What is the connection between the Chechen war, Afghanistan, Kashmir and the recent flight of a 14-year old Tibetan Lama (HH Karmapa XVII) from Tibet? I would suggest that it is this. Central Asia is the last area of the world which suffers outright imperialism. This used to be called 'The Great Game', and it involved Britain too, in the days of the Raj 100 years ago. The connection between these disparate events is: Central Asia (from the Caucasus to Sinkiang to Mongolia to Tibet to Afghanistan) is on the edge of finding its true identity and key role in the world - and these separate events are advance signs of a mega-situation building up. And, I would suggest, the likely catalyst of this big change is this lama, Karmapa --who stands not only to be the personage who presides over the 'freeing' of Tibet, but also the one who might, by indirect means, shepherd the freeing up of Central Asia.
Culturally-religiously, this involves the fusion or interaction of very different cultures - Buddhist, Muslim, shamanistic and post-Socialist (note that Christianity isn't involved). The first stage of this change was the fall of USSR and the founding of the post-socialist Sunni Muslim Central Asian republics in the 1990s. The next stage is the rebirth of Tibet, Afghanistan, Mongolia and East Turkestan, from the Caucasus to the borders of 'China proper' - which, except for Afghanistan and Kashmir, concerns the political future and the prevalence of truth/reality in China, the world's most populous nation, and in Russia.
The Karmapa is both a religious and a political figure, like the Dalai Lama. He's a kind of joint Buddhist papal figure, with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. While the Dalai Lama is a philosopher who has admirably 'held' the Tibetans during their exile/oppression phase in history, the Karmapa is, for want of a better term, an advanced enlightened shaman -- and he and the Dalai Lama are also deep soul-friends. Karmapa's walking out of Tibet over the Millennium is a sign and omen of large import. Check out http://www.maui.net/~tsurphu/karmapa/ for more information on him. While I must own my own bias here - the Karmapa in his last incarnation was my teacher in the 1970s, and my adopted Tibetan name (Karma Palden Sonam) was given to me by him, and his voluntary exile from Tibet is personally significant to me - I suggest that you watch this man carefully. He's young at present - what an act for a 14-year old to make! He will probably be kept hidden for a while - amongst other things, for him to complete his religious and political education - but by 2010 things will be different, and a new generation of Tibetans and post-Communist Central Asians will be in the ascendancy. Karmapa's HQ in exile is Rumtek monastery in Sikkim - which itself is in slightly disputed territory between India and China. From the position of my own personal bias, I ask that you extend supportive prayers toward the Karmapa. From my position as a geopolitical analyst and historian, I suggest you simply watch this man! And also: look into the inner significance of the struggles going on in Central Asia at present - Chechnya, Kashmir, West China, Afghanistan, the oilfields in Azerbaijan, the Siberian republics of Russia, Mongolia and the Central Asian republics. Keep an eye on this issue, because I think it is important for the world as a whole.
This area of the world has been hidden away for a long time, and it's about to emerge
again. Remember, in history, that the largest empire the world has ever seen - that of the
Mongols - came from here. Something is brewing.... |
