[Buddha-l] Karmapa once again

[Alex Wilding]

Joanna wondered:
> Just a note about the currency: When HHDL fled Tibet
> he went with an entourage and pack animals--is the
>  Karmapa said to have been traveling alone? I doubt it.

No, but the party was very small - I think it was four people. A jeep was
involved at first, a taxi came into play at one point, and some of the
journey was on foot and with hired mules. The situation was quite different
from that of the Dalai Lama's flight: Tsurphu was under the control of
Chinese soldiers, and the territory all around was under full occupation.
All their preparatory moves had to be done with the cover of excuses and
under the eyes of the guards. Once they had escaped, they had to move
quickly and quietly. Discovery would have had them all arrested (at best).
The story has been written up quite thoroughly - forgive me for writing from
memory.
AW