THE GOLDEN KAGYU GARLAND

Excerpts from The Garland of Moon Water Crystal by Situ Chokyi Jungnay and Belo Tsewang Kunkhyab

The 10th Karmapa, Choying Dorje was born at Khaytri Tang in the Golok province in the far North East of Tibet. The sixth Shamarpa, Chokyi Wangchuk, identified and enthroned the Karmapa and transmitted all the teachings of the Kagyu lineage to him.

Choying Dorje travelled far and wide in Tibet, teaching and benefiting beings in many other ways. However, due to a pact between the Mongol ruler Goshir Khan and the fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lozang Gyamtso, who was the first Dalai Lama to become Tibet's ruler, the Karmapa underwent many difficulties, and the Kagyu doctrine became very weak as a result of the political climate. Due to this sectarian persecution the Karmapa had to leave Tibet.

He travelled through Nepal and Burma to Yunnan in China. Choying Dorje constructed many monasteries in the areas he travelled through. He was able to return to Tibet after twenty years in exile.
He found and enthroned the seventh Shamarpa, Yeshe Nyingpo, and transmitted the entire cycle of the Kagyu teachings. Yeshe Nyingpo became the guru of the eleventh Karmapa, Yeshe Dorje.

Karmapa Choying Dorje passed away in his seventieth year.

The Seventh Shamarpa, Yeshe Nyinpo (1631-1694)