The top three most political lamas in the world

Some people seem to think that the issue of whether or not Buddhists leaders should be involved in politics is a complicated issue. In reality, the issue is not complicated. Politics and Buddhism are complete opposites, because all of Buddha’s teachings explain how to control our mind (the inner world) and politics is about controlling the outer world. In Buddhism, we learn that external problems have no cessation. The goal of all sincere Buddhist practitioners is to attain an inner cessation of delusions which are the true source of our suffering.

Political lamas are causing the degeneration of pure Buddhadharma in this world, because Dharma mixed with politics is not pure. Therefore, it is important for Buddhist throughout the world to stop following political lamas. As long as there are Buddhists who will develop faith in political lamas the Chinese and the CIA will continue to interfere with Buddhism by appointing puppet lamas. Now is the time to stop developing faith in political lamas.

Below are the top three most political lamas in the world.

The most political lama in the world, by far, is the fourteenth Dalai Lama. He is probably the most political lama in the history of Buddhism. Buddhism has been in this world for 2,500 years and in all that time no single person has caused as many schisms as the fourteenth Dalai Lama.

Ogyen Trinley Dorje is the second most political lama in the world. He is likely to replace the 14th Dalai Lama after he passes away. This appointment would give him power and influence within the two largest schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Kagyu and Gelug). Ogyen Trinley has had ties with the CIA and the government of the People’s Republic of China.

In the book Buddha’s Not Smiling Eric Curren states,

For a decade, the Chinese government has appointed puppet lamas to strengthen its control over occupied Tibet. Shockingly, the Chinese have recruited Tibetan leaders in exile to further these goals. Politically appointed lamas threaten the integrity of Tibetan Buddhism, yet thousands of Buddhist worldwide are unaware of this controversy, the picture blurred by the media bias towards current Buddhist leaders.

Qoigyijabu (Gyancain Norbu) is the third most political lama in the world today. Gyancain Norbu is the current Panchen Lama chosen as a puppet lama for the PRC leadership. The involvement of China in this affair is seen by some as a political ploy to try to gain control over the recognition of the next Dalai Lama, and to strengthen their hold over the future of Tibet and its governance.

Is Ogyen Trinley the CIA pick to replace the Dalai Lama?

It’s obvious that Ogyen Trinley is going to be the Dalai Lama’s successor judging by the amount of security surrounding him when he travels in the U.S. The above video looks more like a military operation than a Buddhist teacher making a visit to the U.S. Some people have brought up questions about Ogyen Trinley’s connections to the CIA.

In Buddha’s Not Smiling, Erik Curren noticed an obvious connection between Ogyen Trinley and the CIA:

Shimatsu’s team discovered that a helicopter that picked up Ogyen Trinley in Nepal was owned by a company that had previously done work for the United States CIA, Fishtail Air. Even more suspicious, the Fishtail Air office had lost all flight records for the day of Ogyen Trinley’s pickup. “When Susanna Chung and Prakash Khanal broke the story of the Mustang escape route and the Fishtail Air helicopter pickup at Thorang-La, I rushed the story and video to the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong Internet news department,” Shimatsu told me. “Their news producers were very excited and promised me five thousand dollars.”

“Then we had to clear the story through editors of the print version of the newspaper. We were greeted by three editors. They were female, and I suspect two of them were MI-6 (British intelligence) agents. They killed the story with totally bogus questions, all of which were proven on tape and in notes. They wanted to know who our key contact was in Mustang (a businessman) but I refused to disclose his identity, since he could easily be killed by the Manang smugglers involved with the Karmapa escape.” So the South China Morning Post killed Shimatsu’s story.

I wonder if the Dalai Lama’s successor is really being chosen by the Dalai Lama or by the CIA.

The Dalai Lama Has Also Caused Divisions in the Kagyu Lineage

The Karmapa Controversy

The Dalai Lama has also caused divisions in the Kagyu lineage by appointing the 17th Karmapa (Urgyen Trinley Dorje). A large percentage of Kagyupas don’t follow the Dalai Lama appointed Karmapa, instead they follow the Karmapa appointed by the Shamarpa (Trinley Thaye Dorje).

Below is part of an interview in Buddhism Today with Trinley Thaye Dorje (the Karmapa appointed according to the traditions of the Kagyu lineage).

Buddhism Today: How is a Karmapa recognized?

Trinley Thaye Dorje: The main holders of the Karma Kagyu Lineage are the so-called Black Hat Karmapas and the Red Hat Karmapas. The first refers to my own line of reincarnations. The later refers to the line of reincarnations of the Kunzig Shamarpas. In many cases the Karmapas have recognized the respective next Shamarpa and the Shamarpas in turn the next Karmapa. This is also what has occurred with my recognition. It was the 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche who confirmed that I am the incarnation of the 16th Karmapa.
Of course, the whole principle of reincarnation is not easy to understand, in particular if one is not familiar with Buddhism. Normally, samsaric beings are reborn through the power of their karma and their emotions. In the case of the successive lines of the Karmapa reincarnations this is different. Taking rebirth happens due to the wish to be reborn to help sentient beings. In this way I took rebirth as the 17th Karmapa.

Buddhism Today: The Dalai Lama has not recognized you as the Karmapa. Would such recognition be important for you?

Trinley Thaye Dorje: The Dalai Lama is certainly a great man. The Karma Kagyu school, however, is an independent lineage and, according to our tradition, the Karmapas have to be confirmed in this Karma Kagyu lineage and not by the Dalai Lama. There is no need for that.

Also see the Karmapa Controversy on the Wisdom Buddha Dorje Shugden Blog