Boy chosen by Dalai Lama turns back on Buddhist order

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
Boy chosen by Dalai Lama turns back on Buddhist order

Dale Fuchs in Madrid
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 31 May 2009 23.11 BST




As a toddler, he was put on a throne and worshipped as by monks who treated him like a god. But the boy chosen by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of a spiritual leader has caused consternation – and some embarrassment – for Tibetan Buddhists by turning his back on the order that had such high hopes for him. Instead of leading a monastic life, Osel Hita Torres now sports baggy trousers and long hair, and is more likely to quote Jimi Hendrix than Buddha.

Yesterday he bemoaned the misery of a youth deprived of television, football and girls. Movies were also forbidden – except for a sanctioned screening of The Golden Child starring Eddie Murphy, about a kidnapped child lama with magical powers. "I never felt like that boy," he said.

He is now studying film in Madrid and has denounced the Buddhist order that elevated him to guru status. "They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. "It was like living a lie," he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. Despite his rebelliousness, he is still known as Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche and revered by the Buddhist community. A prayer for his "long life" still adorns the website of the Foundation to Preserve the Mahayana Tradition, which has 130 centres around the world. The website features a biography of the renegade guru that gushes about his peaceful, meditative countenance as a baby. In Tibetan Buddhism, a lama is one of a lineage of reincarnated spiritual leaders, the most famous of which is the Dalai Lama.

According to the foundation biography, another leader suspected Torres was the reincarnation of the recently deceased Lama Yeshe when he was only five months old. In 1986, at 14 months, his parents took him to see the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. The toddler was chosen out of nine other candidates and eventually "enthroned".

At six, he was allowed to socialise only with other reincarnated souls – though for a time he said he lived next to the actor Richard Gere's cabin.

By 18, he had never seen couples kiss. His first disco experience was a shock. "I was amazed to watch everyone dance. What were all those people doing, bouncing, stuck to one another, enclosed in a box full of smoke?"


Boy chosen by Dalai Lama as reincarnation of spiritual leader turns back on Buddhist order | World news | The Guardian
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
Reincarnated Lama goes off the rails

*Osel Hita Torres, aka Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche, now a film student, says he was forced to live a lie

By Rachel Helyer Donaldson
FIRST POSTED JUNE 1, 2009

The Spanish boy handpicked by the Dalai Lama as the reincarnation of a spiritual leader has renounced his monastic life and spoken out against the monks who worshipped him.

Osel Hita Torres was a 14-month-old toddler when the Dalai Lama recognised him as the reincarnation of a recently deceased spiritual teacher, Lama Yeshe, in 1986. The "peaceful, meditative" baby - as his biography on the website of the Foundation to Preserve the Mahayana Tradition, which has 130 teaching centres around the world, describes him - was chosen over nine other candidates and "enthroned". Renamed Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche, the boy guru was taken away from his family in Granada and installed in a monastery in southern India. Growing up, he was only allowed to socialise with other reincarnated souls - although for a brief period he lived next to the actor Richard Gere's cabin.


He was only allowed to socialise with
other reincarnated souls - and Richard Gere


Now 24, Torres - who is one of only a handful of Westerners to be recognised as a Tibetan Buddhist tulku, or reincarnation - has rebelled against his spiritual upbringing. While still revered by the Buddhist community, Torres now lives in Madrid where he studies film.

A Jimi Hendrix fan who sports long hair and wears baggy trousers, Torres performed at last year’s Burning Man Festival, the annual avant-garde art event held in the Nevada desert.

Torres said his childhood was "like living a lie", in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. "They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," he said.

His monastic upbringing meant an adolescence deprived of television, football and girls, he said. His first disco at 18 was a shock, he said. "I

was amazed to watch everyone dance. What were all those people doing, bouncing, stuck to one another, enclosed in a box full of smoke?"

Movies were also forbidden, bar one film - The Golden Child starring Eddie Murphy, about a kidnapped boy lama who has magical powers. "I never felt like that boy," he said.


Spanish Lama renounces his reincarnation | News | The First Post
 

Koji

Regular Member
Joined
May 24, 2009
Messages
758
Likes
1
Boy chosen by Dalai Lama turns back on Buddhist order

Dale Fuchs in Madrid
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 31 May 2009 23.11 BST




As a toddler, he was put on a throne and worshipped as by monks who treated him like a god. But the boy chosen by the Dalai Lama as a reincarnation of a spiritual leader has caused consternation – and some embarrassment – for Tibetan Buddhists by turning his back on the order that had such high hopes for him. Instead of leading a monastic life, Osel Hita Torres now sports baggy trousers and long hair, and is more likely to quote Jimi Hendrix than Buddha.

