Many Westerners have difficulties accepting prophecies - including Tibetan ones since they can often be interpreted tin different ways. Westerners experience the predictions called "Mos" as being quite accurate and relevant. However, in the last year the field of prophecy has attained another tangible dimension.

The reappearance of a 350 year old historical thanka may be the strongest validating confirmation which helps prove that Thaye Dorje in Delhi is the true Karmapa. Hannah and I have known about this thanka since May 1996 when we talked with Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. Recently, more details along with pictures of the thanka have come into our hands. Without these, I would never have talked about this subject. Openness and truth have until now always been our best friends, and the Karmapa perfectly proves himself without miracles.

Here are the facts as I know them. In May last year Kunzig Shamarpa and Khenpo Chodrak visited the monastery of the Chinese Lopon Rinpoche in Taiwan. The monks there showed them a thanka which had been rescued from Tibet and taken to Nepal six months earlier. The thanka depicts a Karmapa in the center and below him a Shamarpa wearing unusual robes, clearly recognizable by his red crown. The visiting Rinpoches were enthusiastic about the beauty of the work. After Shamarpa had finished viewing the piece, Khenpo stayed behind and suddenly recognized the thanka as being one of the prophetic thankas of the 10th Karmapa. These thankas were painted by the 10th Karmapa while he was in exile during the period when the Mongolian soldiers supporting the 5th Dalai Lama were busy destroying the monasteries of the older non-Gelugpa lineages. It was during this time that Gyaltsab obtained his title "Goshir" by joining the Mongolians.

As Khenpo Chodrak looked more closely he noticed that Karmapa Thaye Dorje's name was written beside the throne (as seen on the enlargement). He quickly called Shamarpa who was extremely surprised and happy. A scientific examination of the thanka by a team of experts has been requested in Taiwan in order that the same type of scandal brought about from Situpa's forged letter does not happen again with the thanka.

As soon as the results of the examination have been released we will inform all of Karmapa's centers. When I asked Kunzig Shamarpa about the thanka, it was his opinion that the 10th Karmapa foresaw the present controversy and because of this, deliberately wrote the name of the 17th Karmapa on the thanka in big golden letters.

Now, you all know what I know. It will be exiting if this story is confirmed through the scientific laboratory tests.

BUDDHISM TODAY, Vol.3, 1997. Copyright ©1997 Kamtsang Choling USA.