Rangjung Dorje () (1284–1339) was the third

Karmapa The Karmapa (honorific title ''His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ��ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ��ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the '' ...

(head of the

Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, ...

, the largest sub-school of the Kagyu) and an important figure in the history of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

, who helped to spread Buddha-nature teachings in Tibetan Buddhism.

Biography

Rangjung Dorje visited China, where the emperor Toghon Temur became his disciple. Upon his death, Rangjung Dorje's face is said to have appeared in the moon there. As a group, the Karmapa Lamas were among the earliest recognized Tulku, or lamas reincarnated as deities or lineage of deceased teachers. The first Karmapas were influential in the Yuan and

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

courts as well as the Tangut

Western Xia The Western Xia or the Xi Xia (), officially the Great Xia (), also known as the Tangut Empire, and known as ''Mi-nyak''Stein (1972), pp. 70–71. to the Tanguts and Tibetans, was a Tangut-led Buddhist imperial dynasty of China tha ...

Kingdom.

Lineage

Born to a

Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...

family, Rangjung Dorje was a lineage-holder in both the Kagyu and the Nyingma (Dzogchen):

Teachings and influence

Buddha-nature and shentong

In 1321 the famous scholar Dolpopa (1292-1361) visited Tsurphu Monastery for the first time and had extensive discussions with Rangjung Dorje about doctrinal issues. It appears that Rangjung Dorje almost certainly influenced the development of some of Dolpopa's theories, possibly including his Zhentong (''gzhan stong'') method. According to Karma phrin las, ''Dri lan yid'', 91-92, his teacher, Chödrak Gyatso, the Seventh Karmapa, interpreted the nature of Zhentong (''gzhan stong'') accepted by Rangjung Dorje.

Chod

Schaeffer (1995: p.15) conveys that the Third Karmapa was a systematizer of the

Chöd Chöd ( lit. 'to sever') is a spiritual practice found primarily in the Yundrung Bön tradition as well as in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism (where it is classed as Anuttarayoga Tantra). Also known as "cutting through the ego, ...

developed by

Machig Labdrön Machig Labdrön (, sometimes referred to as Ahdrön Chödron, ), or "Singular Mother Torch from Lab", 1055-1149) was a female Tibetan Buddhist monk believed to be a reincarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal, and the renowned 11th-century Tibetan tantric ...

and lists a number of his works on Chod consisting of redactions, outlines and commentaries.

Dzogchen

Yungtön Dorjepel (1284-1365), (the previous incarnation of the First

Panchen Lama The Panchen Lama () is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Panchen Lama is one of the most important figures in the Gelug tradition, with its spiritual authority second only to Dalai Lama. Along with the council of high lamas, h ...

, Khedrup Je), studied the Great Perfection due to the great inspiration of Rangjung Dorje.

Writings

Rangjung Dorje was a noted scholar who composed many significant texts, the most famous of which is the '' Profound Inner Meaning'' (Wylie: ''zab mo nang don''), which concern the

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

inner yoga practices. Other important texts of his include: * the ''Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra'' (Wylie: nge don phyag rgya chen po'i smon lam gyi 'grel pa grub pa mchog gi zhal lung), * the ''Prayer to the Lineage of Chö'', * the thirty-six verse

doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the count ...

(Sanskrit) ''Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom'' (Wylie: rnam shes ye shes ‘byed pa), * ''Instructions on Sahajayoga Mahamudra '', * ''A Treatise on Buddha Nature'' (Wylie: de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa; or, de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po bstan pa).Schaeffer, Kurtis R. (1995). ''The Englightened Heart of Buddhahood: A Study and Translation of the Third Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje's Work on Tathagatagarbha''. (Wylie: de bzhin pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa). University of Washington. p.1.

Notes

References

Sources

* Lama Kunsang, Lama Pemo, Marie Aubèle (2012). ''History of the Karmapas: The Odyssey of the Tibetan Masters with the Black Crown''. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York. . *

External links

;Biography * ;Texts * Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); Peter Roberts (translator) (2001)
''Transcending Ego - Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom
(Wylie: rnam shes ye shes ‘byed pa).'' * Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); John Rockwell (translator)

* Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); Peter Roberts (translator) (1990)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorje, Rangjung, 3rd Karmapa Lama 1284 births 1339 deaths Nyingma lamas 3 Tibetan Buddhists from Tibet 13th-century Tibetan people 14th-century Tibetan people 14th-century lamas