Unification of the Tibetan Buddhist orders under the absolute reign of the Fourt

eenth Dalai Lama

It is almost uncanny how exactly the
Fourteenth Dalai Lama has continued and
intensified the integrative politics of
his ingenious, unscrupulous, and highly
revered predecessor from the 17th
century which was aimed at strengthening
his own position of power, only this
time truly on a global scale. It is
primarily the Kalachakra Tantra which
serves as his most effective means of
bringing the various sects into line. In
the meantime each of the various schools
of Tibetan Buddhism is committed to the
Time Tantra and offers small scale
Kalachakra initiations all around the
world. On the official Kalachakra
homepage in the Internet
(www.kalachakra.com), the following
“Dharma masters” are presented with
photos as the most prominent
contemporary “WARRIORS” of the time wheel:
1. Dalai Lama (Gelugpa)
2. Gelek Rinpoche (Gelugpa)
3. Chögyam Trungpa (Kagyupa)
4. Namkhai Norbu (Nyingmapa)
5. Jamgon Kongtrul (Kagyupa)
6. Minling Terchen Rinpoche (Nyingmapa)
7. Sharmapa Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
8. Tai Situ Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
9. Thrangu Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
10. Tsem Tulku (Gelugpa)
11. Zurmang Garwang Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
12. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche (Nyingmapa)
13. Sakya Trizin (Sakyapa)
14. Dzongsar Khyentse (Nyingmapa)
15. Sogyal Rinpoche (Rime Tradition)
16. Tulku Urgyen (Nyingmapa)
17. Gelek Rinpoche (Gelugpa)
18. Kalsang Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
19. Nan Huai Chin (Kagyupa and Chan)
20. Rev Shen Yan (?)
21. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche (Bon)
22. Thrinly Norbu Rinpoche (Nyingmapa)
23. Tsoknyi Rinpoche (Kagyupa)
24. Lama Choedak (Sakyapa)
25. Ani Choying Drolma (Arya Tara School)
It is immediately apparent from this
summary that of the 25 high lamas who
publicly represent the Kalachakra
Tantra, there is only four Gelugpa
masters. This is astounding indeed.
His unique exiled situation allows the
fourteenth Kundun to set himself up as
the head of all the schools even more
than the “Great Fifth”. This is not just
true on the level of practical politics
as head of state, but also in the
initiatory system. Hence His Holiness
allowed himself to be initiated into all
the significant lineages of the various
sects. In 1986 a Nyingmapa teacher
initiated him into his tradition. His
Holiness also received a tantric
initiation at the hands of the highest
master of the Sakyapa sect. It was a
Nyingmapa lama, Lopon Tsechu Rinpoche,
who in 1994 presided over the erection
of the first, thirteen-meter high
Kalachakra stupa in the West (in Spain).
Traditionally, the Gelugpas were the
only ones who had any real influence on
the affairs of state — primarily through
the position of the “regents”, who were
selected from their ranks and conducted
the business of state until the Dalai
Lamas came of age. In the face of a
superior Kundun, the “Yellow Hats”are
now set on the same level as the other
sects. Their privileges have
disappeared. „Today the activities of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama serve the
whole world and all of Tibetan Buddhism
as well as the indigenous Bön faith
impartially”, an official statement from
Dharamsala says, „The inclinations of
the Gelug monasteries to continue to
link themselves with the government,
even administratively, causes damage and
obstacles rather than benefit and
support for His Holiness and the exile
government” (Tibetan Review, July 1994,
p. 12).
The god-king’s claim to spiritually and
politically represent all sects has,
just as in the past with the “Great
Fifth”, in recent times led to a
spirited protest movement amidst the
ranks of his own order (Gelugpa), whose
power is reduced by this. From this
wing, the Kundun is accused of creating
a “religious hotchpotch” or his personal
ambitions are even openly designated.
“According to my understanding”, writes
Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, a bitter opponent
of the god-king from his own ranks (he
is an ordained Gelugpa monk), “ the
Dalai Lama s main wish is to integrate
the four Tibetan traditions into one.
The leaders of the other traditions will
gradually disappear, leaving him alone
as head of Tibetan Buddhism. In this way
he will be able to control all aspects
of Tibetan Buddhism. In the beginning
this plan was rejected by the leaders of
Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma Traditions,
while the Gelugpa remained neutral.
Later, the Dalai Lama changed his
approach. He is now trying to destroy
the practice of Dorje Shugden and change
the Gelug tradition, while at the same
time developing a close relationship
with the other traditions, especially
the Nyingmapa. Gradually he hopes to
fulfill his wishes in this way” (Gyatso,
Newsgroup 7).
According to Kelsang Gyatso, the Kundun
is supposed to have held a number of
meetings with the head abbots of the
four main schools in the early 1960s at
which he proposed uniting the sects
under his leadership. This proposal was
rejected. The Sakyapa, Kagyupa, and
Nyingmapa then joined together in 13
exile-Tibetan establishments so as to
protect themselves from the imposition
of the Dalai Lama’s will. The leader of
all 13, Gongtang Tsultrim, was murdered
under mysterious circumstances. To date
the murder case has still not been
solved (Sky Warrior, Newsgroup 18).
It has in the meantime become
established practice that for all
incarnations of great lamas, regardless
of sect, the Kundun’s confirmation is
sought as the final word. This was not
the case in the past. Free from any
competition, His Holiness the Fourteenth
Dalai Lama outshines all other hierarchs
from the Land of Snows. Even his often
abrasive political/religious rivalry
with the pro-China Panchen Lama no
longer exists, since the latter died in
1989.
The Rime movement, which began in the
19th century and has as its goal a
united church in which all schools are
absorbed (retaining certain individual
features), is also a boon to the
absolutism of the god-king. Even the Bon
priests in exile have in the meantime
recognized the Kundun as their de facto
authority. Like his predecessor from the
17th century (the “Great Fifth”), he
maintains good contacts with them and
prays in their monasteries.
“The Dalai Lama”, one of his Buddhist
opponents polemicizes, “tries to teach
everything: Kagyu, Nyingma, Sakya,
Gelugpa, Bonpo, and recently he even
gave teachings on Christianity! Later
may be he will teach on Sufism,
Hinduism, Shamanism and so on. What is
his motivation here? It is clear to me
that his motivation is to gather as many
disciples as possible from all these
different traditions. In this way he
will become their root guru and thereby
gain more power and control” (Sky
Warrior, Newsgroup 18). Hence, his
followers celebrate him not just as the
“supreme spiritual and worldly leader of
six million Tibetans”, but likewise as
the “Head of Buddhists World Wide” (Ron,
Newsgroup 14). In a resolution of the
Tibetan Cholsum Convention, of which
representatives from all (!)
organizations of Tibetans in exile are
members and which was held from August
27 to 31, 1998, it says: “He [The Dalai
Lama] is the Captain of Peace in the
world; he is the overall head of all
Buddhist traditions on this earth; he is
the master acclaimed by all the
religious traditions of the world”.