• The Recognition of the Karmapas

If we look back over the past sixteen Karmapas, seven of them left written instructions, four left oral instructions and five left no instructions at all. When a Lama or a Buddhist master identifies the incarnation of another Buddhist master, this ability results from their practice of Buddhism, from their accomplishments. This means that the identification of an incarnation is a spiritual process. One who has the ability to identify an incarnation therefore received that capacity through the practice of the Buddha's teachings. This also presupposes that the person in question practised those teachings authentically and sincerely. This is what confers the qualities necessary for the identification of an incarnation. This is the only possible way to identify an incarnation. It has never been the case that the person responsible devises a scheme and then arrives at a decision on the basis of it.

The religious hierarchy and the masters that make up a lineage are not related. The master Golo Shönnu Pal, whom I have chosen to quote, says that a person becomes a lineage holder on the basis of his practice of the Dharma. It is on the strength of his personal endeavours that he attains the required realisation. This has nothing to do with a position in the religious hierarchy. For example the Lama of the third Karmapa, Khedrub Urgyenpa, didn't have a position in the religious hierarchy. He became the third Karmapa's Lama because he had attained the requisite level of realisation.

Khedrub Urgyenpa was one of the principle disciples of the second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi. Karma Pakshi introduced him to the true nature of reality. He in turn passed these teachings on to the third Karmapa.

In order to understand the religious hierarchy within Tibetan Buddhism one has to go back to the times of the Mongolian Empire as it was during this period that the religious hierarchy was established. At the time of Tibet's great master Milarepa, this hierarchy didn't exist. Even so, Milarepa is one of the greatest Buddhist masters of all times. A position in the religious hierarchy isn't necessarily granted due to a high level of spiritual realisation, or due to one's practice or knowledge of Buddhism.

Khenpo Chödrack Rinpoche