Yesterday he bemoaned the misery of a youth deprived of television, football and girls. Movies were also forbidden – except for a sanctioned screening of The Golden Child starring Eddie Murphy, about a kidnapped child lama with magical powers. "I never felt like that boy," he said.

He is now studying film in Madrid and has denounced the Buddhist order that elevated him to guru status. "They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. "It was like living a lie," he told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. Despite his rebelliousness, he is still known as Lama Tenzin Osel Rinpoche and revered by the Buddhist community. A prayer for his "long life" still adorns the website of the Foundation to Preserve the Mahayana Tradition, which has 130 centres around the world. The website features a biography of the renegade guru that gushes about his peaceful, meditative countenance as a baby. In Tibetan Buddhism, a lama is one of a lineage of reincarnated spiritual leaders, the most famous of which is the Dalai Lama.

According to the foundation biography, another leader suspected Torres was the reincarnation of the recently deceased Lama Yeshe when he was only five months old. In 1986, at 14 months, his parents took him to see the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India. The toddler was chosen out of nine other candidates and eventually "enthroned".

At six, he was allowed to socialise only with other reincarnated souls – though for a time he said he lived next to the actor Richard Gere's cabin.

By 18, he had never seen couples kiss. His first disco experience was a shock. "I was amazed to watch everyone dance. What were all those people doing, bouncing, stuck to one another, enclosed in a box full of smoke?"


Boy chosen by Dalai Lama as reincarnation of spiritual leader turns back on Buddhist order | World news | The Guardian

Ouch. This gives some credence to what the Chinese people have been saying about Tibet: being backwards and feudal. I also wonder how a Spaniard was chosen as the Dalai Lama?
 

NikSha

Regular Member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
337
Likes
3
Meh, it's his life. Good for him if he moved on and decided not to be the leader. Yes it is an embarrassment for Buddhists but nothing compared to crimes committed by China against the people of Tibet.
 

ShyAngel

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
454
Likes
8
LOL!
That's natural. Not just him; even the man who is a reincarnated lama of Dalai Lama's own teacher Trichang Rinpochen's choose to give up monastic life and struggling in his life. His whole family member reside in Madison, Wisconsin, US. And his father just past away recently. Due to Ttrichang Rinpochen's practice of Dorjee Shungten which is illegal in Tibetan Community all over the world. His death was such a painful and his incarnated new life was very different from Dalai Lama's elder teacher Ling Rinpochen. Ling Rinpochen and Trichang Rinpochen both are Dalai Lama's teacher and they are also two highest lama in Tibetan Buddhism but one fail to be true bramachari and other one succeed. These things are pretty normal in Tibetan Buddhism. The 5th Dalai Lama never accept the Dalai Lama tittle and always had long hair, drink, stayed up late in streets of Lhasa, wrote many love poems, and had many girlfriends. But at the end he is still an incarnation of Lord Avalokitesvara, and that no body can change it. So these are all similar case....... Wither any holy incarnated tulgu or lama can still manage to be committed to the law of buddha dharma or not is totally up to them; but that will not change the fact of the existence of Buddha Dharma and its karma. Everything happens for the reason and that our almighty had already wrote it on each and everyone of our forehead.
 

ShyAngel

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
454
Likes
8



The 1st one is His Holiness's elder teacher Ling Rinpochen and the 3rd one is His Holiness's younger teacher Trichang Rinpochen. Ling Rinpochen in general were consider very soft and more intelligent. And I will also post his incarnated tulgu. Incarnated boy of Ling Rinpochen's mother passed away and he was born in orphan home in Dharamsala and later Ling Rinpochen's masters found him from that orphan home in Dharamsala. Just when the master's walk in; Incarneted little boy (Ling Rinpochen) hold his knee and did something exactly that previous Ling Rinpochen used to do and the master cried and said no matter whatever His Holiness will say....this is the Ling Rinpochen, then later on His Holiness also found the same boy and then they took him away from there.....hehehe


Teenage Ling Rinpochen from our generation!
 

