Mipham Chokyi Lodro

Mipham Chokyi Lodro (27 October 1952 – 11 June 2014), also known as Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, was the 14th Shamarpa of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Shamarpa is the second most important teacher of the Karma Kagyu school after the Karmapa. The Karmapas are sometimes referred to as the Black Hat Lamas, referring to their Black Crown.

Mipham Chokyi Lodro
TitleShamarpa, Lama, Rinpoche
Personal
Born(1952-10-27)October 27, 1952
Derge, Tibet
DiedJune 11, 2014(2014-06-11) (aged 61)
Renchen, Germany
ReligionBuddhism
SchoolVajrayana
LineageKarma Kagyu
Mipham Chokyi Lodro
Tibetan name
Tibetan མི་ཕམ་ཆོས་ཀྱི་བློ་གྲོས་་
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese米龐確吉羅佐
Simplified Chinese米庞确吉罗佐

Karma Pakshi, 2nd Karmapa Lama, prophesied that "future Karmapas shall manifest in two Nirmanakaya forms". Later, Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa Lama presented his principal student, Khedrup Drakpa Senge, a ruby-red crown that was an exact replica of his own Black Crown. The Karmapa explained that it symbolised their identical nature and so the lineage of the Shamarpas started.[1] The 14th Shamarpa was recognised by Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa.

Early life

In 1956 Shamar Rinpoche and his brother Lama Jigme Rinpoche went to Tsurphu, the seat of the Karmapas in Lhasa. The 4 year old Shamarpa showed special abilities, including recognizing a few monks from a previous life at Yangpachen monastery. With these special signs the 16th Karmapa asked the Dalai Lama to revoke the prohibition of the Sharmapa incarnations. (See Shamarpa#Controversy) Consent was given and private enthronement took place in 1958. His formal education took place at Rumtek and he received transmission initiations from the Karmapa and other Kagyu and Nyingma masters.[2] In 1964 the Tibetan Government in Exile formally lifted the 170 year ban on the Shamarpa institution.[3] Shamar Rinpoche was officially enthroned.[4] After completing his studies in 1979 Sharmapa began his extensive teaching activity.

Activity

In the 1980s the 14th Shamar Rinpoche established an education center for Tibetan exiles in Rumtek, the Nalanda Institute. He also founded an education center in Kalimpong and retreat center in Parphing. He also oversaw the construction of the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute, and ran the institute personally in its first years of inception.[5] Conceived by Lopön Tsechu Rinpoche, Shamar Rinpoche took over the project to build the tallest stupa in Europe. Constructed in cooperation with the Spanish local government, it stands at 33 meters tall in Benalmadena Spanish. Inaugurating the stupa in 2003 together with Lama Ole Nydahl, representatives of the Bhutanese Royal Family and government, and Spanish local authorities were present.[6]

Shamarpa looked after 800 traditional monasteries throughout Tibet and the Himalayas. In the West Shamarpa founded a retreat center in Virginia in 1996 as well as other Bodhi Path centers, nonsectarian and secular meditation groups.[7]

Shamar Rinpoche wrote a book about reforming government corruption, and cared deeply about animals, founding the "Infinite Compassion Foundation" for humane and ethical treatment.[8] In the book he proposes a government structure where decentralized power moves from small democratic village units up to state and federal structures, where lawmakers protect the natural environment, humans and animals alike.[9] He also founded the "Infinite Compassion Foundation" with the cause to promote the humane treatment of animals raised for consumption of meat and other products. [10]

Karmapa controversy

During his lifetime, the Shamarpa was a central figure in the current controversy within the Karma Kagyu lineage. He recognised Trinley Thaye Dorje as the current (17th) Karmapa, as opposed to Ogyen Trinley Dorje,[11]

For more information: Karmapa_controversy

Death

After having completed several days of teachings, the 14th Shamarpa died at the age of 61 Renchen, in Baden-Württemberg, on 11 June 2014 due to a sudden heart attack in the morning.[12] “All beings, even the Buddha himself, must pass,” he told his followers just before his death.[13] The government of Nepal granted a “no objection” letter to perform the traditional cremation at Rinpoche’s new Shar Minub monastery in Kathmandu. The government then reversed its decision. As a result of not being allowed in Nepal, the corpse was greeted by tens of thousands of people in Renchen-Ulm, Germany, majority Diamond Way students; then New Delhi and Kalimpong, India; and finally the Royal Palace in Bhutan, where Shamar Rinpoche had a close relationship with the royal family. The Nepalese government reversed their decision again, and the final cremation took place in Kathmandu.[14]

Relics of Shamar Rinpoche were placed in stupas at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in France and Renchen Ulm, Germany. Other reliquaries are found in Natural Bridge, Virginia; KIBI, New Delhi; as well as at Shar Minub Institute in Nepal.[15]

Bibliography

Most popular English titles:

  • Creating a Transparent Democracy: A New Model. Bird of Paradise Press (2006). ISBN 978-0996505918
  • The Path to Awakening". Delphinium Books(2014) ISBN 9781883285593
  • A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Chöying Dorje. Bird of Paradise Press (2012). ISBN 0988176203
  • Boundless Awakening: The Heart of Buddhist Meditation. Bird of Paradise Press (2013).ASIN B00ZT10EV0

Notes
  1. Yeshe Dronma, "The Reincarnations of the Kunzig Shamarpa the Red Crown Lama of Tibet". Dorje and Bell Publication (1992) pp.11-12
  2. Seegers, Manfred, "The Extraordinary Life of the 14th Shamar Rinpoche." Buddhism Today Spring Summer 2017: 36-37 print
  3. Yeshe Dronma, "The Reincarnations of the Kunzig Shamarpa the Red Crown Lama of Tibet". Dorje and Bell Publication (1992) pp.46-47
  4. https://www.diamondway-buddhism.org/buddhist-teachers/shamar-rinpoche/
  5. Seegers, Manfred, "The Extraordinary Life of the 14th Shamar Rinpoche." Buddhism Today Spring Summer 2017: 37-38 print
  6. "Shamar Rinpoche". Diamond Way Buddhism.
  7. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/shamarpa-without-borders/
  8. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/shamarpa-without-borders/
  9. Shamar Rinpoche. "Creating a Transparent Democracy: A New Model."Bird of Paradise Press (2006) pp. 1-11
  10. "Shamar Rinpoche". Diamond Way Buddhism.
  11. Statement of Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche Concerning His Meeting with H.H. the Dalai Lama On June 20, 2000
  12. "Shamar Rinpoche passed away". Archived from the original on 2014-06-15.
  13. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-his-next-life-late-buddhist-leader-said-he-hoped-to-help-animals/2014/12/01/c4b3a122-69ba-11e4-a31c-77759fc1eacc_story.html
  14. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/shamarpa-without-borders/?fbclid=IwAR2yxKEesPG80sy8zuBKKEE2Xo5PON7DEy2y1hDEE2luQX0BMfANSNvMjfc
  15. https://stoupa.dhagpo.org/en/shamarpa-presence-at-dhagpo/
Religious titles
Preceded by
Tinlay Kunchap		 14th Shamarpa
1952 – 2014		 Vacant
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