Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Biography

Ogyen Trinley Rinpoche was born Apo Gaga in 1985 in Lhatok Township, Chamdo County, Tibet Autonomous Region, to nomadic parents. On 30 June 1992, the 14th Dalai Lama issued an official statement recognizing and confirming him as the 16th Karmapa's reincarnation. He was enthroned as the 17th Karmapa on 27 September 1992 at Tsurphu Monastery, the traditional seat of the Karmapa in Tibet, where he began his Tibetan and Buddhist studies. The State Council of the People's Republic of China gave official sanction on 29 June 1992, declaring him a 'living Buddha'—the first time the PRC officially confirmed a tulku.

Escape from Tibet

A year later, at the UN World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, the Chinese announced they would train him in Tsurphu for his future task as the Dalai Lama's successor. In 1999, at age 14, the Karmapa escaped Chinese-controlled Tibet during winter, traveling to India through Nepal, arriving at the Tibetan exile quarters at McLeod Ganj on 5 January 2000. He stated he was unable to obtain in China the specialized instruction needed to complete his studies and realize his full spiritual authority.

Travel through the United States and Europe

He resided at Gyuto Monastery in Sidhbari, near Dharamshala, up to 2017. From 15 May to 2 June 2008, he made his first trip to the US, visiting New York City, Boulder, Colorado, and Seattle, and was formally enthroned at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery in Woodstock, New York. He gave teachings on compassion and the environment, gave the reading transmission for a new form of ngöndro, and bestowed empowerments including those of Avalokiteśvara and Padmasambhava.

He spoke about the challenges of modern society's rapid pace and the virtues of the Internet as a tool for Buddhist study and practice. He visited the US again in 2011, as well as France and Switzerland in 2016, and the United Kingdom in 2017. As of October 2018, he was residing in the United States and had been outside India continuously since May 2017. In 2018, to facilitate travel abroad, he became a citizen of the Caribbean nation Dominica through a citizenship-by-investment provision.

Tibetan culture, unity, language and literacy

For many years Ogyen Trinley Dorje has emphasized preserving Tibetan culture, unity, language, and literacy, underlining the importance of sustaining the written and spoken Tibetan language as the root of the Dharma in Tibet and its culture. He states that Tibetan language is the lifeline linking Tibetans to their culture, arts, and spirituality, and that Tibetan culture is the mind and life force of the Tibetan people. He has undertaken the long-term task of digitizing Buddhist texts so that scriptures, commentaries, and other works are available in digital format for future generations, students, scholars, and monasteries worldwide.

Four main websites—Dharma Treasure, Adarsha, Ketaka, and Dharma Ebooks—each deal with a different format, tool, or translation. Adarsha makes the Kangyur, Tengyur, and Tibetan masterpieces available digitally and has been catalogued under his guidance. In 2015 he initiated 108 Translations to produce accessible reading material for average Tibetan readers, focusing on easy-to-understand and pronounce translations that meet readers' interests.

Buddhist environmentalism

Ogyen Trinley Dorje has encouraged a broader understanding of the Buddhist practice of life release, where animals are saved from slaughter. During the 2007 Kagyu Monlam Chenmo, he argued that planting a single tree could be more beneficial than performing life release for many beings, and he advised monasteries to plant one to two thousand trees. He also urged monks to practice restraint when sponsors offer technology upgrades. On Earth Day, 22 April 2009, he gave 108 instructions on protecting the environment.

Under his auspices, the Khoryug network of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and centers was developed, working with the World Wildlife Fund's Sacred Earth: Faiths for Conservation program in the Eastern Himalayas. In an April 2015 interview with Yale Environment 360, he said, 'The environmental emergency that we face is not just a scientific issue, nor is it just a political issue, it is also a moral issue. And therefore, all of us approaching this issue have to pick up our share of the responsibility to find and implement solutions.'

He called on people to take scientists' teachings to heart and transform their way of life into one that is sustainable.

Controversies

The 14th Shamarpa, Mipham Chokyi Lodro, did not recognize Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the Karmapa, instead recognizing Trinley Thaye Dorje. Shamarpa's camp argue that until the reincarnation line of the Shamarpas was forbidden by the Dalai Lama's government, successive Shamarpas were responsible for recognizing Karmapas, with no role for the Dalai Lamas. On 10 and 11 October 2018, in rural France, Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje met in person for the first time and issued a joint statement.

On 27 October 2019, they co-authored a long-life prayer for Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche's reincarnation. In February 2020, both claimants agreed to recognize the next Shamar Rinpoche incarnation together. In January 2011, Himachal Pradesh Police seized money in currencies of 24 countries including China, valued at over 60 million, during raids on offices of a trust backed by Ogyen Trinley Dorje. They also seized traveler's cheques and land deal documents, suspecting a hawala scam.

Initially, police suspected the money was used to spread Chinese influence in India and that the Karmapa was a Chinese agent helping the Chinese government control Buddhist monasteries in India. This allegation was unanimously rejected by all quarters of Tibetan society including the Dalai Lama, the entire Parliament, leaders of the Tibetan government-in-exile, and prominent members of the Free Tibet movement. Himachal Pradesh Police said even if the Karmapa explained the source of the money recovered, he might be held liable for violating foreign exchange laws.