Dateline December 30, 2019, from the Reluctant Lama on MySpace to Lama Bill, Founder and Director of the Yongton Dorje Pal Institute , Sex Positive and 420 Friendly Tibetan Buddhism since 1981, and Lhamo Norjin, perfectly named by Bardor Tulku, living our retirement on the site of HHK16’s 1981 Parinirvana 🙏🏻
Tinfoil Ushnisha 
welcome back ~~~
Thanks, it’s good to be back in the saddle.
This is a kick ass blog!
Thanks.
Dear Mr. Ryderjaphy,
I just chanced on your website while searching for Karmapa news. I read alot of the contents here but would appreciate if you can clarify a few points. Which Karmapa do you follow? As for myself, I’m confused. Both look like credible candidates, yet one has the majority votes including HHDL.
Sorry, upon further reading, I’ve answered my own question.
Whats the answer….I am new to Karma Kagyu and need lots of guidance
leave this blog is a load of crap, nothing good will out come of this place. no doubt you will have to find out for yourself… i believe this blog has done more to damage the view of newer ppl who may have been interested but after reading here come away changed for the worse.
#troll
I happen to have found this blog because I took refuge from a Lama in the Karma Kagyu lineage in Albany NY, near KTD Woodstock. I am looking for answers because this lama is so fully engrained in only the Kagyu lineage and nothing outside of it, that in the end, I have been treated like a pariah for seeking the teachings of Lord Buddha from any qualified master, regardless of lineage. I’m sick of his passive aggressive treatment of not only myself, but of others he has treated in this fashion.
This blog is a breath of fresh air, and if one can’t stand to hear all sides of any “story”, then one should examine themselves, instead of calling another point of view “a load of crap”
Troll
Troll
Bill this entire blog is one big troll
For those following along at home let Karma Yeshe Tarchin be an example of what happens to trolls here.
He took exception to comments posted here about Lama Lodru.
A blog for Karma Kagyu need not concern itself with Lama Lodru.
He is Kalu Rinpoche’s problem.
This being said Karma Yeshe Tarchin took it upon himself to speak here on behalf of Lama Lodru.
Now, thanks to Karma Yeshe Tarchin, Lama Lodro’s alleged sexual predations are now part of the public record.
I leave it to Lama Lodru’s people to sort out Karma Yeshe Tarchin.
He is their problem.
He has deleted his Twitter account.
His profile picture can be found online though.
I’m glad to not be in this young man’s shoes.
Anyway, I don’t delete comments.
Don’t make Karma Yeshe Tarchin’s mistake.
If you take exception to something you read here you are welcome to do so here.
Be mindful that what you post here, thanks to the traffic this blog generates, your comment will be part of the public record.
Groundless shame based accusations abound herein: Made by an seemingly angry man with an agenda who clearly is not adhering any sort of common decency,
ethics of journalism, jurist prudence, or Buddhism
Investigate it for your self, don’t take my word for it by any means.
Yes i took exception to the groundless accusations made here
Is that a “bad” thing requiring some sort of action? Its unclear to me what exactly Bill Schwartz aka ryderjaphy is attempting to say. Should anyone with an opposing view just keep quiet?
This blog “for the Karma Kagyu” did indeed concern its self with Lama Lordu
after i mentioned his name with good intention ryderjaphy did what he does here by laying inflammatory groundless deluded accusations of sex crimes, sexual misconduct, lack of morals etc. at the feet of a very kind teacher who has done his best for most of his life to benefit his students and all beings. A teacher who is human, has some faults like all human beings do, but is certainly not a predator of any type.
Any of my comments here are my own and not made on behalf of anyone but myself.
“I leave it to Lama Lodru’s people to sort out Karma Yeshe Tarchin.”
What is there to be sorted out? Am I a bad man that needs to be banished or punished by my peers for having an opposing view and calling it as i see it? This qoute seems to indicate the view of a mind that focuses on shame, guilt, and negativity. The scope of which to me is very narrow in view as it applies to ethics, Buddhism, and the conduct of adepts.
Yes my Twitter account is deactivated, i also deactivated other social media profiles in the past. What this has to do with anything other than my wish to leave things that can be a distraction for me I don’t know. Seems Bill takes this as an indication of some sort of guilt or shame. This fits right inline with his Modus operandi. I am not ashamed and have no regrets thank you.
Yes my image is available online. Pointing this out is an indication of what? Is this some kind of call to action? Some kind of threat to my well being? Your image is equally available online Bill what does that have to do with anything?
