The 15th Karmapa, Khakyab Dorje (; 1871–1922 or 1870–1921)
was born in Sheikor village in
Tsang, central
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
. Sources state that at his birth he spoke the Chenrezig mantra, and at five he was able to read scriptures. He was recognized as the 15th Karmapa, and enthroned at six years of age by the 9th Kyabgon Drukchen.
Khakyab Dorje had at least five consorts, and two of his sons were recognized as great tulkus. The 15th Karmapa's numerous sons and daughters were instrumental in reviving several eastern Tibetan transmission lineages that were at risk of dying out.
Education
Khakhyap Dorjé received the
Kagyu
The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...
transmission from
Jamgon Kongtrul, including the instructions of the Five Treasures that Kongtrul had compiled in over one hundred volumes, teachings and practices from the
Rimé movement
The Rimé movement (Tibetan Wylie: ''ris med''; approximate pronunciation "reemay") also written in some English sources as Rime, Ri-me, Rimay) is a movement or tendency in Tibetan Buddhism which promotes non-sectarianism and universalism.Sam ...
. Trashi Özer and other masters completed his education.
Life and legacy
In 1898 Khakhyap Dorjé travelled to
Bhutan
Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...
where he bestowed many transmissions. On his return to Tibet, he took several consorts. Female wisdom and inspiration are necessary to find the hidden teachings of
Guru Rinpoche and
Yeshe Tsogyal
Yeshe Tsogyal (c. 757 or 777 – 817 CE), also known as "Victorious Ocean of Knowledge", "Knowledge Lake Empress" (, ཡེ་ཤེས་མཚོ་རྒྱལ), or by her Sanskrit name ''Jñānasāgarā'' "Knowledge Ocean", or by her clan na ...
known as termas. With few exceptions, a
Tertön
In Tibetan Buddhism, a Tertön () is a person who is a discoverer of ancient hidden texts or '' terma''. Many tertöns are considered to be incarnations of the twenty five main disciples of Padmasambhava ( Guru Rinpoche), who foresaw a dark time in ...
must have a consort. At the time of Guru Rinpoche, Karmapa was one of 25 of his main students, with the name Gyalwa Choyang. Khakyab Dorje married
Dāki Wangmo,
bore three sons, one of whom, Khyentsé Özer, was recognised as the
Second Jamgon Kongtrul and another, Jamyang Rinpoché, an unrecognised
Shamarpa (d. circa 1947). He composed a special text explaining how to return one's vows.
Among his closest students were the 11th Tai Situpa, whom Karmapa recognised as the Situpa reincarnation, Karma Jamyang Khyentsé Özer,
and the First Beru Khyentse.
See also
*
Urgyen Tsomo
Urgyen Tsomo (1897–1961) was a prominent Tibetan Buddhist female master who was known as the Great Dakini of Tsurphu (Tsurpu Khandro Chenmo). She was the consort of the Khakyab Dorje, 15th Karmapa Lama. She was considered by other masters to be ...
Footnotes
References
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External links
Life story of the 15th Karmapa on karmapa.org*"THE FIFTEENTH GYALWA KARMAPA, Khakhyab Dorje"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dorje, Khakyab
1871 births
15
19th-century lamas
20th-century lamas
1922 deaths
19th-century Tibetan people
20th-century Tibetan people