The 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, in an undated file photo. Facebook
Tibet Sun Newsroom
McLEOD GANJ, India, 28 September 2017
Annoyed by the importance that the Central Tibetan Administration places on Nechung, the State Oracle of Tibet, MP Tenpa Yarphel said that Buddhism is not about invoking deities.
“Where in Buddha’s 84,000 different teachings had he mentioned invoking deities?” he asked on the second day of the ongoing exile Tibetan Parliamentary session on 20 September.
He questioned how the “screeching sounds” made by the oracle when he is in trance could be understood by those who are transcribing them. This transcription of the sounds uttered by the oracle is traditionally often used in deciding important matters concerning the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration.
Yarphel suggested that the CTA should do away with the role and the post of the state oracle. He substantiated his views by saying that even the Dalai Lama has said that Buddhism is not about following deities.
The Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, in a statement issued on Sunday from New York, said that he couldn’t accept some of the views of the Kagyu representative, as he felt that the views he has expressed in the Parliament over the years were loaded with sectarian overtones.
Without naming the MP, the Karmapa said that he respected freedom of speech and the democratic rights of the MP, and had kept quiet thus far, but the MP went overboard this time in speaking about the Nechung oracle.
“Being a lama from the Kagyu sect, there is no way I could ignore such a serious matter, when an MP representing the Kagyu sect makes such irresponsible statements in the Parliament,” the Karmapa said.
“I feel concerned as these kinds of views could cause sectarian discord within the Tibetan community.”
He urged the MPs to bear in mind that they are representatives of a province or a sect, and that they must put in their efforts for the unity of the Tibetan people, and the Tibetan cause for a free Tibet, and that the Parliament is not the place for bickering and digging up factional differences.
“They must remember the contributions and acts of benevolence of the Dalai Lama for the Tibetan people, and should be careful not to vilify him or to hamper Tibetan unity when they speak in the Parliament.”
My creed of nonviolence is an extremely active force. It has no room for cowardice or even weakness. There is hope for a violent man to be some day nonviolent, but there is non for a coward. I have therefore said more than once in these pages that if we do not know how to defend ourselves, our women and our places of worship by the force of suffering, i.e., nonviolence, we must, if we are men, be at least able to defend all these by fighting.
Mahatma Gandhi in Young India, June 16, 1927
QED: stop dissing Tibetan heroes.
Democracy & Freedom of speech are all good. However if one looks at the Bigger picture – We wear the same maroon robes, study practice from the same root texts. So let’s not forget Respect, Tolerance & Sensitivity.
We are ALL COGs in the turning of the WHEEL of DHARMA.
Maybe Karmapa felt obliged to weigh in by virtue of Dalai Lama’s benevolence in allowing him to stay in Gelugpa’s monastary of Gyuto.
Karmapa has, through such favour by Gaden Phodrang, become, to exaggerate a bit, a cog in the engine of Gelug order.
Chithue Tenpa Yarphel didn’t say anything against the Dalai Lama. He even clarified after it was found out the Gadhen Phorang dind’t give Chithue and Yongling Dawa Tseing any award from them. The Secretary from Gadhen Phodrang who attended an award presentation to him went there in his personal capacity. Yarphel then said it is clear to him now, and that the accusation that he was targetting the Dalai Lama was wrong. He said he has never criticised the Dalai Lama and he will never do that. He was clear and loud. I don’t understand why people are putting words in his mouth, and want to believe what they want to believe.
I am seeing Democracy becoming Democrazy in the Tibetan community.
With regard to Nechung, again he was right in what he was saying. He even used right quotes from the Dalai Lama that lhaso and luso [following deities and spirits] is not Buddhism. But it’s a personal matter what one believe in and worship. Nechung has special connection with the Dalai Lama. So that tradition will continue. Yarphel shouldn’t have said how Nechung screeches in his speech. How Nechung speaks shouldn’t be his business. This hurt the sentiments of those who believe in Nechung. As a Chithue and a learned person, he should be aware and be sensitive about these things.
The Nechung screeching comment apart, Yarphel is doing good. He is one of the most active and powerful speakers in the parliament. Without Chithues like him, there will be very few who dares to raise the issues of concern in the society.
How ridiculous that some ill-informed people are asking Yarphel to resign. Saw a couple of people even shaving their heads demanding his resignation. What for?
Let’s have a real, not a sham democracy. Let’s embrace differences. Let’s celebrate democracy.