Thanks for the compliment about my appearance. I do look rather young for being a grand father, retired, and an age group peer of you mister ryderjaphy. Your assumptions about appearances is astounding. You seem quite good at believing what you think without checking the validity then spewing these as truth and fact.
As to fitting into my shoes, I wear a size 13 hahaha!! maybe you fit in them maybe not, who cares.
The indication is i am in some sort of big trouble with my peers. More deluded thinking from a mind that sees others as lesser than self.
I haven’t noticed any comments being removed so far. This maybe be one of a few true statements made here by ryderjaphy. We’ll see if that continues. Further I have no wish for anything to be taken down or altered let it stay. I have no fear or shame of this being in what is laughably called “the public record”.
The author of this blog closes his last post with more malarky about mistakes and so forth. I do agree that if anyone does post a name of a teacher, group, or any other identifiable entity it is very likely Bill will find or just make up some sort of scandal about it. If you respond to his remarks in opposition he will attempt to slander and shame you personally so yes think twice about getting involved here…or not hahaha!
Simply reading the blog roll tittles will likely be enough for most reasonable people to see the bent towards the negative.
One last thing. The amount of hits on this page do not necessarily indicate that those reading are in accord with its content. They are just clicks, simple numbers. Projecting any sort of positive or negative onto this data without any analysis is the deluded state of mind. An indication of a mind void of meditative experience. There are endless ways to view any given thing. This maybe foreign to some but more than one thing can be true at a time. No one thing is static, unchanging, forever except for the ultimate truth.
I challenge you Mr. Bill Schwartz to post an anonymous poll widget in each of your threads so we can all get a better idea of what people visiting here really think about this blog and its content instead of believing that these numbers indicate anything one way or another. Lets get to some real data maybe even doing some real honest investigating instead of trail by rumor. What do you say?
To all those “reading along at home” in your office, or on your phone. Please forgive my bad grammar and typos. May this somehow bring some good. May the poison of afflictive emotions be transformed into wisdom nectar benefitting all beings every where. May there be happy omens!!!
༄ ཨོཾ་བཛྲ་སཏྭ་ས་མ་ཡ། མ་ནུ་པ་ལ་ཡ། བཛྲ་སཏྭ་ཏྭེ་ནོ་པ་ཏིཥྛ་དྲི་ཌྷོ་མེ་བྷ་ཝ། སུ་ཏོ་མེ་བྷ་ཝ། སུ་པོ་ཥྱོ་མེ་བྷ་ཝ།
ཨ་ནུ་རཀྟོ་མེ་བྷ་ཝ། སརྦ་སི་དྡྷི་མྨེ་པྲ་ཡ་ཙྪ། སརྦ་ཀརྨ་སུ་ཙི་ཏྟཾ་ཤྲི་ཡཿཀུ་རུ་ཧཱུཾ་ཧ་ཧ་ཧ་ཧ་ཧོཿབྷ་ག་ཝན། སརྦ་ཏ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏ་བཛྲ་་མཱ་མེ་མུཉྩ་བཛྲི་བྷ་ཝ་མ་ཧཱ་ས་མ་ཡ་ས་ཡ་སཏྭ་ཨཱཿ།།༄༄ (༡༠༠,༠༠༠,༠༠༠x)
ཨོཾ་ཨེ་ངྷརྨཱ་ཧེ་ཏུ་པྲ་བབྷ་ཝ་ཧེ་ཏུ་ནྟེ་ཥནྟ་ཐཱ་ག་ཏོ་ཧྱ་ཝ་དཏ། ཏེཥཱཉྕ་ཡོ་ནི་རོ་ངྷ་ཨེ་ཝཾ་བཱ་དཱི་མཧཱ་ཤྲ་མ་ན་ཡེ་སཱཧཱ།་(༡༠༠,༠༠༠,༠༠༠x)
༄༄། །སེམས་ཅན་ཐམས་ཅད་བདེ་བ་དང་བདེ་བའི་རྒྱུ་དང་ལྡན་པར་གྱུ་ཅིག། །སྡུག་བསྔལ་དང་སྔུག་།བསྔལ་གྱིརྒྱུ་དང་བྲལ་བར་གྱུར་ཅིག། །སྡུག་བསྡལ་མེད་པའེ་བདེ་བ་དམ་པ་དང་མི་འབྲལ་བར་གྱུར་ཅིག། ཉེ་།རིང་ཆགས་སྡང་དངབྲལ་བའི་བཏང་སྙོམས་ཆེན་པོ་ལ་གནས་པར་གྱུར་ཅིག།།
Interesting…
Devotion to one’s Guru is important, if not vital if one is to progress along this path. However, devotion which leads one to anger cannot be a good thing, I think.
