First Day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teachings in Riga, Latvia

Riga, Latvia, 5 May 2014 - A blustery wind off the Baltic Sea added to the cold as His Holiness the Dalai Lama was welcomed at the door of the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre and escorted to the stage. Almost 3500 people of all ages, some from Latvia, but most from the European part of Russia waited attentively to hear what he had to say.

“As you have shown interest in our meeting and as I am at present unable to come to Russia, I thought it might be easier for us to meet here, than for you to come to India,” he told them. “I asked the local organizers if this could be done and I’m grateful to them for making these arrangements. What’s more I’d like to thank all of you for making the effort to come.”

He said that the texts he wanted to teach were the ‘Heart Sutra’ a short Perfection of Wisdom text, which is recited in all Mahayana Buddhist countries, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Tibet and Mongolia, although those reciting do not always understand what it means. The second text was the ‘37 Practices of a Bodhisattva’ by Thogme Sangpo, a Tibetan scholar and practitioner. His Holiness suggested that at the end of each session there should be time for him to answer questions from the audience. “If material and technological development brought complete peace and happiness, people in advanced, developed countries should be really happy, and yet many are not. Material development provides physical comfort, but not mental peace. We may feel pain and pleasure on a sensory, physical, level, or on a mental level. Pleasure on a sensory level, like that derived from watching sport or listening to beautiful music is relatively short-lived, whereas satisfaction on a mental level, for example, love and faith, which do not depend on our senses, is more durable.”

He said that while physical pain can be subdued by mental satisfaction, mental unease is not allayed by physical comfort. If we are worried, stressed or frightened, having a beautiful house or listening to delightful music brings little relief. A disturbed mind is not calmed by mere physical satisfaction. As an example of the distinction he was trying to draw, His Holiness recounted his meeting with a Christian monk at the abbey of Montserrat who had spent five years living as a hermit in retreat in the mountains with little other than tea and bread to sustain him. When His Holiness asked about his practice he said he had been meditating on love. As he said it His Holiness noted a sparkle in his eyes that indicated his tremendous satisfaction.

“On the other hand I’ve met billionaires who have all they need and more who are very unhappy. Scientists have findings that show that a calm mind is good for our physical well-being. They also have evidence that mental training can change our attitudes, enabling us to be happier. Our human intelligence can be a source of happiness, but if misused it can also be a source of stress and worry.”

He said that only human beings develop religious faith. Such faith may have begun with worship of the sun, but in time the idea of God the creator emerged and with it the idea that since he created everything, there is a spark of God in everyone. All religions convey a message of love and compassion and because hatred is an obstacle to that, they teach tolerance and patience. And because greed is also an obstacle they teach simplicity and contentment. Non-theistic traditions like the Samkhyas, Jains and Buddhists instead of turning to a creator teach the law of causality, the principle of cause and effect, which resembles a scientific view.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking to the over 3500 people attending the first day of his two day teaching in Riga, Latvia on May 5, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
In addition to this, a unique feature of Buddhism is that it teaches that to accept the existence of an independent self is to entertain all sorts of contradictions. The German brain specialist Wolf Singer pointed out to His Holiness that there is no central authority in the brain, which he felt resonated with the idea of no independent self.

His Holiness reiterated that because all religious traditions teach love, compassion and self-discipline they have helped humanity immensely. But one tradition cannot satisfy everyone, so there is a need for variety. If we choose to adopt a religious or spiritual practice he said we should do so seriously and sincerely. He added:

“I’m a Buddhist, but wherever I go I speak about our need for secular ethics. Ethics give rise to inner values which encourage self-confidence enabling us to lead a meaningful life.”

Mentioning two matters of pressing concern everywhere today, the gap between rich and poor and ingrained corruption, he asked people in the audience to indicate with their hands whether these problems were large or small where they lived. The number of outstretched arms indicated that these are two major problems to reckon with. His Holiness suggested that while the use of violence may seem to provide short term satisfaction, it never solves problems, but creates new ones. He asserted that this century, in contrast with the last, should be an era of dialogue.

In answering questions from the audience, His Holiness recommended that teachers not only concern themselves with communicating knowledge, but also with setting an ethical example. Meanwhile, it is essential that parents shower their children with affection. He pointed out that not everyone has an interest in religious practice, but no one can object to advice about love and compassion. He also highlighted a unique feature of Buddhist tradition that is the Buddha’s own advice to subject all he taught to investigation and experiment, not to accept it on faith alone. His Holiness compares this to a scientific view.

Returning from lunch, His Holiness spoke about the Buddhist tradition and how some time after the Buddha objections were raised that the Sanskrit tradition, the Mahayana, was not his teaching. He said that Nagarjuna, Bhavaviveka, Maitreya and Shantideva all wrote in its defence. The Pali tradition records teachings the Buddha gave in public, whereas the Perfection of Wisdom teachings, including the ‘Heart Sutra’ were taught to a more select audience. On the one hand they were not taught publicly; on the other their content reveals them as the Buddha’s teachings. They convey the weight of the Buddhadharma. The teaching of the Four Noble Truths is part of the Pali tradition, but their detailed explanation is part of the Sanskrit tradition. It would be a mistake to say that the Buddha’s presentation was limited, but his followers’ was more elaborate.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaking during the first day of his two day teaching in Riga, Latvia on May 5, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
His Holiness recalled that the Vinaya is a theme common to all Buddhist traditions. He told a story of meeting two Burmese Buddhist monks at the World Parliament of Religions in Australia. They told him we are followers of the same Buddha, but there are differences between our traditions. His Holiness agreed, but told them that at least they had the Vinaya in common. The Burmese monks expressed surprise that the Vinaya was upheld in Tibet.

