Their Holinesses the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa share emotional reunion in Zurich

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent return trip to India after recovering from surgery in New York was significant for several reasons. Perhaps the most significant was his emotional meeting with His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, their first face-to-face meeting in seven years and one that reverberated throughout the global Tibetan community.

The Dalai Lama underwent successful knee replacement surgery in New York City on June 28. After his release from the hospital, he spent time in upstate New York recovering and rehabilitating. This was the Dalai Lama’s first visit to the United States since 2017. On August 22, before His Holiness left the United States, members of the Tibetan community in North America offered a prayer for the Tibetan spiritual leader’s long life in New York City.

Following this event, the Dalai Lama returned to his residence in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, northern India, on 28 August, with only a brief stopover in Zurich, where the Tibetan community also offered a long life prayer on 25 August. It was during this short stopover that His Holiness was able to briefly reunite with His Holiness the Karmapa, for the first time since the Dalai Lama’s 34th Kalachakra teaching in Bodh Gaya in 2017.

In a subsequent statement on the meeting dated 28 August and shared on social media, His Holiness the Karmapa called on Tibetans to live and work in unity to help realise the Dalai Lama’s aspirations and spoke of how moved he was to recognise that the Dalai Lama had aged since their last meeting. The Karmapa’s statement also noted the Dalai Lama’s strong aspiration to undertake a pilgrimage to the sacred Buddhist site of Mount Wutai in Shanxi Province, China, which is associated with the bodhisattva of wisdom, Manjushri:

Recently, when I had the chance to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama again in Zurich, Switzerland, and hear his gentle voice, I felt a mixture of joy and sadness. It was different from what I usually see in videos or otherwise. Seeing his face in person, he seemed to have aged considerably, and even hearing him speak, his voice had weakened. It was so different from what he was before that I had a hard time bearing it. His Holiness used all the strength of his body, speech, and mind for us, and when I saw him so physically fragile, it was as if the feelings of sadness and gratitude that came over me were competing with each other.

Given his physical condition and apparent exhaustion, I didn’t say much, but I explained to him that there was nothing greater he could do for Buddhism and sentient beings than to live a long life. I wrote down the other things I wanted to share with him and offered them to him. He spent ten minutes reading them carefully, then talked about the predictions that he would live to be 110, his main wish to go on a pilgrimage to Wutai Shan in China, and the importance of preserving, protecting, and spreading the complete teachings of the basic vehicle, Mahayana, and Tantra, which are like a unique jewel found only in Tibet.

In short, seeing his face and hearing his voice gave me a sense of rarity and value that had never occurred to me before. Moreover, we must soon fulfill all his wishes for what he would like to accomplish in this life; there is no time to waste or distraction.

The hardships His Holiness has endured for us are beyond comprehension. Given his age and current physical condition, nothing is more important to him than rest and taking care of his health. We must all, myself and others, be aware and attentive to this.

In particular, if His Holiness could return to Tibet in this lifetime and set foot on its soil again, that alone would fulfill the hopes of all Tibetans, living and deceased, and fulfill the Guru’s wishes. It is therefore crucial that all of us Tibetan brothers and sisters cooperate harmoniously in serving His Holiness to fulfill his wishes and, at the very least, make wishes and offerings day and night.

No matter what region we come from, what religion we follow or what opinions or positions we hold, for the sake of Tibet as a whole we must do what is important and abandon what is minor – it is important not to confuse gold with brass or to reduce sandalwood to ash before selling it.

Most importantly, I urge everyone to keep in mind that we have a lama and a wish-fulfilling jewel like him and to inspire even greater dedication to work for the dharma and welfare of the Tibetan people. (Karmapa)

Following their meeting, during which the Karmapa urged the Dalai Lama to take more rest, photos of the auspicious meeting circulated widely on social media. According to media reports, the reunion sparked speculation about the possibility of the Karmapa returning to India, but no reliable confirmation has been forthcoming.

The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, the largest Kagyu lineage, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Gelug, Nyingma and Sakya schools. The Karmapa institution is the oldest Living Buddha A lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, dating back to the first Gyalwa Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa (1110–1193), and predating the lineage of the Dalai Lama by more than two centuries. Due to disagreement within the Karma Kagyu school over the process of recognizing incarnations, the identity of the 17th Karmapa remains controversial. The majority of Tibetan Buddhists recognize Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, while an influential minority recognize Trinley Thaye Dorje.

Born in Tibet in 1985, His Holiness left for India in 1999, citing lack of religious freedom. In 2017, the Karmapa visited Europe, during which time he acquired Dominican citizenship. He has since been unable to return to India due to administrative formalities surrounding his residency certificate issued by the Indian government to Tibetan refugees. The Karmapa has a significant following in India, particularly in the northeastern state of Sikkim.

Dalai Lama arrives in New York for knee treatment (BDG); Dalai Lama shares message of gratitude as well-wishers around the world celebrate his 89th birthday (BDG); and Dalai Lama reflects on life in exile after recovering from surgery in New York (BDG)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama attends prayer ceremony in New York (BDG)

Indian government signals softer stance on Karmapa's status (BDG)

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama returns to Dharamsala (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)
Message from Gyalwang Karmapa on the Occasion of His Meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Karmapa)
Karmapa (Facebook)
Karmapa meets Dalai Lama in Zurich, first meeting in seven years (Tibetan Review)

Their Holinesses the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa share emotional reunion in Zurich

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