Huh?
Bill, I love this blog.
Needs to be written,
important for the
reclamation of Western
values denied to us
by Tibetan masters.
Although I have
been burnt within CNNR’s
Dzogchen Community,
your blog has universal appeal.
Thanks
Maurice
Hello Tinfoil Ushnisha,
I’m very new to this blog, this being my first post. I was wondering if you “follow” a particular Karmapa or just the Greater Karma Kagyu as a whole?
Cheers
Rob
I received pointing out from Rangjung Rikpe Dorje. Khenpo Karthar gave me his permission to practice Mahamudra, its lung and tri. I’ve been with Rinpoche since 1981.
Traleg Rinpoche was a teacher of mine.
My biggest influence was meeting Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso in 1985. I would not be a Tibetan Buddhist if I had not met the man.
Since 2008 Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s brief recitations has been my daily practice.
I was a founding member of Chicago KTC.
I know no Karmapa other than Ogyen Trinley Dorje.
One day Shamar Rinpoche’s picture disappeared.
I was never in a position to choose between Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Thaye Dorje.
Prior to the Internet I wouldn’t have been able to recognize a picture of Thaye Dorje.
My issue with Ogyen Trinley Dorje is personal.
He banished Bardor Tulku at the behest of KTD’s landlord, Tenzin Chonyi.
I won’t rest until I make this right.
If Ogyen Trinley Dorje doesn’t reform his Karma Kagyu sect, I will.
Hi Ryderjaphy,
How would you do that? Reform the Karma Kagyu I mean?
I don’t answer to Ryder Japhy, my name is Bill. Watch and learn.
Hi Bill,
When you say that if the Karmapa doesn’t reform the karma kagyu, you will. Do you mean that you personally will? Can you clarify watch and learn, I’m assuming that you mean you will add to reforms of the karma kagyu through this blog, is that what you saying?
Cheers
Rob
Sunlight is the best of disinfectants.
I’m done blogging.
In a little over two years I generated over a quarter million views.
It was the longest two years of my life.
I’m writing a novel.
I’ve been asked to continue writing here by readers.
It’s the least I can do.
My novel is based on the experiences of myself and my friends here in Chicago, from before the 16th Karmapa’s Parinirvana in 1981 to present.
My issue with Ogyen Trinley Dorje isn’t going away any time soon.
Whatever it takes I am determined to reform the Karma Kagyu sect.
The only thing sunlight is exposing is a poor, deluded old man – Bill. Any external credentials are meaningless if your mind is not gentle or kind. Perhaps it is just hard to tell online but you seem very angry. Do you feel like you have wasted your life as a Buddhist? Like you’ve been cheated by your teachers or something?
This an obvious projection of your narrative as a Buddhist upon mine. I could not be happier nor more grateful for the blessings of the 16th Karmapa’s Mahasiddha inspired crazy wisdom Karma Kagyu lineage of which I am a lama of today. Over thirty five years after taking refuge with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, my guru, I could not be happier. Ten years ago when I began my retreat I never imagined I would be able to survive so long without working, much less flourish as I have to date. To say nothing of my surviving the widow-maker in 2009, a 100% blockage of my left coronary artery, thanks to my being the accomplished dharma practitioner I had become thanks to my years of effort since I took refuge with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in 1981 to put into practice his instructions and honor the potential he saw in me as a young man to someday uphold the 16th Karmapa’s Mahasiddha inspired crazy wisdom Karma Kagyu lineage as I do today. As far as recognition is concerned, having received Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s recognition of my accomplishment as a dharma practitioner as I have, I frankly have no use for any other form of recognition as you suggest. If you see an angry man in me, if you see in me someone seeking recognition, that you see these things in me is but a reflection upon your own narrative as a Buddhist, which does not allow for someone such as myself to succeed at that which so many of my generation that I came up with as a dharma practitioner have not succeeded at in your estimation.
Sorry, I’m new here…I was searching the internet for information about three year retreats. Your blog was one of the hits. I’ve experienced a wide range of responses to your various posts. Being a practicing Vajrayana buddhist, most of those responses were negative as you might guess.
A couple of questions: Are you a practicing Buddhist? Have you taken refuge vows? Neither is really clear here or at least I didn’t see it anywhere. TIA
I’m a Tibetan Buddhist. I took refuge in 1981 with Khenpo Karthar. My practice is Mahamudra. I received pointing out from Rangjung Rikpe Dorje. I received permission to practice Mahahamudta, it’s lung and tri, from Khenpo Karthar. I’ve been with Rinpoche for going on 34 years now.
