5th Karmapa Dezhin Shegpa

1384 - 1415

Dezhin Shegpa, who identified himself as the 5th Karmapa at the moment of his birth, came as a child into the care of his former disciple, Kachö Wangpo, the 2nd Shamarpa.

 It was characteristic of the 5th Karmapa that he demonstrated many miracles on his journeys through Tibet, Mongolia and China. He also taught tirelessly, the result of which, was the Chinese emperor, Tai Ming Chen, became his devoted disciple. Thanks to his (the emperor’s) high level of realization, he was able to see the power field above his teacher's head and had a replica made in the shape of the Black Crown out of gratitude. 
Dezhin Shegpa and the Karmapas after him showed this during the infrequent Black Crown ceremonies, making the blessing from this power field accessible to many. 

Since then, the Black Crown has been an integral feature of the Karmapas.

“If such bad times arise, no peace in mind and no joy will be experienced. Regardless – don’t suffer! Don’t let go of the Three Jewels! Apply the practice of the Great Seal! Stay at secret places and meditate! [In difficult times of decline] the perfect teachings of the Diamond Way are full of power and quick blessing.”

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Dezhin Shegpa was born in the Nyang Dam region of southern Tibet. It is said that immediately after his birth he sat up, wiped his face and declared “I am the Karmapa – Om Mani Peme Hung Shri.“ Rinchen Pal, the secretary to the 3rd Karmapa, who identified (and became secretary to) the 4th Karmapa, also located the child, and served him as secretary for the third (counting incarnations) time.

 

The young Karmapa was brought to Kongpo, where a great number of the 4th Karmapa’s disciples were living. Shamar Khachö Wangpo, who immediately recognized his own teacher in the boy, presented the child with Rölpe Dorje’s possessions and then continued to give the child the entire cycle of Kagyü teachings.

During his extensive journeys, Dezhin Shegpa was engaged in giving teachings to both ordinated and lay people. Based on the meditation experience and development of the practitioners, he also passed on the Mahamudra. He worked to reconcile divided communities and attempted to establish non-violence as the norm of social and political behavior. He abolished toll roads and installed protected reserves for wild animals.

Returning to Tibet after some years, Karmapa reconstructed Tsurphu monastery, which was severely damaged by an earthquake; he built many shrines and stupas, and continued to teach and give empowerments. He found the next Shamar reincarnation, Chöpal Yeshe, arranged his ordination, and gave him the Kagyü transmission. Karmapa also appointed the 1st Tai Situpa Chökyi Gyaltsen (1377–1448) as the head of the Karma Guen monastery. Among many other close students, Ratnabhadra (also known as Rinchen Zangpo, or Lodrö Rinchen) became the next lineage holder.

 

STORY

When Karmapa was in China, he performed miracles for 100 days. On the first day, a shimmering five-colored cloud appeared, which expanded and contracted many times and radiated like the wish-fulfilling jewel. A stupa, which contained holy relics, radiated as shiny as the full moon, and exactly above the place where Karmapa was, two golden light garlands towered. On the sixth day clouds could be seen that glistened like begging bowls and filled the whole sky. In a southwestern direction, arhats with their retinue appeared. On another day flowers fell from the sky, some fully blossoming, others as buds. Their stalks and blossoms were like crystal and hovered around. Above the temple where Karmapa had prepared the power field for the empowerment, a five-colored rainbow appeared. Beings with begging bowls and pilgrim sticks appeared. During the eighteenth night, people saw two lights of strong red color, which brightened the whole sky. From far away, gods came close, adorned with precious jewels and riding on blue lions and white elephants. The emperor was so impressed that he honored Karmapa as a Buddha and bestowed upon him the title, “Great Precious King of Dharma.” He ordered that all these miracles should be painted on silk rolls by his best artists; these were later sent to Tsurphu. This was also the time when the emperor asked the 5th Karmapa to give him a replica of the power field above his head - the Black Crown, made from the Dakinis’ hair – so that everyone would be able to witness it. The Karmapa agreed and blessed the hat, which was decorated with ornaments made of precious jewels and gold.

One day the emperor told Karmapa that there exist too many Buddhist lineages; there should only be the Karma Kagyü lineage. He probably offered to send regular armies to unify Tibet under the Karmapa but Dezhin Shegpa declined this rather non-Buddhist proposal. Karmapa explained that he did not wish that and that this is of no benefit. The people needed different kinds of teachings, moreover all lineages are one big Buddhist family. The emperor understood Karmapa’s advice and stopped his troops. Later the emperor became a great bodhisattva.

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
  • Vajramala
  • Vajrakilaya (= Diamond Dagger)
  • Vairocana
  • Gyalwa Gyamtso (= Almighty Ocean)
  • Prajnaparamita
  • 1000-armed Loving Eyes
  • Pratimoksha
     
Additional Given Transmissions (an excerpt)
  • He introduced the Black Crown ceremonies.

 

Additional Special Abilities

  • He prophesied events that happened hundreds of years after his time, which are now historical facts.

     

A selected prophecy:

At the end of the time of the 16th in the rosary of Karmapa
And at the beginning of the time of the 17th, an incarnation of a demon (= samaya breaker)
One with the name Na-tha 
Will arise in this seat.
By the power of the person’s perverted aspirations, the Karmapa lineage will be near destruction.

At that time, one having true aspirations from a previous life,
A heart emanation of Padmasambhava, from the Western direction,
One with a necklace of moles, fierce and wrathful, whose mouth speaks wrathful speech,
Having dark maroon color and eyes protruding.
This one will subdue the incarnation of the samaya breaker, he will protect Tibet and Kham for a while.
At that time happiness, like beholding the sun in Tibet this will occur, I think.

Without this, even if karmically virtuous ones come, the Dharma will wane downwards,
As fruit of the negative aspirations of the demon. It will be difficult for happiness to arise.

From the center the king of the center will be defiled by the emanation of a demon, an officer of high rank, coming from Kong, will disturb the center and destroy the center’s domain.
Many outsiders not existing before, (not knowing) what has arisen, will conceal.

The beings of the degenerate times will be seduced by the demon.
Not having faith in Dharma will become full of suffering.
Upper, lower and middle, in all three regions, blood of disturbances and arguments will rain.
From quarrels, disturbances and debates, there will be no place of peace even for a while.
Except for this poor and busy state there will be no place for riches and leisure
Except for these very tormented fetters, there is no liberty.

Three precious ones, the three roots and the Dharma protectors,
It is not that they don’t have compassion.
Due to the Karma of beings and the power of aspirations of the demon,
A time will arrive of a downward decrease.
At that time the Secret Lineage Dharma will have more power and bring swift blessings.

  • 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

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. 

 

1578 Sönam Gyatso proselytized the Mongol ruler Altan Khan who became Buddhist. The khan conferred Sönam Gyatso the honoray title Dalai Lama – originally in Mongolian “Tale Lama”. Thus, the Mongols became the patrons of the Gelugpas (there were tribes, hich had aleady become Buddhists before that time).

Further Information

Thinley, Karma: "The History of Sixteen Karmapas of Tibet", USA: Prajna Press. p. 150, 2008

https://www.buddhismus-heute.de/archive.issue_9.position_1.de.html

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