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The
First Fifteen Gyalwa Karmapas, Part 2 |
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The following are extracts
from Ken Holmes' book "Karmapa",
published by Altea 1996
The 9th Gyalwa Karmapa,Wangchuk Dorje
(1555-1603) was heard reciting mantras in the womb. He sat cross-legged
for three days soon after birth and declared he was the Karmapa.
He was soon recognised by the Tai Situpa, who was staying relatively
close by, and by the Sharmapa, a year later, who enthroned him
at the age of six. Much of his life was spent in a travelling
monastic camp, in which strict emphasis was placed on meditation
practice. His itinerant party received invitations to visit
many places. They were unable to visit China, but made important
trips to Mongolia and Bhutan. Wangchuk Dorje gave many teachings
in southern Tibet and restored monasteries and temples wherever
he went. He also received an invitation to visit Sikkim. Unable
to go himself, he sent a senior representative, who established
three monasteries there. The Karmapa blessed and consecrated
them from Tibet. One of them was Rumtek, the present seat of
the Karmapas in India.
Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje was not a prolific author but several
of his texts, such as Mahamudra, Ocean of Certain Beneficial
Meaning and Mahamudra Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance
have made an important impact on the teaching of mahamudra.
This and the next three Karmapas all played the role of peacemakers
during the troubled political times in which they lived.
The 10th Gyalwa Karmapa, Chöying Dorjé
(1604-1674) Took seven steps in each of the cardinal directions
at birth. By the age of six, he could paint better than any
of his teachers and was a gifted sculptor. Chöying Dorjé foresaw
the wars and political strife that was soon to come, due to
the Gelugpa-Mongol pact against the King of Tsang, whose family,
followers of the Kagyu lineage, ruled most of Tibet. Thus, the
tenth Karmapa distributed his wealth among the poor and needy
and made Gyaltsab Rinpoche his regent, knowing he would be absent
for a long time. There was much bloodshed as Gushri Khan's mongol
armies attacked first Shigatse and then the Karmapa's own camp,
wreaking death and havoc. His followers saw Chöying Dorjé flying
off through space, holding the hand of his chief attendant.
They "landed" in the forests of Bhutan and spent more than three
years living wild, helped by animals. They eventually went to
what is today northern Yunnan, where the local monarch received
them joyously. Altogether the tenth Karmapa spent some thirty
years in exile. As always, wherever he went, he fostered the
dharma and recognised incarnations of Kagyu tulkus.
The 11th Gyalwa Karmapa,Yeshé Dorjé
(1676-1702) was a great visionary who performed many miracles.
However, he was to be the shortest lived of the Karmapas. During
his precious but brief existence, he blended both the Kagyu
and Nyingma teachings. He died, leaving, as his predecessor
had done, a detailed letter concerning his next incarnation.
The 12th Gyalwa Karmapa, Changchup Dorjé
(1703-1732) studied under many illustrious masters as a young
child. He gave profound Kagyu teachings to the famous Nyingma
master of Katok monastery, who in turn shared his Nyingma teachings.
Changchup Dorjé left troubled Tibet in order to make pilgrimage
to India and Nepal, accompanied by the Situ, Shamar and Gyaltsap
Rinpoches. In Nepal he was thankfully honoured by the king,
for stopping a raging epidemic and for making rain to end a
serious drought. They continued on to India, visiting the places
of Lord Buddha's birth and death. The young Situpa, who impressed
Indian Buddhist scholars with his erudition, became a master
of languages and went on to be one of Asia's greatest scholars
of all time. Returning to Tibet, the Karmapa accepted an invitation
to China, and set out for that land accompanied by the Shamarpa.
However, foreseeing difficult political times ahead and realising
the need to leave his body, the Karmapa sent the Tai Situpa
a letter with details of his next incarnation and succumbed
to smallpox, as did the Sharmapa, two days later.
The 13th Gyalwa Karmapa, Dundul Dorjé
(1733-1797) has a powerful vision of the wrathful protector
Mahakala as a tiny child and told many stories of his previous
lives. He was recognised at the age of four and enthroned by
Gyaltsab Rinpoche. At the age of eight, he met his main guru,
the great eighth Situpa Chöji Jungnay, whose long life had spanned
all the twelfth Karmapa's and was to span most of the thirteenth's
life. Dundul Dorjé received the Kagyu transmissions from him
and also studied the Nyingma teachings very extensively. He
was very fond of animals and famous for communicating with them.
At one point the famous Jo-kang temple, home of the Jo-wo image,
was threatened by rising flood waters. A prophecy from Guru
Rinpoche had foreseen this and predicted that only the Karmapa
could do something to stop it, as it was caused by a powerful
serpentine spirit (naga). The Lhasa authorities requested him
to come. Being unable to leave immediately, he resolved the
problem by writing a special letter to the naga and invoking
the compassion of Avalokitesvara. On arrival at Lhasa, the thirteenth
Karmapa offered a white scarf (katta) to the Jowo image, and
the arms of the statue changed position to accept it. They have
been that way ever since. Dundul Dorjé was also asked to consecrate
a distant monastery. Unable to attend, he threw blessing grains
in the air at Tsurphu, at the moment of the consecration ceremony,
and they were seen to shower down from the heavens hundreds
of kilometres away at the monastery in question.
The 14th Gyalwa Karmapa, Tekcho Dorjé
(1798-1868) Was born in mid-winter, yet flowers spontaneously
blossomed and many rainbows appeared. The baby recited the Sanskrit
alphabet. He was discovered, enthroned and later ordained by
the ninth Tai Situpa.
Tekcho Dorjé lived very simply and exemplified the ideal monk.
He was gifted in poetry and dialectics and participated in the
spirit of the times, known now as ri.mé (non-sectarian), whereby
many noted scholars showed great interest in each others traditions
and teachings. This was particularly intense between the Kagyu
and Nyingma traditions, with the Karmapa passing on teachings
to Kongtrul Rinpoche and Jamyang Chentse Wangpo. Tekcho Dorjé
himself received the Vajrakilaya tantra from the Nyingma visionary
treasure-text-finder Chojur Lingpa. The ritual was subsequently
introduced into the Tsurphu calendar. Chojur Lingpa had important
visions of future Karmapas, up to the twenty-first. These were
noted down and painted in a thangka. The fourteenth Karmapa's
spiritual heir was the great ri-mé master and prolific author,
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye.
(1871-1922) was born with the highly auspicious "treasure-hair"
growing on his brow. This is one of the 32 marks of an enlightened
being and was noted on the young Sakyamuni. He grew up receiving
a very thorough education from very famous scholars and eventually
received the Kagyu transmission from Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Taye,
who also passed on to him the essence of his hundred compositions
embracing the profound teachings of all Tibetan Buddhist traditions,
as well as the domains of medicine, art, linguistics and general
Buddhist studies. His life was a brilliant example of the bodhisattva
with an insatiable desire for learning in order to help other
beings. Some years before his passing, he entrusted a prediction
letter to his closest attendant.
These
few words are but a glimpse of the lives of one of the greatest
beings ever to grace this planet. A hunded times these words
written by the finest of pens would not suffice to describe
the wisdom, compassion, power, peace, grace and joy of that
remarkable being known as Karmapa.
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