Foreword
as of march 2002
This work fills a requirement: to provide all meaningful information for a good understanding about the Karmapa controversy which, since 1992, shakes up the Karma Kagyu lineage.
While web surfing, one can notice the huge information unbalance between the two differing sides: on Situ Rinpoche's side, there is plenty of documentation, while that on Shamar Rinpoche's side is sparse.
On Situ Rinpoche's side, many websites give out information, with some, dedicated to this task, having almost daily updates.
By comparison, Shamar Rinpoche side does not even provide the minimum information sufficient to understand its point of view.
Now, complete information easily found is essential for everyone to make up one's opinion. To limit oneself to only one version of the facts does not allow for a full understanding and leads to all extremes, which we have sorely witnessed since 1992.
Studying this controversy, one is surprised by the distressing level of disinformation and ignorance surrounding it. Few people know truly the circumstances and the unfolding of all these events which profoundly shook our lineage. Most contented themselves with adopting the view point of their entourage, siding either way, bringing up real quarrels and polemics between disciples of the same masters. It even came up to murders and monasteries attacks !
And yet, without going for any debate or confrontation, simply acquainting oneself with information provided by each side, allows us to stand back, to grasp the ins and outs in a more objective way and finally to reach a valid opinion in this matter.
So this website intends to fill the lack of communication from Shamar Rinpoche's side. It provides a compilation of information which back up its line of argument (books, articles, interviews, testimonies, …) (*) sorted by chronological order. But it also provides a summary of Situ Rinpoche's side opposing viewpoint, with links to its websites.
We know that all factual data presented in this compilation can be checked thru other proofs.
You may either consult this website on line or download here the whole site in PDF format for off-line browsing.
(*) This compilation brings together books such as "the Karmapa Papers", published in 1992, the report about the "International Karma Kagyu Conference" held in 1996 at New Delhi, "Siege of Karmapa" written by Rumtek monks, "The Buddha cries, Karmapa conumdrum" work of an Indian journalist Anil Maheswari, a few excerpts from "Rogues in Robes" by Tomek Lehnert, as well as numerous e-mails, newspapers items, books excerpts, and sections found on the internet.