THE Xth KARMAPA

(1604 - 1674)

The tenth Karmapa, Choying Dorje was born on the eighth day of the third month of Wood Dragon year (1604 C.E.) in the Golok area of eastern Tibet. His mother had had auspicious dreams of Guru Padmasambhava during her pregnancy and so she named her baby Urgyen Khyab ("protected by the one from Urgyen"). 

                  It is recorded that at birth the infant stood up and took one step in each direction as Sakyamuni Buddha had done at his birth. He then sat down crossed-legged and was heard to recite the mantra of Avalokitesvara and that of the “perfection of wisdom.”

                   Choying Dorje spent his early childhood in the palace of the local prince, Chang Mowa, at Machu, where he was feted as a remarkable prodigy. He showed an exceptional ability in art, an ability which tame to fruition in later life. The young Karmapa demonstrated a great natural tenderness toward animals. The sight, one day, of sheep being shorn caused the young child to burst into tears and beg the shearers not to harm them. On another occasion he gave protection to a hunted deer and then tamed the hunting dog that was pursuing it. When the hunter arrived, Karrnapa provided him with funds to start a new livelihood and as a result the hunter renounced killing. 

                  The young Karmapa had a lively and playful sense of humor. On one occasion he was seated on a horse in front of his father held between his father's arms. He asked his father to give him the reins so that he could direct the horse. The young boy spontaneously made up a little song saying that people should not travel lazily but that everyone should lead themselves to enlightenment. 

                  At the age of eight Choying Dorje was officially recognized as the Karmapa incarnation by the sixth Shamar Rinpoche Subsequently Shamarpa ceremonially enthroned Choying Dorje at Nyingche Ling monastery. Karmapa envisaged the glorious Dharmapala, Mahakala, at this ceremony, which was a very joyous and auspicious event. A few days afterwards Choying Dorje was walking with some monks on the banks of the Dzachu River, when he remarked on a large rock in midstream. He asked some of the monks to bring it out and split it in half. The rock was very difficult to move but Karmapa said that it must be done for the benefit of sentient beings. When the rock was finally broken in half, it was found to contain any green worms wriggling in agony. With great tenderness for their hellish suffering, Choying Dorje recited Avalokitesvara's mantra. They gradually became still and passed away peacefully. 

                  A little later Choying Dorje journeyed to Tsurphu. After his arrival in Tsurphu, Karmapa met Pawo Tsuglak Gyatsho, from whom he received lay ordination and the empowerments, textual transmissions and instructions of Karma Pakshi, Rangjung Dorje and Chodrag Gyatsho. 

                  The political climate during the boyhood of the tenth Karmapa was steadily worsening. After his period of study with Pawo Rinpoche, Karmapa was invited to the court of the prince of Tsang, Karma Phuntsog Namgyal, who subsequently extended his rule throughout Tibet after the fall of the Rinpung dynasty. 

                  This prince was a patron of the Kamgtshang Kagyu and Drukpa Kagyu. He asked Choying Dorje to pray for peace because he was threatened by a marauding Mongol chief. This time the invasion was averted. 

                  Choying Dorje's education resumed at Tsurphu, where Pawo Rinpoche gave him the complete transmission of Kagyu dharma. At the age of twenty-one he was ordained a monk. He then entered into intensive meditation on the teaching he had received. 

                  Later, traveling with Shamar Rinpoche, Situ Rinpoche, and Pawo Rinpoche, Choying Dorje visited Lhodrag, where he was informed of the death of the prince of Tsang. The deceased prince's wife asked Karmapa to perform the death rites for her husband. For that purpose the party then traveled to Lhasa and the palace of Samdrup Ling. 

                  At the conclusion of this period Karmapa made a pilgrimage to the original Nyingma monastery of Samye, where Shamar Rinpoche gave him the bodhisattva vows. From there Choying Dorje continued on his pilgrimage visiting the caves of Padmasambhava and Milarepa and Mount Kailasa. At Chuwar, the scene of Milerepa’s decease, Karmapa established a meditation centre. Subsequently, he traveled on to Daklha Gampo monastery. There he painted a large golden mural of the sixteen arhats and their followers. At about this time, Shamar Rinpoche became ill and passed away. 

