Timothy Roemer meets Dalai Lama

Source: The Hindu

U.S. Ambassador Timothy J. Roemer, who is on a short visit to Himachal Pradesh, had a closed-door meeting with spiritual leader Dalai Lama at Dharamsala on Thursday.

The meeting, lasting more than an hour, was held at the official residence of the Dalai Lama in Macleodganj.

Mr. Roemer said many important issues were discussed, including the dialogue process between Beijing and the Dalai Lama's representatives, which got stalled after the ninth round in January last year.

Mr. Roemer, who arrived in Dharamsala on Wednesday along with his wife to inaugurate the Tibetan Reception Centre, said the Dalai Lama also discussed issues related to ecology and the environment.

The U.S. government had provided 60-65 per cent of the total cost of the reception centre.

Earlier, Mr. Roemer and his wife Sally visited the Upper Tibetan Children's Village School, the largest Tibetan residential school of its kind in India.

Tibet activist's brother, sons to finish Fla. walk

The Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A brother and two sons of the Dalai Lama's nephew say they'll complete his walk to bring attention to the campaign for freedom in Chinese-controlled Tibet, picking up where the Bloomington, Ind., man died last week in Florida.
Kunga Norbu and two of Jigme Norbu's sons plan to continue the walk Wednesday through Saturday in Florida. The Herald Times of Bloomington says 13-year-old Tenzin and 9-year-old Jensen Norbu will walk, but their 6-year-old brother won't make the walk due to his age.
The 45-year-old Jigme Norbu was struck and killed by an SUV Feb. 14, about 25 miles south of St. Augustine. It happened on the first day of a 300-mile walk.
The family also says it will have a memorial service March 1 at Bloomington City Hall.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/22/2080028/tibet-activists-brother-sons-to.html#ixzz1EjWreA30

Harvard Law School Grad Runs For Tibetan Office

Source: The Harvard Crimson
Harvard Law School graduate and research associate Lobsang Sangay is hoping to lead a government with no borders and no jurisdiction in the country it says it represents. After an eight-month campaign traveling to settlements across the world, Sangay hopes to become the next prime minister of the Tibetan government in exile.
Sangay, the first Tibetan graduate of Harvard Law School, came to Cambridge on a Fulbright Scholarship, where he earned both his J.D. and LL.M. While Sangay said that being the first Tibetan to graduate from the Law School is an honor, he added that the barrier could have been broken much earlier.
Sangay said that he hopes his success at Harvard will inspire young Tibetans to pursue higher education so that they can “continue to more effectively provide leadership in the Tibetan movement and community at large.”
He added that his education at Harvard helped equip him to serve the Tibetan community.
“Exposure to diverse views, ways of thinking, and how leaders conduct themselves have definitely helped me become both an individual and an academic, as well a leader,” he said.
Sangay said that conversing with Chinese students had been especially helpful.
“Meeting hundreds of Chinese students helped me understand their perspective and also equipped me in sharing the challenges in the present occupation of Tibet,” Sangay said.
Professor of Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Leonard W. J. van der Kuijp said he has known Sangay since Sangay came to Harvard more than a decade ago and that Sangay has “always been very active within the Tibetan community in Boston” as well as in the broader Tibetan movement.
“He used to be very hardline, [with a] pro-independence Tibet mindset,” van der Kuijp said about Sangay when he first arrived at Harvard. “But in the meantime he’s mellowed quite a bit.”
Van der Kuijp said that Sangay—like the Dalai Lama—now realizes that an independent Tibet probably isn’t going to happen in his lifetime, and that there are other more effective ways to push for improved life for Tibetans.
According to van der Kuijp, Sangay has been “very active” in trying to encourage discussion and debate on campus by gathering Tibetans to discuss the region’s future, and by bringing Tibetans together with Chinese officials to encourage mutual understanding in each group-’s positions. Sangay organized and participated in five such conferences on campus.
Although Sangay has been active on campus in facilitating conversations between Chinese officials and Tibetan activists, neither he nor the government he is campaigning to run is allowed to enter Tibet. Centered in Dharamsala, India, the government operates completely outside of Tibet, and has jurisdiction over and is elected by a voting population of refugees in Tibetan colonies around the world.
The government employs over 400 individuals at its headquarters, and over 700 staff members in Tibetan settlements across the world, according to Sangay. The government also sustains a parliament and a judiciary, which overhears civil and administrative cases within the Tibetan community.
Before the campaign, Sangay traveled to different Tibetan settlements to give lectures and hold workshops. He said that while Harvard paid for his academic trips, all trips related to his candidacy have been covered by the campaign. The Tibetan population, though scattered, is small, and Sangay said it only takes a month and a half to visit all the settlements across the world.
Since last August, Sangay has split his time between the campaign and Cambridge—his home since 1995. If Sangay wins the election, he will have to resign his position at the Law School and move permanently to India, a step Sangay called a “compromise one has to make.”
“It’s a duty for a cause, for a movement. I’ve always worked for Tibet and the Tibetan people, now I’d be physically moving to India,” Sangay said. “These are minor challenges compared to the sacrifices made by Tibetans in Tibet.”
—Staff writer Caroline M. McKay can be reached at carolinemckay@college.harvard.edu.

