No clue about the cash: Karmapa

Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, the 17th reincarnation of the Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism and the third highest ranked monk after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, on Saturday denied knowledge about the Rs7 crore cash recovered from his monastery after being quizzed by the Himachal police.

In reply to a questionnaire submitted to him by the police, the Karmapa said he kept no money with himself, and all the accounts of the monastery are handled by his staff.

He said his staff could give the account of the money the police have recovered from the monastery.Shakti Lama, treasurer of the monastery is on judicial remand while its secretary Gampa Shering Lama is in police custody for interrogation.

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Senior officials, however, believe that the Karmapa has received huge funds from China and has been using the funds to help Beijing control the Buddhist monasteries spread in the Ladakh regionin Jammu & Kashmir and the Tawang region in Arunachal Pradesh.

They also did not rule out the possibility of the Karmapa being a representative of the Chinese government to “cater to its interests in the Hill region bordering China”. The enforcement directorate (ED) has reportedly traced the source of money to China. The money was routed from China to Bangkok, then to the US and from there to India.

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This is a weird story. There are two rival karmapas, but this is the one who escaped from China. Why on earth would he be an agent of the Chinese?

Tibetan Buddhists in shock at claims spiritual leader is a Chinese spy

The exiled Tibetan Buddhist community is in turmoil at the questioning of one of its most important religious leaders by Indian police after large sums of Chinese currency were found at his monastery, forcing him to deny claims he is an "agent of Beijing".

Police in northern India interviewed Ugyen Thinley Dorje, the 17th Karmapa and Tibetan Buddhism's third most important figure, after approximately £480,000 of cash in two dozen denominations was found at his Gyuto monastery in Dharamsala.

Police have arrested a number of the Karmapa's aides and are currently investigating what they believe may be an illegal attempted land purchase.

The Karmapa told police the money was donated by supporters. "All our dealings across the world are honest and completely transparent – anything else would be contrary to the Buddhist principles that we live by," his office said.

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Indian authorities clear Buddhist leader in probe

A report says Indian authorities have cleared Tibetan Buddhism's third most important leader in a probe into $1.35 million in cash discovered last month at his headquarters in northern India.

The Press Trust of India news agency says the Himachal Pradesh state government has concluded that the money found during a police raid on the Karmapa's monastery had been donated by his followers.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/02/11/general-as-india-monastery-raided_8303780.html

Well that's all sorted then, isn't it! I thought I had a sullied khatag (white scarf) on my hands - placed on my shoulders by the Karmapa himself. I suppose I paid for it, along with the very long queue of people lined up with me.

Much ado about nothing, it appears. So it appears... but who knows if the Karmapa didn't pay off the Himachal Pradesh authorities? Hmm?? Not good for tourism either if the sacred one is being cashed up by the Chinese. Actually, considering the tourists and domestic visitors and their donations he doesn't really need Chinese money, so let's forget the conspiracy theory.

Anyway, it's better for Buddhists not to invest too much faith in any individual, be they worthy or otherwise, especially one who owes his status simply to birth and the pedestal others put him on. I'm not aware of the Karmapa having done much (mind you, he's only 25), though he advocates vegetarianism and environmental responsibility.