[Opening with Tibetan music]

[ The hard sound of wore-shippers
scrapping along the hard road ]

[ Interpreter ] - Where are you from?

- from the Riko monastery

[ Int.] -How long have you been doing this?

- For one year.

[ Int. ] - Where are you going?
- To Lasha

[ Int.] -But it is at least 300 miles to Lasha.
How long it will take you?

[ Int] - About 3 months.

[ Int.] - How many 
prostration you do a day?

[ Int. ] - About 3000

[ Int. ] - A day? 
- Less than 4 miles.

[ Female Narrator ] -Prostrations 
are spiritual exercises.

It cleanses people of egotism, 
greed, aggression and ignorance.

[ Local voices of prayers ]

[ Male Narrator ] -Tibetans make a 
pilgrimage to Lhasa just once in their lives

There they pray for their spiritual
leaders; who fled the Country in

1959 in the face of Chinese
treats to destroy them.

They honour and venerate Karnapa.
Gyalwang Karmapa.

The head of a long established 
Kagyu line in Tibete.

Older than the Sect of the Dalai Lama.

Kamapa marched with more than
100 monks over the Himalayas into exile.

Untse? Karmapa's tutor, quickly
formed a new monastic community.

And the ancient traditional teachings
of Tibetan Buddhism continued to florish.

[ Many voices ]

[ Fem. Narrator ]This place is called 
Rumtek, a monestary Sikkim which

was then a little Buddhist kingdom,

North of India, on the southern 
slopes of the Himalayas.

The Rumtek monastery became the
new headquarters of Karmapa in exile.

[ Male Narrator ] - Karmapa 
is the holder of the black crown; a

symbol of his mastership. he is the living 
link of an undropping chain of enlighted

beings back to the historical Buddha
Shakyamouni who lived in India

in 700 BC. He is Buddha. Buddah
Shakyamouni, transmits his experiences

to his people, who also became enlighted
and are able to help thei pupils or

so to reach the stage of self liberation.

In the 12th century, this chain 
of enlighten beings, led to

the 1st Karmapa. Who then developed
the unique ability to predict exactly and

in writing his own reincarnation. 
As did the 2nd Karmapa and

the 3rd and so fourth up to him

the present the 16th of reincarnation.

of Karmapa. He died 1n 1991 at
the age of 57. His body was

cremated at Rumetk monestary.
It was a State funeral. nd mourners

gather from all corners of the earth.

Karmapa has millions of followers.

He left behind 4 number of 
representatives or interim regents.

Sharma on the right, Tai Sitou
on the left, Jamgon and Gyaltsab,

the youngest of the interim regents.

Rainbows over the blue sky of Sikkim.
In Tibete a sure sign of an enlighten

being has left its body. In Buddhism 
death is not the end.

Karmapa died with the promise that
he would give a clear sign by which

he could be recognised in his new life.

But for a long time no more clues were found.

Until eleven years later.

[ Dalai Lama ] - I've got something new.
I've dreamed of the location, the area

where the person is born... One valley is next...

to the stones and lawns...actually it looks
high altitude...and then facing the South

there are some streams...small beautiful
streams... and then there is a main...

the picture. There is someone there...and it

told me... actually without its form....
that someone...some source, you see, telling

to me : ''This is the place! 
Where Karmapa was born.

[ Fem. Narrator ] where could this place be?

How could it be found?

[ Tromp Music + ]

[ Male narrator ] - Here in northern India,
is where Taï Sitou, one of Karmapas

of 4 interim regents made 
an interesting disovery.

[ Sound of a box being open ]

[ Male narrator] - pressured by the faithful
that hope and expected Karmapa has

left some clues behind, Sitou felt 
that he should open the talisman

Karmapa had given him 10 months,

before his death with the words: ''this
will protect you and some day it will be useful.

His Sanctity has given me this protection.
...pouch.... In early January 1981.

And one day it was sneaking here...
I opened that and found an envelope.

And the envelope had red ink letter
saying that this should be opened

in the iron horse year. And then I
was very very happy.

And then after the , after I offer the 
letter to Rumtek...it would be taken

in March 1982.

[ Male narrator ] - Traditionally such talisman
are never opened; but since no one had

found any indication of Karmapa's
rebirth, he decided to open it, afterall.

[ someone ]- But the letter is still...
[ Taï Sitou ]- The letter is in Rumtek, yes. the

envelope and the letter, both. 
It's in alter.

[ Male narrator ] - here in the Rumtek 
monastery, in the late heathquarters of

the late Karmapa, this most important
and holy document is protected by

the secret police; those from outside and inside.

Absolutely no one has access to it.