As a 7-month-old baby, Shamarpa had a vision of the 4th Karmapa Rölpe Dorje, where he said, “The flower is ready, but not opened yet at the moment. Wait for the right moment because you are still a human being. Highly qualified as you are, wait a bit longer, please. I will teach you to become perfect.” Then he snapped his fingers, and at that moment he could remember his former life in all details as the 1st Shamarpa.
2nd Shamarpa Thogden Kachöwang
1350 - 1405
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.
“In the future the maha-bodhisattva with the Ruby Red Crown will come to the suffering crowd (of beings) and lead them out of their ignorance and their misery.”
The 2nd Shamarpa was born in Chema-lung of Namshung, Northern Tibet. From an early age he had numerous visions. Shamarpa started teaching when he was three years old. At the age of seven, he met the 4th Karmapa Rölpe Dorje and received the bodhisattva vows. Karmapa gave him Diamond Way empowerments, Mahamudra transmissions, The Six Teachings of Naropa, and the complete ear-whispered transmissions of the Kagyü lineage. Khachö Wangpo also studied the sutras and the tantras with numerous great masters of Kagyü and Nyingma teachings. When the 4th Karmapa passed away, Khachö Wangpo continued the lineage activities. He was a diligent practitioner and therefore a good example for his students; he never eluded any difficulty or obstacle. He had a demanding character on the one hand, while on the other he constantly motivated and inspired the lazy students to greater diligence.
Khachö Wangpo was the main teacher of the 5th Karmapa, Dezhin Shegpa. He enthroned him and transmitted the full Kagyü lineage to him as well. Among many students, such as Lama Kashipa, Sowön Rigpe Raldre became an important disciple who later became the principal teacher of the 6th Karmapa, Thongwa Dönden.
Khachö Wangpo published his work in eight volumes, including some of his key instructions, e.g., “The seven Branches Instructions on the Mahamudra from the tradition of Rechungpa.” One of his most important worldly achievements was to stop animal sacrifices (especially in Tibet’s border areas).
At the age of 56, he passed away to many miraculous signs of realizations. He is the first Shamarpa to be depicted on the refuge tree.
STORY
STORY
The 4th Karmapa, after having ceremoniously returned to the 2nd Shamarpa, gave the Ruby Red Crown to him. This crown was mentioned in a prediction made by the 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi. This prophecy also said that future Karmapas are foreseen to manifest in two separate Nirmanakaya forms. “You are the one manifestation”, the Karmapa affirmed, “while I am the other. The responsibility, therefore, rests equally on me as it is on you, in upholding the line of continuity in the Kagyü teachings.” The Karmapa formally made him his deputy and thus shared the responsibility for the future of an unbroken Karma Kagyü transmission lineage.
Key Transmissions
Received Transmissions (an excerpt)
As for all future lineage holders the following four are the core transmissions of the Kagyü and later the Karma Kagyü Lineage:
- Mahamudra
- Six Teachings of Naropa (including Father, Mother and Non-Dual Tantras)
- Path of Insight > Shinay/Lhaktong
- Secret Path > Guru Yoga
- complete Kagyü transmission
- complete Nyingma transmissions
- the ear-whispered lineage transmission of the Karma Kagyü Lineage
Additional Given Transmissions (an excerpt)
- He was one of the first lineage teachers to record some of the key instructions in written form. It is said that his collected works came to eight complete volumes .The background of these teachings was Shamarpa’s urgent wish that the precious and secret Kagyü teachings should never get into the hands of people with worldly ambitions. In a clear vision, all the lineage teachers and the guardian dakinis gave their consent to his request.
Additional Special Abilities
- He gave his first teachings at the age of three.
