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Due to a controversy over the recognition process, the identity of the current 17th Karmapa is actively disputed. There are two claimants - Thaye Dorje and Urgyen Trinley Dorje - each supported by a number of important lamas from the Kagyu lineage. Both have already been enthroned as 17th Karmapa and perform ceremonial and ritual duties. They have not yet met.
This situation has led to deep division among Kagyu followers all over the world. Each side accuses other of lying and wrongdoing. It is therefore very hard to produce an objective description of the events as most important developments are known only from conflicting accounts by those involved.
As with any other lineage of tulkus the question of recognizing the new incarnation is crucial. Sometimes all concerned parties are sure that a particular child is indeed the new incarnation of that particular master. Sometimes not. This is what happened in the case of the 17th Karmapa.
Karmapas are self-recognizing. That means that all incarnations claimed very early in their life to be Karmapa, recognized associates and colleagues of the previous incarnation and have been generally remarkable for their age (see history of previous incarnations). Also, each Karmapa left indications leading to his next re-birth, usually in the form of a letter. In such letter indications about location of next incarnation and future parents were contained, although usually in a poetic and elusive form.However, the closest associates of the previous incarnation play crucial role in the process of recognizing the next Karmapa. After all it is them, adult and fully realized Buddhist masters who have to recognize and teach the child.
Traditionally over the centuries it was Shamarpa who was head of the lineage (or regent) in the absence of Karmapa and recognized the new incarnation of his master. Karmapa in turn recognized new incarnation of Shamarpa – and so it went. Two centuries ago that sequence was broken when as a result of rivalry with the ruling Gelug school, the Shamarpa incarnation of that time was accused of treason. He was banned from public life – and also banned from reincarnating (which sounds strange for Western mind). That ban was only lifted by the current Dalai Lama in 1959.
According to 16th Karmapa Shamarpa has continued to re-incarnate along with his master, however his re-incarnations were kept secret. As a result, for last two centuries Shamarpa could not recognize Karmapa’s reincarnations, at least not officially. Therefore 13th Karmapa (born 1733) was recognized by SitupaIn Tibetan Buddhism the Tai Situpa is one of the lineages of tulkus, reincarnated lamas, in the Kagyu school. According to tradition, the Tai Situpa is an emanation of the bodhisattva Maitreya, who will become the next Buddha, and who has been incarnated, 14th Karmapa (born 1798Events February- October Irish Rebellion of 1798 April 7 The Mississippi Territory is organized from territory ceded by Georgia and South Carolina and is later twice expanded to include disputed territory claimed by both the U. and Spain April 26 France a) by Drukchen Kunzig Chokyi Nangwa, 15th Karmapa (born 1871) by Kyabgon Drukchen Rinpoche and 16th (born 1924) by Situpa and Jamgon Kontruj Rinpoche.
These historical events and to some extent conflicting traditions have been the background of the current conflict. Its main actors - Shamar Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche and Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche - have all been tulkus recognized personally 16th Karmapa. They are of similar age and they’ve spent much of their youth together at the Rumtek monastery. It was clear that Karmapa hoped that it would create additional bounds of friendship amongst them.
However, this didn’t work and four main figures of the lineage (after Karmapa) were far from being friends who trust each other. But it wasn’t apparent and known until Karmapa’s death in 1981.
First sign of problems between now regents of the lineage appeared during Karmapa’s funeral with the mysterious incident concerning his heart which fell out of the cremation stupa as it was burning. According to one witnesses it fell straight into Tai Situpa’s hands, according to others it just fell to the ground, was taken into monastery and later claimed by Tai Situpa who invented the first story.
This minor incident is brought here, because it might be seen as the first time when observers had to deal with conflicting accounts of the same events and thus it might be considered the first step towards the later split. It was also used by Tai Situpa and his supporters as an additional argument – they say that since 16th Karmapa’s heart fell into Tai Situ’s hands it surely meant that Karmapa wished to show his trust in him.
As time passed after XVI Karmapa’s death and nothing was announced about the new incarnation the community of Kagyu followers grew more and more anxious. At last, in 1986 the four regents announced that a letter containing prophecy about next incarnation was found. However, regents announced also that an additional letter was attached to the prophecy in which Karpama asked his students to perform various rituals and recite numerous mantras before the contents of the prophecy could be revealed.
Kagyu students around the world started to perform those rituals and in 1988 they were completed. However, regents didn’t announce anything despite that. As pressure from students grew, regents were rarely meeting each other and no further information was published until 1992.
On 19th of March 1992 Tai Situ presented a letter that – as he claimed – was given to him by the Karmapa and contained information about the next incarnation. However, Shamarpa immediately expressed his doubts about the letter’s authenticity.
One claimant, Thaye Dorje, is supported by lamas including the Shamarpa, who is traditionally involved in identifying reincarnations of the Karmapa. Other teachers traditionally involved in the identification procedure, in particular the Tai Situpa, have recognised Urgyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa. He is also supported by a number of other Kagyu lamas as well as by the Dalai Lama of the Geluk school, by the Sakya school, and by the government of the People's Republic of China.
For followers on both sides of this controversy, the issue is painful and unclear. Both sides pray that the rightful Karmapa may be able to do his dharmic duties and teachings. The teachers on both sides urge their students to continue their practice sincerely and try not to get too involved in the politics and remain compassionate and forgiving and as open minded as possible. Also, Karma Kagyu teachers say that the future actions and spiritual realization of the claimants will show clearly which one is the real re-incarnation of the 16th Karmapa.