The 1st Mipham Rinpoche or Mipam Gyatso (1846-1912), born in Derge, started to study in an age of six and, when he was 10, he already composed short texts. He soon was highly regarded for his philosophical poetry and scholarship.

In an age of 12 he became a monk and connected to the Nyingma lineage in Mindroling (one of the Nyingma mother-monasteries). He was a tertön and wrote an enormous amount of treatises and commentaries about sutra and tantra.

He was in close contact with Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgön Kongtrul, from whom he got many teachings and transmissions. Mipham Gyatso was one of the central figures within the Rimé movement.

The 1st Mipham Rinpoche also spent many years in strict meditation retreat and displayed many signs of enlightenment. Because of his extensive knowledge and deep realization. He was counted among the most extraordinary masters of his time. In his 3rd incarnation he is the father of our 17th Karmapa.

The young Denma Drubchen was attracted to the 7th Karmapa, who gave him the name, “Tashi Paljor” when they met for the first time, when the boy was still very young. He decided to become a monk at the age of five and thus began the first phase of a life as an unconventional practitioner and yogi, following the example of the mahasiddhas, particularly Milarepa.

Tashi Paljor, who was also called Sangye Nyenpa, is said – according to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche – to have the emanation basis of the future Buddha Maitreya. It is also said that he is the reincarnation of the Indian master Jnanagarbha, one of Marpa’s teachers.

The 1st Shamarpa Khedrup Dragpa Senge (1283-1349) was a principal disciple of the 3rd Karmapa and had a brilliant mind as well as the gift of clearvoyance. He assimilated the Vajrayana teachings through a dakini, whose presence was known to no one but him. His main yidam was Vajravahari.

The 1st Tai Situpa, Chökyi Gyaltsen (1377-1448) was born into the family line of the 2nd
Karmapa, Karma Pakshi near Karma Gön, the seat of the Karma Kagyü tradition in Kham.

He became a student of the 5th Karmapa, who gave him teachings and empowerments of
Mahamudra, he also accompanied Dezhin Shegpa on his journey to Beijing – the seat of the
Yongle Emperor. The latter might have bestowed the imperial title of “Tai Situ” on him (the
full title means “far reaching, unshakable, great master, holder of the command”), although
evidence suggests that it was a Ming envoy.

Later in 1413 Chökyi Gyaltsen used this as a high religious title. It came to be associated with the later incarnation line.

The 1st Situpa spent much of his later life meditating in caves.

The 1st Tewo Lungzang Nangwa, Lobzang Samten (1687-1749) was a scholar and practitioner of the Gelug school, who founded the seat of his reincarnation lineage and monastery in Ganden with the name Ganden Jangchub Chopel Ling.

He was a close disciple of the 5th Dalai Lama.

The 2nd Gyaltsab, Tashi Namgyel (1487-1515) was recognized as the the 2nd Gyaltsab Rinpoche by the 7th Karmapa.

After the 7th Karmapa passed away, the 2nd Gyaltsab took over the leadership of the huge traveling camps (called garden) at the age of 20. He then served as a regent of the Karmapa at Tsurphu Monastery until the 8th Karmapa was enthroned.

With the nickname “Karsey”, which means “son of the Karmapa”, the 2nd Jamgön Kongtrul was born in Tsurphu Monastery and enjoyed an extensive education which, in addition to the 10 sciences, included treasures of various traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and above all the complete Karma Kagyü transmission from his father and root lama, the 15th Karmapa.

Palden Khyentse Öser rebuilt the Tsandra Rinchen Drak retreat above Palpung Monastery and generously passed on transmissions and teachings to his disciples on every possible occasion.

From a very young age, the 2nd Karmapa was very skilled in his dharma practice. When he met Pomdrakpa, who became his root lama, he (Pomdrakpa) had a vision, that this talented child was an incarnation of Düsum Khyenpa, the 1st Karmapa.

When he was around 22 years old, Karma Pakshi’s main practice became Tummo.