Dalai Lama's nephew killed on Fla. highway walk

The Associated Press

PALM COAST, Fla. — The Dalai Lama's nephew was killed along a Florida coastal highway during one of his long treks to bring awareness to the Tibetan struggle for independence from China, officials said.

FILE-This April 8, 2008 file photo shows Jigme Norbu, left, nephew of the Dalai Lama, standing next to Thupten Donyo, right, holding up a photo of the Dalai Lama, as they rally with Tibetans and supporters at City Hall in San Francisco. Officials say Norbu has been killed along the side of a Florida highway during a 300-mile "Walk for Tibet."The Florida Highway Patrol says the 45-year-old Norbu was hit by an SUV about 7:30 Monday night along State Road A1A along the east coast. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu,File)

Jigme K. Norbu was hit after dark Monday on the side of the unlit highway by an SUV driven by a father with his 5-year-old son. The Highway Patrol accident report said Norbu, 45, was walking on the white line in the same direction as traffic, on the southbound side of a state highway that runs the length of the state's Atlantic coast.

Police released few other details. Norbu, who lived in Bloomington, Ind., and was active in a Tibetan rights group there, had started with others Monday on a Valentine's Day "Walk for Tibet" meant to cover some 300 miles from St. Augustine south to West Palm Beach, according to his group, Ambassadors For World Peace.

The accident happened about 25 miles south of St. Augustine on State Highway A1A.

The SUV was driven by 31-year-old Keith R. O'Dell of Palm Coast, according to the Highway Patrol's report. O'Dell and his son were not injured and O'Dell was not charged.

Norbu, the son of the Dalai Lama's late brother, Taktser Rinpoche, has done similar walks several other times, including one of 900 miles in 2009 from Indiana to New York.

That walk marked the 50th anniversary of the failed Tibetan rebellion against Chinese rule that resulted in the exile of his uncle, who is Tibet's top spiritual leader.

Norbu's late father was a high lama who was abbot of a monastery when the Chinese invaded. The brothers fled into exile following the 1959 uprising.

Rinpoche, who died in September 2008 at 86, was a professor of Tibetan studies at Indiana University in Bloomington while serving as the Dalai Lama's U.S. representative.

The Dalai Lama has visited Bloomington several times. The city about 50 miles southwest of Indianapolis is home to the Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center and Kumbum Chamtse Ling Temple.

China claims Tibet as part of its territory, but many Tibetans say Chinese rule deprives them of religious freedom. Beijing accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing for Tibetan autonomy and fomenting anti-Chinese protests.

Tunisia, Egypt and now can China be far behind?

Unfolding of events in Tunisia and Egypt is an encouragement for all freedom loving people all over the world. It exposed that will of the people and their desire for freedom and human rights cannot be suppressed for long. In this world of Internet savvy world citizenry, these events in middle east has proven that tyrannic and autocratic rule has no place in this civilised world. It is not surprising that communist government in Beijing has censored the word 'EGYPT' from google in China. These kind of ill step by the communist regime is clearly an indication of timidity of communist rulers of China in the face of a growing outcry for democracy and human rights, all over the world.

Chinese leadership are fully aware of the fact that they are indeed living in bubble and very mindful that soon they may have to come out of that bubble or else force of human spirit longing for human rights, dignity and freedom will burst that bubble. They the Chinese rulers are right in having this fear because soon they will have to respect the will of their own people or their people will show them their way.

I hope that Chinese leadership comes to their sense and take cognisance of the ramification of what might happens if they don't.

Dear Prospective Kalon Tripa?

