The 5th Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa () (1384–1415), (also Deshin Shegpa, Dezhin Shekpa, Dezhin Shegpa), was the 5th

Gyalwa Karmapa The Karmapa Tulku lineage of the Gyalwa Karmapa is the oldest among the major incarnating lineages of Tibetan Buddhism,The Karmapa, "The Karmapas Lineage", Kagyu Office established in 1110 CE by the 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa. Karmapa means "t ...

, head of the

Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, M ...

, a subschool of the

Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...

School of

Tibetan Buddhism Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...

. Deshin Shekpa was born in Nyang Dam in the south of

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

. According to the lineage, he said after being born: ''"I am the Karmapa.

Om mani padme hum ' (, ) is the six-syllabled Sanskrit mantra particularly associated with the four-armed Shadakshari form of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. It first appeared in the Mahayana ''Kāraṇḍavyūha sūtra'', where it is also referr ...

shri."'' Deshin Shekpa was then taken to Tsawa Phu who recognized him as the

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the Philosophy, philosophical or Religion, religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new lifespan (disambiguation), lifespan in a different physical ...

of the 4th Karmapa. The 5th Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa traveled extensively through

and

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

and taught people about non-violence. After having finished his education, he was invited to China in 1403 because its

Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 142 ...

Zhu Di The Yongle Emperor (2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), also known by his temple name as the Emperor Chengzu of Ming, personal name Zhu Di, was the third emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424. He was the fourth son of the Hongwu ...

(1402–1424) had a vision of Avalokitesvara, and also required religious ceremonies to be held for his deceased parents. After a long journey beginning in 1403, the 5th Karmapa arrived in

Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...

, the capital of Ming China, on April 10, 1407, while riding an elephant. Arriving at the imperial palace, tens of thousands of monks greeted him. He convinced the emperor that there were different Buddhist branches for different people and that does not mean that one branch is better than the other. The 5th Karmapa was very well received during his visit to the capital and a number of miraculous occurrences are reported. He also performed ceremonies for the emperor's family. The emperor presented him with 700 measures of silver objects and bestowed the title of 'Precious Religious King, Great Loving One of the West, Mighty Buddha of Peace'. He also gave him a material representation of the famous and ethereal ' Vajra Crown' which was said to be invisible to all except those of most pure spirit. It was woven in black brocade and studded with jewels. Aside from religious matters, Emperor Cheng Zu wished to establish an alliance with the 5th Karmapa similar to the one the Yuan (1277–1367 CE) emperors had established with the

Sakya The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu. Origins Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...

school.Sperling, Elliot. "The 5th Karma-pa and some aspects of the relationship between Tibet and the early

Ming The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of China ruled by the Han people, t ...

." In: ''Tibetan Studies in Honour of Hugh Richardson''. Edited by

Michael Aris Michael Vaillancourt Aris (27 March 1946 – 27 March 1999) was a British historian who wrote and lectured on Bhutanese, Tibetan, and Himalayan culture and history. He was the husband of Aung San Suu Kyi, who would later become State Counsellor ...

and

Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi (born 19 June 1945) is a Burmese politician, diplomat, author, and political activist. She was awarded the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. She served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Myanmar), Ministe ...

, p. 284. (1979). Vikas Publishing house, New Delhi. The Ming emperor apparently offered to send regular armies to unify Tibet under the 5th Karmapa, but Deshin Shekpa declined.Brown, Mick. (2004). ''The Dance of 17 Lives: The Incredible True Story of Tibet's 17th Karmapa'', pp. 33–34. Bloomsbury Publishing, New York and London. . The 5th Karmapa left Nanjing on 17 May 1408 CE. In 1410 he returned to

Tsurphu Monastery Tsurphu Monastery () or Tölung Tsurphu (, "Tsurphu of Tölong") is a gompa which serves as the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Gurum in Doilungdêqên District, Tibet ...

where he rebuilt the monastery which had been severely damaged by an earthquake.

References

* Lama Kunsang, Lama Pemo, Marie Aubèle (2012). ''History of the Karmapas: The Odyssey of the Tibetan Masters with the Black Crown''. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca, New York. . *

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shekpa, Deshin 1384 births 1415 deaths 5 14th-century Tibetan people 15th-century Tibetan people