These days a topic is frequently mentioned in the news which also caught my attention. The Karmapa Lama, the third most important person in Tibetan Buddhism, was questioned by police for possessing Millions of Rupees in different currencies in cash.
Ogyen Trinley Dorje, known as the Karmapa Lama, is said to be born in 1985 in China and came as a refugee to India in 2000. There are several controversies about his age, his flight from China and also his post, as he is not the only person claiming to be the Karmapa Lama. However he was recognized by the Dalai Lama, the head of the Tibetan Buddhism. So the Karmapa Lama built his monastery, the Gyuto University, in Sidhbari near Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama resides in Exile.
On the 27th January the police was performing routine checks of vehicles and were surprised to find 10 Million Rupees, about 218000 US-Dollars, in cash in a car destined for the Karmapa’s monastery. When they raided his monastery in the consequence, they found a great amount of cash notes in 24 different currencies, altogether worth another 70 Million Rupees or 1.52 Million US-Dollars. There was money from Singapore, Malaysia, Europe, 600000 US-Dollars and about 7 Million Rupees in Chinese currency. In Dollars that would be about 152000 US-Dollars and what the investigating officers especially mentioned was that the Chinese notes were in exact numeric sequence. How come the Karmapa has so much money lying around in cash in his home?
The answer which was given to the police and later, by a spokesperson, to media is that the entire money consists of donations by the big number of followers that the Karmapa has and who come from all over the world. He is not, they assured the public, a Chinese agent or in any way allied to China, as allegedly feared by the investigating agencies who worry about India’s security.
The police was not satisfied with this answer and want to question him again. They also arrested the Shakti Lama from the monastery, who was in charge of financial transactions and some more people who are related to this case, including a bank manager.
Even the Dalai Lama has come to his support, stating that these all are donations given to this spiritual man and they were simply not well accounted for. He himself holds a Nobel Peace Prize, is a respected person and has devotees from all over the world who come to see him and also offer him donations for his blessings. However this kind of case never happened to the Dalai Lama although he has been here in India since 1959. How come this happens to the Karmapa Lama and not to the Dalai Lama, obviously a person with more influence, more followers and a bigger organization?
Yesterday, when I was watching the news on TV, the Karmapa Lama’s lawyer confirmed the story that the money is only donations but added that they have another problem: they don’t have a FCRA permission which you need for receiving donations in foreign currencies. You have to obtain this permission by the government of India and then declare every donation that you get.
This news really surprised me because even we, who are running a very small charity organization, have this FCRA permission which makes it possible for people from all over the world to support us with donations, whether from their country or when they come to the Ashram.
It is astonishing again and again to hear this kind of news about monasteries, temples, monks, masters, gurus, sects and religious institutions. I ask myself why so many religious leaders seem to have the wish to become millionaires? Why and for what do they need millions? If you feel like earning a lot of money, do business, work hard and try your luck there instead of doing business on the name of religion and charitable donations! It just confirms me in my opinion and belief that we don’t really need any religious institution, no building and no master. We are all the same and we don’t need to give money to one special person for his or her blessings. We all are same. Everybody is able to give blessings because God lives in everybody’s heart.
Karmapa intentionally hiding facts, say Himachal Police
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ebjTkB9omk
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The Dalai Lama fortunately seems to be a very fine person with a spotless record, as far as I know, and he has done great honor to his tradition. But over the last 50 years, Tibetan Buddhism has been filled with corruption. I know enough about this to write a book, but those books have already been written. To get away with behaviors such as exploitation for money, extreme greed, sexual debauchery, sexual promiscuity, and alcoholism, leaders of this organization tell their brainwashed gullible followers that this behavior is “crazy wisdom”, meaning too wise for ordinary people to understand. There is much great wisdom and great art in this tradition that I’ve studied, enjoyed, and benefited from very much. But from what I’ve seen, their organizations are just as filled with corruption as any other religious organizations. Just as with all problematic churches, there are some very good people in them. But there are so many morally corrupt people there, that I would advise anyone with thoughts of getting involved with a Tibetan Buddhist organization, or any religious organization for that matter, to proceed with very great caution, because there are crooks and exploiters all around. I would advise anyone trying to get more in touch with Soul and Spirit, know that you have all the equipment you need in your own subtle body. All you need are some good techniques and the determination to practice them. You don’t need to be involved with any religious organizations to practice sadhana. So save yourself the trouble, risk, and expense, and just practice your sadhana on your own, independently of any religious organization.
I totally agree with your point of view!
Beautiful and accurate comment, Swami Ji Balendu. Thank you for sharing it!
Yes, you’re so right! And it’s the same in all religions, isn’t that silly? Looks like human beings want to be betrayed only to save their souls. If they understood, that God is with them every moment of their live, they wouldn’t need “an abassador to God”, which they might see in all priests .
This subject pushes my buttons and gets me ranting, so I hope I’m not talking too much. But it brings to mind how if you enter a religious organization, you are often immediately expected to believe a lot of nonsense, and if you question the nonsense, you are spoiling the experience for others, and others there resent you for it. One of the biggest hoaxes is the idea that if a guru has drug, alcohol, or sexual debauchery problems, he is magically absorbing the negative karma of his disciples through these actions, so these actions are part of the “crazy wisdom” and part of ways that gurus act compassionately to heal their followers. I’ve heard this excuse so many times, and its part of the stock excuses that disciples have for their guru’s misbehaviors, both Buddhist and Hindu. So if anyone investigates such organizations, be careful to watch for this “absorbing karma” as an excuse for immorality. It is very common.
You are not talking too much at all! It is interesting to get to know that these excuses are used for Buddhist gurus in the same way! I had heard this for Hindu Gurus until now and also for Zen masters of different sects, not for the Buddhists until now. However i have not any doubt or hesitation to believe this. The guru is always great, always the best and whatever he does is right. I often wonder how it can be that although disciples see the faults of the guru, although they see the guru doing what he preaches against, they have an excuse for it and they close their eyes.
It is the wish to have a person who is perfect and tells you what to do. Of course it would be great to have someone who knows everything and whom you can ask to always get the best advice. However this person will always be human and you have to be careful when you choose whose advice you decide to trust and follow.
This is very disturbing
So long as people are gullible there will be charlatans to take advantage of them. The only authentic spiritual leader is oneself.
This is a problem that I hope we can fight with education. If people learn about the laws of physics and keep faith in God not in masters who, in the end, are just humans with mistakes like themselves, they will not suffer from this kind of disappointment of such a master or guru.This is what we are working for, to make people realize their inner spiritual master themselves.
I read yesterday an interesting article in the “Frankfurter Rundschau” aobut that issue: A living buddha under suspicion. And because I was looking for more information, I found your interesting comment. Thank you. I posted your comment also in my facebook-group “Buddhismus- der Weg der Selbstheilung und zum Glück” (buddhism – the way for self-healing and happiness”.
If you have followed this case, you know already the newest development:The government of the Indian State Himachal took over the monastery of the Karmapa Lama! They found out that their registry of the land was false, only fraud, and that this land belongs to nobody.
So first they found illegal money in the monastery and took it, now they see the whole monastery is illegal and they take that, too.
Here you can read more:
Himachal Govt to take over Karmapa Monastery