This is an open letter for the good Prof Robert Thurman:

Dear Prof Thurman,

By the blessings of Guru Padmasambhava we pray this finds you in good health and spirits.

We are immensely grateful to you for having worked on preparing the recent documentary titled The Dalai Lamas on the lives of the 14 Dalai Lamas until now.

You raise some immensely crucial points in that documentary and it would be wonderful if you would care to clarify the issues posed in this letter.

The first pertinent statement you make is that the mongolian warlord Alta Khan in the 16th century, proclaimed himself to be the incarnation of Kublai Khan to achieve legitimacy amongst his clans since he was not descended from the family. Hence it is clear that this is the first time in the history of Tibet that the institution of the 'trulku' or incarnated lama or otherwise as in this case has been subverted to serve a political purose.

Then we find that Sonam Gyatso is given the title of Taala'i Lama meaning 'ocean of wisdom' by this warlord with the rider that he is the emanation or incarnation of Avalokiteshwara. This last proclamation was made for the simple reason of establishing the legitimacy of the Taala'i Lama whom Alta Khan wanted to promote!

You will agree that if we are to apply what is known as the Four Standards in Buddhist philosophy, none of the above would make any sense for the simple reason that a mongolian warlord is not a Buddha, a enlightened Master, understands logic and philosophy, and is hardly someone who has spent his time in meditations and retreats.

It would seem thus that the very basis for the above proclamations is inherently flawed from a strict Buddhist perspective.

A little later we find that Alta Khan wished to instate his grandson as the IVth Taala'i Lama. Tibetans would not accept it and thus the young person was murdered when he came to Lhasa .

The incarnation of Avalokiteshwara murdered by a supposedly devout Tibetan Buddhist people and that too Gelugpas -- what an outrage! Is this the Buddha Dharma?

Next we come to the Fifth Taala'i Lama, whom the world insists calling the Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang .... Is the epithet Great applicable to a person with such a controversial track record is the real question. It is known to any student of Tibetan history that another grandson of Alta Khan, Goshir Khan, was invited to Tibet due to certain political compulsions. It is also known that it

was he who installed the Fifth Taala'i Lama as the God King of Tibet .

So far so good.

However, the manner in which this was done was no different from the events in Tibet under the Chinese particularly between 1959 and

1973; and similar to the Nanjing or Nanking massacre of 1936.

What happened simply stated, is religious persecution, hardly any different from the burnings at the stake in medieval Europe or for that matter, the persecution of Protestants by the Catholics leading on to new world colonies. Tens of thousands of monks were slaughtered for the sole reason that they belonged to various traditions other than the Gelugpa tradtion of the Fifth Taala'i Lama and Goshir Khan. Two hundred and fifty monasteries were razed to the ground for the same reason. Those spared were simply because they convereted to the Gelugpa principles. The Xth Gyalwang Karmapa was attacked but he escaped due to his miraculous powers. These are historical facts which cannot be disputed.

The sixth Taala'i Lama was also murdered yet again by his Gelugpa followers due to his unconventional behaviour.

From the 8th to the 12th. all those instated as the Taala'i Lama died unnaturally young, victims of Sino Tibetan intrigues involving none other than Gelugpas who all along professed their unconditional faith in them!

Now the analysis:

As the good professor knows, the pillar of Buddhist philosophy is Karma -- cause and effect.

Analysed from this perspective, Goshir Khan, just like Mao Tse Tung, had committed the most heinous of sins -- the Five Inexpiable Sins as explained in Buddhist theory and practice. As a result he has only one place to go after his death following in the footsteps of Ghenghis Khan, Tamerlane, of whom it is said that after his death his spirit would be heard howling like a banshee from his mausoleum, and much later of course Mao Tse Tung. During the 13th Taala’I Lama there was also a Chinese Governor known as the Butcher Chiang.

One would imagine that those who murdered the Regent Radreng in prison shortly before the enthronement of the XIVth Taala'i Lama, destroyed and looted his monastery, would have met the same fate.

