BHUBANESWAR, JANUARY 28: The Tibetan spiritual head Dalai Lama has said that it would be ``a terrible mistake on the part of the Government of India, both in respect of country's image as well as in substance,'' if Karmapa Urgyen Trinley Dorje, who escaped from Tibet, was not allowed to stay in the country.In a letter written to the former Lok Sabha speaker, Rabi Ray, the Dalai Lama, however, said that he understood to some extent the cautious stand of the Government of India on this issue.The reincarnate 17th Karmapa 14-year-old Dorje escaped from Tibet with his sister Ngodup Palzam, a nun and five others and reached India on January 5 last.The Dalai Lama, in his letter dated January 18 last, also thanked Ray for his stand on the issue of granting asylum to the Karmapa. Ray released the copy of Dalai's letter to the press on Friday.Stating that he was convinced that the Karmapa had escaped from Tibet because he did not find it possible to pursue his religious studies and practices satisfactorily there, the Dalai Lama said he had clear evidence that contrary to superficial appearances, there was much restriction and suppression of religious freedom in Tibet.Meanwhile, the escape of the monk from Tibet to India had triggered off controversy among the three living regents of Sikkim's influential Rumtek monastery with the majority supporting him.In his letter to the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Tibetan leader has mentioned that the conduct of the Karmapa in the past clearly indicated a strong character and correct stand on issues relating to his religious practice and the welfare of Tibetan people.Unfortunately, there was factionalism within the Karmakagyu sect itself which had complicated the matter, the Dalai Lama said referring to the Shamar group and the Situ group.``Despite this, I believe if the young Karmapa can remain above these factions and concentrate on his studies, he would definitely be able to make considerable contribution not only to his own traditional lineage but also to Tibetan Buddhism in general,'' he said.While two regents of Rumtek, Tai Situ Rimpoche and Gyaltsen Rimpoche hailed Dorje's selection as the 17th Karmapa, another regent Shamar Rimpoche opposed it choosing another Tibet-born boy Thaye Dorjee.The controversy over the reincarnated head of the Rumtek monastery, which has under it almost 300 monasteries across the globe, erupted in 1981 following the death of the 16th Karmapa, who left behind `a sacred letter of prediction' to choose his successor. With Shamar Rimpoche based in Delhi, Buddhists in Sikkim supported Trinley Dorje.
