Who will wear the Black Crown?
The controversy over the 17th Karmapa is no less than a script of a bollywood masala movie.
Two revered leaders both believed to be Karmpa incarnates are claiming their rights to head one of the premier schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
A third contender had also sprung but soon vanished into oblivion.
The quest is almost a battle between the titans – both backed by powerful authorities and huge followers across the globe – and the result, malignant as it divides the faithful in two distinct camps. Questions still hover as who will have the last laugh.
This raging controversy is a 21st century story. But it had a beginning sometime around the 11th century.
Legend has it, that Prince Godan, a powerful Mongolian emperor, asked his commanders to look for an outstanding Buddhist Lama (master) in Tibet.
They informed him about the existence of three lamas.
The lama of the Taklung monastery was the most sociable, the Lama of Sakya monastery was the most religious and the Lama of the Drikhung (Kagyu) monastery, the wealthiest.
And today the wealthiest monastery of Kagyu sect is facing one of the contentious issue of its history- the clash over its 17th Karmapa.
The battle ground is Rumtek Monastery, some 24 km from Gangtok, Sikkim.
Background of the controversy
As Buddhist tradition goes, the Karmapa is a reincarnation. At present there are two claimants to the Karmapa title – Trinley Thaye Dorje and Ugyen Trinley Dorje.
The third candidate Dawa Sangpo Dorje also came in the picture but is now almost irrelevant. Among all three, Trinley Dorjee has been recognised as the Karmapa by the Dalai Lama,
Thaye Dorje is backed by the Shamar Rinpoche.
Shamar Rinpoche is the 14th Rinpoche and also known as Red Hat Lama of Tibet.
The present Rinpoche is the 14th Sharmapa in the lineage.
The position of Sharmapa is quite powerful in Tibetan Buddhism. He is considered to be the closest associate to Karmapa.
Ugyen Trinley Dorje was born on 26 June, 1985 in Tibet.
He belongs to a family of nomads.
Those who support Trinley Dorje claim that he has been enthroned on the basis of prediction letters left by the 16th Karmapa.
The birth and the other details of Trinley Dorje’s life matched the predictions of the letter.
The matter came to loggerheads when the Shamar Rinpoche declared his own candidate, Thay Dorje as the 17th Karmapa.
Trinley Thay Dorje was born in the year 1983 in a well to do family.
His father is the head of 13 Nyingma monasteries in Kham, Tibet. In the year 1994 the Shamar Rinpoche had the boy enthroned as the 17th Karmapa, at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute in New Delhi.
===The Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim===
The Dharma Chakra Centre or Rumtek Monastery is located in the East Sikkim, 24 kilometers away from Gangtok.
It is one of the most important seats of the Kagyu lineage outside Tibet.
The Karmapa is the spiritual leader of Karma Kagyu sect and is the third highest lama after The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama.
It was founded by the 16th Karmapa who fled from Tibet in 1961.
The Monastery has many similarities with the Tsurphu Monastery located in Tibet. Many a times attempts were made to bring Trinley Dorje in the Monastery.
But the tension between disciples made it impossible. This has led to the escalation of tension in the monastery.
It has been under the vigil of police protection and is completely deserted. Many visitors claim that the monastery has lost its charm.
===The Real Issue===
The search for the 17th Karmapa began after the death of the 16th Karmapa in November 1981.
The four Lamas Situ Rinpoche, Shamar Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul and Gyaltsab Rinpoche went on to search the present Karmapa.
In the year 1992 the Situ Rinpoche declared that he found the 17th Karmapa based on the prediction of letter.
The other three were shown a letter which had something red written on it. The two regents Gyaltsab Rinpoche and Jamgon Kongtrul expressed their approval.
But Shamar Rinpoche refused to support the pronounced Karmapa.
He felt that the letter was forged and whole show was fabricated by the Situ Rinpoche.
Thay Dorje was declared the 17th Karmapa by Shamar Rinpoche in the year 1994. He enthroned him at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute in New Delhi, India.
Many Buddhists believe that the real fight is not between the two claimants.
It’s the issue between the high level clergy in which they have become the pawns. The control over the wealth and the clout that Kagyu sect holds over its disciples is fascinating.
The Rumtek monastery has 13 treasure boxes which estimate to be of worth billion of dollars.
Besides the Black Crown it has rhino-horn statues made by the 10th Karmapa.
Buddhist scholars feel that this wealth is the main reason of the present row.
===The Dalai Lama===
Just after Trinley Dorje was enthroned the Karmapa, Dalai Lama endorsed him.
Close sources to The Dalai Lama says that His Holiness saw a dream in which he saw green mountains and streams.
Trinley Dorje was exactly found in such geography. The Dalai Lama was convinced with the choice of Situ Rinpoche and never doubted the authenticity of the letter. Since then the Dalai Lama took the charge of his education.
This created a furor among the Shamar camp. They say that The Dalai Lama has no right to choose the Karmapa. The Dalai Lama in his capacity is working hard to pacify the issue. On 13th August 2010 Shamar Rinpoche held a private meeting with the Dalai Lama. Both the parties are making efforts to find a peaceful resolution to this controversy.
==China’s Take==
The Karmapa is the only Lama of his prominence to have been recognised by both the Chinese authorities and the Dalai Lama.
Karmapa also visited Beijing and met the top officials of communist party. He met the then President Jiang Zemin once.
China has a cordial attitude towards Trinley Dorje.
On public forums, for quite number of times the Karmapa expressed his warm feelings towards the Communist Party.
However, China’s role is under suspicion because Trinley Dorje escaped from Tibet amid the high security of People’s Republic army. China’s stand over the controversy is still uncertain.
===India’s Position===
The government of India has banned the entry of both the claimant’s from entering Rumtek.
The government has made it clear that the issue is still unresolved. However, the government has allowed both leaders to travel and participate in the religious gatherings. Thay Dorje is allowed to travel across the world.
But Trinley Dorje’s movements have been restricted to certain parts of the country.
India is facing the heat from the Buddhist community too.
Especially from Sikkim, Joint Action Committee of all Buddhist is forcing government to let Trinley Dorje enter Rumtek.
Even the Member of Parliaments made it clear that for the emotional integration of Sikkim to India, it has to permit Karmapa’s entry into the Monastery.
However India is reluctant to bow down under such pressure as the matter is in the court.
The Outcome
Both Trinley Dorje and Thay Dorje express their desires to meet each other.
Lot of under talks is going between the two parties. Buddhist scholars are of the opinion that two Karmapas can co-exist.
Even the past Karmapa’s highlighted that their two manifests can be present at a same time.
However, it would be interesting to see who will wear the Black Crown.
