September-December 2002

His Holiness Karmapa visits the Kolkata Museum in the company of museum administrators and the ever-present security force

In November, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa traveled to Rajasthan to preside over private ceremonies on behalf of students. Afterwards, he was in New Delhi meeting with students, members of the community and well-wishers. While in New Delhi, he was afforded a private tour of the National Museum of India under typically heavy security. The Karmapa returned to his camp at Gyuto Tantric University in mid-November, where he continued his studies with his main tutor, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche through the end of December.

From September 30-October 4, His Holiness Karmapa was a guest of HH the Dalai Lama at a conference hosted by the Life and Mind Institute in Dharamsala. The conference studies the issues of mind and ethics, exploring the relationship between modern physical and biological sciences Buddhist views. The discussion this year focused on the criteria of life and matter. Participants include the Head of the Genome Research Centre at MIT, and the winner of the 1997 Nobel prize in Physics, Dr Steven Chu.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa, other Buddhist teachers, scientists and committed persons from other walks of life, such as actors Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn, were present as observers.

His Holiness Karmapa made a brief trip through Kolkata (aka Calcutta) as part of a short trip from September 15 - 21.

Upon his arrival in Kolkata on September 16th for an event with the Maha Bodhi Society of India, His Holiness held a press conference. The Karmapa informed the assembled representatives of the press about his understanding of the government of India's position with respect to the return of His Holiness to the seat of the Karmapas at Dharma Chakra Centre, Rumtek Monastery, in Sikkim, India.

Sikkim is one of India's 25 states, and shares a border with China. Although the government has indicated that it has no objection to His Holiness going to Rumtek, first certain matters must be resolved. The return of His Holiness Karmapa to the traditional seat of the Karmapas is a very important occasion, historically and spiritually. Security must be adequate and extensive preparations must be made before His Holiness is able to safely go to Rumtek.

Although the timing of His Holiness' arrival has to be fixed after all the proper arrangements are made, His Holiness has stated that he believes that he will be in Rumtek within two years.

His Holiness was guest of honor at a Maha Bodhi Society celebration of the 138th Anniversary of the birth of Anagarika Dharmapala on September 17, 2002. Founded by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1891, the Maha Bodhi Society in Calcutta was established in 1915. The complex in Calcutta has its own publishing house, meditation halls, schools, and a social service unit with an ambulance service and free dispensaries.

Anagarika Dharmapala, born in Sri Lanka in 1864, devoted his life to supporting Buddhism in India and around the world. Through the Maha Bodhi Society, he won government sanction for the recognition of the Maha Bodhi Temple as the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment. He restored a number of historical structures at the site and established new buildings honoring the Bodhgaya location as well as other sacred sites of the Buddha throughout India.

Anagarika Dharmapala was also internationally renowned for representing Buddhist causes, traveling to countries such as in Japan, America, England, Honolulu, France and Italy.

His Holiness also had the opportunity while in Kolkata to confer the long life empowerment of Amitayus. He returned to Delhi on the 19th and to Gyuto Tantric University on the 21st.

May-August 2002

His Holiness received transmission and teachings at Gyuto from H.E. Gyaltsab Rinpoche throughout the summer.

On July 24, the 15th day of the 6th Tibetan month, His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa received his ordination as a novice monk (dge tshul pha) from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who was assisted at the ceremony by His Eminence Gyaltsab Rinpoche. This joyous occasion was marked by three days of celebration at Gyuto Monastery. It is considered particularly auspicious that His Holiness was able to receive his Getsul vows from the Dalai Lama. After the Karmapa received his vows, His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred novice and final ordination on some 800 monks from southern India.

His Holiness Karmapa presiding over the Kagyu Conference on the Thirteen Tantras of Marpa at Vajra Vidhya Institute in Varanasi

On June 26, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa celebrated his birthday. The main guest of the ceremony was Kalon Tripa Samdhong Rinpoche, head of the government of Tibet in Exile. Also in attendance were Their Eminences Tai Situ Rinpoche, Gyaltsab Rinpoche and Khenchen Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as well as various other Tibetan ministers and the members of the Kagyu Office administration. Born on June 26, 1985, His Holiness is considered 18 years old according to Tibetan traditions (which count a newborn as 1 year old at birth) and 17 years in the Western tradition.

On June 15, the Kagyu Office released a news bulletin about His Holiness's wishes regarding pending litigation over a court-ordered inventory of sacred objects at Rumtek monastery. (Text of the press release)

Khenchen Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche was in attendance at Gyuto in May and June, providing transmission and teaching to His Holiness.

On May 10, His Holiness visited Nyingtop Ling, a school for the handicapped in Norbulingka area, where he participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new building.

January-April 2002

Time Asia's April 22 issue selected His Holiness Karmapa as one of the Asian Heroes from Tibet. "These heroes have won battles for noble causes, surmounted the greatest of odds and stood as examples of the best in all of us. TIME salutes the individuals whose valiance inspires us."

In March, in an interview in Tricycle magazine, a Buddhist-oriented periodical published primarily in the United States, His Holiness addressed his followers in the United States, stating: "Among all my predecessors, it was the Sixteenth Karmapa who visited the United States. It is because of the Buddha activity that people in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world know the Karmapa. As his reincarnation, I respect and rejoice in his Buddha activity [and] I have sincere prayers and dedication toward the whole world and that all sentient beings have peace and harmony. Specifically, the US has had to face terrible tragedy at this time. Since September 11, it has been my prayer that this sort of event, in which lives are lost and people hurt, not happen again in future anywhere in the world. My wish is that every human being live in peace. And whatever conflict there is between countries might be resolved to the benefit of all, without war."

At the end of January, His Holiness Karmapa returned to Bodhgaya with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After the illness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama led to the cancellation of the Kalachakra scheduled for this year, His Holiness returned to Gyuto Tantric University, arriving back in the Dharamsala area in early February.

His Holiness conducted his second pilgrimage around India in December through January, visiting numerous holy sites of the Buddha including Bodhgaya, where the Buddha attained enlightenment, Sarnath, where the Buddha first turned the wheel of Dharma, and Kushinagar, where the Buddha passed into Nirvana.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa in Sarnath

During most of January, His Holiness Karmapa stayed in Sarnath. By auspicious coincidence, His Holiness the Dalai Lama also arrived in Sarnath in early January. While there, the Dalai Lama and Gyalwang Karmapa went together to pay their respects to the relics of the Buddha in the famous Damekh stupa in Sarnath. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness Karmapa presided over a ceremony called on short notice and attended by thousands of monks.

In Sarnath, His Holiness was in residence at Vajra Vidya Institute with his main tutor, Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. During his time in Sarnath, His Holiness presided over the Kagyu Conference, where preservation of the Thirteen Tantras of Marpa was discussed in great detail.

While in Sarnath, His Holiness also presided over pujas and ceremonies such as the Lighting of One Thousand Butter Lamps, held audiences and interviews, participated in prayer ceremonies, visited Burmese, Chinese, Japanese, Nyingma and Thai temples, gave an audience to Students of CIHTS, Sarnath, visited the Alice Project Universal School, Sarnath and the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies, presided at an Outdoor picnic at Lakhani, Varanasi, and preside over the ceremony for the new installation of a white marble slab bearing the teaching of the Four Noble Truths at Mulagadi-kutti, Sarnath.

His Holiness also visited Kushinagar, where the Buddha passed into parinirvana, and a number of other Buddhist Sacred Places, including the Parinirvana Temple, Ailing Spot, and the Black Stupa.

December 2001