The current Shamar Rinpoche, Mipham Chokyi Lodro, is the fourteenth incarnation of a realized being. A great bodhisattva of the same class as Gyalwa Karmapa, he is an emanation of the Buddha Amithaba, "Boundless Light." The first Shamarpa appeared in 1283. Like the Gyalwa Karmapa, he established an uninterrupted lineage for the good of all beings. In general, the Shamarpas have ensured the continuity of the lineage, ruling during the transition period between two incarnations.

They have often been responsible for finding and recognizing the new Karmapas and then guiding them. The Karmapas and Shamarpas have been so strongly connected throughout the centuries that the historical texts speak of the Shamarpas, Holders of the Red Hat, as being manifestations of the Karmapas, Holders of the Black Hat.