has any association with either Tsurphu or Rumtek monasteries and his candidate has never been enthroned at, or even visited either of these two main seats of the Kagyu.

Shamar Rinpoche, himself now using the titles "His Holiness" and “Red Hat Karmapa,” asserts that, as the 2nd highest tulku in a supposedly autocratic Kagyu hierarchy, he has unilateral authority to name the recognition of the Karmapa, despite the fact that the Karmapas have always been self-recognized. He accuses the other Kagyu spiritual leaders of splitting from the root of their lineage, motivated either by outright corruption or deluded ignorance.

Shamar Rinpoche and Ole Nydahl sustain their position in the minds of followers with an elaborate web of conspiracy theories framed in the ethos of a righteous minority struggling for truth and purity in the face of pervasive delusion. They assert that Ogyen Trinley Dorje is actually a communist Chinese secret agent who faked his own escape from Tibet. They accuse His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who verified and confirmed the proper recognition of Ogyen Trinle Dorje after exhaustive consultations with all parties involved, of betraying his own nation motivated by petty sectarian politics and knowingly supporting a fake Chinese plant in order to undermine the Kagyu lineage. And they continually re-assert the claim that Shamar Rinpoche has exclusive, autocratic authority to name the next Karmapa, even without a prediction letter and in the face of universal opposition from the other primary holders of the lineage.

Conclusion

At this time, the lingering debate over the true identity of the 17th Karmapa is largely a non-issue. Outside Shamar Rinpoche's marginal circle of Tibetan supporters and Ole Nydahl's European students, the Kagyu lineage and the Tibetan community at large have long considered this matter settled. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, universally respected as a great master by eminent leaders of all lineages, has definitively stated that Ogyen Trinley Dorje is the one and only reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa. Much to Shamar Rinpoche's chagrin, the western press headed by the BBC, CNN, PBS, Time, Newsweek, and the New York Times have all verified the consensus that Ogyen Trinely Dorje is the 17th Karmapa.

Leaving aside all the above mentioned complexity, the Karmapa’s purpose is to exemplify and manifest wakfulness and unconditional compassion in a direct, powerful way. It is our opinion that upon meeting him, the identity of the Karmapa is self-evident. With His Holiness’ first-ever journey out of Asia to America and the period of his cloistered isolation drawing to a close, we are confident that the debate about who the true Karmapa is will be finally relegated where it belongs: to the regrettable history of Tibetan politics.

Purpose of this Website

Since engaging in or responding to rancorous political debate of this kind is traditionally seen as contrary to genuine spiritual leadership, the mainstream of the Kagyu lineage has largely remained silent in the face of attacks by Shamar Rinpoche and his supporters. However, with His Holiness Karmapa’s imminent arrival in the United States on his first-ever journey to the West, as a student of His Holiness, I felt it would be of benefit to simply and concisely present the facts about the 17th Karmapa’s recognition and respond to the most common distortions and attacks.

The 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, and
the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje.