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THE SNOW LION BUDDHIST NEWS & CATALOG
Holinesses the XIV Dalai Lama and the XVII Karmapa
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The Karmapa's Escape from Tibet
When he was fourteen years old, the 17th Karmapa made a daring escape from Tibet. This excerpt, taken from Music in the Sky: The Life, Art, and Teachings of the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, recounts the suspenseful hours as the escape plan goes into action.
The young Karmapa completed his preparations. He had written a letter to leave behind giving his reasons for departing. The Karmapa recalls, "In the letter, I stated that I was leaving so that I could receive the Dharma from my root teachers. I had made many applications so that we could meet, and they all had been refused. I affirmed that I was not turning against the country, nor was I leaving because I did not like the Chinese. I also said that I would be returning to Tibet." The Karmapa did not write in the letter that he was going to Rumtek to retrieve the Black Crown that he wears during a special ceremony, or the Dharma treasures, including unique statues and ritual implements that have been passed down through generations of Karmapas. He stated, "The first time I wrote the letter, I considered saying that I was leaving to get the Black Hat and Dharma treasures. Then when I thought about it, it seemed too small a reason and I threw the letter away. This was not the main purpose. The main reasons were to receive the necessary teachings and benefit the Dharma and, further, to return to Rumtek and meet with my many disciples abroad." |
Together with his letter, the Karmapa placed a letter from the Dalai Lama on the table in his room. He recalled, "Several years before, I had offered a letter to His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and this letter was his answer. He wrote that he was happy to receive my letter and asked me to study well and serve the teachings in Tibet. I thought it would be good to leave this letter along with mine."
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Finally, the time to leave came. Softly closing the door behind them, the Karmapa, Lama Nyima, and the attendant Drubngak slipped out of the Karmapa's room on the top floor into the darkness and came down the steps to the second floor of the main building. Moving quietly, they walked past the audience room where the Karmapa had blessed so many and around the windows of the clerestory that looked down into the darkness of the large shrine hall. There below, butter lamps gleamed and gold light shimmered from the statue of the sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje. Then, passing into a storage room, next door to the kitchen where the videos played on, they climbed out a window onto the roof of the Tseringma shrine.
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Dargye, Drubngak, The Karmapa,
Lama Tsewang and Tsewang Tashi
during the escape near Zangzang |
The Karmapa, Tsering Tashi, Lama Tsultrim
and two horse attendants on the trail
from Lo Monthang to Chele
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On the ground below, Lama Tsultrim was walking around checking the temple buildings where the guards usually made their rounds. The two guards posted behind the main hall and the protector shrines were not there. He knew that one of them was in his room watching a video. Thinking the coast was clear, he motioned Dargye to the jeep. Picking up a little stone, Lama Tsultrim threw it up on the roof, and Lama Nyima whispered "You've arrived?" "Yes, I have." At that moment, a flashlight came around the corner of the building. Lama Tsultrim instantly turned and walked toward the monk coming on guard duty, while Dargye ducked behind the car and then slowly slipped inside. But it was toolate. The guard had seen Dargye. Not knowing that the guard had spied his driver, Lama Tsultrim asked the guard, "Where is Dargye? It's time for us to leave." The guard replied, "But he's right here behind the car," and shone his flashlight into the car. "Oh, he's here!" said Lama Tsultrim, faking surprise, while Dargye pretended to be asleep. They were caught in the middle of their game. The ruse had failed. |
Right then, the cook Thubten appeared. Seeing the problem, he had come up the other side of the main complex and joined them. He greeted the guard in a very friendly way and said, "I must borrow that video from you tonight. I've got to watch a movie now," and asked for a video he knew the guard had. The guard replied, "I'm on duty now. I can't lend it to you right away. There's no one else here, so I'm not going to leave." Thubten coaxed him very amiably, "Oh, please, I really need it now. You can leave for just a few moments. It won't take long. I just have to have it. I've been waiting so long to see it." The guard was firm: "I can't leave. There's no one else here." Thubten replied, "Lama Tsultrim and Dargye are here, so we can go." At that, the guard slowly walked away with Thubten who guided him down the pilgrimage path and out of sight.
Those waiting hidden on the roof had seen the light coming and waited in suspense. Lama Tsultrim paused a short while and then went to see how far away Thubten and the guard had gone. They had receded into the night, so he threw another stone. The Karmapa descended from the low roof of Tseringma's shrine, his agile body landing easily near the car. With this leap, he left everything behind. He was wearing lay clothes for the first time since he was seven years old. Next came Drubngak, who was helped down by Lama Nyima holding him from above and Lama Tsultrim and Dargye catching him from below.
They left instantly, avoiding the main gate by taking a side road. This exit had been made for vehicles involved in the recent construction projects at Zuri Monastery, located on the far side of the main Tsurphu complex. The road passed below the front walls of the monastery compound. The guards stationed there, if they had looked, would only have seen the roof of the jeep and part of the darkened windows. But they had no reason to be suspicious of the jeep, as they had already been informed that Lama Tsultrim and Dargye were leaving around 10:30.In the quiet of that night, Lama Tsultrim dared not look back for fear that they were being followed. Soon, they crossed the familiar bridge over the Tölung River and passed the rock face covered with a painting of the fierce protector Betnachen.
As they drove down the valley, Nenang Lama, concerned about the delay, contacted them via cell phone: "Come quickly! I'm waiting." Soon after, from the Karmapa's quarters in the monastery, Lama Nyima called Nenang Lama on his cell phone: "Our purpose has been accomplished." The jeep stopped for gas at the county town of Tölung, which was set next to the narrow valley road. Like all gas stations in Tibet, this one was open twenty-four hours and run by the Chinese. Busy with their job, the attendants focused on Lama Tsultrim, whom they knew. He was seated in the front on the passenger's side and paid them. Half an hour after leaving Tsurphu, the Karmapa arrived at the end of the valley, where Nenang Lama waited at the junction of the northern Shigatse road. He and Tsewang Tashi quickly loaded the provisions from Lhasa, and they were gone.
Books and Teachings by and about H.H. 17th Gyalwang Karmapa
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