Category: Shamarpa Rinpoche
We received your announcement dated 28/1/94 addressed to the Mirik Monastery and myself on 17th February. The essential facts that I wish to address to you are:
Firstly with regard to the past, even though we had to wait for twelve long years for the precious reincarnation of His Holiness the Supreme 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, we maintained our confidence that your four Eminences, the principal heart-sons of His Holiness and as illuminators of the Kagyu Lineage, would carry out your due responsibilities perfectly and without the slightest shortcoming in this regard.
On 19th March 1992, Your four Eminences jointly made an announcement to the representatives of the Sikkim Lhade Association and other prominent organisations as well as us monks and laity gathered that the Letter of Prediction has definitely been found and that it is very clear. We were assured that after six month a full and formal announcement would be made. On hearing this long awaited announcement, our hearts were filled with inexpressible faith, devotion and joy ! A few months later however we began to hear various stories that Shamar Rinpoche had been saying that it wasn´t certain an announcement could be made at that given time, it could be much delayed.
During the ceremonies following the passing away of His Eminence Jamgon Rinpoche when I came to see Your Eminence at your residence, I expressed my great sadness that through such a serious obstacle to our Lineage, we had lost His Eminence Jamgon Rinpoche. So at this most difficult time in our lineage with the precious reincarnation of His Holiness yet to be found, with the most profound and pure motivation, I solemnly requested that you three remaining Rinpoches may live long, uphold harmonious understanding and maintain samaya for which I would be so grateful. Soon after that on 8th June 1992, at the Rumtek Monastery after calling a meeting of all the monks and lay community, you announced that the Letter of Prediction came from the hand of Situ Rinpoche and therefore it was a cause of doubt and that you would not accept it. This announcement caused even greater worry in the minds of us all. In the evening of that day, Ponlop Rinpoche, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, Beru Kyentse Rinpoche, Dilyak Drupon Rinpoche and I all went to see you personally at your residence.
Since the most important task was to find the unmistaken reincarnation of His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, we requested that if you have the unmistaken Letter of Prediction of His Holiness or your own pure vision that you are completely confident of, then now is the time to please inform us of this. You replied that generally there is the tradition of the Karmapas either leaving a Letter of Prediction or occasionally leaving verbal instructions with their very close disciples. You said that this time an instruction had been left with a person and he is not saying anything now. When he does speak out, if he is right, I am right; if he is wrong, I am wrong. This is what you said. But you gave no reasonable grounds in which we could have confidence. We were then even more anxious about what will happen regarding the reincarnation of His Holiness. At the end we all with one voice requested that regardless of whether there is a Letter of Prediction or not, the three Rinpoches give the utmost consideration to maintaining of harmony and the upholding of pure samaya between them all and thus come to a conclusion regarding the reincarnation of His Holiness. We confirmed that we would make the same earnest request to Situ Rinpoche and Gyaltsab Rinpoche. We also repeatedly implored you to moderate your comments and actions on this subject in the meantime. I am very disappointed that you neither considered nor heeded our requests.
At that time, Beru Khyentse Rinpoche and I came to see you, Tobga-la, said to you that under the present volatile circumstances surrounding the reincarnation of His Holiness, with your position and responsibility of General Secretary, you are best qualified to be the spokesman for all the Tulkus, Lamas, monks and followerd of our lineage. We requested you to appeal in whatever appropriate way to the three Rinpoches to give the highest importance to maintaining harmony and keeping pure samaya between themselves and thus come to a conclusion regarding His Holiness´ reincarnation. However, you turned down our sincere request.
Around the time that the three Rinpoches had some disagreement, you could have consulted the other Rinpoches, Lamas and monasteries of the lineage, in the way that if you have a sore in the mouth, you allow it to heal in the mouth, but you did not make the slightest effort to resolve the matter from within. Instead you spread negative accounts everywhere and without regard to whomever you met. This caused widespread doubts, confusion and misunderstandings which in turn caused many followers ------- themselves in harmful gossiping which has been so damaging to the Buddhdharma in general and especially to our lineage.
Secondly as for the present, in accordance with our past tradition, on the basis of the contents of the Letter of Prediction by the previous Gyalwang Karmapa and the unobstructed pure vision of the world´s foremost Buddhist leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama both being in clear accord, the unmistaken reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa was found and duly confirmed through granting the highest seal of approval, the precious Buktham Letter. Thus the supreme 17th Karmapa Ugyen Drodul Trinley has been enthroned on the Golden Seat of all his predecessors in Tsurphu. As such, a second Karmapa can never under any circumstances be agreed to nor accepted. Generally speaking, there is no set limit to the number of emanations of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at any one time, yet, throughout the history of our lineage, there has always been ONLY ONE RENOWNED AS KARMAPA. Your putting forward a second Karmapa can only cause, for now in the future, discord and the breaking of samaya within the lineage. So please on no account consider implementing such activities.
Thirdly as for the future, within this age of degeneration, I request you to have the highest consideration for the precious teachings of the Buddha in general and the essence of the Practice Lineage in particular. Even though presently, because of obstacles to the Dharma, there has been some violation of samaya; in order to avoid complete breaking and the impeding of the dharma activities of an illuminator of the Kamtsang lineage, Kunzig Shamarpa, for as long as the Buddhadharma exists, i implore you to give the utmost consideration to the maintaining of the activities worthy of the Kunzig Shamarpa for the present and future benefit.
I would like to clearly state that while bringing your attention to these above-mentioned points, I am not following hearsay, I am not speaking eloquent words which conceal selfish motives, I am not taking sides because of personal connections nor am I seeking fame or position. I am not being motivated by self concern. I am very much aware of the kindness and considerateness that the two of you have shown me, and so I ask you not to be offended by my sincere requests which I make after having carefully thought through this most important matter relating to the lineage.
In the future, during this difficult time for the Buddhadharma and especially the Karma Kagyu Lineage, I will respectfully acknowledge and joyfully offer whatever service I can to any of your activities you perform that have present and future benefit.
From the Mirik Kagyu Monastery, I, Bokar Tulku respectfully sent this to you on 23rd February 1994.