Clarifying the history of Buddhism in India, His Holiness mentioned the great universities of Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramashila. Indicating the painting behind him he said these 17 masters depicted around the Buddha were not only monks, but also great scholars and logicians. He refers to Tibetan Buddhism, not as Lamaism as some writers have described it, but as the pure Nalanda tradition.

In some places the Buddha referred to the five psycho-physical aggregates as like a load carried by the person, as if the person were separate from the aggregates. But elsewhere he says there is no person apart from the aggregates. Later Indian scholars wrote extensively about logic and epistemology, including Shantarakshita and his disciple Kamalashila who were instrumental in establishing Buddhism in Tibet. Consequently, Tibetan scholars such as Sakya Pandita investigated the teachings with logic and reasoning.

“Both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist traditions derive from the Nalanda tradition. I began to study in this manner from the age of 6, an age at which I would have preferred to play,” His Holiness recalled. “And my limited experience has shown me that an understanding of emptiness and altruism brings peace of mind.”

View of stage at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, venue for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teaching in Riga, Latvia on May 5, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
Explaining the three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma, His Holiness said that the Vinaya is part of the First Turning; the Perfection of Wisdom teachings, which extensively explain selflessness, are part of the Second Turning, while the Third turning deals with the nature of the mind. So, the First Turning deals with morality as the basis for mindfulness and introspection, the Second deals with emptiness and the Third with meditation on the awakening mind of bodhichitta and emptiness in terms of the nature of the mind. He mentioned different levels of subtlety of the mind, such as the waking state, the dream state and deep sleep, adding that in Buddhist tantra it is the subtlest level of the mind that is the basis for Buddhahood.

The collection of Perfection of Wisdom teachings include the 100,000, 25,000, 18,000 and 8,000 line editions, the 100 line ‘Diamond Cutter Sutra’ popular in China and this 25 line ‘Heart Sutra’. His Holiness remarked that the Buddha showed the path in teachings such as these, but the benefit arises from putting them into practice. In some ways, he said, this is why the Buddha is comparable to a scientist.

Going through the ‘Heart Sutra’, His Holiness explained that things exist in dependence on other factors, so they do not exist independently. Emptiness does not make things empty; phenomena themselves are empty, because they do not have independent existence. He alluded to the interdependence between cause and effect, that something is a cause only because there is an effect. The ‘Heart Sutra’ shows that independent existence is an illusion by saying “Form is empty, emptiness is form.” Emptiness is a property of the form, and form is the basis of the property of emptiness. When you look for form, you find emptiness. This is what undermines clinging to intrinsic existence. He remarked that consciousness too is empty and mentioned that meditation on emptiness is effective in undermining our negative emotions; it is not just an intellectual exercise. Negative emotions are not of the nature of the mind; they do not taint its luminosity.

Taking questions again from the audience, His Holiness was asked about the function of the Buddhist temple that is proposed for Moscow. He said that he had met members of the organizing committee and told them that it should be a learning centre, a place to study. He mentioned his reappraisal of Buddhist literature in terms of Buddhist science, philosophy and religion. Buddhist science and philosophy can be of universal interest, while the religious part is only for Buddhists. In this context, he said a book dealing with Buddhist science has been prepared and is being translated into different languages. He proposed that Russian be one of them.

A member of the audience asking His Holiness the Dalai Lama a question during the first day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's two day teaching in Riga, Latvia on May 5, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
To a question about previous lives, His Holiness’s answer that previous lives are already in the past amused his listeners. He said that what are more important are tomorrow and the next life which is still in our power to shape. He mentioned that the substantial cause of mind is mind, that consciousness has no beginning or end. Therefore, if we lead meaningful lives now, we can ensure a good life in the next.

A young woman from Ukraine asked how she could contribute in the present circumstances and His Holiness said the question was quite sensitive. However, he recommended Shantideva’s advice to act according to reality. Most important is to achieve the benefit of the greatest number of people. If something will cause more trouble, better avoid it. He gave the example from the Vinaya that if a monk sees a deer followed by a hunter who asks which way it went, he is justified in answering, “I only saw a bird,” to protect the deer.

“Adopting violence is always wrong; this is no longer the time for violence. Violence and the use of force provoke unexpected results. The use of force is out of date; it brings fear and distrust, which will not help solve the problem.

“Good night, see you tomorrow.”

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Second Day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Teachings in Riga, Latvia

Riga, Latvia, 6 May 2014 - Before setting out for the teaching venue this morning, His Holiness the Dalai Lama met the Press at his hotel. In a short introduction it was pointed out that this is his fourth visit to Latvia, distinguished by his giving Buddhist teachings attended by people from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia.

“I am very happy to be here,” His Holiness said. “Last year when I was here, besides requests from local people, an ordinary Russian told me it was difficult for people like him to come to India to listen to Buddhist teachings. I wondered if it might be easier for Russians to come to one of the Baltic States. I asked and was told it would be fine, so decided to come.”Asked his response to the Norwegian government’s announcement that no member would meet him, he said it was not unusual. However, the purpose of his visit was to promote his three commitments, to meet old friends and interact with the public. He added that wherever he goes, he has no wish to cause any trouble.