A number of people I came up with here in Chicago completed three year retreats at Karme Ling in Delhi, New York. I’m afraid none have faired we’ll post retreat.
Three year retreat serves no purpose for a dharma practitioner. It’s sole purpose is purely sectarian.
Once you get your robes Tibetans will treat you with nothing but contempt for your efforts. For good reason. You bought your robes.
Dear Mr Ryderjaphy
I’m writing a book about the late Karmapa. Not such a one which has the 16th and Karmapa Ogyen trinle on the front cover of it’s chinese edition as the book of Ms. Levine (which is apart of this is very nice) or “the Dharmaking” published by KTD (which I forward to look at) but a neutral one. It’s pretty much based on interviews. Would you like to participate and give an interview (or somebody else here who read this) all best
I forgot my email: bgerd[at]ymail.com
My email is bschwartz1959@gmail.com
i am also new to this blog. it’s good to have open discussion. secrecy breeds cult mentality and hence is the opposite of enlightenment. i will e mail privately . i hope that e mail is still good.
I don’t check my email. Try me on Twitter.
I’m glad I checked my email. Thank you.
Sure.
We were always made to believe that Tibetans don’t believe in Thaye Dorje as the Karmapa, that his legitimacy is invalid because His Holiness the Dalai Lama didn’t approve him. Although HH still doesn’t approve of him as the Karmapa (which actually spiritually, does not seem to be necessary ), we are seeing thousands of Tibetans welcoming Thaye Dorje and receiving his teachings in Ladakh. ??
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.399149523628934.1073742039.153568121520410&type=3
Most Westerners are not able to see the difference between the Tibetan political cause and Buddhism in its pure form, free of politics and cultural baggage. Hence the rush into making judgements, taking sides and getting confused in the end.
I’m no stranger to Tibetans, and I’m not alone in this regard either.
I don’t need to be schooled by a Tibetan in this regard.
1958-1991
The Tibetan Diaspora (Karma Kagyu lineage)
Teachers
Rangjung Rikpe Dorje
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche
Thrangu Rinpoche
Traleg Rinpoche
These are the diaspora Tibetans I have had the pleasure of working with, in one form over the other, over what has been going on a quarter century as a Karma Kagyu.
I’ve dedicated my life to the practice of Khenpo Gangshar’s Mahamudra.
1991-present
Post-Diaspora Tibetans
Karma Kagyu?
As far as I’m concerned Rabgjung Rikpe Dorje was the last Gyalwa Karmapa.
When I visualize my field of merit before me when doing Ngöndro His Holiness is the last of his kind.
I glady leave it to future generations to decide for themselves who to visualize as holders of our lineage moving forward.
I hope the future generations will be able to use proper reasoning instead of blind faith and popular belief to decide who to visualize as holders of the lineage.
The 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje told many many times to his close students that they should not mix religion and politics. He said that those who mingle with politics will not meet his next incarnation. And now, to see half of the lineage under the Tibetan Govt., is just sad and shameful.
Note, how Thupten ends on a political note.
Just saying.
I could have started with the last sentence and ended with the first sentence. The main point is that the 16th Karmapa, who you visualize when doing Ngondro wanted to stay far away from politics.
His Holiness indeed foresaw what came to pass.
He wasn’t saying this to you and me, obviously.
He said it to the very same people that so let us down in 1991.
His Holiness said one thing and all involved did the total opposite.
Fortunately, we Karma Kagyu in the West have left Tibetans behind when it comes to the practice of Mahamudra.
Tibetans remain as mired in politics as ever.
Having watched them go at each other for over a quarter century I can only wonder how this will end up for these people.
I did not have the fortune of meeting HH 16th Karmapa, as I was born in 1981. As a follower of Karma Kagyu, I had to make a choice of who is the 17th, and that’s how I got to your blog. I have been investigating this issue on my own by hearing, reading, analysing and contemplation. While I have no doubt who’s the current Karmapa in my own egocentric view, it finally hit me that the goal is not about verifying one’s lineage authenticity, but simply to cultivate Bodhicitta and attain realisation. The authencity is not about the person, but the teachings. Sometimes I wonder if having two 17th Karmapa is an explicit teaching on duality itself….like a slap in the face for all of us to wake up.
Looking forward to read your book btw.