I agree with you 100%.
Rep Tenpa yarphel has the freedom of speech if Tibetan government in exile is committed to democracy as declared by HH the Dalai Lama.
Rep Yarphel makes an important point: those who condemn Tibetan pro rangzen activists are pro Beijing pro communists who vilify the Dalai Lama.
The Karmapa has a history of dissing Tibetan patriots who chose to die than live under persecution. Yes, self immolation or self sacrifice is not a historical act engaged by high priests and ordinary Tibetans who put their lives in harms way to save lamas are sometimes treated with feudal disdain.
Tibetans use HH the Dalai Lama to promote democracy but seems unwilling to put up with freedom of thought.
Not only Karmapa, but all Tibetans want the self immolations to stop. I thank the Karmapa for advising against self immolation. It’s only you that glorifies it. While we respect their choice of method of protest against the CCP and deeply touched by it, we will not glorify it.
All Tibetans?
Maybe except the heroes who torched their most precious possession to keep alight the flame of Tibetan freedom for a better future for Tibetans inside and outside Tibet and gave some needed cachet to Tibetan government in exile?
Need to read the thoughts of freedom fighters like Gandhi and MLK about what a freedom fighter is …maybe even the words of Chinese fighting foreign Manchu rule would provide how your standards measure up in a historic context.
I am not a very religious person but I believe in doing right thing in life. As a Tibetan, I inherited a true sense of loyalty from my ageing parents who taught me differences between the right and wrong things.
No matter whatever we do and wherever we may live, we should not be the one to cause trouble for our fellow countrymen. I just can’t understand how we could exchange our loyalty for money.
There are people in our society itching to fish in troubled water in such critical period in our history. Today there is HH the Dalai Lama to protect and help us when things become unmanageable. What about tomorrow when His Holiness is not there in our life? I just can’t imagine how could people go against his wishes in the name of democracy?
Before we criticize others, let’s ask ourselves ‘What did I do for my people and my country?”. Is democracy only meant unlimited freedom without any duties? It baffles me to ask ‘why some Tibetans go against someone who serve the country and people during the most difficult time in history? Aren’t we biting the hands that feed us?
Sonam tso,
The day His Holiness the Dalai Lama passes away is an unfathomable, and unstoppably heart-crushing moment to us and the world. But on the other hand, Tibetan cause will continue. Luckily we have charismatic young leaders like HH Karmapa to fill the vacuum. Hopefully he will nurse the wound of collective bereavement with His benevolence and compassion that will extend to 7 continents and 6 realms of Samsara further afield from Dhasa. This will be the rise of Black Hat Lama.
Absolutely right HH the 17K. There should not be religious subject to be discuss in Parliament. Parliamentarian should look beyond religion. They should talk about the conservation of TIBETANS and Future of TIBET and UNITY.
One should read the seminal work by Rene De Nebesky “Oracles and Demons of Tibet”. All the dirt and glitter of Tibetan supernatural entities are revealed in this treatise.
Here, one is bound to notice one thing – if it is bad to criticise Nechung, then it is equally bad to criticise shugden. They are both spirits. We need a logical framework to view this duo of controversy-prone gods regarding their nature and harm-or-help factor to Tibetan people’s well being.
One is a devil, the other is a good. But a gigantic question mark hangs over this way of seeing.
Kagyupas are a peculiar group. They have eight sub-sects, seriously? Let’s assume there is 1.5 million Tibetan Kagyupas. if you divide 1.5 million heads by 12, then each top monk may command in the region of few thousands. This is totally unnecessary.
perhaps Karma-pa should subsume those 12 sub-sects under his aegis in the name of unification or unity? I hea[r]d westerners ask, “Is Karmapa the incharge of karmaic law? does he decide who gets good karma and who bad? is that why he is called Karma-Pa? ” Such innocent queries do point to a mythical stature westerners have in the institution of karmapa. He is the next rock stars of Tibetan peoples who always need charismatic figure heads to attract donations.
Utmost respect to HH Karmapa to stand behind HH Dalai Lama. You two are the sun and moon of six million red-faced, barley-flour-consuming Tibetans.
