Source: Xinhuanet

04-15-2009 17:21

　　BEIJING, April 14 (Xinhuanet) -- On Sept. 27, 1992, in the Curpu Monastery, 70km west of Lhasa, with the sound of all the gongs and drums, the sitting-in-bed (enthronement) ceremony for the 17th Living Buddha Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu Sect was being held. This is the first reincarnated Living Buddha confirmed and approved by the Central Government of the People's Republic of China after the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951.

　　History of the "White Sect"

　　The Kagyu Sect, also known as the "White Sect," has a long history in Tibetan Buddhism and enjoys a significant religious status.

　　I visited many towns in Tibet's Chamdo Prefecture seven years ago. I went to the Karma area in Chamdo Town by car one day and then climbed Wudong Mountain by riding a horse and arrived at a small monastery in a valley. The monastery, with arched wooden eaves and blue glazed tiles, made me feel as if I were in a famous monastery in an inland province of China. This is the well-known Karma Monastery in Eastern Tibet.

　　In accordance with historical records, the monastery was built in the early 12th century, and was the earliest monastery of the Karma Kagyu Sect. Another Kagyu Sect monastery, Curpu Monastery, was built in the suburbs of Lhasa about two years later. As the Curpu Monastery was nearer to Lhsas, it played a significant role in political and religious affairs. Moreover, as it mediated more often among other monasteries, it gradually became a key monastery of all Kagyu monasteries.

　　When I was at the Karma Monastery, it was already in shambles and collapsed on the whole; however, the scale of the monastery enabled me to imagine the grandeur of the old monastery and a stream of worshippers.

　　The Karma Kagyu Sect was the first one to create the Living Buddha reincarnation system in Tibetan Buddhism and the system has been accepted and applied to different sects of Tibetan Buddhism till today. Shortly after Kublai met with Pagba in the mid-13th century, he met Karma Pakshi, the 2nd Living Buddhism of the Karma Kagyu Sect. Xianzong of the Yuan Dynasty crowned Karma Paksh rabbi, and bestowed him a black cap with gold trimming.

　　Kagyu, which means oral transmission, emphasizes decrees and has a profound mystery feature. Its originators, Marpa and Milarepa, were renowned masters in the history of Tibetan religions. As Kagyu monks often wore white robes, they were also called the "White Sect." The Karma Kagyu Sect is a branch of the Kagyu Sect. With the decline of other Kagyu Sects, the Karma Kagyu gained much favor in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and its Living Buddhas were summoned by emperors many times with some granted the titles such as "Grand Rabbi" and "Grand Master of the State."

　　In the 15th century, the influence of the Karma Kagyu had reached all over Tibet and Tibetan Karma Government was established to rule Tibet both politically and religiously. However, with the rise of the Gelug Sect and seizure of Tibet 's politics and religions, the Karma Kagyu then became a sect with strong religious significance in the region. However, the sect still enjoyed a high degree of prestige among Tibetan Buddhists because of its outstanding religious status in the past.