India says no to US tour of Tibetan monk

DHARAMSALA - India has denied permission to Ogyen Trinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa who is the third most respected Tibetan monk reincarnate and is recognised by both the Dalai Lama and China, to go on a two-week religious tour to the US this month.

His private office here Thursday said he was denied permission without citing any reason by authorities.

“The Karmapa was scheduled to attend prayer sessions being organised by Karma Triyana Dharamchakra centre in Woodstock in New York that began yesterday (Wednesday), but Indian authorities refused to grant him permission to visit there,” Gompa Tsering, Karmapa’s secretary, told IANS.

The 25-year-old Karmapa is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu School, which is one of the four sects of Buddhism.

“We fail to understand that why restrictions were imposed on his movement as the tour was purely a religious one. Moreover, the government has not cited any reason for declining to grant permission,” he added.

The Karmapa is considered the third most important Tibetan religious head after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama. Currently, he is devoting most of his time in receiving teachings of the Karmapa lineage.

The Karmapa office in Gyoto Tantric Monastery got information from the Tibetan government-in-exile about Delhi’s refusal to permit foreign visit.

However, the office of ministry of external affairs here has refused to comment.

Earlier too, the Karmapa was denied permission to visit European countries.

“He was scheduled to visit Europe for five weeks in May, but he was denied the permission at that time too. May be at that time, he was declined permission because the tour was too long. We hope the (Indian) government would be more positive and open towards his future religious programmes,” said another Tibetan official.

The Karmapa, who lives in temporary accommodation at the Gyoto Tantric Monastery, was allowed to visit the US in May 2008 and that was his only visit abroad.

Born on June 26, 1985, in Kham region of eastern Tibet, Dorje fled Tibet and sought refuge in India in January 2000. Ever since, he has mostly lived in the monastery in Sidhbari near Dharamsala - the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile.

The Tibetan government-in-exile is not recognised by any country in the world.