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.