By Vishal Gulati
Dharamsala, March 4 (IANS) As the 17th Karmapa gets ready to hold spiritual discourses in the pilgrim town of Sarnath - for the first time after controversy over the recovery of foreign currency in his monastery - renowned Buddhist teacher and author Mingyur Rinpoche has also come out in his support.
Rinpoche, author of the bestselling book "The Joy of Living", has thanked the Indian government for a clean chit to the Tibetan religious leader, spokesperson for the Karmapa's office Deki Chungyalpa told IANS.
Rinpoche heads the Tergar Monastery in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, which the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was visiting for a few days before reaching Sarnath near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh Thursday.
"We are very grateful that His Holiness' name has been cleared," Rinpoche was quoted as saying in Bodh Gaya.
Rinpoche thanked the Tibetan government-in-exile, the Dalai Lama, for his blessings and people all around the world for their support to the Karmapa. "We appreciate everyone's support," he was quoted as saying.
"I feel very sad and upset about the allegation that he is a Chinese spy," Rinpoche said. "This allegation has hurt the disciples of His Holiness. He is an enlightened being, but for us it's been very hurtful and upsetting."
The Karmapa too expressed his gratitude to the Indian government for facilitating his visit to Sarnath, an important Buddhist pilgrim place.
"As a follower of Buddha's teachings, I feel that such opportunities to visit these sites give great meaning to my life," the official website of the Karmapa, www.kaguuoffice.org, quoted him as saying.
This is the first visit of the Karmapa out of Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh after controversy arose over the recovery of huge unaccounted money from the Gyuto Tantric University and monastery, where he has been residing with his followers for the last few years.
The Karmapa will celebrate Losar -- the Tibetan lunar new year -- in Thrangu Monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in Sarnath, Saturday. He will participate in spring teachings March 9-12 at Vajra Vidya Institute in Sarnath.