4th Karmapa Rölpe Dorje

1340 - 1383

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).

At his birth in Kongpo province in central Tibet, the 4th Karmapa, Rölpe Dorje copied his previous incarnation by sitting up and speaking; he chose the mantra of Chenrezig – Om Mani Peme Hung Shri.

Rölpe Dorje met his root lama Yungtönpa when he was only 12 years old. The latter immediately realized that it was the reincarnation of his teacher when the boy told stories and shared views from previous lives. In addition, Rölpe Dorje was able to read, study and memorize texts while he slept (he knew 60 books by heart). In what was an auspicious sign for his realization from former lives (he wasn't able to recall his life as Düsum Khyenpa clearly), he remembered much of Rangjung Dorje’s and almost everything of Karma Pakshi’s life. When Yungtönpa heard the stories and statements which the boy told him, he became convinced of his authenticity. He transmitted to him the complete range of teachings of the Kagyü and Nyingma traditions. He reached the full realization of Mahamudra and Maha Ati at the age of 19.

At 18 he was ordained a monk by an abbot with the name Döndrup Pal Rinpoche. Once his education at the hands of his former student was completed, Rölpe Dorje travelled widely through Tibet and China, teaching disciples. His talks were translated into Chinese, Mongolian, Uigurian and the Mi Nya language. Just as his predecessor had been, he was invited by the Mongol emperor Toghön Temur to his court in Beijing; a journey that Rölpe Dorje had used in order to teach, compose texts, spread the view of non-violence, restore peace, and construct monasteries for three years. Not only did he pass on the Mahamudra teachings to the emperor, but also to those who meditated regularly. During one of his travels, he bestowed novice ordination upon the young Tsongkhapa, who later founded the Gelugpa school (Tsongkhapa once said, “I have Buddha as a teacher!“).

Rölpe Dorje was an exceptional and special teacher; he manifested himself in 10 different forms to give 10 different teachings in 10 different spiritual environments at the same time. Like his predecessor, he gave instructions to build bridges so that his disciples had easier access to the teachings.

Whether on his journeys or staying in a monastery, Karmapa Rölpe Dorje would follow a strict healthy lifestyle and clear structure for the day: from the time he awoke until nine in the morning, he performed his spiritual practices. From then until noon, he gave instructions in Dharma. At noon he performed prostrations and walking meditations. Throughout the afternoon, he practiced Loving Eyes meditation, and in the evening, he studied or composed texts. The nights he passed in the practice of Dream Yoga. As for his diet, he was a vegetarian and established this as the basic diet of his camp. Among his principal students, in addition to the many meditation masters, (i.e., Lobzang Dragpa Tsongkhapa), was the 2nd Shamarpa, Kachö Wangpo, who became the next lineage holder and to whom he transferred equal responsibility for the Mahamudra transmission lineage. He also handed the Red Crown over to him as a sign for his complete realization.

STORY

While Karmapa bestowed the Red Crown to the 2nd Shamarpa, he told him, “You are one manifestation, while I am the other one. The responsibility to continuously safeguard the Kagyü transmissions without interruption lies equally with me and with you.“

At the age of three, Karmapa told his mother that he was Karma Pakshi, and that he had taken birth for the sake of his many disciples in this world. His parents therefore took him to Lhasa. Large numbers of people came to meet him along the way, and he greeted them each, saying, "You are so-and-so, and your home is arranged thus. You gave me such-and-such an offering in the past." Each was overwhelmed by devotion and requested his blessing, which he gladly bestowed.

When the child-Karmapa was asked about Tushita, he answered, “Yes, I was there in a form of a unicorn (tib.: cangshe kyita). Tushita is really not far away. There, all the waters are nectar and all stones jewels. The things of the humans are worthless there”.

When an epidemic killed many people. Karmapa was asked for help. He only said, “Don’t wake me up!”, and seemed to sleep. Suddenly there was a loud noise on the roof. Later Karmapa explained, “I’ve just changed into the form of Garuda and swallowed all the demons, which have spread the epidemic. That was the noise when I landed on the roof”.

One day a family visited Karmapa. They had their three-year-old son with them and asked for his first monk ordination. Instead, Karmapa gave him the complete monks vows and predicted that this child will be a great spiritual leader one day. He was Lobsang Trakpa who later became known as the great lama Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa lineage.

When Karmapa‘s convoy arrived at Shavo, Mongolian representatives decided that the local population would like to provide new horses, yaks and porters to Karmapa and his escort for free. But Rölpe Dorje declined, “Please, do not ask anything from people. I will order myself everything necessary. Never put a burden on ordinary people.“

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

 

  • As a child he had many visions: Medicine Buddha, Five Buddha Families in his veins, Buddha and his students, teachings from Vajrayogini, in Potala (= Loving Eyes‘ Pure Land) > complete Mahamudra transmission
  • As a 19-year-old: all Kagyü and Nyingma transmissions – he realized them at once
  • Garuda
  • Vision of Sarasvati (=Wisdom Buddha’s consort) – Thus he understood Indian poetry
  • Tantra of Highest Bliss (skt. Mahayoginitantraraja)
  • Five Treasures of Maitreya
  • Heartdrop teaching (tib. nyingthig) of Maha Ati of Vimalamitra
  • Secret teachings of Tilopa (from Yungtönpa)
  • his main meditations: Buddha of Limitless Light (during day), Dream Yoga (during night)
     

Additional Given Transmissions (an excerpt)

  • Pratimoksha (a list of rules for Buddhist nuns and monks)

 

Additional Special Abilities

  • pacifying activity, e.g. when he traveled to China, the country was shaken by rebellions, famine and epidemics; he restored peace by pacifying the local gods, envoking the Medicine Buddha and Dzambala, the Buddha of abundance
  • poetry
  • Indian literature

  • 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
https://www.shambala.com/nagarjuna-readers-guide https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nagarjuna/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbUzz0_Oy1k

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.

Further Information

Lama Künsang, Lama Pemo, Marie Aubèle (2012). “History of the Karmapas: The Odyssey of the Tibetan Masters with the Black Crown”. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York

https://buddhism.redzambala.com/buddhism/teacher/rolpe-dorje-forth-karmapa.html

https://karmapafoundation.eu/karmapas/4th-karmapa/

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