Declaration of Many Forms

At nine months old, he met the first Gyaltsap Tulku, who immediately recognized him and arranged for his enthronement. At just five months, he stated, “Ah Hung! There is nothing in the world but voidness. People may believe there is something, but they are mistaken. For me, there is neither birth nor death!” When pressed further, he added, “In Tushita, all the waters are elixir, and the stones are jewels. The things of men have no value there.” 

One day, while staying there, Lama Sonam Rinchen asked him to reveal his true identity. The young boy laughed and said, “Sometimes I am Padmasambhava, sometimes Saraha, and at other times I am the Karmapa!” Those who witnessed him leave reported seeing him in various forms: some saw him take the shape of a vulture, others that of a deer, while some saw him flying in his human form.  

He declared that there would be many future Karmapas and mentioned that there were already other incarnations of himself in existence: one in the region of Purang (near Ladakh), one on the Nepal-Tibet border, another in Eastern India as an emanation of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, and a fourth in the Eastern world as a king named Trakpa Taye. Several incarnations can exist simultaneously, encompassing aspects such as body, speech, mind, and knowledge. 

Transferring knowledge from a generation to another

The Great 'Oral Transmission' Lineage has been meticulously compiled from authentic Tibetan sources. It narrates the transmission of mystical teachings from the southern side of the Himalayas to the northern side, detailing how these teachings were embodied in the lineage of successive incarnate Lamas known as the Karmapa Black-Hats. For the first time, the teachers of the great Kagyudpa 'Oral Transmission' are presented as an interconnected lineage, with their extraordinary life stories contextualized in a historical framework up to the present. 

The ancient transmission began about one thousand years ago when Mahasiddha Tilopa received the direct transmission of the teachings, without any intermediary, from the Celestial Buddha Vajradhara. The Mahamudra, in particular, was revealed to him in this manner. Tilopa then transmitted the essence of his attainment to his disciple Naropa, who also achieved full realization. Siddha Naropa taught Lama Marpa, a Tibetan who later attained realization and undertook the work of translating the esoteric teachings. Following Marpa, Mahamudra was transmitted to his disciple Milarepa, and from Milarepa, the teachings were passed on to Gampopa. 

Je Gampopa blended the doctrines of the Kadampas with his realizations of Mahamudra, establishing the foundation for the various aspects of the Kagyudpa. Gampopa, in turn, initiated Dusum Khyenpa, the first Karmapa (1110-1193). He was the earliest and most devoted of all the disciples, receiving the complete transmission and founding the Khams-Tsang-Kagyud branch, along with the lineage of successive incarnate Karmapas.  

The Mystical Black Hat 

During a ceremony, the Emperor (from the Ming Dynasty) noticed a mystical Vajra Hat, crafted from the hairs of one hundred thousand Dakinis, floating above his Teacher's head. This Vajra Hat dates back to ancient times when the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshwara was gifted the hat by other Enlightened Ones. The Gyalwa Karmapa, being an incarnation of Avalokiteshwara, is the keeper of this Black Crown, which is believed to provide Liberation within a single lifetime. It's said that simply seeing this Hat can grant deliverance-on-sight to all who witness it. 

Understanding that the Hat's visibility was a result of his own spiritual advancements, the Emperor sought to create a hat that everyone could see. Once it was created, he presented it to the Karmapa, and since then, all subsequent Karmapa incarnations have worn the same Black Hat. The current Gyalwa Karmapa distributes these hats, particularly during the Black Hat ceremony.