I don’t know how to send this to you so am “commenting” it here. Fascinating and relevant study. “How to Reincarnate Lawfully…” by Amy Kellam. https://www.academia.edu/28317517/How_to_Reincarnate_Lawfully_the_Rebirth_of_a_Tibetan_Religious_Tradition_with_Socialist_Characteristics?auto=download&campaign=weekly_digest
Your trolling the “about” blurb on my blog?
Troll
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Troll
thank you for all your writing, there is a tremendous amount if information here. are you familiar with a teaching the 16th Karmapa gave where he stated he would return with 800 emanations simultaneously?
No
Hello,
I very much enjoy your blog-thank you for writing about the topics that you write about. I was genuinely interested in what you think about Chogyur Lingpa’s vision of 21 Karmapas, and/or if you have heard any opinons about it from high Lama’s that you trust, and/or if you have heard any info about it that is not common knowledge? Thank you.
Yours,
Derek
I was 22 years old when I took refuge with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in 1981. As a soon to be 60 year old Lama I have been disabused by Tibetans of any regard I once had for these people as such. I don’t trust a single one of them and neither should you. That being said my knowledge of them gained as a lama over the years is at your disposal.
Tibetan prophesy has no place in understanding these people. How they justify themselves is of no concern to me as a lama.
What does anything Tibetan to do with me? My guru escaped Tibet in 1959. In 1991 he collaborated with the Chinese and has been theirs ever since. In his middle age they allowed him to return to Tibet. He has been their kind of Tibetan ever since.
This is not common knowledge but what I have learned as a senior disciple of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche. I hold Rinpoche’s lineage of Mahamudra, Khenpo Gangshar’s prophesy of 1958 that Tibet was done for and his instructions which brought my guru’s generation to us here in the West. Today’s Tibetans chose the opportunity to return to Tibet instead but Khenpo Gangshar’s lineage lives on in the practice of those of us entrusted with it in our youth. Make use this knowledge and avoid these people at all costs.
Hi Bill,
Just wanted to say hi and wish you well. You popped into my mind tonight and I was flooded with gratitude for the ways in which the Reluctant Lama myspace group nourished and supported me spiritually during a long period of loneliness, confusion, and fantasy. Crazy to think how that was more than a decade ago. I’m so glad to have had someone talking about the importance of practice under the guidance of a teacher. It really prepped me for meeting mine in 2010, if preparation is ever possible when meeting one’s teacher! Haha. Anyway, glad to find you still expressing yourself. Is this still the best place to follow along?
Thank you,
Nandikesha
You can find me on Twitter @ ryderjaphy if you wish to keep in touch. I tweet in French for my audience in Quebec. I’ve been teaching myself French there. It has been an interesting journey. I have a history with Quebec.
Hard to believe that Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche returned to Nepal recently after the serious allegations about his latest one year romantic relarion with a female Dharma translator surfaced privately to his sister and a senior Kagyu lama in August 2019. He then disappeared and did not return to Nepal citing sickness and retreat. He is clearly a seual predator who lies to and about women. It has been going on for years. He knows the truth but he ignores it and acts like he did nothing. When women speak out he tells others the women are liars too!
Instead of investigating any of these allegations properly Sangye Nyenpa and Benchen ignored it and he cancelled his plans to return to Nepal last year. .All the hard evidence is there to support it (including many photos and audio messages) but they have tried to scare, bully and silence her and her supporters like several other women before. He knows the truth about what he has done and acts like he did nothing and calls the women liars. Why would these women be independently saying the same thing and lying about it though?
Teachers with a big name and following who are dishonest and disrespect women like this are a danger to women and the Dharma teachings and their conduct also encourages their followers to engage in extremely negative actions against these women which are aggressive, bullying and fraudulent. It is good his teaching in September has been cancelled. If he teaches it will be of no benefit to himself, his followers or the Dharma. Should have pure vows and stable bodhicitta love and compassion for all beings including those women who feel harmed by him. Lamas like this bring the Dharma into disrepute and harm women and infinite beings by doing so.They should be exposed and stopped.
Women be warned, if Sangye Nyenpa makes contact with you and says he is in love with you he is lying. He has said this to many women before and discards and treats them like trash afterwards when they challenge him or he feels like it. Women are now talking to each other more about these things and realising this is not OK and should not be allowed.to continue. The truth cannot and will not be hidden. As Buddha said: the earth is our witness.
Despite it all, we remain hopeful and pray that Sangye Nyenpa, and those who enable such actions around him take this time to transform and change their conduct and attitude to women for the sake of themselves and all those affected. Please see petition http://chng.it/8QNS2fzy