That particular place is known as Avichi Hell or 'nar-me' as it is termed in Tibetan, from which there is no escape. It is the special place reserved for samaya violators – those who break their covenant with basic sanity! Extending this logic only a little further, would it be incorrect to state with conviction then, that in accordance with the laws of Karma - cause and effect, the Fifth Taala'i Lama too, would have gone to Avichi Hell upon his death as all the atrocities committed by Goshir Khan were committed either on direct orders from the Fifth or on his behalf. The ultimate beneficiary of the butchering and destruction, was none other than the Fifth Taala'I Lama.

Unless of course the contention forwarded is that either Karma has double standards or that the Fifth was so enlightened that whatever he did was passe and to be construed as Buddha Activity. Certainly this is what the Tibetan establishment will have the world believe!

Moreover there are certain rules of the Vinaya the observance of which entitles a person to call oneself a monk or a nun. Similarly there are the Bodhisattva Vows transgressions of which will land the person with serious karmic consequences. Finally there are the covenants of the Vajrayana known as samaya vows. For a person to call oneself a Buddhist, one does need to observe these precepts to the extent one accepts them formally in front of one’s Master.

In brief, The Buddha’s Dispensation does refer to a code of ethics and behaviour which define a person. Thus, ‘actions speak louder than words!’

I am confused for the simple reason that we see that the said XIVth Taala'i Lama has not really learned the lessons from the past given the manner in which he is attempting to yet again destroy the Karmapa and the Karma Kagyu tradition as he had done in 1642 and his successive govts in Tibet continued to do so ever since.

His actions yet again constitute one of the Five Inexpiables – creating a schism within the sangha which he has evidently done with inordinate skill. Similarly this would constitute a breach of the Mahayana Bodhisattva Vows as also a total breach of Samaya. The result of such actions is yet again the Avichi hell.

Analysed from these very simple Buddhist perspectives, I as an ordinary person, find it difficult to accept the contention that the XIVth Taala’i Lama continues to remain a monk, is considered to be a high bodhisattva and still a Vajracharya.

I am also confused that the Fifth, having committed such heinous crimes as mentioned in Tibetan history, is it really possible that a denizen of the Avichi hell can reincarnate as a trulku to rule over his kingdom!

This is a highly sensitive matter, but when the historical Buddha has himself exhorted us to use our intelligence rather than accept tradition,and that too the Tibetan tradition which is totally alien to any other, be it Indian, western or otherwise, the question is most certainly in order. Must we accept the Taala'i Lama as such simply because Tibetan tradtion upholds him to be omnipotent, omniscient, all powerful (sic) and so on; simply because an outdated, corrupt and highly nationalistic Tibetan polity says that this is so?

Are we in the modern era to be ruled and governed by the Tibetan tradition even though we may belong to many nations? Are the norms of Tibetan civilization the norms to be accepted by residents of North America, Europe, Africa, India, Australasia and so on? Or do we each have our own history, culture and civilization totally independent of Tibetan history, culture and civilization?

Who, except us, has given the Taala’i Lama power over us? And who else can revoke this power from him, except we ourselves who are capable of independent and clear analysis?

Do we have the freedom to question the validity of the person known as the XIVth Taala'i or Dalai Lama?

Why should the non-Tibetan world accept the validity of the political manipulations, schemings and confabulations of Tibetan trulkus when they clearly show that they are no different from Hitler, Mao or Pot Pol! Yet they can refer to themselves as monks, bodhisattvas and vajra masters simply because their Tibetan tradition exonerates them of their excesses!

Then what is the relevance of the Buddha’s Dispensation when the rules are laid by a privileged hierarchy which is itself beyond and above the law – a law unto itself?

At least the present Pope John Paul II has had the courage to accept the acts of commission and omission of the Church over the last two millennia and has on bended knees, at least symbolically prayed for forgiveness from God!

Moreover, he has had the courage to take a bold stand against catholic priests who have sexually abused their charge!

None knows better than you that the reasons why Buddhism is gaining ground in the west is simply because of the no nonsense, commonsensical approach it offers on life and its variegated issues!

This then, is a test of the profession of Buddhism as made by you and many other senior Buddhists like you in the west!

We sincerely hope that you will be able to clarify on the above in accordance with the Buddha's Dispensation, not in accordance with a misplaced sense of loyalty to Tibetan nationalism, rather fascism, which seeks to rule over the world in the form of the Holy Tibetan Buddhist Empire!

I remain, a confused and questioning individual,

Lama Shree