Election is coming and soon Tibetans in exile will have one of you as their next Kalon Tripa. Your assumption of the position is unique and critical as Tibetan cause will enter  new era of uncertainty and renewed  challenges. You will face not only the challenge of dealing with our adversary to resolve the Tibetan cause but also delivering to those challenges . History will judge and the voters who have bestowed faith and confidence in you will measure your ability to tackle the issues based on your commitment and audacity to confront these challenges. No doubt, the challenges are daunting but voters will expect at least a sincere effort.

During the course of your campaign, you were asked many questions as to how you will deal with various issues confronting our diaspora and you have made sincere effort to answer these issues if you are elected as the next Kalon Tripa. It is also true and expected that no one has Crystal ball to tackle our situation in a concrete way and you have manifest that during your campaign stops.

Now the question is two fold:

Confronting our adversary whether in direct talk or otherwise will continue to be a difficult and daunting task because they will continue to be not trustworthy and sincere. Therefore no matter how much effort and concession we make, there will be not much headway.

However, there can be one issue where you can make sincere effort and  say with conviction that is what can be done to address the education needs of Tibetan children and certainty of employment to those who have graduated from the colleges and Universities. Nation can also prosper only if its citizens and nationals are educated. Our exile government has done a lot in this front but now it is an opportunity for the next Kalon Tripa to give an assurance to our youth that education is key to our nation and that exile government will double their effort that no child is left uneducated and no youth remained unemployed. This is not a wishful thinking but a real opportunity for next Kalon Tripa to bring about real and meaningful change in the life of our youth. It is only education that can confront our adversary in a short and long term. Any takers?

Dalai Lama to bring message of peace to Newark during 3-day summit

Source: Star Ledger
Newark will not find peace on its streets, until Newarkers find peace within themselves.
That is the message His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, will bring to the city during a three-day, "Peace Education Summit" in May. Organizers of the summit said today the event will bring some of the world’s preeminent "peace leaders" to Newark and will examine how practicing non-violence in homes and communities can effect change throughout society.
"Newark will become a city of peace and a model throughout the world," said Drew Katz, a New Jersey-based philanthropist who played a major role in convening the summit. "I do believe that we can create a more peaceful culture."
Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, a key summit organizer and longtime friend of the Dalai Lama’s, said the Tibetan spiritual leader’s presence will serve as a model for summit participants.
"He responds to genocide with a call for dialogue," he said of the Dalai Lama, who was born in 1935 and at age 2 was recognized as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama.
The event will include workshops and lectures on peaceful, non-violent conflict mediation for individuals, families and institutions. Nobel Laureates Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams will be among the scores of civic leaders at the summit, which was announced today from the Newark Museum’s Engelhard Court.

Buddha’s not smiling

February 01, 2011

First Published: 23:05 IST(1/2/2011)

‘Is the Karmapa a Chinese spy?’ ‘Is the possible successor to the Dalai Lama a Chinese mole?’ ‘Is this another clever ploy of China to take control of the border regions?’ The media have gone berserk with speculations about the Karmapa Lama. Sadly, the coverage has failed to do any groundwork research. This episode not only exposes the way the Indian media works but also jolts the Tibetan faith in Indian democracy and harms India’s long-term interests in Tibet.

The police raid found a few crore rupees worth of cash. At most, this may be a case of financial irregularity or non-transparent dealings by the managers of the Karmapa’s monastery for which they should be held accountable. Raising questions about a person being a spy for another country is a serious matter. It destroys his or her reputation. The news stories reflect a witch-hunt and betray the lack of an understanding of Tibetan life in India.

Ogyen Trinley Dorje is the 17th Karmapa, the oldest lineage in Tibetan Buddhism and the head of the Karma Kagyu sect. He is one of the rare lamas recognised by both the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. There is nothing conspiratorial about it. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, China was more accommodative of Tibet-based religious figures, consulting and coordinating the choice of reincarnations with the Dalai Lama and other lamas in exile. This accommodativeness came to an end with the crisis over the Panchen Lama’s reincarnation in 1995.

The Karmapa’s selection after the demise of the 16th Karmapa was not without its own controversy as there is a rival candidate, Trinley Thaye Dorje, who had the backing of a senior Karma Kagyu figure, the Shamarpa. The Shamarpa is reputed to have close connections within the Indian security establishment and bureaucracy. But most Tibetans have accepted the Dalai Lama’s choice. In fact, within China-controlled Tibet, veneration for the Karmapa is next only to that of the Dalai Lama. Even within the Gelug (the sect of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama) monasteries in Tibet, one comes across the Karmapa’s picture and it is clear that for ordinary Tibetans, the Karmapa’s proximity to the Dalai Lama adds to his sacredness.

