03/04/2025
In 1974 Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche invited His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa to visit his fledgling sangha and its centers in the United States. In the roughly four years Rinpoche had been in North America, he had been quite successful attracting a devoted following of students. He was equally successful in gathering spirited controversy about his behavior and methods.
As news of the impending visit of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa spread, the controversy surrounding Trungpa Rinpoche intensified. There was a network of western “tibetophiles” who had spent time in Nepal and India with Tibetan teachers, and considered themselves expert, or at least knowledgeable about who was who in Tibetan Buddhism. One camp of those critical of Trungpa Rinpoche held that he had become corrupted by the west as his dissolute lifestyle demonstrated.
Trungpa Rinpoche was a young man when he escaped Tibet, and was not acclimated to the wild freedoms of the non monastic Western culture into which he was propelled. Alcohol and s*x got the better of him, and an otherwise promising young lama had hit the skids, so the thinking went. Moreover, Tibetan religious politics being what they were, no one wanted to criticize the 11th Trungpa tulku. It was the Karmapa who could do this, and some in the tibetophile community maintained that the Karmapa, after seeing Rinpoche’s corruption by the West first hand, was going to denounce him once and for all. Others were equally fervent in their belief that Trungpa Rinpoche was a genuine crazy wisdom master in the style of Padmasambhava. However, even some loyal supporters of Trungpa Rinpoche were concerned that the Karmapa, a monastic, might have difficulty with aspects of Rinpoche’s behavior. Everyone hoped that the Karmapa would confirm one view or the other during his visit.
One night shortly before His Holiness arrived, I was sitting with Rinpoche in his room at Tail of the Tiger. I asked Rinpoche what he wanted us to learn from His holiness’ visit. He was quiet for a few minutes, then, peering over his glasses, he said softly, “Well….for one thing…. you’ll see how you’ve been mistreating me all these years.”
I was floored, and didn’t know what to say. The next day we had an executive committee meeting of the Tail of the Tiger leadership to prepare for His Holiness’ arrival. I reported on my troubling conversation with Rinpoche the night before. We all took it quite seriously, and we discussed what he must have meant by his comment. After an extended discussion we decided to take decisive action. And what was that action? This is embarrassing, but it goes to show you what small vision we had, and how we had no idea of the preciousness of this mahasiddha teacher who was miraculously in our midst or how to treat him.
As for the Karmapa’s triumphal visit, it was a huge success, traveling to Boston, New York City, Tail of the Tiger in Vermont, Boulder and Shambhala Mountain Center, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Literally several thousand people met His Holiness at one of his Black Crown Ceremonies. And the effect on our community was profound. In many ways, this was when we started to grow up.
As for the Karmapa’s evaluation of Trungpa Rinpoche, take one guess which side of the controversy he supported?
At the conclusion of his visit he issued a statement. It was entitled: “Proclamation to all Those Who Dwell Under the Sun Upholding the Tradition of the Spiritual and Temporal Orders.”
It read as follows:
The ancient and renowned lineage of the Trungpas, since the great siddha Trungmase Chokyi Gyamtso Lodro, possessor of only holy activity, has in every generation given rise to great beings. Awakened by the vision of these predecessors in the lineage, this my present lineage holder, Chokyi Gyamtso Trungpa Rinpoche, supreme incarnate being, has magnificently carried out the vajra holders discipline in the land of America, bringing about the liberation of students and ripening them in the dharma. This wonderful truth is clearly manifest.
Accordingly, I empower Chogyam Trungpa Vajra Holder and Possessor of the Victory Banner of the Practice Lineage of the Karma Kagyu. Let this be recognized by all people of both elevated and ordinary station.
So much for the Karmapa’s denunciation of Trungpa Rinpoche and his methods. The controversy was settled – at least as far as the Kagyu lineage was concerned.
And the rest as they say, is history…
A Memory and a Tribute to the Vidyadhara
by Acharya Bill McKeever
