When Ogyen Trinley Dorje, one of the two lamas recognized as the 17th Karmapa, escaped from the Chinese in 2000 he was granted asylum in India.  However, due to pressure from the Chinese government, the Indian government quickly put him under close watch and put heavy restrictions on his ability to travel.  This week, as the Karmapa is giving teachings in Dharamsala, a huge rally in Sikkim is being organized by his supporters to put pressure on the Indian government to lift these travel restrictions so that he can return to his home monastery Rumtek, which is in Sikkim.  For more information on the rally, please visit www.karmapatorumtek.org Recently, Ogyen Trinley Dorje has been denied permission to visit Europe aWhen Ogyen Trinley Dorje, one of the two lamas recognized as the 17th Karmapa, escaped from the Chinese in 2000 he was granted asylum in India.  However, due to pressure from the Chinese government, the Indian government quickly put him under close watch and put heavy restrictions on his ability to travel.  This week, as the Karmapa is giving teachings in Dharamsala, a huge rally in Sikkim is being organized by his supporters to put pressure on the Indian government to lift these travel restrictions so that he can return to his home monastery Rumtek, which is in Sikkim.  For more information on the rally, please visit www.karmapatorumtek.org Recently, Ogyen Trinley Dorje has been denied permission to visit Europe and the US, so while the rally is specifically aimed at gaining him access to Rumtek, the larger goal of lifting his travel ban affects his many followers around the world. via Phayul.com,

Representatives of around 65 monasteries and thousands of supporters of the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje will congregate in Gangtok on September 26 for a massive rally. The rally will be held to ask the Indian government to allow Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to visit Rumtek Monastery, which they say is rightfully his home monastery in exile. The followers of Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje demand that New Delhi must lift the ban on the young Lama to travel to Rumtek, and allow him to take his throne at the monastery. Karmapa Reception Committee which is organizing the rally said as many as fifty thousand people are expected to gather in Sikkim’s capital. “The government of India must repose trust and confidence in the people of Sikkim. It has been 10 years since the Karmapa fled Tibet and took refuge in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh. We have waited long enough,” the KRC said in a leaflet distributed to followers. “It has been 10 years since the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa had come to India from Tibet, but still he is not allowed to enter Sikkim even though he was allowed to visit Bokar monastery in Mirik, which is very close to Sikkim. We want to know from the Centre whether we are part of India. If we are a part of India, he should be allowed to come and sit on his throne,” said K.N. Topden, a spokesperson for the Karmapa Reception Committee.

Read the complete article here. Rumtek Monastery Images courtesy of Kagyoffice.org

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