The First Attempt at Finding the Reincarnation

____________

In Chushur, during the search: Chogdrub, Didi,
Lama Nyima and Tenzin Dorjee by the Karmapa's car

On Sunday, July 28, 1996, His Holiness Karmapa advised Tenzin Dorjee and Sonam Chopel to begin the search for the reincarnation of Jamgon Rinpoche on Wednesday, July 31st. On that occasion, Tenzin Dorjee asked the Karmapa whether the reincarnation was born at the beginning or the end of the year he had prophesised. The Karmapa replied that the Fourth Jamgon Rinpoche was born "not in the beginning, neither at the end, nor in the middle, but between the middle and the end, nearer the end" of that year.

On the afternoon of July 30th, Tenzin Dorjee and Sonam Chopel visited the very holy temple of Jokhang, in Lhasa. As traditionally performed before major and important undertakings, they offered new robes and new grains to the Jowo Yishin Norbu, and filled the golden lamps at the temple with new butter for offering the next day.

On the morning of July 31, 1996, as soon as the temple doors were opened, they prayed deeply before the Jowo Yishin Norbu for the success of their mission. At 9:30 a.m., they met with Lama Nyima and Didi, who were accompanying them on the search. They were the Karmapa's personal tutor and attendant. The Karmapa had also provided the search party with his own jeep and chauffeur, Chogdrub (se photo above).

The party arrived in Chushur at around noon. They began their search at the place of a walnut tree, where the Karmapa had earlier in the year stopped for tea on his return from Tashilhunpo, accompanied by the late Ven. Umze Thubten Zangpo.

They spent the entire first day and the next scouting the area and the surroundings, enquiring about baby boys born in the last Pig year. However, the places they visited did not resemble the Karmapa's description. Tenzin Dorjee had kept the description of the black mountain well in his mind. He noticed that they could see a mountain, black in colour, from everywhere, but it never appeared in front of them in the way that the Karmapa had described. Also, the search party did not meet any children closely resembling the signs described in the Karmapa's prophecy. Tired and confused, they decided to return to seek further clarification from the Karmapa.