Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976)

1966 – 1976 Cultural Revolution in China (actually “destruction of culture-revolution”) – At the beginning of the 1980s the redevelopment was permitted again. Some Tibetan in exile were allowed to visit their homeland again (some lamas did with foreign passports). Careful revival of Buddhism but under state-supervision and with political guidelines. In the middle of the 1970s the 16th Karmapa had already predicted that there would be a limited revival for Buddha’s teachings. But the conditions for a profound practice would not appear. There would be no place for Kagyü-lamas and the Kagyü-transmission. That’s why it’s so important to continue the Tibetan culture in diaspora and to build up Buddhist centers in the West (see https://:youtube.com/watch?v=hcsXt58x6zQ, esp. from 20’30’’ on > interview with Gendün Rinpoche).