Regarding the violence that is occurring in several parts of the world, he said that many instances were the result of past negligence. He cautioned that use of weapons may appear decisive, but brings fear which does not favour a solution to problems. Where the 20th century was an era of violence, he stressed the importance of making the 21st century a century of dialogue and peaceful solutions to conflict. At a time when we need to exert special efforts to promote human values, to which women tend to be more sensitive, we need more women to take up leadership roles.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama meeting with members of the press during his visit to Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDLAsked about the ongoing disagreement between Russia and Ukraine, he said it was a political issue about which he did not feel fully informed. Whatever aim is adopted to defuse the crisis, the use of force will not help fulfil it. He pointed out that differences of language and culture are no grounds for conflict. He cited the example of the French and Flemish speakers of Belgium and the peoples of India who live amicably together in freedom and democracy under the rule of law.

Greeting the audience waiting for him at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, he asked for the ‘Heart Sutra’ to be recited in Russian. He quoted the Buddha’s saying:

“On my part I will show you the path, but you have to travel it,” adding the following verse:

“Buddhas do not wash unwholesome deeds away with water,
Nor do they remove the sufferings of beings with their hands,
Neither do they transplant their own realization into others.
Teaching the truth of suchness they liberate (beings).”
He spoke of suffering coming about because of unwholesome actions, doing harm to others. Therefore, we should avoid unwholesome action. He remarked that the Buddha described as changeable suffering what we usually think of as happiness. Although it arises from wholesome action, being changeable it is unsatisfactory. The cause of suffering is ignorance that is diametrically opposed to reality. Because ignorance is the opposite of knowledge, we need to understand what reality is. Ignorance is the first of the twelve links of dependent origination. It is ignorance of reality, of how things exist. We need to understand the gap between appearance and reality. Things appear to exist by themselves. They appear to exist independently, but they actually exist only by designation.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama greeting the audience at the start of the second day of his two day teaching in Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
His Holiness pointed out different levels of ignorance: for example, ignorance about what he has in his bag is of a different order to ignorance about the status of phenomena. Because we see things as being objectively good, we develop attachment to them. When they appear to be negative, we develop anger and hatred. Ignorance underpins the distorted concepts that give rise to disturbing emotions. Under the sway of these, as the American psychiatrist Aaron Beck points out, our sense of attachment or anger is 90% our own mental projection. Madhyamakas say that while things appear to have objective existence, they are mere designations. They have no objective existence even in conventional terms.

His Holiness posed the example of the three times, past, present and future. The past has gone, the future is yet to come, but the present is hard to pin down. Like this, all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence.

Extolling the Nalanda approach to study and investigation, His Holiness commended the four reliances as guidelines:

Rely on the teaching, not on the person;
Rely on the meaning, not on the words;
Rely on the definitive meaning, not on the provisional;
Rely on wisdom, not on your ordinary mind.

He said:

“I tell people that to be 21st century Buddhists we should follow the Buddha’s advice to use our intelligence to the full and transform our disturbing emotions. A great Tibetan Buddhist master in 13th century advised that even if you know you’re going to die tomorrow, it’s still worth studying today, because it can have an impact on the next life. In terms of study, Tibetan is the most precise language through which to study the Nalanda tradition. Scholars value Tibetan translations of Sanskrit texts because of the precision of their rendering. And there are increasing numbers of English translations from the Tibetan.

Some of the over 3500 people attending His Holiness the Dalai Lama's second day of his two day teachings in Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
“To overcome destructive emotions and obstacles to knowledge we need wisdom understanding emptiness supported by the awakening mind of bodhichitta and the six perfections.”

Concluding his explanation of the ‘Heart Sutra’, His Holiness related the mantra at the end to progress on the spiritual path, suggesting that ‘tayata gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha’ means ‘Like this: gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond, laying the foundation of complete enlightenment’. He clarified that the first set of syllables, gate gate / gone, gone indicate the paths of accumulation and preparation and the first experience of emptiness; paragate / gone beyond indicates the path of seeing, the first insight into emptiness and achievement of the first bodhisattva ground; parasamgate / gone completely beyond indicates the path of mediation, and the achievement of the subsequent bodhisattva grounds, while bodhi svaha indicates laying the foundation of complete enlightenment.

Answering questions once more, His Holiness expressed scepticism about astrology, recalling the 5th Dalai Lama’s remark in his autobiography that he was born on an auspicious day, but that many dogs were also born on the same day. On the other hand, His Holiness reported that his horoscope had predicted that in his 25th year, he would either die or leave the country, which was borne out by events. To a suggestion that karma indicated predetermination, he said no because until it comes into fruition, karma can still be changed. He pointed out that although he is booked to fly to Oslo tomorrow, until he is aboard the plane and taking off, an emergency or other circumstance could cause him to change his plans. He said that because karma is our own creation we can also change it.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama with members of the Latvian Parliament during his visit to Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Jeremy Russell/OHHDLAfter lunch yesterday, His Holiness met a group of five Russian Members of Parliament. Today, he met seven Latvian Parliamentarians and two candidates for the European Parliament.

