Dharamshala: The administrative office of His Eminence the 17th Karmapa, Urgyen Trinley Dorjee, today expressed its regret that the Karmapa's Dharma tour in Europe has been canceled, and urged his followers not to blame any organization or government body for the tour's cancellation.
The Karmapa was scheduled to give a series of teachings, lectures and initiations in nine European countries from May 27 to July 2, 2010, but his tour was called off due to a lack of approval from the Indian government.
The 26 year-old head of the Karmma Kahyul sect, one of Tibetan Buddhism's four major branches, fled to India in January 2000, and has been living in the foothill town of Dharamshala, the 51-year home of the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a large refugee community.
In February 2008, the Karmapa made his first visit outside of India, traveling to the United States with the permission of the Indian government's Ministry of External Affairs.
In today's announcement, the Karmapa stated, "I hope that this is merely a temporary setback, and that I will definitely be able to visit Europe in the near future."
Edited by Amy Elmgren
