The Twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo Admonishes the Dalai Lama

Here is a interesting news story from April 2008.

The Twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo is Tibet’s only officially recognised female living Buddha. She was born in 1942 and was recognised at the age of five to be the incarnation of Vajravarahi, Dorje Phagmo, a female Buddha of enlightened wisdom who is the same nature as Vajrayogini.

Last year after the riots in Tibet, the Twelfth Samding Dorje Phagmo, who is the third most important Tulku in Tibet after the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, and above Sakya Trizin, the head of the Sakya Tradition severely criticised the Dalai Lama, saying:

“The sins of the Dalai Lama and his followers seriously violate the basic teachings and precepts of Buddhism and seriously damage traditional Tibetan Buddhism’s normal order and good reputation,”

The article continues:

Samding Dorje Phagmo was quoted as saying – though she did not detail what his transgressions were.

I think we may have a good idea – maybe being a religious dictator by banning Dorje Shugden practice, causing a schism in the Sangha and generally causing Tibetan Buddhism to degenerate by mixing with politics?

Okay, this is old news but I didn’t realize its significance until today! Isn’t it quite surprising that such a high ranking Tulku should choose to criticise the Dalai Lama so harshly? But then again, she isn’t under his control and so she has the power to say what she thinks, unlike all the other reincarnate Tibetan Masters in India who have to fall in line with the Dalai Lama’s views or risk injury, harm or explusion from Tibetan society.