The Special Connection
with the XVIth Gyalwang Karmapa: 4

Rinpoché's Role in the 1977 visit to Europe
of the Gyalwang Karmapa: Part One ... Preparations

The Karmapa had allocated some six months for his tour, from June 1977 through January 1978. As the Karmapa party would comprise some twelve people, including the IIIrd Jamgon Rinpoché, and as the European tour looked like it would include over twenty destinations, stretching from Italy to Norway, north-south, and from Wales to Vienna, east-west, Rinpoché decided that the most practical and economical way to travel would be by bus. He asked his student Rager Ossel to find a suitable second-hand bus and have it fitted specially for the occasion. He wanted one side to be just for the Karmapa and Jamgon Rinpoché, with large, comfortable armchairs and cupboard space for storage, and the other side to be for the Karmapa's own party, the support team and those other lamas from Europe who might accompany the party for a brief while.

Rinpoché’s student John (Jock) Miller went specially to learn to drive buses for this trip and Ole Nydahl proposed his brother, Bjorn, who already had the required license. As the itinerary was established, Rinpoché thought it best to share the overall costs of the trip on a “per-night” basis between the centres, groups or individuals inviting the Karmapa. Most people agreed but a problem arose with the French groups under Kalu Rinpoché. This was one major factor influencing Rinpoché’s later decision not to become involved in France:

“France is not my karma”, as he put it.

Although Akong Rinpoché never had one moment of problem with Kalu Rinpoché himself (on the contrary, they worked beautifully together and with mutual respect), he did have difficulties with the main French administrators of the French groups and in particular with Denys Esseric, who blatantly declared that their centres need not pay for the flights or contribute towards the bus and transport costs. “We will pick them up at the frontier in our cars and deliver them to the next destination.” Although Akong Rinpoché insisted that this was unfair and not creating good samaya, Denys and the others would not budge. Thus, except for the time spent visiting the Kalu centres, the tour took place based around the bus. The fact that Akong Rinpoché bore the brunt of all the arguing and dissent on this issue made it possible for the Karmapa to visit the Kalu centres unaffected by, and unaware of, their decisions.

The other main people busily if unofficially involved in the organisation of this visit were the couple Ole and Hannah Nydahl, who had many contacts in northern Europe. They also had language skills (German and Nordic languages and some Tibetan) helpful for the tour. It is often said that the behaviour around the Karmapa creates powerful karma—a point often impressed upon us by Rinpoché. Akong Rinpoché already noticed during both the preparations for the trip and the trip itself that the conduct of Ole in particular was sometimes troubling, although often indispensable or truly helpful. Rinpoché told the author several times,

“He will be very helpful for beginners but if it goes to his head and he tries to do more, it could be dangerous.”

Jamgon Rinpoché told me almost exactly the same thing and I often saw him shaking his head sadly as he watched Ole using the Karmapa connection to make himself a centre of attention. Since that epic visit, Ole and Hannah and Lama Denys have self-promoted themselves to high positions, broken ranks with their lineage masters and become controversial leaders of what many people see as cults. The author witnessed how hard the Gyalwang Karmapa, Jamgon Rinpoché and Akong Rinpoché worked, as skilfully as they could, to try to prevent this happening. However, their counsel fell on deaf ears.

* * *

Following the powerful five-week retreat led by Akong Rinpoché in February and April 1977, the author and Katia were sent to France to prepare first for the French long retreat at Pleige and then, following a change of plans, to the new Dordogne property to help prepare it for the Karmapa’s visit. Akong Rinpoché eventually joined us there. Lama Gendun Rinpoché and the Karmapa’s nephew, Jigme-la, were already in residence. In theory, it was Jigme-la’s responsibility to prepare the place (an old farmhouse and land) for the visit but it was soon clear that little was happening and things could never be ready on time, at that pace. I witnessed Akong Rinpoché’s delicate respect for Jigme-la’s position but at the same time total frustration at the laid-back and unaware state of the community of volunteers. His solution was brilliant: to lead by example. So Rinpoché set to work with extreme diligence, not shying from any physical task, much to the surprise of the community who had seen their resident Tibetans as brilliant examples of inactivity, physically. The catalytic effect of Rinpoché’s industry awakened an enthusiasm in the group and they joined in more and more. Further, Rinpoché started giving talks to make it clearer how significant the Karmapa’s visit would be and how everything had to be done to make it a success. A new dynamic emerged and the centre ended up ready for His Holiness.

......continue to the next part of the story: Rinpoché's role in the 1977 visit of the Karmapa, Part 2