Meanwhile, I have started a petition to Nobel Committee to award Nobel Peace Prize to HH Karmapa 17. Please sign and share. Let’s raise the profile of our next leader. https://www.change.org/p/the-norwegian-nobel-institute-award-nobel-peace-prize-to-his-holiness-karmapa-xvii
Thank you so much His Holiness the Karmapa for the timely speaking up over chithue tempa yarphel’s blatant remarks in parliament. He needs to be shown his way out asap because he is so illinformed and greatly influenced by some ppl who hate His Holiness the Dalai Lama and CTA. Tibetans in and outside Tibet are hugely hurt by his hateful remarks against ganden phodang and state oracle nechung. He should have at least thought about people’s faith and sentiment before speaking up like this. Now we don’t expect any contribution from him in future and he’s not needed there. Better resign Asap and we will try to forget this as a bad dream.
With a shot in the heart from kagyu heavy weight like Karmapa, hateful sectarian regional tenpa yarphel’s days as a chithue are numbered. Thank you Karmapa chenno!
As regards whether any useful purpose is being served by propitiating deities on official matters, late Prime minister Lhukhang is famously known to have remarked thus: “When people become desperate, they consult God (deities) and when God becomes desperate they tell lies.” I found this quoted by none other than HHDL in one of his autobiographies. Rather than saying anything against what the late PM had to say on deity propitiation on official matters, His Holiness appeared implicitly in agreement with him.
What Chithue Tenpa Yarphel said about the need of doing away with the practice of deity propitiation on official matters should, therefore, be viewed from a wider angle.
Nima la,
I just read your commentary with great interest and delight. We both have differences of opinion on certain issues and I would like to tell you my side of the story.
It is my duty to respect your views in democratic society and this apply to the views of other people as well. You mentioned that politics is dirty and I choose to say that it is neither dirty nor clean. It is people like you and me who either makes it clean or unclean.
I also know the history of Gandhen Podrang and again I disagree with you when you said the exile Tibetan govt. is owned by the Gandhen Podrang. The head of CTA is directly elected by Tibetan people and the Gandhen Podrang has no say or role in the election of Sikyong. I don’t wish to elaborate further on this matter since the recent election clearly speaks for itself.
It is important to understand that HH the Karmapa cannot visit Sikkim without consulting the chief minister of Sikkim and the authority concerned of centre. If I am not wrong, there are still some unresolved cases pending before the court with regard to Rumtek monastery. Please pardon me if this information is found to be wrong.
To be honest, I am not in a position to issue any statement why HH the Karmapa had to leave his seat at very young age. I am sure there are many good reasons for HH the Karmapa for going into exile.
It is good to see HH Karmapa involving himself in diaspora politics. He is in the best position to negotiate middle-path with Beijing. He is someone Beijing will engage in negotiation with, not least because he has astutely refrained himself from making overtly aggressive comment on China, but also enjoy the rare recognition by both Beijinng and Dharamsala.
Yet in regard to fire-cracker Tenpa Yarphel’s remarks in the parliament, HH Karmapa perhaps should have restrained himself. Members of parliament traditionally enjoys free speech at a threshold over and above the average citizens. As such, whether it is the God-king of Kagyus or ordinary folks from Shichaks, my view is that Tenpa Yarphel was right to speak out – right in both content and body language – about propitiation of Nechung oracle or ownership of Yongling school.
If you look closely, there really isn’t a robust system of dispensing justice in Dharamsala government. Shrewd, machiavillian politicians try to grab wealth and property in all manner of ways, while showing a facade of unwavering loyalty to Dalai Lama. As such, harsh rhetorics, and veiled threats, and frequently public pressure are required to keep the bad boys (like Dawa Tsering) within boundaries. In New York, a retiring major has no chance to slowly take properties into his ownership. There is law enforcement and bailiffs and sheriffs – so no ifs and buts. But in McLeod, there isn’t a strong a legitimate authority who has any kind of political or legal power. Yes, HH Dalai Lama is at the top of echelon, but what real power does he have? Not much, his words are usually advisory in nature, and they are listened to in honour. There is nothing you can do about someone like DT who doesn’t listen.
So an unstoppable blazing ball of red fire like ven. Tenpa Yarphel is called for in this occasion to instil fear into bad guys.
I have deep respect and great faith in His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa. Period.
I fully disagree with Nima Sangpo la for saying that HH the Karmapa made that statement to appease Gandhen Podrang. Please do not drag Gandhen Podrang into unnecessary controversies at a time when we needed this institute more than ever. Nobody can deny the good work the Gandhen Podrang has been doing in different fields to support and help Tibetans and other people.
