The Karmapas
The Gyalwa Karmapa is the spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. The Karmapa represents the oldest line of reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist masters, dating 900 years to the 12th century.
The lineage of the Karmapas was prophesied by Shakyamuni Buddha who said that approximately 1600 years after his death, an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, would be born. Karmapa literally means "one who manifests buddha-activity" and his activity is to preserve and spread the essence of the teachings of all the Buddhas. The Buddha predicted that the Karmapa would propagate the teachings during the course of many successive incarnations. The Buddha also predicted, "In the future, a great bodhisattva with a ruby red crown will come to the suffering of the multitude, leading them out of their cyclic bewilderment and misery." In the Karmapa and Shamarpa, the Buddha's predictions were fulfilled.
Here are resources to learn more about the Karmapa lineage:
- History of 16 Karmapas, by Thinley Rinpoche
- Affirmation on the subject of the recognition of reincarnate Iamas in Tibet with particular reference to the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, by Geoffrey Samuel (November 2004)
- Karmapa: The Black Hat Lama of Tibet (out of print), by Nick Douglas & Meryl White
- The Karmapa Prophecies, by Sylvia Wong
- The Buddha's Not Smiling, by Erik Curren