As incredible as it may seem, the Government of India has refused an exit visa to the 17th Karmapa, thus preventing his travel to Europe next month, for a long-planned and much-anticipated tour. Here is the official statement by Ringu Tulku, the tour coordinator:
Dear Dharma Friends,I am sad to announce that the proposed visit of His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje was not approved by the Government of India. The visit was scheduled to take place from 27th May to 2nd July in nine countries of Europe.The Kagyu Office, the Administration of Gyalwang Karmapa was informed of the decision by the Tibetan Government in Exile on 3rd April 2010. The process has begun to find out why this visit was not possible and what positive conditions are needed to make the visit possible in near future.I know a huge number of followers and friends in Europe were eagerly waiting for the visit of Gyalwang Karmapa and I know that all of you are sad and disappointed.I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organizers, volunteers and donors for working so hard to prepare for the visit in last many months. Your cooperation and support were beyond any expectations.I hope and pray together with you that the visit will happen in very near future and that all of us would be able to receive his teachings in Europe.
We can speculate about the reasons for this, but speculation in the absence of facts is useless. It will take some clever investigation to find out the true story, and until then, one simply does not know what political countermeasures might be useful. While it could be convenient to take immediate aim at the Indian government, chances are good this was not a unilateral Indian government decision.
5 reader comments:
Question: Wouldn't divinations have been done before such a trip was planned and possible obstacles foreseen and the appropriate remedies applied?
Or would have a state oracle have been consulted?
Has there ever been a doctorate thesis done on the connection between religion and strange hats? Tibetan Buddhism, and Buddhism in general, is not alone in this. Catholics hierarchs also seem to have a weakness for exotic headgear. Is there any inherent reason why religious panjandrums need to don this kind of paraphernalia?
On a related subject, why did Chögyam Trungpa have a predilection for dressing up in strange costumes? Colonial British polo player? Scottish Highlander? What’s that all about?
It may be a matter of a short-term obstacle for a long-term benefit. If I were omniscient, and could know all of samsara and karma, I would know exactly the real reason.
Don:
Speaking as someone with a large collection of hats and strange costumes, I don't know that I can answer your question directly. I simply do not have enough information to know which hat and costume to wear.
Cordially,
Tenpa
Chinese Oppression Increases. HH Dalai Lama's Private Email Stolen by Chinese:
"The Toronto spy hunters not only learned what kinds of material had been stolen, but were able to see some of the documents, including classified assessments about security in several Indian states, and confidential embassy documents about India's relationships in West Africa, Russia and the Middle East. The intruders breached the systems of independent analysts, taking reports on several Indian missile systems. They also obtained a year's worth of the Dalai Lama's personal e-mail messages.
The intruders even stole documents related to the travel of NATO forces in Afghanistan, illustrating that even though the Indian government was the primary target of the attacks, one chink in computer security can leave many nations exposed"
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10096/1048248-115.stm
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