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27. october 2019.  

Shamar Mipham Gargyi Wangchuk Rinpoche
is the name of the new 15th Shamar Rinpoche

Now they did it again
The two Karmapas have written a prayer together for the long life of the 15th Shamarpa

There are several independent news in this event.  The two Karmapas have met again. It is their second meeting, as far as I know, since last years widely reported first meeting, also in the month of October. Otherwise, there has been no news about their relationship since that meeting.

 Karmapa Thaye Dorje has apparently also convinced Ogyen Dorje, that the little boy Thugsey, the son of Thaye Dorje, is indeed the actual reincarnation of the 14th Shamar Rinpoche.
 And the two Karmapas has in unison written a long life prayer for the little boy.
 

 Finally, we may notice that Ogyen Dorje seemingly is in good health. As far as I know, this meeting is the first official event, that Ogyen Dorje has participated in, since February 2019. Also, he has visited Europe without any official programme for his followers anywhere on this continent.  (We may then wonder why.)
 

Great progress and more problems in the relationship

 This is a lot of information at one time. But there is no news about, how they intend to develop their cooperation. Also, there is no news about, how the two intend to relate together to the difference between them.  (Read the paper:  Two Karmapas.) Thaye Dorje appointed himself as the reincarnation of the previous 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpae Dorje. It was his very first words in this life as just a small baby. Ogyen Dorje, on the other hand, cannot remember his previous life, but was appointed by Situ Rinpoche, an important Lama of the Karma Kagyu Tradition in Kham.
 This difference on the two, do not seem to bother the Karmapas in their public proclamations. But also, they have not said anything about it together. Each by himself, they have though told their own story at several occasions. So a solution is in need. Otherwise they cannot be equal. But maybe they are not supposed to be equal?

[Picture: Thugsey – the heart child – with his mother Rinchen Yangzom at Le Bost in October 2019. The little boy is the new Shamarpa with the name Shamar Mipham Gargyi Wangchuk Rinpoche, photo: Thule Jug.]

So, not only did the two meet. And not only did we get a long life prayer. We also got the new Shamarpa’s name. His name will be  Mipham Gargyi Wangchuk.
 

 These many news at one time appear to be a strong progressive development. But there is a long journey ahead, before the situation around the two Karmapas has been resolved. There is not only the issue of the said difference between the two. There are also the many Chinese connections of Ogyen Dorje, both on Taiwan and the mainland China. It is a very big question, if he can use these connections to something beneficial for all of us.
 

 Several of these connections does not only cooperate very well indeed with the communist government of the Chinese Empire, but they have also proven to be very corrupt. The activities of these connections have in India used bribery and manipulation to promote the Chinese intention to form a world wide Buddhism with the Chinese Buddhists as leaders and in dependence on the present Chinese government.
 

Read the paper from Market Magazine - about this policy.
 

 It is very complicated, so what will Ogyen Dorje do, now he has gained some sort of independence in the USA?
 

  Also, there are many rumours from particularly Dharamsala in India, where the Tibetan Exile government hold out together with the Dalai Lama; Ogyen Dorje’s organisations, both the Garchen Trust and the Tsurphu Labrang, allegedly have given the leading individuals of these organisations a steady income by fraud and embezzlement, thereby harming both the organisation funds and the donors. Also they are supposed to have bribed local authorities on such places, where these organisations are active. These rumours cannot be verified, and you only find them on the internet as blog postings by exile Tibetans. We have to notice this, because the rumours indicate, that Ogyen Dorje is very displeased with his own organisations, since they have time and again brought him into trouble.
 

 On top of this there is a criminal investigation and trial going on in India, concerning the Garchen Trust. It is about millions of US dollars, that the foundation did not report to the tax authorities and the regulatory body of the Indian government concerning foreign money. There is nothing to indicate, that Ogyen Dorje was the cause of this scandal, but as the president of the foundation, he holds the responsibility. Apparently it was the other leaders of the Garchen Trust, that are guilty of violations of these laws in India. These are the reasons that the rumours about these people having a corrupt attitude have to be known, even the rumours have not been verified. At least these people have to take responsibility for this case of the black money, that they kept in suitcases under their beds.
 

 It seems that Ogyen Dorje has placed himself beyond the influence and indirect control of these people by fleeing to the USA. Ogyen Dorje will have to reform his organisations and remove all the unlucky elements, that only create problems for him, in order to bring health to his own house. If he is not in a position to reform them in India for some reason, he will have to form new organisations in the USA, in Asia and Europe.
 

 I would presume, that it will be very much more difficult for him to reform his Chinese connections, the Tsurphu Monastery and others in Tibet and his relationship with both the official Indian and Chinese governments.
 

 But all together, the  situation is not so gloomy now, as it was just a few years ago. But as mentioned, there are still many difficulties.
 In the meantime the most important thing is perhaps, that Ogyen Dorje has agreed with Thaye Dorje about the little Thugsey as the new Shamarpa. This in itself is maybe the greatest news.  There are two Karmapas; and there were two Jamgon Kongtrul; but it seems that there will in the future only be one Shamarpa. There is perhaps those, who will not like it at all. But we may be happy about it. Even Ogyen Dorje still has many problems, he has moved into a progressive path. If he continue in this direction, all his problems most likely will be solved. Perhaps in some unexpected ways.

Read Ogyen Dorje’s speech about Shamarpa
at a video streaming to Bodhgaya in India, february 2020 here.

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Læs artiklen på dansk - the paper in Danish

The 15th Shamarpa Mipham Gargyi Wangchuk,  with his mother in Le Bost, september 2019.