PDF Karmapa: The Politics of Reincarnation by Lea Terhune in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Rolling Back the MistBy Leanora M. TerhuneA fascinating look at how politics dismantled Tibetan culture.6 of 10 people found the following review helpful. In Vajrayana a good guy wears a black hat--3.5*By Neal J. PollockThis history of the Karmapas reads more like novel than biography though it provides considerable biography hagiography concerning Karmapas (heads of the Karma Kagyu branch of Tibetan Buddhism); especially the current controversy over the identity of the 17th Karmapa. Traditionally; the secondary Karma Kagyu lamas find a Karmapa via: clues left behind by a recently deceased Karmapa; dreams; visions; oracles; etc. Following the tragic death of one of them; the others cannot reach accord on the identity of the 17th Karmapa. There appear to be two factions: the Tai Situpa's the Sharmapa's. Terhune was secretary to the Situpa; she seems to attempt fairness but does not succeed. For example; she says on p. 250: "Evening Mahakala prayers are required of the high lama anyone who is serious of leading the spiritual life." This; of course; ignores other traditions--Western; Zen; etc. She seems to lack a higher level of abstraction. There are other books by Situpa supporters as well as one by a Sharmapa supporter a Sharmapa website. It seems impossible for a westerner to reach a satisfactory conclusion based upon only these materials; scientifically there seem to be some errors in each; but it would be interesting to hear the Sharmapa's response to Terhune's saying he'd called the Dalai Lama a Chinese pawn. The situation reminds me of Deborah Tannen's "Argument Culture" based upon polarized views. Most of the allegations court battles seem irrelevant to the main issue--e.g. whether there are one or two Karmapa Black Hats is irrelevant to the identity of the Karmapa. Unfortunately; modern legal political methods failed to determine this; jeopardizing continuation of the Tulku system--where a major reincarnating lama inherits his prior life's assets; duties. Is this why the Dalai Lama indicated he will be the last one? It may reflect the westernization of Buddhism; for better AND worse.3 of 5 people found the following review helpful. An advertisement for Ugyen TrinleyBy Yeshe 108A book about the Karmapa - the stories about the 16. Karmapa are quite nice.But all she writes about the Karmapa-Controversy" as now there are two men inthronized as 17. Karmapa - Ugyen Trinley and Thaye Dorje. is completly biased.She takes sidde for the first and polemizes strongly against the second; without presenting hard facts; she accuses strongly the followers of Thaye Dorje.She is introduced as journalist; who worked for the (sometimes not more truthful) CNN;but apart of that she is the personal secretary of Tai Situ; who installed Ugyen Trinley as Karmapa against the will of Shamar Rinpoche; the second highest Lama in the Kagyu School of tibetan Buddhism after the Karmapa himself. So its clear; that her book is one sided.karmapaissue.wordpress [dot] com/lea-terhunes-book-karmapa-politics-of-reincarnation/for a more detailled critic of the bookall the bestGerd