8th Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje

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Mikyö Dorje (1507–1554) was the eighth Karmapa, the head of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in Satam, in the Kham region. A legend says that at birth he spoke, "I am Karmapa," and Tai Situpa recognized him as the real Karmapa. There was another child from Amdo who also claimed to be Karmapa, so Gyaltsab Rinpoche, the regional ruler, devised a test to decide who was truly the Karmapa. This was the first time a test was used to determine a reincarnation, and it later became the standard method for choosing major lamas.

Mikyö Dorje wrote many works on Buddhist topics, including Madhyamaka and Abhidharma, as well as Tantra and Mahamudra. He also wrote poetry and studied languages. He introduced a four-session guru yoga, which became the basis for Karma Kagyu teachings. He was a skilled painter and metal craftsman, creating famous thangkas and statues, and he influenced the arts of his time.

There is a legend that China’s emperor invited him, but the emperor would die before reaching him. He identified the fifth Shamarpa, Konchog Yenlag, as the lineage holder and passed on Kagyu transmission to him, saying the Karmapa and Shamarpa incarnations are inseparable and share the same mindstream. He also wrote a biography of Bodong Chogle Namgyal titled Ocean of Miracles.