- Key-instructions how to conquer death
- Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Mūlamādhyamakakārikā or Madhyamaka)
- Mahamudra-Transmission in meditation/in a vision from Ratnamati in Southern India (where Ratnamati had lived)
- Tripitaka-texts (Triple Basket)
- Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyatasapati)
- Two Truths Doctrine - about relative and absolute level (= level with delusion and level without delusion)“
- Six Collections on Reasoning (text)
- Root Verses on the Middle Way, called "Discriminating Awareness"
- Precious Garland
- Refutation of Objections
- Seventy Verses on Emptiness
- Sutra Called “Finely Woven”
- Sixty Verses of Reasoning
- Collections of Praises (text)
- Praise to the Sphere of Reality
- Praise to the Deepest Truth
- Praise to the Supramundane (Buddha)
- Collections of Didactic Explanations (text)
- A Commentary on (the Two) Bodhichittas
- Selected text-collection of Sutras
- Letter to a Friend
- all Mahakali and Mahakala-Tantras
- Guyhasamaja-Tantras
- Della Santina, Peter: Causality and Emptiness: The Wisdom of Nāgārjuna, Singapore: Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2002
- Garfield, Jay L. (1995), The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way.Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Garfield, Jay L. and Graham Priest (2003), “Nāgārjuna and the Limits of Thought”, Philosophy East and West 53 (January 2003): 1-21
- Hopkins, Jeffrey: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation: Nāgārjuna’s Precious Garland, Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion, 199
- Jones, Richard H. (2014): Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher, 2nd ed. New York: Jackson Square Books
- Kalupahana, David J. (1986): The Philosophy of the Middle Way. Albany: SUNY Press
- Lindtner, Christian (1982): Nagarjuniana: Studies in the Writings and Philosophy of Nāgārjuna Akademisk forlag
- Murty, K. Satchidananda (1971), Nagarjuna. National Book Trust, New Delhi. 2nd edition: 1978
- Ruegg, D. Seyfort (1981): The literature of the Madhyamaka school of philosophy in India (A History of Indian literature), Harrassowitz
- Siderits, Mark and Shōryū Katsura, 2013: Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way. Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Boston: Wisdom Publications
- Tuck, Andrew P. (1990), Comparative Philosophy and the Philosophy of Scholarship: on the Western Interpretation of Nāgārjuna, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Walser, Joseph (2005), Nāgārjuna in Context: Mahāyāna Buddhism and Early Indian Culture. New York: Columbia University Press
- Westerhoff, Jan (2009), Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka. A Philosophical Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press
Historical events at this time
1322 Changchub Gyaltsen (1302-1364) was the founder of the Phagmodrupa dynasty in Tibet. He became the ruler of Central Tibet after overthrowing the Mongol-backed Sakya regime around 1354. He overthrew the weakening Sakya government, reorganized and reformed it: secular administration, like fiefdoms; improved, fairer tax-system; created agricultural farms; social reforms; art and sciences flourished; peace. Changchub Gyaltsen was an admirer of the Karmapas.
1357-1419 Tsongkhapa founded the Yellow Sect (Gelug) and in 1407 he founded the Ganden monastery. At the time of his death the new Gelug School had already remarkable influence around Lhasa.
1358-1430 Central Tibet came under control of the Phagmodrubpas (a Kagyü branch-line until 1432/35). The following decades were of relative stability. The Tibetans call this period of the Phagmodrupa-reign "an old woman who carries gold"; this means Tibet was so safe and civilized that an old woman could have carried a bag of gold unscathed from one end of Tibet to the other.
1368 When the Mongols' Yuan Empire fell to the Chinese Ming dynasty, Tibet reclaimed independence and refused to pay further tribute to the new Chinese Emperor. The Ming Dynasty lasted until 1688. Several emperors kept close bonds to prominent lamas, e.g. some of the Karmapas, and supported monasteries financially.
1430 Tibet entered in a period of internal power struggles. The Rinpung-rulers expanded their power in Central-Tibet; they were close to Karmapa.
1447 Gendün Drub, the 1st Dalai Lama (1391 – 1475), a nephew of Tsongkhapa, founded the famous Tashilünpo-monastery in Shigatse. He was (posthumously) recognized as the 1st Dalai Lama.
1470s The Gelugpas had already the force and authority in Lhasa. In many other parts of Central Tibet the Karma Kagyü Lineage was influential. The Rinpung-ruler Dönyo Dorje who had controlled wide parts of Central Tibet since 1479 was a follower of the Karmapas and a close student to the 4th Shamarpa Chökyi Dragpa. Shakabpa p. 87: “The administrative officer who supported the Gelugpa Lineage refused the permission. The monastery was finally erected outside of Lhasa. Monks of the neighboring Gelugpa monasteries raided it one night and tore it down. A Karmapa-lama, Chödrag Gyamtso, was almost killed and escaped to Lhasa”.
1487 Gendün Gyatso (1475 – 1542) became the 2nd Dalai Lama posthumously.
1487 – 1499 The 4th Shamarpa took the role of a king until the deceased king Gong-ma Kunga Legpa’s son could take over. Shamar Rinpoche relegated all worldly matters and remained a spiritual advisor. Many termas (terlungs) were found in which it was predicted that the Yellow Sect (= Gelug) would invite Mongolian warlords to destroy the dharma. Although many tertöns were Nyingmas they often asked Karmapa to confirm the authenticity of the termas.
Early 16th century
The 8th Karmapa’s spiritual activity and knowledge was unparalleled. He helped to heal the rift between the Gelugpas and Kagyüpas. At the same time his influence brought forward a relativ ely peaceful time. The Kagyü lineage became the most powerful sect in Tibet.
Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama
1546 Sönam Gyatso became the 3rd Dalai Lama.
Further Information
Karmapa International Buddhist Institute's translation team: "A Brief History Of The Karmapa-Shamarpa Lineages". Archived from the original on May 9, 2008.
Khenpo Chödrag Tenpel: "A Brief Account Of The Successive Shamarpa Reincarnations". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17
Yeshe Dronma: “The Kunzig Shamarpas of Tibet” 1992, P. 19