It is true that the Karmapa has avoided making anti-China political statements and Beijing has therefore not denounced him. Again, there is nothing suspicious about this. The Chinese had refused to openly criticise even the Dalai Lama in 1959 until he made a public statement after his exile. Beijing does not want to denounce the Karmapa and thus contribute to the creation of another globally recognised figurehead around which the Free Tibet movement will mobilise. Moreover, in recent history, Karmapas have avoided overly political positions since in the traditional Tibetan State, the Gelug sect was dominant. By focusing solely on religious affairs, the present 17th Karmapa is following the footsteps of his previous reincarnation.

It is unfortunate that without appreciating the nuances of sectarian politics within Tibetan Buddhism and Sino-Tibetan relations, the Indian media portrayed the Karmapa’s apolitical stance as suspicious. Continuing speculation about the Karmapa’s escape from Tibet in 1999 reminds me of a Japanese conspiracy theory film where the filmmaker argued that he was ‘sent’ to Sikkim to get control over the ‘Black Hat’ kept in Rumtek monastery in Sikkim. Interestingly, this film was given to me in Beijing!

Decades of repression during the Cultural Revolution has not been able to shake the belief that Tibetans have in their lamas. The Indian media’s onslaught on the Karmapa will only reaffirm Tibetan respect for the Karmapa. But it will certainly backfire for India as followers of Tibetan Buddhism in exile, in the border regions, in Tibet and in the rest of the world, will resent this humiliation of the religious figure. Had it been the Shahi Imam or Baba Ramdev, would the media have taken such liberties in going to town with such an unconfirmed story?

Hardline officials in China must be laughing their heads off at the Indian media circus. They know that this will not only create confusion in the exiled Tibetan community in India, but will also create a disenchantment about India among Tibetans inside China. India has let the Tibetans down on many occasions since the late 1940s when the latter sought help and support in making their claims for independence internationally and in 1954 when the Panchsheel agreement was signed with China over the old Tibetan State. India has provided refuge to more than 100,000 Tibetan exiles. But we must not forget that the exiled lamas provide a stability and keep the people in the borderlands pacified in a manner more effective than the Indian military. Tibetans are over-generous with their gratitude to their Indian hosts and are hesitant in reminding India of a small inconvenient truth: until 1951, the disputed border regions were neither Chinese nor Indian but Tibetan. In return, the very least Indians could do is not malign Tibetan religious leaders before they are even proved guilty of their misdemeanour. Is that too much to ask?

Dibyesh Anand is an associate professor of international relations at Westminster University, London and the

author of Tibet: A Victim of Geopolitics

The views expressed by the author are personal

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print/657332.aspx

Hindustan Times

India's religious tolerance a model for world, says His Holiness

[Tuesday, 1 February 2011, 10:01 a.m.]

---

His Holiness the Dalai Lama (C) at St. Joseph's College's Josephite Summit. His Holiness is flanked by Dr Fr Ambrose Pinto SJ, Principal, Dr Fr Vijaykumar Prabhu SJ, Rector and Sri Laxminarayan IAS, President - Alumni

BANGALORE: His Holiness the Dalai Lama called India an example for the rest of the world as all major religious traditions have been kept alive here for thousands of years.

His Holiness also urged the country to more actively promote its two treasures, which he said were religious harmony and ahimsa.

Addressing more than 7,000 people in a public talk on "Finding Happiness in Troubled Times," on Sunday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama called on people to utilise their human intelligence in a more holistic way. "Through this, many of the problems we face today can be tackled, ensuring a more peaceful, equal and prosperous world," he said at the talk, which was organized by Choe Khor Sum Ling (CKSL), a Bangalore-based Buddhist meditation and study group.

India’s “treasures” -- both ahimsa and religious harmony -- are much needed in today’s world, and as such, religious leaders must actively preserve, promote and realise its relevance to the present time, His Holiness said, at the event organised by CKSL, which was founded in Bangalore in 2003 by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

In order to develop religious harmony, one must study and observe the values of other traditions and have mutual respect for their teachings and practices, His Holiness said.