Returning to the stage he described the ‘37 Practices of Bodhisattvas’ as a text about how to meditate on a daily basis. He said that Thogmey Zangpo, the 13/14th century author was widely acknowledged in his lifetime as a bodhisattva. His practice of the awakening mind of bodhichitta was so effective that wherever he lived basked in an atmosphere of peace.

Because the topic is bodhichitta, the homage at the start of the text is to Avalokiteshvara, the embodiment of all the Buddhas’ compassion. His Holiness read through the verses making comments here and there. He pointed out that the Buddha was not enlightened without cause, but through the creation of the necessary causes and conditions. Nagarjuna distinguished two goals, high status and definite goodness, or liberation, and commended the Three Higher Trainings in ethics, concentration and wisdom in their attainment.

His Holiness led the audience through the practice of the nine round breathing, which he said helps calm our inner energy and so calms the mind and makes it more amenable for meditation.

Mention of taking refuge in the Three Jewels, the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha prompted His Holiness to remark that in the Himalayan region are many spirits, ‘gyalpos’ to whom some people make offerings. However, if you go so far as to take refuge in them you lose your Buddhist refuge. He said he had relied on Shugden, which is such a spirit.

Estonian, Latvian, Russian and English interpreters working during the final day of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings in Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
“My tutor Trijang Rinpoche and his teacher Phabongka Rinpoche, who also relied on Shugden, did not see him as a refuge, so they did not place him in the refuge tree. However, it is recorded in Phabongka’s biography that the 13th Dalai Lama took him to task over the way he relied on it, saying it was tantamount to defying his refuge in the Three Jewels.

“I did the practice until investigation and analysis indicated that it would be better to stop. Since then I have advised others to give it up too. If people choose to continue I have asked them not to take pledges and empowerments from me. The 5th Dalai Lama saw Shugden as arising from distorted prayers and as doing harm to beings and the Dharma.

“Nowadays, people who worship Shugden are angry with me. They are planning to demonstrate against me in Norway and elsewhere as they did earlier this year in the USA. I feel sorry for these people because they do not properly understand the nature of Shugden.

“The Buddhist refuge is in the Three Jewels.”

Reaching the verse that mentions the practice of exchanging self and others, His Holiness quoted Shantideva’s saying the without exchanging self and others there is no happiness. Subsequent verses deal with the six perfections and the final verse expresses a dedication of merit.

Amongst the final set of questions from the audience was one about what a mother can do for the lost child after experiencing a miscarriage. His Holiness first of all said that disposal of a dead body is not the important thing. He said that while karma belongs to the individual, there are special relations between parents and children, teachers and students and so on. Therefore, in such a case as this, a mother could do something virtuous and dedicate the merit to the child’s benefit. He said that when his mother passed away he recited mantras on her behalf and dedicated the merit to her.

A member of the audience asking His Holiness the Dalai Lama a question during the final day of teachings in Riga, Latvia on May 6, 2014. Photo/Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL
Another questioner asked what a Buddhist should do if his country is invaded by an aggressor. His Holiness told him that he would have to judge what would provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. It would depend on the circumstances. He mentioned the Jataka tale that recounts how the bodhisattva, in a life prior to becoming the Buddha, was the captain of a ship. He decided to take the life of a man who was intent on killing the 499 other people on board. In so doing he saved their lives, but also prevented that man creating very grave negative karma.

Asked how to practise in non-sectarian way His Holiness pointed out that all Tibetan Buddhist traditions have their roots in the Nalanda tradition. He said that Gelugpas have a good approach to study, but that in his own experience the Dzogchen of the Nyingmas can be very helpful in understanding aspects of Guhyasamaja, while Guhyasamaja can also be useful in understanding Dzogchen. He joked that this was the point rather than adopting different coloured and different shaped hats.

Finally, a woman from Buryatia asked if His Holiness would be coming to Mongolia this year. He told her that the proposed Kalachakra Empowerment had been postponed, but that there was still a plan to come for a meeting of scientists. He mentioned that people had expressed appreciation of the kind of discussions they had had over the last two days and had asked him to do the same next year. Latvian MPs had also shown their appreciation, so he has agreed in principle.

Telo Rinpoche offered thanks to everyone who had made the event possible, supporters, organizers, volunteers and most of all His Holiness. He requested a reading of a detailed statement of accounts. To bring the event to a conclusion, Russian singer Boris Grebenshchikov played a gentle song. And with that His Holiness left the hall on a great wave of affection.

Tomorrow he flies to Oslo, Norway to attend a meeting of the Nobel Roundtable.

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What I Saw Outside the Dalai Lama’s House

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Speakeasy reporter Barbara Chai is traveling to Dharamsala, India, this week for a private audience with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Dhramsala, India -- After a marathon flight, we finally arrive in Dharamsala, home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I won’t lie: the first few hours are a bit of a blur because I am mentally and physically exhausted.

<< The view of the Dhauladhar Himalayas from just outside the Dalai Lama’s residence.

Add to that my attempts to heed the advice given by everyone I spoke to about traveling to India: It’s a lovely country but don’t drink the water, don’t take ice, don’t order salads, don’t eat from street stalls. Then when we take a walk, there are enormous cows and honking minivans and beeping scooters to contend with on a narrow dirt road. It’s charming and jarring in the best way - I’m just saying, it’s a lot to take in at first.

