Viral buddhism

Karmapa on Facebook

When asked what his life mission was for the 21st century, the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, now 23 years old, promptly replied: " My mission in this life time is mainly dharma activity. However the dharma must change in order to suit the time and the needs of society and its people. I may give the Buddha dharma a new external shape. I will update its expression so it can most effectively benefit the people in this modern time."

Indeed, his statement comes timely, especially in this high tech era where playlist.com replaces conventional hi fi, and sms spreads the news faster than BBC and CNN.

I was on the net last night. and to my surprise I came across the 17th Karmapa on the Facebook too, with thousands of fans across the globe checking out his activities on a daily basis. He has quickly risen to be an iconic star in the west after confirmation by the 14th Dalai Lama that he was the incarnation of the 16th Karmapa who used to reside at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim.

His recent visit to the USA proved he has more than just good looks. His presence at the venue drawed in as many as 30,000 faithful devotees. His talks inspired many who came close to tears.

Even I was tempted, though not successfully, to become a fan on his Facebook.

www.facebook.com/pages/Karmapa/10737498099

In Rumtek or any part of Sikkim I saw him everywhere