"Different religions adopt various ways of approach but what is of utmost importance is the main purpose or goal that they seek to achieve. In the end, all religious traditions have the same potential for enhancing compassion," he said to the gathering, which included hundreds of dignitaries, including Former Indian Foreign Secretary AP Venkateswaran.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who warmly greeted His old friend in the former Indian Foreign Secretary, said India -- which has been home to him and to many of his people for over half a century -- was the "guru" and that Tibetans were the "chelas." "Over the course of years, we have proved that we are reliable chelas," His Holiness said, referring to the way Tibetans have preserved and promoted Buddhism that was brought to Tibet by scholars from India's Nalanda University.

He, however, hinted that India should do more to help the Tibetan cause, saying "Logically when chelas suffer, the guru should take a more active role."

This is the second time the Buddhist leader has addressed Bangaloreans in a public talk organised by CKSL. The first was in 2004.

Mr Abdul Aziz, the group co-ordinator for CKSL, said "We count ourselves fortunate to have been given this opportunity to create a platform where Indians and specifically Bangaloreans will get to interact with such a magnificent personality."

Finding Happiness From Inner Peace

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks on Finding Happiness in Troubled Times at National College Grounds, Bangalore during a public talk organized by Choe Khor Sum Ling on Sunday, 30 January 2011

His Holiness the Dalai Lama advised the crowd to not seek satisfaction from material values as these have limitations despite their necessity. "Due to science and technology, material development is taking place rapidly but in the more affluent societies you will find that inner peace is not necessarily high," the spiritual leader said. "Those people, who can think of inner values and not rely only on sensory pleasures, get the greatest satisfaction from analysing and thinking on reality more holistically," he added.

Speaking to the gathering, which was a mix of Tibetans, Indians and foreigners, the His Holiness the Dalai Lama said that “We all have the seed of Buddha.” Explaining this further, His Holiness said that according to the Buddhist viewpoint, everyone has the same potential to become a Buddha, and consequently, the ability to overcome one’s ignorance and have knowledge of different realms of reality and ultimately of reality.”

Ignorance, which causes destructive emotions, can be eliminated, not through prayer, but by developing an awareness of reality, His Holiness said. "One must seek to become a more calm person as calmness is the basis of satisfaction and is also good for physical well-being. A calm state of mind can be achieved by training one's mind through awareness, not through prayer," His Holiness added.

He stressed on the importance of "desire" and "ego," saying these must be cultivated as one must have self-confidence and a strong sense of self to have a limitless will power. Negative desire should, however, be shunned, His Holiness added.

A Century of Dialogue

Calling the 20th century a period of bloodshed, His Holiness the Dalai Lama said the 21st century should be a century of dialogue, as dialogue must be employed as a means to resolve the differences in this world.

"Our ultimate aim should be to demilitarise the world and with such a vision, effort must be made on various levels starting from that of an individual level,” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said.

In a separate event held earlier that day at the St. Joseph's College in Bangalore, His Holiness the Dalai Lama addressed over 3,000 attendees at the Josephite Summit.

The spiritual leader told the 1500-odd students who were amongst the gathering that they were the people of the 21st century, and that they were responsible for whether this century became a more compassionate, constructive and peaceful one, instead of one that sees more poverty, killing and suffering. "The transformation of this century into a happier society is your responsibility," he said.

His Holiness sent the crowd into peals of laughter and resounding applause after he told them that he was a son of India as "...every particle of my brain is filled with Nalanda thought, and this mental thought is sustained by Indian dal and rice."

Praising His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s non-violent struggle for the Tibetan cause, Dr (Fr) Ambrose Pinto, Principal of St. Joseph’s College, said “Like the Mahatma Gandhi of India, you are also a Mahatma for what you stand for.”

Statement of Gyalwang Karmapa on Seeking Refuge in India

[Sunday, 30 January 2011, 6:36 p.m.]

---

Following is the statement of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, delivered by Mr Karma Topden, Spokesperson of Karmapa Reception Committee in Sikkim, at a press conference at Gyuto Monastery in Dharamsala, India, on 30 January 2011. The statement came following a series of speculative and groundless allegations against him as a “Chinese spy” and “possessing money through illegal deals” appeared in the Indian media.

He (Gyalwang Karmapa) asked me to explain to you his reasons for coming to India. He gave me five reasons.

The first reason was that the Chinese are beginning to put pressure on him to go against the Dalai Lama and to support the Panchen Lama selected by them [Chinese government]. The Karmapa did not want to be put in this position of going against the Dalai Lama. So he decided to leave Tibet.