But after the most glorious night’s sleep in the peace of Kashmir Cottage - a guesthouse owned and run by the brother and sister-in-law of His Holiness the Dalai Lama - I’m more than good to go. We venture out after breakfast to find the Dalai Lama’s residence up a steep, rocky path behind the cottage.

There are monks and pilgrims circumnavigating his residence on the kora, or walking meditation path, which includes a breathtaking stupa, miles of prayer wheels, and mani stones - rocks that are inscribed with the mantra, “Om mani padme hum,” which means “Praise to the Jewel in the Lotus.” This is the mantra of Chenrezig (Sanskrit name: Avalokiteshvara), the bodhisattva, or Buddhist deity, of compassion. Tibetan Buddhists believe His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the earthly manifestation of Chenrezig. A man who is the reincarnation of a deity of compassion.

When we practice Chan Buddhism at home, my family and I pray to the same bodhisattva (we envisage her as female, even though this bodhisattva’s gender can vary with different schools). In Chinese her name is Guanshiyin Pusa and she is our goddess of compassion. I chant her name and turn the beads. I pray to her for protection and mercy. To me, Guanshiyin is Buddhism.

So, to encounter Tibetan Buddhists’ fervent devotion to the same bodhisattva, and to learn that they regard their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, as its earthly manifestation, seems entirely fitting. At the same time, even though we’re talking about the same religion, Tibetan Buddhism is still very different from Chan Buddhism in practice, and so an immediate connection to such an important Buddhist deity for both of us also seems coincidental.

As if I needed another reason, I am now even more excited about meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in person. How to regard him as just that, a person? Because he is human too. His face is on photographs all over Dharamsala, and I see His Holiness as a young man arriving to India in 1959. I see His Holiness petting cute dogs. I see His Holiness wearing a visor to protect his eyes from the sun. He likes to give hugs. He doesn’t suffer fools. Above all, he is kind. Maybe all of this is what is meant by being human, by being earthly.

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Rival Tibetan lamas compete for recognition

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New Delhi, India -- Thaye Dorje was only 18 months old when, according to his biographers, he began telling people he was the reincarnation of one of Tibetan Buddhism's most influential leaders, the Karmapa Lama.

<< Tibetan leader Thaye Dorje gestures during an interview in New Delhi. Dorje was only 18 months old when, according to his biographers, he began telling people he was the reincarnation of one of Tibetan Buddhism's most influential leaders, the Karmapa Lama.
Photograph by: Getty Images , Agence France-Presse

Now 28, and embarking on a global religious teaching tour, he is one of two young men at the centre of a murky, divisive and seemingly intractable dispute over the Karmapa title.

Other major players in the long-running row include Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, China's communist government, India's Supreme Court and a remote monastery that holds relics and treasures valued at up to $1.5 billion.

Among those relics is the "Black Crown" of the Karmapas - said to be made from the hair of female deities and a symbol of the Karmapa's status as head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

But since the death of the 16th Karmapa Lama in 1981, the crown has been locked away, coveted but unworn, in the vaults of Rumtek Monastery in the northeast Indian state of Sikkim, bordering Tibet.

A long and hotly disputed search for the 16th Karmapa's reincarnation split the Karma Kagyu school behind two candidates, Thaye Dorje and Urgyen Trinley, 26 - each enthroned by their respective factions as the 17th Karmapa.

The two rivals both now live in India. Thaye Dorje fled Tibet with his family in 1994, while Urgyen Trinley escaped in 2000.

"We've never even met," Thaye Dorje told AFP in an interview in New Delhi ahead of his four-month, 12-country tour.

"I've thought for a long time that it could be done - that the two of us could just sit down. I really wonder why it hasn't happened," he said.

Of the two, Urgyen Trinley is the better known internationally and is recognized as the 17th Karmapa by both the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.

Recent appearances with the Dalai Lama - notably during a visit to Washington last year - have fuelled speculation that he is being groomed as the Nobel peace laureate's spiritual successor.

Thaye Dorje's take on the feud - he prefers the term "confusion" - surrounding the Karmapa title is couched in a strongly Buddhist perspective.

"We are taught that everything is impermanent, always changing, always in motion, and we must expect there will always be obstacles and challenges.

"This confusion tests one's courage in terms of devotion and in terms of seeing obstacles as an opportunity for turning negative circumstances into positive ones," he said.

But the existence of two rival Karmapas sets a dangerous precedent for the Tibetan movement as a whole, given fears that a similar situation might arise over the Dalai Lama's eventual reincarnation, with China anointing its own successor.

And the dispute also has a distinctly non-spiritual side, tainted by violence and a series of bitterly fought cases - some of them ongoing - in the Indian courts.

In 1993, followers of Urgyen Trinley stormed the Rumtek Monastery and ousted members of the Karmapa Charitable Trust (KCT) - a body set up the 16th Karmapa which had recognized Thaye Dorje as the true reincarnation.

But legal control of the monastery - and the Black Crown - remains in dispute with India's Supreme Court in 2004 having dismissed a petition to challenge the KCT's guardianship.

While voicing "disappointment" that the row had dragged on for so long, Thaye Dorje said it was inevitable that lawyers would become involved.

"The legal route is naturally there ... (the courts) are another tool, another way," he said.

"I really wish that sooner rather than later we can find a solution, because it's completely unnecessary."