ShyAngel

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
454
Likes
8
Most people who fail to be intelligent and master the buddha dharma are the once who fail to live a monastic life and understand the real meaning of Dharma. Our previous Karmapa was born in very wealthy family and half of his life he spent in west. He had never lived in India and he spent most of his time with western students. And he wasn't as intelligent as other lamas. Being a wealthy and having a not so good guidance around him spoiled his previous life and when he past away he said, In my next life I'll pray that may I be born in poorest of poorest family who has no wealth and may be get an opportunity to have the real knowledge and wealth of Buddha Dharma. So our incarnated Karmapa lama was born in remote village in easter Tibet and he indeed was a such a magnificent lama. He scape from tibet when he was young and now living under the wings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and known to be very intelligent and has very sharp brain. So just by being born as lama is not everything, they should also be able to have right lama who can guide them when they were young and innocent and also make them an enlightened and responsible lama who can understand the real meaning of Dharma and also be able to guide the other lay people in right path. Thank god our Karmapa Lama and Ling Rinpochen is under the wings of His Holiness.
This is previous Gyalwa Karmapa Lama:


And this is our incarnated Karmapa Lama:


[

:)
 

Koji

Regular Member
Joined
May 24, 2009
Messages
758
Likes
1
"They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. "It was like living a lie"

"At six, he was allowed to socialise only with other reincarnated souls"



IF this isn't abuse, then I don't know what is. He also admitted that the whole thing is a farce. This is a serious condemnation of the Tibetan Buddhist system.

And for one thing...I kinda agree with the boy. As a young child, you need social stimulation in order to develop correctly. To deny him friends and have him befriend "ghosts" is actually outrageous.
 

ShyAngel

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
454
Likes
8
"They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. "It was like living a lie"

"At six, he was allowed to socialise only with other reincarnated souls"



IF this isn't abuse, then I don't know what is. He also admitted that the whole thing is a farce. This is a serious condemnation of the Tibetan Buddhist system.

And for one thing...I kinda agree with the boy. As a young child, you need social stimulation in order to develop correctly. To deny him friends and have him befriend "ghosts" is actually outrageous.
Then it will be same as you calling your dearest and nearest one ghost, the once who make you follow the right path when you were 6 year old. Unless your families and parents doesn't care about raising you in certain way, then its a different story and you have whole right to think of this as abuse and etc.......
 

johnee

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
3,473
Likes
499
"They took me away from my family and stuck me in a medieval situation in which I suffered a great deal," said Torres, 24, describing how he was whisked from obscurity in Granada to a monastery in southern India. "It was like living a lie"

"At six, he was allowed to socialise only with other reincarnated souls"



IF this isn't abuse, then I don't know what is. He also admitted that the whole thing is a farce. This is a serious condemnation of the Tibetan Buddhist system.

And for one thing...I kinda agree with the boy. As a young child, you need social stimulation in order to develop correctly. To deny him friends and have him befriend "ghosts" is actually outrageous.
Trying to stoke flames, eh? Frankly, the guy has come out of that religion, so obviously he is going to badmouth that religion. If a father in a church were to leave it and come out, would he be praising the church?No, he would try to smear the church with all kinds of allegations. That doesnt make any difference to the religion. Most of the times, religion is much bigger than individuals. One particular individual's experience or views dont condemn or condone religious rituals. Its the belief of the masses that drives the religion.
 

ShyAngel

Founding Member
Regular Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2009
Messages
454
Likes
8
Any lama or learn human being can have certain different character or personality. Which can be bad or good, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect them and their knowledge. But Koja I guess your parents has fail to teach you to have respect for a learned man wither they are good, bad, corrupted, or not corrupted. Knowledge and wisdom is powerful<3 As of this little backstabbing espanic fail lama I respect CCP Mao Tsetong more then him. At least he is far more smarter then this lost soul boy.

:)
 

Rage

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
5,419
Likes
1,001
Ouch. This gives some credence to what the Chinese people have been saying about Tibet: being backwards and feudal. I also wonder how a Spaniard was chosen as the Dalai Lama?

Hardly! The words of a street punk "more likely to quote Jimi Hendrix than the Dalai Lama" barely account for an authoritative opinion. Not least when this "baggy trousers and long hair" sporting hood larrikin has spent the 'better part' of his life in Madrid, and presumes to comment upon the vivid, rich, historically-steeped and centuries-old traditions of the Tibetan people with such alacrity - traditions his callow mind can barely begin to comprehend.

"Feudal and backwards"? I hardly think so! Nor for that matter is China very 'liberal' or 'open-minded'. For a state that controls- or attempts to - with a vengeance the flow of all information, censors anoetically anything deemed 'vulgar' or 'corrupting', and usurps at will the appurtenances of its citizens cannot but be more "backwards" and "feudal" than most. If it were not, it would not dictate the norms of moral rectitude for its citizens for instance ; nor would it shutter "sex-themed parks" or public exhibitions on grounds of 'vulgarity' ; nor aim to silence any and all dissent - or where that is impossible - control the flow of thought and opinion through paid 'web agents'.

Spare us all the self-righteous indignation please - and the belittling and depreciation of another culture through epithets suggestive of its retrogradeness and benightedness - especially when the culture and people you are defending are neither the paragon nor the exemplary of its antithesis, nor the state they live in the epitome of political 'liberalness'.
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top