                  The political trouble that had erupted in Tsang as a result of the animosity felt toward the monasteries of Sera and Drepung by the king of Tsang, Desi Karma Tenkyong Wangpo, precipitated a Mongol invasion which spread rapidly throughout Tibet. Choying Dorje moved ahead of it to Jang Sa-tham, the Sino-Tibetan border region, where King Karma Chimed Lawang and his court received him with honor. In virtual exile, Karmapa devoted his time to instructing the people in Karma Kagyu Buddhism, helping the poor and aiding the temples of the locality. 

                  While Choying Dorje was occupied in this way the army of Jang won a victory over a marauding splinter force of three hundred thousand soldiers and prepared to send them against the main Mongol army in Tibet itself, led by Gushri Khan, a supporter of the Gelugpa school. When Choying Dorje was informed of this plan, he told the king that to engage in such a military venture was contrary to the nonviolent ethic of dharma. He dissuaded the king from this course of action, saying, "I am committed not to arm even tiny insects, so do not send an army." Karmapa was successful and the king called off the mobilisation. 

                  Having resolved this political difficulty, Choying Dorje continued his dharma activity by establishing a new monastery named Ogmin Ling. He also ordained many monks and gave a textual transmission of the Tripitaka texts. While teachings, this time, Karmapa, had a premonition of the rebirth of Shamar Rinpoche. Immediately he set out by himself from Jang Sa-tham to search for the new Shamarpa. He disguised himself as a beggar, so that he would be able to travel unhindered through the troubled land. Finally, on arrival in the Golok region, Choying Dorje met a child whom he recognised to be the new incarnation of Shamar Rinpoche. It is recorded that the young incarnation had no difficulty in recognizing Karmapa despite the latter's disguise. At Suchu Karpo, Choying Dorje gave refuge and some preliminary teachings of the Kagyupa tradition to the young Shamar Yeshe Nyingpo.

                   While traveling in Golok, Choying Dorje recognized and enthroned the new incarnation of the Gyaltshab tulku. Subsequently he met the new incarnations of the Situ and Pawo Rinpoches in Kham. After giving the young incarnations some preliminary teaching, Karmapa, together with his party, left Jang for Lhasa after having been away for thirty years.

                  During this time he met Tulku Minjur Dorje, who was a student of Chagmed Raga-asi Rinpoche, an emanation of Mikyo Dorje and founder of the Nedo subsect of the Karma Kagyu. Karmapa recognized Minjur Dorje’s Terma (“treasure text”) teaching, which derived from the inspira-tion of Guru Padmasambhava, as authentic. In response Minjur Dorje offered his Termas to Choying Dorje. In the Karma Kagyu sect, Minjur Dorje’s most renowned teaching has been his sadhana of Karma Pakshi.

                   In the Water Ox year Choying Dorje arrived in Lhasa. Immediately upon his arrival, he extended an invitation to the fifth Dalai Lama, NgaWang Lobzang Gyatsho, who welcomed him and expressed his appreciation that the Jang army was not going to invade Tibet. During then meeting, Ngawang Lobzang Gyatsho and Choying Dorje discussed Mahamudra, and Karmapa was assured that Tsurphu would he given protection in case of need. 

                  From Lhasa, Karmapa visited the birthplace of Yeshe Trogyal, the consort of Guru Padmasambhava. His party visited the famous lake that was said to have appeared at the time of her birth, and also some of Padmasambhava's meditation caves. 

                  Finally Choying Dorje returned to Tsurphu, after his years of wandering. In 1673 he received intimations of his approaching death in a vision of Mahakali. He entrusted the details of his next rebirth with his servant Kuntu Zangpo, with Shamar Rinpoche and with Gyaltshab Rinpoche. At dawn on the full moon day of the second month of the Wood Tiger year, Choying Dorje passed away at the age of seventy. His remains were enshrined in a stupa, which was placed with those of the previous Karmapas in Tsurphu. 

                  The tenth Karmapa's principal students were Shamar Yeshe Nyingpo, Gyaltshab Drakpa Choying, Kuntu Zangpo, Situ Mipham Thinley Rabten, Pawo Thinley Gyatsho. Karma Chagmed Raga-asi Rinpoche, the famous Nyingma terton Jatson Nyingpo, the king of Jang Sa-tham, Karma Tsewang Rinchen, Prince Karma Rinchen who achieved the path of vision and the joyful stage, Prince Karma Phuntsok, the Prince Minister Karma Tenkyong, treasurer Karma Samdrup, Taklung Ngawang Tashi Paldrup, Surmang Garwang Rinchen Nyingpo and the fourth Surmang Trungpa Tulku.

Reproduced with permission of the Very Venerable Karma Thrinley Rinpoche