Karma Pakshi traveled extensively, built, and restored monasteries, and was famous for introducing the public chanting of the Om Mani Peme Hung mantra throughout Tibet. He was also able to master the elements. He once ordered a Buddha statue made out of brass to be built and when the head of the Buddha statue was askew on the neck, he put it straight just through meditation.

He showed the Mongol Emperor, Kublai Khan his power by performing miracles, and became, in a limited sense, his teacher, (though Kublai Khan initially wanted to kill him because Karma Pakshi didn’t follow the Khan’s wishes).

Before Karma Pakshi died, he announced that his future rebirth would occur in two incarnations: as Karmapa and Shamarpa.

The 2nd Pawo Rinpoche, Tsukla Trengwa (1504-1566) was born in a family of Dharma practitioners at Ganggu in Nyetang. When he was four years old Genyen Chelungpa identified him as the reincarnation of the 1st Pawo, Chowang Lhundrub. He was enthroned on the seat of the lineage Sekhar Gutok, the tower that Milarepa built at Marpa’s command.

When he was nine years old, the 4th Shamarpa, Chodrak Yeshe gave him the vows as a monk and at the age of 12 he received many tantric teachings in both Nyingma and Sarma traditions. He studied a great deal, receiving teachings on both sutra and tantra with many instructions and transmissions as well as Mahamudra for 20 years.

When he was 29 years old, he met Mikyo Dorje, the 8th Karmapa, while he was traveling to Kongpo. He and the 8th Karmapa exchanged teachings and empowerments and he became his disciple.

Tsuakla Trengwa lived a simple life and devoted everything he had to his students in the form of
books, statues, etc.. When Karmapa died, he enthroned the 5th Shamarpa as the leader of
the Karma Kagyü tradition and the 8th Karmapa’s successor. Later, he helped identify the
9th Karmapa and was responsible for the traditional enthronement ceremony at Tsurphu
and later became one of his main teachers.

Khachö Wangpo was recognized by the 4th Karmapa as the reincarnation of the 1st Shamarpa Khaydrup Dragpa Senge, when they met. He became his disciple and later the Karmapa granted to him the ceremonial Ruby Red Crown, and thus officially giving him full responsibility for the Karma Kagyü lineage – in equal shares with himself.

As Buddha Shakyamuni had prophesied in the Badrakalpika Sutra, the Sutra of the Happy Era, Shamarpa’s compassion was immeasurable. He was one of the first lineage teachers to write down and publish the most important of his teachings so that they would endure and be accessible to a wide audience of Dharma practitioners. But he also cared about the welfare of other living beings, e.g., founding anmimal welfare organizations.

The 3rd Ju Mipham Rinpoche (*1949) was born in Tibet and quickly recognized as the rebirth of Mipham Rinpoche, a great master and scholar of the Nyingma school.

When he was ten years old, due to the invasion of the Chinese, it was dangerous to officially continue the Dharma practice. As Rinpoche (due to his health) not being able to leave the country, he was allowed to stay in the Junyung Gompa and concentrated on his Buddhist education.

He spent 13 years in retreat, practicing a total of 2,000 Nyungne fasting rituals on the one 1,000-armed Loving Eyes.

Later, upon the advice of the 10th Panchen Lama, Mipham Rinpoche restored Junyung Gompa Monastery. He married and became father to two sons. One of them is the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Thaye Dorje and the other younger one, a Gelugpa and Sakya tulku, the
14th Sönam Tsemo Rinpoche.
Mipham Rinpoche and his family left Tibet in 1994. He and his wife lived together in KIBI in
Delhi, India.

The 3rd Mipham Rinpoche passed away in December 2025.

The 3rd Karma Thinleypa lived mostlikely during the second half of the 17th century. He was one of the teachers of the 11th Karmapa.

Although the 3rd Karmapa showed all the qualities of enlightenment, his wisdom and knowledge stood out. He was likely the first to have a complete overview of the most important transmissions and the historical events of the time from Buddha Shakyamuni onwards.

