Tilak Jha caught up with Rabjam aka Rikki Catty-Hubler, the Austria born private Secretary of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorjee at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute, New Delhi. In a freewheeling interaction, the 50 year old devotee and private secretary of one of the most revered Lama of Tibetan Buddhism talks about her life, Buddhism, how her personal and professional have come together and the mystery called India.
How did your association with His Holiness started?
When I was still living in Austria, in 1992, a friend invited me to join a lecture on Buddhism. She was already a Buddhist, something quite rare in Europe. I went there and it was something that convinced me immediately. I took refuge after that, which is the first step on the Buddhist path. I started practicing Buddhism.
In 1996, I went to France where I met a Tibetan Lama who had established monasteries and retreat centers in France. I felt very connected to this Lama. I moved to France. I spent quite some time in the retreat and then in the monastery.
Karmapa himself came to France in 2000. At that time I was in a closed meditation retreat of a group of women. Nobody is normally allowed in such a retreat but he came there and that was the first time I saw him for the first time. He gave an initiation. Later we had some questions and answers.
Since 2000, he has been going to Europe quite regularly, traveling for 2-4 months usually in the summers. I had an opportunity to meet him again and again on those visits.
How and when did you become the private secretary of His Holiness?
Two years ago, in 2009, his representative in Europe told me that it would be good if I could go to India to help in the office. I immediately agreed for it. At that time His Holiness was in Kalimpong so I went there.
Before 1992, you spent more than half of your life till now as a Christian. How do you see yourself before that and now?
Even though I was a Christian on paper in the sense that I was Baptised, went to church every Sunday as a teenager and received 22 instructions in my school days, I was not really a Christian after 17 or 18 years of age. I had lot of doubts about Christian faith though I still have a lot of respect for Jesus Christ. For example I still remember having learnt in school that if you are a sinner you go to hell. That didn’t make much sense since there is this idea of loving God. How can he condemn someone with hell?
Buddhism, to me, from the beginning answered all my questions. Most of the Lamas I met since 1992 embody everything they talk. In Christianity, I met many priests who didn’t personally convince me so much.
What do you think about Hinduism?
I don’t know really know much about Hinduism but when I went to Kathmandu, I found a great deal of tolerance about the different religions that have originated in India. They seem to coexist and there are many places of worship which are common pilgrimage for both people from different religions. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of contradiction and conflict. That is something that really impresses me.
How has been your journey with His Holiness?
From the very beginning I was very touched by him. He is a very authentic master and a great teacher and very pure in terms of being someone who is only interested in dharma. I slowly developed a relationship with him and after his representative in Europe asked me to come to India, I was very happy. I believe I have done my best to serve him.
How often do you get time to interact with him at a professional and personal level?
It depends. At times, it’s on a daily basis. At others, it’s once in a week. As far as personal is concerned, most of the times it’s hard to separate the two. For example if some French comes to interact with him, I am often the interpreter. The same happens during many question and answer sessions. What happens is that lots of my questions also get answered during such interactions.
If you had a son, he would have been the age of His Holiness.
That’s true (laughs). Actually my daughter’s son is almost the same age. But I won’t like to compare it. In the case of His Holiness, I am always amazed.
Tell me something about yourself, your childhood, your family.
My childhood didn’t indicate at any point of time that I am going to end up in India. My parents come from a very simple background but they did everything to give me and my sister a good education and I am very grateful to them.
When I was at the university in Austria, I studied English and French. For a while, I worked as a school teacher. I went back to university to study translation and interpretation with Russian as the second language. I also ran a translation office at the same time.
You have kids?
No, I don’t have any kid. I am married but we got divorced just before 1992. My husband is an English and we are still good friends. He is a translator and journalist and we started the translation office together.
At a time when we are witnessing conflicts world over including the recent incidents in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, do you see Buddhism as something people should think about?
I think if someone thinks about it sincerely, it can help in development of peace and harmony. Buddhism is about developing inner peace and harmony. Naturally this is something that radiates to people around you and gradually becomes broader.
Coming back to the role played by India, we find that it is the country where Buddhism was born and was almost wiped out. But again despite the fact that China, Japan and Taiwan have more Buddhists than India, it is India which became the home of the highest Lamas.
It’s having a comeback, a little bit. In Tibet, India is called a noble country because of the Buddhist roots. Of course India was very generous in taking all the Tibetan refugees when China attacked Tibet. India not only gave refuge, it also let them set up their monasteries and practice their life and culture. India has played incredible role in all of that.
This generosity of India is not visible when it comes to creating amenities and infrastructure when it comes to its own people.
I don’t know much about India. But you have a slogan called incredible India. That is so true but in so many incredible ways.
And bizarre ways…
Yes, in many ways. At the same time you have all these contradictions. I have met so many Indians who have very high level of education.
There is this Indian Institute of Foreign Trade nearby and I used to teach French to some students there for some time. The students work so hard. At times we used to have classes at half past ten in the night. All these contradictions remain a mystery to me.
The story was published on iSikkim.com
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