6th Karmapa Tongwa Dönden

The 6th Karmapa, Tongwa Dönden, began his education at the monastery of Karma Gön when he still was a baby. He met Ratnabhadra, the holder of the Kagyü transmissions, at the age of three. By this time, the child had already begun to teach.

Tongwa Dönden’s life’s work shaped the Karma Kagyü lineage by developing a consistent lithurgical system with which he supplemented the meditative tradition of the Kagyü school. He wrote many Kamtshang sadhana rituals and also created a new style of recitation and chanting.

In contrast to his activity of previous incarnations, but due to the increasing difficult political conditions, the 6th Karmapa refused invitations from the Chinese and Mongolian rulers in this life and only traveled across Tibet, interrupted by longer retreats and the restorations of monasteries.