The Dance of 17 Lives is the true story of the 16th and 17th reincarnations of Tibet's oldest Buddhist sect, as told by a relatively neutral researcher/writer who is not a Buddhist. The 17th Karmapa's life is similar to the Dalai Lama's in that he has considerable political significance to the Tibetans and Chinese, and had to flee Tibet.

While giving a good overview of the Tibetan religion, monastic politics and the country's current predicament, the story is surprisingly gripping, with quasi-supernatural events, an escape, a rival karmapa, a bad-guy lama and even a public rumble between two factions of monks. Well worth reading, but only available in hardcover so far.

The Dance of 17 Lives is the true story of the 16th and 17th reincarnations of Tibet's oldest Buddhist sect, as told by a relatively neutral researcher/writer who is not a Buddhist. The 17th Karmapa's life is similar to the Dalai Lama's in that he has considerable political significance to the Tibetans and Chinese, and had to flee Tibet.

While giving a good overview of the Tibetan religion, monastic politics and the country's current predicament, the story is surprisingly gripping, with quasi-supernatural events, an escape, a rival karmapa, a bad-guy lama and even a public rumble between two factions of monks. Well worth reading, but only available in hardcover so far.

Will keep an eye out for this one, sounds very interesting.

There's a website dedicated to the controversy:

the real karmapa?

A friend who is a Tibetan studies scholar wrote his dissertation putting forth a theory that the system of identifying reincarnated lamas, by other lamas, evolved as a method for keeping the succession/inheritance of lama-held lands/property in the hands of the various Tibetan orders, who otherwise didn't have a clear system of succession. I have no idea what the merits of this argument might be, knowing none of the details, but it's an interesting theory.

A friend who is a Tibetan studies scholar wrote his dissertation putting forth a theory that the system of identifying reincarnated lamas, by other lamas, evolved as a method for keeping the succession/inheritance of lama-held lands/property in the hands of the various Tibetan orders, who otherwise didn't have a clear system of succession. I have no idea what the merits of this argument might be, knowing none of the details, but it's an interesting theory.

I think the Tibetians would say that faith on the side of the disciple is the key thing.

"If the disciple believes the Lama is a Buddha he will receive the blessings of a Buddha.

If the disciple believes the Lama is a Bodhisattva he will receive the blessings of a Bodhisattva.

If the disciple believes the Lama is an ordinary being he will receive no blessings."

That does rather beg the question "What is coming from the side of the Lama?"

There's a website dedicated to the controversy:

the real karmapa?

A friend who is a Tibetan studies scholar wrote his dissertation putting forth a theory that the system of identifying reincarnated lamas, by other lamas, evolved as a method for keeping the succession/inheritance of lama-held lands/property in the hands of the various Tibetan orders, who otherwise didn't have a clear system of succession. I have no idea what the merits of this argument might be, knowing none of the details, but it's an interesting theory.

This website is either run by or supports the group portrayed as the contender in 17 Lives. A quick browse through their attack on the author will give you an idea of where they are coming from. He isn't a Buddhist, but they accuse him of being a devotee of a Tibetan Lama in Scotland - if you can't refute the facts, discredit the author! They also claim they didn't discuss forensic tests to establish the rightful Karmapa, but the author points out he has it on tape and they have a transcript. In fact, the author pointed out that it was pretty bizarre bringing in modern science when reincarnation is based entirely on mystical and traditional practices.

Now that the contender's group have won an Indian High Court decision on ownership of the Karmapa's ancestral monastry in Sikkhim, the 17 Lives author is intending to put out a paperback edition with updated material.

The 'Tibetan Lama in Scotland' is actually my teacher - I lived at the monastery for some time. He was the person who initially 'discovered' His Holiness The Karmapa as a baby before the Chinese authorities put him under close observation.

The Lama, Akong Tulku Rinpoche was the first Tibetan Lama to setle in the West and the monastry in Scotland, founded in the mid 60s was the first Tibetan community in the West, so he has very long-standing credentials to outsiders.

I left Scotland to live in Nepal and now Isaan and am no longer in contact with recent developments such as this book. I hope at some point to get hold of it. I hope also for the sake of the internal and exiled Tibetan community the schism is resolved.

Peace,

Andy

The paperback edition is now available in Thailand. I saw it at Kinokuniya today.