Amidst the mounting pressure to reveal the source of unaccounted money, particularly stacks of Chinese Yuan found at Gyuto Tantric monastery, 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje aides got into damage control mode. Denying Karmapa “ link to China’, Ogyen Trinley Dorje aides said that Tibetan spiritual leader came to India owing to pressure mounted by China to go against Dalai Lama.
Karma Topden former Indian ambassador to Mongolia on Sunday explained that Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s flight to India eleven years ago was fallout of the mounting pressure from Chinese to support Gyaltsen Norbu, Panchan Lama – the second highest spiritual head next to Dalai Lama that had been appointed by communist regime. “ The Karmapa did not want to be put in this position of going against the Dalai Lama. So he decided to leave Tibet,” said Topden.
Going further Topden gave series of other reasons for Karmapa’s escape from Tibet, when he reached Dharamsala in January 2000, to meet Dalai Lama. Topden who is also Spokesperson of Karmapa Reception Committee in Sikkim, said that Ogyen was keen to receive oral teachings according to Karma Kagyu tradition from gurus of his lineage who had also received them directly from the 16th Karmapa directly, his predecessor, as they now reside in India. “The third reason was that he wanted to see the Dalai Lama and to receive His Holiness' blessings” said Topden.
Topden minced no words to admit that 17th Karmapa had been nurturing desire to visit Rumtek monastery which is now forbidden for him due the dispute over rightful claimant. Sharamapa Rincpoche second in the hierarchy of Kagyu lineage had selected Thaye Dorje as reincarnate of 16th Karmapa. Thaye Dorje now resides in Kalingpong in West Bengal. “ As he( Ogyen) heard a lot about this, he wanted to come to India to visit and see these places. Also he had heard a lot about the activities of his predecessor in India from where traveled to other countries and spread the words of Dharma and set up various Karma Kagyu centers all around the world” said Topden.
{{/usCountry}}Topden minced no words to admit that 17th Karmapa had been nurturing desire to visit Rumtek monastery which is now forbidden for him due the dispute over rightful claimant. Sharamapa Rincpoche second in the hierarchy of Kagyu lineage had selected Thaye Dorje as reincarnate of 16th Karmapa. Thaye Dorje now resides in Kalingpong in West Bengal. “ As he( Ogyen) heard a lot about this, he wanted to come to India to visit and see these places. Also he had heard a lot about the activities of his predecessor in India from where traveled to other countries and spread the words of Dharma and set up various Karma Kagyu centers all around the world” said Topden.
{{/usCountry}}“Believing and knowing that India is a free country unlike Tibet, where there is suppression and religious freedom is not allowed, he had come to India so that he could freely gain spiritual knowledge from his gurus and freely practice and preach Dharma in India and in the rest of the world” said Topden.Karmapas, aides on behalf of their spiritual expressed their gratitude to government of India for giving refuge to Ogyen Trinley Dorje.