Soft-spoken but self-assured, the young lama - whose musical tastes range from Mozart to the Irish singer Enya and who lists Star Wars among his favourite films - was born in Tibet in 1983.

His father was a high lama and his mother descended from Tibetan nobility. According to his official biography, he was just oneand-a-half years old "when he started telling people that he was the Karmapa."

Some observers see his tour of Asian and European countries as an effort to raise his profile and counter the publicity his rival has enjoyed as a result of the Dalai Lama's endorsement.

Thaye Dorje says he has enormous respect for the Dalai Lama as "one of the greatest" Buddhist teachers, but is more circumspect when talking about his spiritual authority.

The Karma Kagyu lineage has always maintained a proud independence from the Dalai Lama's Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism and many of Thaye Dorje's hundreds of thousands of followers argue that the elderly monk has no say in the Karmapa's reincarnation.

"In terms of defining whether the Dalai Lama is the spiritual head of Tibet or not, that answer would go into the political side of things," Thaye Dorje said.

"It would be a political statement, and that's something I've always tried my very best to avoid," he added.

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Tibetan Buddhist leaders meet to talk Dalai Lama's incarnation

Tibetan Buddhist leaders meet to talk Dalai Lama's incarnationPhayul[Thursday, September 22, 2011 13:57]
By Tendar Tsering  Tibetan religious heads and Lamas observe one minute silence to mourn the demise of Trulshik Rinpoche and Trizur Juchen Thupten Namgyal, 22/9/11/ Phayul photo/Norbu WangyalDHARAMSALA September 22: Heads and representatives of four major traditions and sub-traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and ancient Bon tradition are taking part in a 3 – day religious conference that began today at Surya Hotel here. The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama will preside over the meeting Friday.

Religious leaders from Himalayan Buddhist regions and Kalmykia are also participating in the conference that is 11th of its kind. Tsona Rinpoche from Arunachal Pradesh said he was pleased for being invited to the conference.

Sources say that the meeting, among other things, will discuss the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, an issue that dominated media headlines and became a serious topic of discussion within the Tibetan communities, especially after China introduced a new law banning Tibetan religious beings from reincarnating without government’s approval.

Tibetans and supporters have repudiated China’s move as a blatant interference into ancient Tibetan religious tradition to tighten its control over Tibetans.

Tsona Rinpoche said that the issue of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's reincarnation is a matter of great significance not just to the Tibetans but also to several Buddhists and followers across the world.

Minister of Religion and Culture, Pema Chhinjor addressing the 11th Tibetan Religious Meet at Surya Hotel, Dharamsala, 22/9/11/phayul photo/Norbu Wangyal Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, Penpa Tsering, the speaker of the Tibetan parliament and members of the Tibetan parliament also attended the inaugural function of the closed-door conference.

Minister of Religion and Culture, Pema Chinnjor, said the conference will highlight nine points including ways of introducing science subjects in Tibetan Buddhist institutes and the Geshema degree (Buddhist doctorate degree equivalent to PhD) for Buddhist nuns.

The heads of various religious traditions and Bon will join His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a special prayer congregation tomorrow at the Theckchen Choeling temple here.

The Buddhist leaders’ meeting is being organized by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

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Tibetan Buddhist leaders meet to talk Dalai Lama's reincarnation

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DHARAMSALA, India -- Heads and representatives of four major traditions and sub-traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and ancient Bon tradition are taking part in a 3 – day religious conference that began today at Surya Hotel here. The Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama will preside over the meeting Friday.

<< Tibetan religious heads and Lamas observe one minute silence to mourn the demise of Trulshik Rinpoche and Trizur Juchen Thupten Namgyal, 22/9/11/ Phayul photo/Norbu Wangyal

Religious leaders from Himalayan Buddhist regions and Kalmykia are also participating in the conference that is 11th of its kind. Tsona Rinpoche from Arunachal Pradesh said he was pleased for being invited to the conference.

Sources say that the meeting, among other things, will discuss the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama, an issue that dominated media headlines and became a serious topic of discussion within the Tibetan communities, especially after China introduced a new law banning Tibetan religious beings from reincarnating without government’s approval.

Tibetans and supporters have repudiated China’s move as a blatant interference into ancient Tibetan religious tradition to tighten its control over Tibetans.

Tsona Rinpoche said that the issue of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's reincarnation is a matter of great significance not just to the Tibetans but also to several Buddhists and followers across the world.

Kalon Tripa Dr. Lobsang Sangay, accompanied by his cabinet colleagues, Penpa Tsering, the speaker of the Tibetan parliament and members of the Tibetan parliament also attended the inaugural function of the closed-door conference.

Minister of Religion and Culture, Pema Chinnjor, said the conference will highlight nine points including ways of introducing science subjects in Tibetan Buddhist institutes and the Geshema degree (Buddhist doctorate degree equivalent to PhD) for Buddhist nuns.

The heads of various religious traditions and Bon will join His Holiness the Dalai Lama in a special prayer congregation tomorrow at the Theckchen Choeling temple here.

The Buddhist leaders’ meeting is being organized by the Department of Religion and Culture of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

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Dalai Lama's greatest challenge: trying to retire

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DHARMSALA, India -- In a lifetime spent advocating the plight of his Tibetan community, promoting inter-religious harmony and pleading for world peace, the Dalai Lama now faces perhaps his greatest challenge: trying to truly retire from politics.

