Birth and Youth
Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, the Gyalwa Karmapa, was born on the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the male wood rat year (1924) at Denkhok on the banks of the Dri Chu river, near Derge, Eastern Tibet. His father's name was Tsewang Paijor and his mother was called Kalzang Chosdun. While still in his mother's womb the baby could be heard reciting the "Mani" Mantra.
One day, shortly before the birth, his mother noticed that her stomach had become completely flattened, as if she was not pregnant at all. She proceeded to the camp, set up on a hill behind the palace, and at sunrise the next morning she felt a great heaviness and her stomach began to swell very rapidly. Soon afterwards the baby was born. Many rainbows appeared all around. When the child was born he took seven steps, saying, "Mother, Mother! I am going away!" All the water in the offering-basins had turned into milk. Realising the importance of the birth the family let it be known that a girl had been born, in order to protect the child from ill-wishers.
In the meantime Situ Tulku and Jamgon Khongtrul Tulku had opened the letter of prediction left by the fifteenth Karmapa and found the following detailed instructions:
"East of Tsurphu, close by a river, in a place that long ago had belonged to Pawo Denma Yulgyal Tokgod and to the Minister of Ling Kesar, on the Pal hill, decorated with the letters ,A' and ,thup', is a house made of earth, belonging to a Royal and religious family. The birth will take place there on the fifteenth day of the sixth month of the rat year."
Both Situ Tulku and Jamgon Khongtrul Tulku had clear visions of the Athup palace and sent off a party for the new incarnation. Upon their arrival the party heard of the birth of the remarkable child, in conditions exactly as had been predicted in the letter. The search was over. Thus the sixteenth Karmapa was recognised. He was a child of extraordinary natural insight; if horses or cattle were missing from the area he could always give an exact description of the place where they could be found.
When Karmapa was seven years old Situ Tulku and Jamgon Khongtrul Tulku visited the palace and performed his primary ordination. A ceremonial empowerment of the Goddess Vajravarahi was completed and on the twenty-seventh day of the first month of the female iron sheep year (1931) the young incarnation was ordained as a novice monk. Then Khyentse Rinpoche, Zimpon Legshed Gyaltsen and Donyer Gyaltsen Zangkyong together offered the sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa his ceremonial robes and Hat.
On the first day of the second month of the same year he was taken to the Palpung monastery. The enthronement ceremony took place four days later in the large assembly hall and thousands of pilgrims gathered to pay homage to the Gyalwa Karmapa on this auspicious occasion. Later he traveled to Tsurphu, visiting many monasteries and places of pilgrimage on the way. The thirteenth of the sixth month, the Black Hat ceremony was first performed in this lifetime. The sky was filled with rainbows and many flowers fell down from the heavens. Thousands were witness to this astonishing and auspicious event.
The Gyalwa Karmapa traveled to Lhasa to meet His Holiness the thirteenth Dalai Lama, who performed his ,hair-cutting' ceremony. At their first meeting Karmapa was wearing his ,Ne Shu' hat, but the Dalai Lama saw another hat on top of it and pointed this out to his chief Minister. When Karmapa performed the traditional prostration’s he was seen to take off his small hat, but afterwards the Dalai Lama asked why he had not taken off the other hat also, as it was customary to be bare -headed on such an occasion. All those present protested that he had indeed been bare-headed. Then it was realized that the Dalai Lama must have seen the subtle Bodhisattva - hat, visible only to those of the highest spiritual attainment, and had thought that everyone else could see it also.
Karmapa returned to Tsurphu monastery, where a second enthronement ceremony was performed. He studied for four years and often told his teacher about his previous incarnations. On the third day of the twelfth month of the female wood pig year (1935), at the age of twelve, the young Karmapa traveled to Kham.
The party reached Tardzi Chutsen, the hot springs, and stopped to rest and bathe in the curative waters. It was the middle of winter yet many snakes suddenly started crawling out from between the rocks. Karmapa rushed into their midst and was soon covered in them. He started to dance, saying, "I am the King of the snakes!" Everyone was terrified and begged him to stop, but he only laughed and did not seem to be at all worried. Presently the snakes unwound themselves and went back into the hot springs.
The party reached Shakshu Kar, where Drukchen Paljor Rinpoche came to receive the Karmapa. They started to joke together about their respective miraculous powers and suddenly Karmapa took a sword from his attendant's scabbard and tied a knot in the blade with his bare hands. Paljor Rinpoche was totally amazed and did not offer to compete.
Paljor Rinpoche led the party to the Riwa Barma monastery, where a ceremony to Guru Padmasambhava was performed. At the end of the rite the offering cakes were thrown in the different directions in order to dispel evil forces. When they were thrown to the East flames could be seen coming out of them. It was at this time that there was a sudden and unaccountable pause in Chinese aggression on the Eastern borders.
Karmapa reached Dil Yak monastery, where the party all stayed in tents, several of which were joined together. On one occasion he was seen high up off the ground, riding a deer along the ropes from one tent to another. The party reached Radza Dzong in the mountains, where there was a great shortage of drinking water. The Lama Samten Gyamtso explained to Karmapa that the nearest spring was three miles away and asked for a blessing to help the situation. Karmapa ordered that a wooden tub should be brought and placed near the monastery. Then he said he wanted to take a bath, so people carried water to fill it up. After the bath he told the attendants to empty the water onto the ground. Immediately it started to rain and a new spring broke forth from the spot where the tub had been standing. The water shortage of the monastery was permanently resolved.
Karmapa reached Karma Gon and as he entered the great assembly hall all the tops of the relic-stupas were seen to raise themselves, as if in a salute. Situ Tulku came to Karma Gon and took Karmapa to the Palpung monastery, where he received the full Kargyudpa "Treasury" teachings and the Oral transmission. They visited Dzong Sar monastery, where the Abbot Khyentse Choskyi Lodru requested that the Black Hat ceremony be performed. During this auspicious event Khyentse Rinpoche saw Karmapa in the form of Dusum Khyenpa, the first incarnation, and the Black Hat was to be seen floating about eighteen inches above his head.
On the fifteenth day of the ninth month of the male iron dragon year (1940) he traveled to Tsurphu, visiting the Penchen monastery on the way. In that place there was a statue of the Protector Zhing Kyong, riding on a horse. As soon as Karmapa approached the horse started to neigh, much to the surprise of everyone. He proceeded to Dam Chung, where the main Deity offered him a large unpierced nine-eyed Zi-stone, a type of precious banded-agate. The party reached Tsurphu on the eleventh day of the eighth month of the female iron snake year (1941).
 The 16th Karmapa |
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 Karma Gon in Tibet |
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 The young Karmapa |
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