Finding the Karmapa

The Search

Following the discovery of the prediction letter a search party began immediate preparations to find the reincarnated Karmapa. Based on the directions of the prediction, "To the north in the east of the land of snow" the search party began their journey north of Rumtek monastery in the direction of Eastern Tibet.

The letter had also stated,

"Where divine thunder spontaneously blaze
In a beautiful nomad place with the sign of a cow
The method of Dondrub and the wisdom of Lolaga."

Coming to the plains of eastern Tibet the search party came to the province of "Lhatok ("Lha" being "divine" or "god" and "thok" meaning "thunder") at the village of Bakor ("ba" being Tibetan for cow. sking at the village they were directed to a husband and wife whose name were Dondurb and Loga who had ayoung son born in the Wood Ox year. His birth they were told had been accompanied by many auspicious and miraculous signs.

When the search party turned up at the house they found the eight year old child, nmae Apo Gaga, waiting for them. He had been planting trees and performing many special prayers of blessing in anticpation of their arrival. The young child had told his parents to await for some omnks to arrive. He had also put some clothes on the back of his favourite goat saying, "Now I am ready to go to my monastery. It would be a good idea to take a few gifts from Kalek Monastery (where he had been staying as a young monk) with me." After locating the 17th Karmapa, the search party brought him first to Kalek Monastery and then to Tsurphu Monastery, the traditional seat of the Karmapas.



Thus, in this way the prediction of the 16th Karmapa came to pass and His Holinss, the 17 Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, was found in 1992. Confirmed by the Dalai Lama in June 1992 as the recognized reincarantion of the 16th Karmapa, the 17th Karmapa stayed at Tsurphu Monastery till early 2000 when he turned up at Dharamsala. Today His Holiness stays in temporary residence at the Gyuto Tantric University in Siddhibari, about thirty five minutes away from upper Dharamsala.

Prophecy and the Finding of the Karmapa

A Prophecy

Tibetan history is full of accounts and stories of reincarnated lamas and tulkus. The Kagyu lineage is unique in that the Karmapa provides instructions (a prophecy) in a letter to a key disciple. Upon the Karmapa's death, the instructions would become the basis for the search and the key to the confirmaton of next Karmapa.

In 1981, His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, passed away near Chicago after a long illness. During his time the 16th Karmapa had worked tirelessly to advance Buddhist teachings and had been seen as a beacon of compassion and wisdom.

A picture of the 16th Karmapa:




The 16th Karmapa had written such a letter of prophecy which was eventually located in a protection amulet that he had given to Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of his four heart sons and a member of the search committee for the next Karmapa. On 1ht 19th of March, 1992 the four regents of the Karmapa, Shamar Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Gyaltsap Rinpoche opened the letter.

Its contents read,

"EMAHO. Self-awareness is always bliss; the Dharmadhatu has no center nor edge. From here to the north in the east of the land of snow is a country where divine thunder spontaneously blazes. In a beautiful nomad's place with the sign of the cow, the method is Dondrub and the wisdom is Lolaga. Born in the year of the one used for the earth, with the miraculous, far-reaching sound of the white one - this is the one known as Karmapa. He is sustained by Lord Donyo Drupa.Being non-sectarian, he pervades all directions. Not staying close to some and distant from others, he is the protector of all beings. The sun of the Buddha's Dharma that benefits others always blazes."
(Translated July 1992 in Rumtek Sikkhim, Heart Advice of the Karmapa)

Picture of the 17th Karmapa




Based on the prediction the search for the new Karmapa began.

The Karmapa

This is a blog dedicated to the teachings and activities of His Holiness the 17th Gyawang Karmapa and is linked to the http://www.kagyunalanda.org/ website. The blog also provides photographs of His Holiness the Karmapa.

First, who is the Karmapa? The Karmapa is the spiritual leader of the Kagyu lineage in Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu lineage traces its roots to Shakyamuni Buddha through the great Indian yogi and mahasiddha, Tilopa who taught the renowned Indian master Naropa. In turn the teachings were given to Marpa, the translator, and then to Milarepa who transmitted the lineage to Gampopa. The first Karmapa, Dusun Khyenpa (1110-1193 CE) was the disciple of Gampopa.

Meaning of the Title

Karmapa is a Tibetan title that means "the one who carries out Buddha-activity" or, to put it another way, "the embodiment of all the activities of the Buddha". Thus the Karmapa is a teacher as well as mediator between the Buddha and the mundane world. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a long tradition of enlightened teachers, also known as tulkus, who consciously choose to be reborn in order to continue to teach and to bring benefit to the world. This institution of reincarnated lamas begun in the Kagyu tradition by the first Karmapa has continued unbroken for 800 years. The Karmapa has reincarnated for seventeen lifetimes to preserve, transmit and develop the Buddhist teachings in Tibet and the world.

As is stated, "Renowned throughout Tibet for their teachings, great knowledge and luminous realization, the Karmapas embodied the highest ideal of Buddhism - a life devoted entirely to the benefit of all living beings. Over hundreds of years the Karmapas have continued to seflessly and skillfully teach the path of full awakening as the Buddha had done over a thousand years before." (Heart Advice of the Karmapa)