The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa (R) meets His Holiness the Dalai Lama for the first time upon his arrival in Dharamsala on 5 January 2000/File Photo

The second reason for coming to India was that he wanted to complete his spiritual studies. For the completion of his spiritual studies, he has to receive the oral teachings according to Karma Kagyu tradition from the gurus of his lineage who had also received them directly from the 16th Karmapa directly, his predecessor. All these gurus were in India. And since they could not come to Tibet to give these teachings, he decided to come to India so that he could receive the teachings and complete his spiritual education..

The third reason was that he wanted to see the Dalai Lama and to receive His Holiness' blessings.

The fourth reason was that he had heard a lot about the activities of his illustrious predecessor, the 16th Karmapa, all his activities in India and in Sikkim where he settled in Rumtek Monastery which became his headquarter in India. As he heard a lot about this, he wanted to come to India to visit and see these places. Also he had heard a lot about the activities of his predecessor in India from where traveled to other countries and spread the words of Dharma and set up various Karma Kagyu centres all around the world. So the 17th Karmapa wanted to follow the footsteps of the 16th Karmapa. Believing and knowing that India is a free country unlike Tibet, where there is suppression and religious freedom is not allowed, he had come to India so that he could freely gain spiritual knowledge from his gurus and freely practice and preach Dharma in India and in the rest of the world. That was the main reason for his coming to India.

Fifthly, when he came to India he was given refuge in India. He is very grateful for the refuge given to him by the government and people of India and for all the courtesies and hospitalities shown to him throughout his stay in India. He continuous to be very grateful and shall remain grateful always to the people and government of India. Throughout his stay in India, he has been conscious of his obligations to India and he has prayed for the welfare of the people of India and he continues to do that even now.

He assures me that he has not done anything while in India in any way to undermine and harm the interest of India. India is his second home and he is happy here. He looks forward to India becoming a powerful and prosperous nation. He has no intention in any way of undermining anything against the interest of India. This is what he has asked me to convey.

Kagyu Office Announcement

January 29, 2011. Dharamsala

We would like to categorically state that the allegations being levelled against the Karmapa and his administration are grossly speculative and without foundation in the truth. Everyone who knows the history of our lineage, our struggle and His Holiness' life is very surprised by the allegations.

We categorically deny having any link whatsoever with any arm of the Chinese Government. The Karmapa has a deep affection for the people of this great country of India where he has been practicing his faith for years. We have had a long and positive working relationship with the democratic Government of India that has always demonstrated great tolerance of cultural expression and diverse beliefs.

We have followers in a large number of countries who have placed their trust and faith in us and, through their individual donations, enabled the sect to undertake substantial programmes of public service that have benefitted many thousands in India and abroad.

Monasteries across the world accept offerings from devotees in various forms-there is nothing surprising, new or irregular in this. . A representative of HH the Dalai Lama's office underlined this yesterday. The cash in question under the current investigation by the police is offerings received for charitable purposes from local and international disciples from many different countries wishing to support His Holiness' various charitable activities. Any suggestion that these offerings were to be used for illegal purposes is libellous.

At this point, about the Chinese currency we can say that his Holiness has a large following of Tibetans from Tibet who make donations in Chinese currency. The fact is that His Holiness the Karmapa has millions of followers around the world, who hold him in the highest esteem and reverence. All our dealings across the world are honest and completely transparent-anything else would be contrary to the Buddhist principals that we live by.

Because the Gyalwang Karmapa resides in temporary quarters in Dharamsala, his Office of Administration has been seeking to build a monastery as a permanent residence for His Holiness. This project is clearly subject to Indian government approval. The Gyalwang Karmapa's office has kept the relevant Indian government agencies fully informed of its recent plans to purchase suitable land. The potential site was evaluated and cleared by the appropriate governmental offices. The negotiations to purchase the land are still in progress, have been reported to the Indian authorities, and are completely above board.

I can confirm that Shakti Lama was taken into custody yesterday but we are confident of his release very shortly, as soon as we provide the law with the answers they are looking for. I can also confirm that HH the Karmapa has made himself fully available for questioning by the officers concerned.

We will supply as much information as available, as regularly as possible but would also like to state that our first priority is to cooperate fully with the investigations underway.

Issued by Karmapa Office of Administration
29.1.2011
Dharamsala, HP