<< In this picture taken Friday, July 1, 2011, Tibetan artisan Yangzom, 52, who fled Tibet overland in 1991, holds the portrait of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama that hangs in her shop in the hill station town of Dharmsala, northern India. In a lifetime spent advocating the plight of his Tibetan community, promoting inter-religious harmony and pleading for world peace, the Dalai Lama now faces perhaps his greatest challenge: trying to truly retire from politics. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)

In May, the Dalai Lama formally stepped down as head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, giving up the political power that he and his predecessors as Dalai Lama have wielded over Tibetans for hundreds of years. Though he remains the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, his decision to abdicate is one of the biggest upheavals in the community since the Chinese crackdown led him to flee in 1959 into exile in India.

And it raises the question of whether a man worshipped by his people as a living deity can ever stop leading them.

"It's almost impossible for the Tibetan people to accept that their political, religious leader, their Buddha, will be truncated to just a religious leader," said Tenzin Tsundue, a 37-year-old poet and activist.

There are other questions as well, of the legitimacy of the exile government to speak for all Tibetans, of China's refusal to talk to the new leaders and of whether elected representatives could ever make a decision contradicting the revered holy man.

The Dalai Lama, the 14th in a line of men said to be the living incarnation of Chenrezig, a Buddhist god of compassion, says he had little choice. Though he appears hearty, he turns 76 this week.

He said he needed to act now because he feared political chaos would erupt in the Tibetan community after his eventual death, when the Chinese government and Buddhist monks are certain to argue over the identity of his successor reincarnation as the 15th Dalai Lama.

"Now, that danger is no longer there," he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

He has also been working for years to move his people toward democracy, a form of government he has long advocated even as his people looked to him as a god-king. In 2001, he established the elected position of prime minister, know as the Kalon Tripa, for the Tibetan government-in-exile and handed over many of his administrative duties.

Though he remained in charge, he spoke with increasing frequency of his desire to fully give up power.

Earlier this year, as he watched the vibrancy of the election campaign for a new exile government, the Dalai Lama decided his people were ready, he said. He delivered a major address on March 19 calling on parliament to strip him of his political powers.

"That night, my sleep was extraordinarily, very sound," the Dalai Lama said.

His people were terrified.

The Dalai Lama, the living symbol of Tibetans' struggle against China, is the only leader most have ever known, and his predecessors have ruled them for more than 3 1/2 centuries. For a deeply religious people, his effort to tease apart his spiritual and temporal roles was confusing and frightening.

"I can't accept it," said Chazod Nawang Tenpa, an 83-year-old Tibetan, who feared the decision was made under Chinese pressure and worried no one would ever be able to lead Tibetans like the man he called "a genius leader."

Many broke into tears and begged him to stay. Parliament repeatedly appealed to him to change his mind. When he refused, they tried to make him a ceremonial figurehead. He refused that as well.

"I want to completely withdraw," he said.

Even among the younger generation, less steeped in tradition and more comfortable with democracy, there was concern—even among those who oppose his Middle Way policy promoting compromise by seeking only autonomy for Tibet within China.

"Of course, we think it's best if he stays for now as leader of the movement," said Dorjee Tseten, director of Students for a Free Tibet, which advocates full independence from China.

The Dalai Lama has been struggling to reassure his people.

"You shouldn't be afraid," he told nearly 100 Tibetans, many newly arrived from their homeland, as they sat in rapt attention on red carpets in a meeting hall at his office.

He is merely returning to tradition, he said, since the first four Dalai Lamas were purely religious leaders before the fifth incarnation took political power in 1642. His retirement also proved the Tibet movement's commitment to democracy, giving it a powerful moral weapon against China, he said.

"China will try to sow fear, but don't worry," he said. "My devolution of political power is something that will help Tibet in the future. It is not that I have lost heart. It is something you should be proud of."

Though the Dalai Lama's formal authority has been removed from the exile government's charter, there are serious concerns about how much power he can truly cede.

His people still worship him and treat his words as sacred, making it unthinkable for a mere elected leader to contradict him or the policies he has set in place.

"I think it will be a gradual process, no one is thinking of changing anything overnight," said Lobsang Sangay, the 43-year-old Harvard-trained legal scholar elected the Kalon Tripa in April. "I, for one, will definitely seek his counsel and advice and take it to heart."

Sangay said it could take years for the government to stake out its own positions.

For Tsundue, the poet activist, a disagreement between the Kalon Tripa and the Dalai Lama—ever—"is not possible."

Future prime ministers "will of course keep His Holiness' position in mind," he said. "They will be hugely respectful of His Holiness and seek guidance from him."

As one of the most recognizable people on the planet, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who regularly meets with top world leaders, the Dalai Lama also remains the most effective representative for his people's plight. Acknowledging this, he says he will continue to advocate for them and will allow the exile government's envoys to act in his name.

China, which has vilified him for decades as a separatist troublemaker but dislikes the exile government even more, is also forcing him to remain involved. Chinese leaders have said they will only hold negotiations—which have gone on for nine fruitless rounds already—with his representatives.

In addition, there is the question of legitimacy. The Dalai Lama was revered by the 6 million members of the community living in Tibet as well as the tens of thousands of exiles scattered from his headquarters in the Indian hill town of Dharmsala to the streets of Toronto.

