Ep208: Karmapa Tales - Naomi Levine 2
Naomi Levine is an author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of multiple books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’ and ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Naomi discusses her various publications about the Karmapas, focusing in particular on the lives and activities of the 16th and 17th of that line.
Naomi describes the magical powers and spiritual aura of the 16th Karmapa, recounts her own and others’ experiences of his supernatural potency, and recalls the process of compiling stories of his miraculous activities.
Naomi explores the controversies around the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, including his recognition, escape from Tibet, interactions with the Tibetan government in exile, and various accusations in the media.
Naomi also speculates about the futures of both the Tibetan political cause and the Tibetan religious insititutions after the death of the Dalai Lama.
00:00 - Intro
01:12 - 16th Karmapa’s miraculous powers
02:51 - Meeting the 16th Karmapa in England
05:08 - Apolitical
06:51 - Political intrigue and persecution of the Karmapas
09:02 - The 16th Karmapa’s freedom
10:13 - The controversy of the 17th Karmapas
11:50 - Escaping from Tibet but captured in Dharamsala
22:35 - Politics and Dharma
24:03 - The unravelling of the Tibet cause
26:23 - The future of Tibetan religion
28:56 - Did the Tibetan government In exile block the 17th Karma’s activities?
31:41 - The 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje’s current situation
34:11 - Compiling stories for ‘the book’
36:15 - A black hat ceremony story
43:18 - How did the Karmapa become so supernaturally powerful?
48:22 - Allegations against the 17th Karmapa
57:02 - The role of the 17th Karmapa in discovering the Shabdrung’s yangsi
01:07:52 - Separating personal religious practice from religious politics
Previous episode with Naomi Levine:
To find out more about Naomi Levine, visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James