He also initiated a tradition of the Karma Kagyü lineage, traveling with the lama. Practitioners traveled with Karmapa in a foldable tent village called a garchen. In addition to his other tasks, he cared for his fellow travelers, both with regard to meditations and transmissions. The tradition of traveling with the lama continues to this day.

The 3rd Pawo Tsuglag Gyatsho (1567-1633) was born in a valley near Tsurphu Monastery and recognized as the reincarnation of the 2nd Pawo Rinpoche by the 9th Karmapa and the 5th Shamarpa when he was two years old. Tsuglag Gyatso was enthroned at the seat of the early Pawo incarnations, Sekhar Gutok. He also spent time in Lhodrak, at Lhalung Monastery, the second seat of the earlier Pawo incarnations.

The 9th Karmapa transmitted the writings of the 8th Karmapa to him. At the age of 23 he went into an intensive three year retreat. In honor of his root lama he built a silver stupa when the 9th Karmapa passed away. He was also one of the teachers of the 10th Karmapa and ordained him in 1615.

The 3rd Shamarpa Chöpal Yeshe (1406-1452) as a child already recognized many of his monks, who were close to him during his former incarnation. When Shamarpa was eight years old, he met his teacher, the 5th Karmapa, staying with him for a long period of time, receiving all the Kagyü teachings. Dezhin Shegpa gave him full authorization to instruct the teachings.

It is said that Chöpal Yeshe had an extraordinary power of clairvoyance and so the fame of the 3rd Shamarpa spread rapidly into the depth of China. In addition, the Chinese Emperor was most impressed that anyone could see into their own past lives in vivid detail as the Shamarpa could. For this reason, for a time, he even thought that the Shamarpa had been the teacher to the 5th Karmapa and was longing for an even closer relationship. When he sent a minister to distant Tibet to make precious gifts in form of statues of Buddha and Dorje Chang to show Shamarpa his sincerest devotion, Shamarpa reminded him of the basic principle in Buddhism, which is benevolence, that he might be ever mindful of the well-being of his people. Shamarpa himself strictly adhered to this
basic principle for a ruler when he later was representative for the Karmapa in Kongpo and
other southern provinces in Tibet.

The 3rd Tai Situ, Tashi Paljor (1498-1541), he was a student of the 7th Karmapa. He recognized the 8th Karmapa by means of showing him items that had belonged to the 7th Karmapa; this was possibly the first time such a method was used to identify reincarnations.

Like many of the past and future Karmapas, Rölpe Dorje distinguished himself through special enlightened qualities and their expressions.

In his previous incarnation, Karmapa had left clear instructions with his secretary, Rinchen Pal, to look for specific signs in order to find the reincarnate child quickly. At the age of six he took refuge vows and the lay precepts from a lay practitioner ( who also taught the young Karmapa all fields of Tantrayana).

The 4th Khamtrul Rinpoche Tenzin Chökyi Nyima (1730-1779) was a Drugpa Kagyü
master and disciple of the 8th Situpa.

The 4th Khamtrul wrote a commentary about Tibetan poetry and founded the Khampa Gar Monastery in Kham, which became the seat of his lineage – the Khamtrul lineage.

The 4th Pawo Tsuglag Küntu Zangpo (1633–1649) was recognized by the 10th Karmapa,
when the latter came to Lhodrak after escaping the chaos of the fighting in 1642.

About the 4th Pawo Rinpoche’s life is not much known.

The 4th Shamarpa, Chokyi Drakpa Yeshe Pal Zangpo or Chödrag Yeshe (1453-1526) was born in the Treshö province of Kham and was recognized by the 7th Karmapa, who also became his root lama.

He is famous for building many monasteries, among others four in Buthan and a small one in Swayambhunath in Nepal. Also the famous Tibetan monastery Ga Mamo Tashi Rabten was founded by him.

Shamar Chokyi Drakpa became (for the period of 11 years) the king of Central Tibet and ruled the country on the basis of Buddhist principles.