The new government was only elected by the tiny percentage of Tibetans in exile.

The Dalai Lama dismisses the issue as a legality.

"Our legitimacy is moral basis not legal basis," he said. "The refugee community is the true representative of the Tibetan people."

Others speak of signs of support by those in Tibet for Sangay that should be accepted as proxies for votes.

Tseten spoke of songs Tibetans inside wrote in Sangay's honor. Sangay said people lit off fireworks when his victory was announced. Regardless, Sangay said he saw himself as more of a spokesman than a leader for those inside Tibet.

"Ultimately, what we want to do ... is to achieve our freedom and have our dignity restored. On that the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet are united," he said.

The Dalai Lama says his daily life has changed little since his official retirement.

Soon after giving up power, he flew off for a tour of New Zealand and Australia. And he was heading to the United States this week where he will celebrate his birthday in a Washington D.C. arena, lead a prayer for world peace on the lawn of the Capitol and conduct a special Buddhist ceremony.

He plans to devote his time to the promotion of human values and ethics and to his dialogue with scientists about Buddhist contributions to knowledge of the mind.

"Now, anyway, I have more time," he said.

His dream now, he said, is to return to what he feels he is at heart: "A simple Buddhist monk."

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Ravi Nessman can be reached at http://twitter.com/ravinessman

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Of course the Dalai Lama's a Marxist

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The leader's statement shocked some in the west, but reminds us of Buddhism's commitment to social as well as individual good

London, UK -- The Dalai Lama has a refreshing tendency to confound western caricatures. As a cuddly old monk, he could comfort fans by fuzzily connecting us to an imagined Shangri-La that contrasts favourably with our own material world. Only he won't play the game, regularly making ethical, political, scientific and (ir)religious statements that rudely pop the projections laid on to him.

<< The Dalai Lama reminds us of Buddhism's radical social and economic messages. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

He was at it again the other day, telling Chinese students that he considers himself a Marxist. This wasn't just playing to the crowd – although it was reported with surprise (at least in the US), the ideological alignment is longstanding. In 1993, he said: "The economic system of Marxism is founded on moral principles, while capitalism is concerned only with gain and profitability. Marxism is concerned with the distribution of wealth on an equal basis ... as well as the fate of those who are underprivileged and in need, and [it] cares about the victims of minority-imposed exploitation. For those reasons, the system appeals to me, and it seems fair."

There are a number of caveats (he's not a Leninist, believes compassion rather than class struggle is key, and doesn't consider communist regimes such as the USSR, China or Vietnam to have been true exponents), but the dissonance between image and reality remains – the Dalai Lama is not the comforting Oriental pet that consumer society might like.

Neither does his tradition match the capitalist fantasies attached to it. Perhaps because Buddhism came to the west on a wave of post-war hippy soul-searching, and was then co-opted as friendly religion of choice by new ageism and the self-help movement, its radical economic and social messages have been lost under an avalanche of laughing fat-man statues, healing crystals and copies of The Secret.

The very idea of self-help in Buddhism is an oxymoron – relief of suffering can only come from the realisation that pleasing ourselves doesn't bring happiness – instead we must try to work skilfully and compassionately with others, as part of interwoven systems of connectivity that bind us together. A "western Buddhism" that prioritises solipsistic focus on the individual is so great a misconception as to be unworthy of the name – or at the least the Buddhism part – as anyone who pays it more than passing attention knows. It's also largely a media invention – many western Buddhists are serious, deeply committed practitioners. That commitment means choosing to follow a path that leads against the stream of materialism and selfishness. Of course, we don't always manage it, but that's why it's called a path of practice.

Buddhism goes way beyond the confines of the personal – realising the truth of interdependence implies taking up the challenge of engaging with others in the wider world. This isn't missionary zeal – proselytising is hardly the Buddhist way – but it does mean social action that embodies dharmic principles, and western sanghas are increasingly prioritising community involvement. As they do so, Buddhism may start to look less like some nice bit of calm and relaxation and more like a radical, uncompromising critique of the status quo.

This critique has already begun to influence the UK mainstream. It's 45 years since EF Schumacher published his Buddhist Economics essay in Small is Beautiful, which the Times Literary Supplement listed as one of the 100 most influential books since the second world war. Though the male-centric, mechanistic world it describes now seems dated, Schumacher's outline of a world driven mad by consumption (and his Buddhist-inspired remedy of sufficiency and sustainability) has informed everything from the climate change debate to the happiness agenda – particularly through the influential New Economics Foundation (NEF) thinktank, which grew out of Schumacher's vision.

The well-being indices enthusiastically taken up by David Cameron have grown in part from NEF's links with the kingdom of Bhutan and its policy of favouring gross national happiness above gross domestic product. Is the prime minister aware of the Buddhist foundation to his plans for the nation's mood?

Of course, we're a long way from a government that looks even remotely dharmic. From a Buddhist perspective, only a revolution in our collective mind can counter the momentum that keeps us grasping for happiness in all the wrong places. And that would involve more than measuring whether someone with a job and a family in sunny Cornwall feels more upbeat than a lonely, unemployed Londoner on a rainy day. It would require systemic transformation on both an intimate and a huge scale, bringing the path of personal practice together with much broader societal shifts. Could this be what the Dalai Lama is thinking of when he describes himself as "half-Marxist, half-Buddhist"?

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