Nima la should also understand that HH the Karmapa is one of the most revered lama of Tibet, no matter whether he belongs to A,B,C or any other group. Most of us have buried sectarian feelings today and would not appreciate others engaging in such activities. We respect any lama who serves his people and country.
I also like to remind Nima la that HH the Karmapa is under protection of Indian law, and it is the Indian govt. and people who has final say in this sensitive matter.
Sonam Tsomo la,
The name Gadhen Phodrang abstracted from Gadhen Monastery, one of the three largest monasteries in Lhasa and HH Dalai Lama is part of this monastery and name of our Tibetan Government is called Tibetan Government Gadhen Phodrang (Bhoeshung Gadhen Phodrang}. Realistically speaking, our Tibetan Government is own by Gadhen Phodrang, a monastery. Why we do not have simple name ” Tibetan Government”? This has lots of feudalistic history behind it and I think you and many younger people do not have the wisdom of understanding dirty politics of Gadhen Phodrang. Today, Gadhen phodrang is run by a few people in exile, like Gadhen Tripa, Samdhong Rinpoche etc.
If Karmapa is under the protection of Indian Government then why he is restricted to visit Sikkim and many other places in India and abroad. Why Karmapa has to reside in Dharamsala instead of Rumtek, which is his own seat. If Karmapa is a respected Lama then why he escaped to India leaving his own birth place, Tibet. Leaders always think his people and country first and his personal welfare counts second.
In conclusion, whatever Tenpa Yarphel mentioned in the parliament is agreeable to all civilized and educated Tibetans. We live in a technological and scientific age of 21st century and everybody should use their logic, reasoning power and scientific thinking.
Nechung Oracle and Dorje Shungden are one, spirits. In Buddhism, we do not worship spirits and we do not agree and believe with Nechung’s Governmental decision making statement.
The members of exile parliament should fully respect the sentiments of Tibetan people and use its proceedings for discussing important issues like education, health care, employment and welfare of senior citizens. It is shocking that sitting MP raises highly controversial issue with intention of hurting the feeling of believers in such tradition and practices.
If Yarphel la has nothing to contribute to the general discussion of parliament, then he should vacate his post and let other competent person to represent Kagyu sect. In the past, the state oracle Nechung has been great help to us when we were caught in catch 22 type of situation. It is better to consult the time tested Oracle like Nechung than to listen to fool.
People have faith in Nechung and this tradition should be continued so long people wanted it.
Thank you Your Holiness. Your courage in standing up for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is our (Tibetans) life force, and for our unity will always be our strength. Karmapa Khenno!
There are few reasons why HH Karmapa has posed his nose in politics of religion. First of all, Karmapa is not a head of Kagyupa at all. He is simply a head of Karma Kagyu. Kagyupa has 12 branches, 4 greater and 8 smaller and Karma Kagyu is one of the 4 greater branches of Kagyupa.
Secondly, HH Karmapa is protected under the umbrella of Gadhen Phodrang and he has to sugar coat the Gadhen Phodrang system (Nechung Oracle) to please HH Dalai Lama. Nechung and Dogyal are the two inseparable deities of Gelukpa tradition and Karmapa is willing to protect blind faith system since this not in a Buddhist teachings. I thought Karmapa is a open and widen horizon Lama but did not know that he is in the same category of stigmatized society.
Gelek Namgyaal la:
You should be a bit better informed before you make
false claims like Nechung is a Geluk Oracle, etc
Wonderful to see HH Karmapa more openly participating in politics, maybe he’s feeling better now? Bravo!
Sectarianism is a two-way street. Nechung belongs to Gelug order. Nechung has very little to do with Kagyu. When the deity of a particular sect is elevated to the post of state oracle, and still maintained after CTA has officially diverged from Gaden Phodrang, issues obviously arise.
CTA is not a Gelugpa’s court. CTA should represent all sects.
Remember Nechung is not only for Gelug oracle, if you go through the history of nechung and the relation of Guru Rinpochen and similarly of 5th His Holiness the Dalai Lama will clear these thing.
given so, then why should anyone, including HHK17, view criticisms of the nechung to be sectarianism? You can’t have it both ways…
Agree with HH17K. MP Tenpa Yarphel is quite aggressive and it is not the 1st Time. Last year he also attacked then speaker Penap Tsering…. nough s nough. He better retire.