Shamar Rinpoche in Lhasa

As I'd never been to Lhasa before, I'd imagined that the Bakhor district was very large. But it turned out to be quite a small area filled with people, much like the precincts of a small monastery. It became evident that I couldn't mingle with the crowd unnoticed. There were also many Tibetan traders from India and Nepal who could easily recognise me. To enter the family's house to observe the young child might have undesirable consequences. I had learned that the authorities knew that I was in the country and that they were probably watching my movements. I had also wanted to go to an area of Tibet called Tsari, to a place called the White Lake, to do a seven day retreat there.

This lake is important in the history of the Karma Kagyu lineage, because it's customary to do a retreat there to obtain indications when trying to decide about a possible candidate. However, in view of the circumstances I had to change my plans. I had travelled to Tibet via Hong Kong and Chengdu only to discover that I couldn't remain incognito despite my guise as an ordinary businessman. In order to divert the authorities' attention from my real purpose, I went off to the northern part of the country, to a tourist area called Namtso. When I was back in Lhasa, I took the next flight to Kathmandu.

Divination

At the time a senior Lama, Lama Tsultrim Dawa, was one of my advisors. He had been with me for many years. He was a person for whom I have much respect on account of his spiritual capacity.

This Lama lived at the Swayambhu Monastery in Kathmandu. Back in Nepal I asked him to go to Parphing, which is situated outside Kathmandu. At Parphing there is a spontaneously arisen image of Tara that serves as a place of worship.

In Tibetan Buddhism, a person seeking indications of a reincarnation or guidance in other matters will traditionally write down different possibilities, then roll the pieces of paper into balls of dough and put them in a vessel. He then goes to a holy spot and prays that the piece of paper with the correct indication will fall out of the vessel when he rotates it.

Two different possibilities were written down on two pieces of paper. One piece of paper contained the possibility that Mipham Rinpoche's son, Tendzin Khyentse (which was Thaye Dorje's name at the time), is the reincarnation of the late Karmapa Rangjung Rigpei Dorje; the other piece said that he was not the reincarnation. These two pieces of paper were rolled into two pieces of dough and put inside a vessel.

When Lama Tsültrim Dawa rotated the vessel, one of them fell out. It was the one which said that Mipham Rinpoche's son, Tendzin Khyentse, is the reincarnation of the Karmapa.

The same procedure was repeated the next day in the Dulikhel district of Kathmandu, where there is a sacred Mahakala image. Again the same piece of paper fell out of the vessel.

Then Lama Tsültrim Dawa, on his own initiative, went to yet another of Kathmandu's sacred places, called the World's Noble White Buddha. On this occasion also, the piece of paper saying that Mipham Rinpoche's son, Tendzin Khyentse, is the reincarnation of H. H. the Karmapa Rangjung Rigpei Dorje fell out of the vessel. This further convinced me that Tendzin Khyentse is the authentic reincarnation of the Karmapa.

The Karmapa comes to India

Now being convinced that Tendzin Khyentse was the authentic reincarnation, I invited him to India.

What is extraordinary about Tendzin Khyentse and his family leaving Tibet is that they were able to do so through perfectly legal channels. The family had been put under very harsh restrictions by the authorities in Tibet. So they decided to leave the country. They were permitted to do so and came to India. Of course, it would have been easier if His Holiness's reincarnation had been born in Sikkim, Bhutan, or a similar place. This would have avoided problems with travel documents and so on. However, one cannot alter the circumstances for such reasons.

The reincarnation must be authentic.

September 1999 >>>