Karmapa, 7th

Karmapa, 7th on the DRL

Classical Tibetan Authors • Tulkus

ཆོས་གྲགས་རྒྱ་མཚོ་

Wylie	chos grags rgya mtsho
English Phonetics	Seventh Karmapa Chödrak Gyatso

Himalayan Art Resources

Other names

• ཀརྨ་པ་བདུན་པ་

• karma pa bdun pa

Alternate names

• Karmapa, 7th

Dates

Birth:	1454
Death:	1506
Place of birth:	tre shod (khams)

Tibetan calendar dates

Dates of birth

Day
Month
Gender	Male
Element	Wood
Animal	Dog
Rab Jyung	8

Dates of passing

Day
Month
Gender
Element
Animal
Rab Jyung

About

Religious Affiliation

Karma Kagyu

Has following emanations

Eighth Karmapa Mikyö Dorje

Teachers

'gos lo tsA ba gzhon nu dpal · ban sgar ba 'jam dpal bzang po · Goshir Gyaltsab, 1st · Tai Situpa, 2nd · pad+ma gling pa · gsung rab rgya mtsho

Students

Shamarpa, 4th · Tai Situpa, 3rd · Goshir Gyaltsab, 2nd · shAkya mchog ldan · karma phrin las pa · chos rgyal bstan pa · Sangye Nyenpa, 1st · byams chen chos rje sna tshogs rang grol · bya 'jam dbyangs bkra shis rnam rgyal · bdud mo bkra shis 'od zer · 'brug pa kun legs · mtshungs med chos skyong rgyal mtshan

Other Biographical info:

• Enthroned at the age of 9 months on the lion throne of the sgar chen 'dzam gling rgyan chen, the encampment of the Karmapa.
• He was responsible for the establishment of the karma grwa tshang bshad grwa.
• He enjoyed the patronage of the ching hwa emperor.
• He restored the teachings and discipline at 'bri gung.
• Established the bre bo chu mdo rnam rgyal gling dgon pa in spo bo.
• Created the smon lam gyi cho ga yan lag nyi shu pa.
• According to the bod kyi gal che'i lo rgyus: born in khams rngod mda' spyi nang and d. 53.

Links

BDRC Link

https://www.tbrc.org/#!rid=P821

Treasury of Lives Link

https://treasuryoflives.org/biographies/view/Seventh-Karmapa-Chodrak-Gyatso/TBRC_p821

Wiki Pages

• Karmapa, 7th on the DRL
• Karmapa, 7th on the LIB
• Karmapa, 7th on the BNW

Buddha Nature Project

Person description or short bio

During the lifetime of the Seventh Karmapa, the Great Encampment of the Karmapas expanded greatly, earning him the epithet “Chödrak Gyatso of the Great Encampment.” Chödrak Gyatso created the practice of holding massive prayer festivals on the major Buddhist holidays, establishing the precedent for today’s Kagyu Monlam Chenno.

The widely learned Chödrak Gyatso introduced a formal study institute (shedra) into the Great Encampment itself, and similarly created a shedra at Tsurphu Monastery. An accomplished scholar, the Seventh Karmapa authored a number of influential commentaries on Indian philosophical treatises. His text on epistemology, the multi-volume Ocean of Reasoning, remains one of his most important works, alongside his commentary on the Abhisamayalaṅkāra, the Lamp of the Three Worlds.

While these formed his major deeds, Chödrak Gyatso’s varied activities to benefit beings also included bridge construction, the resolution of factional disputes and protection of animals. As had been the case in the Great Encampment since its inception, no meat whatsoever was consumed—or even allowed within the camp. (Source Accessed July 28, 2020)

Expand to see this person's philosophical positions on Buddha-nature.

Is Buddha-nature considered definitive or provisional?
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All beings have Buddha-nature
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If "Qualified", explain:
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Which Wheel Turning
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Yogācāra vs Madhyamaka
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Zhentong vs Rangtong
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Promotes how many vehicles?
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Analytic vs Meditative Tradition
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What is Buddha-nature?
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Svātantrika (རང་རྒྱུད་) vs Prāsaṅgika (ཐལ་འགྱུར་པ་)
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Causal nature of the vajrapāda
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The Kagyu school traces its origin to the eleventh-century translator Marpa, who studied in India with Nāropa. Marpa's student Milarepa trained Gampopa, who founded the first monastery of the Kagyu order. As many as twelve subtraditions grew out from there, the best known being the Karma Kagyu, the Drikung, and the Drukpa.

Refers to something that is taught for a specific reason, rather than because it is entirely true.

Along with Madhyamaka, it was one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Asaṅga and Vasubandhu around the fourth century CE, many of its central tenets have roots in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra and the so-called third turning of the dharma wheel (see tridharmacakrapravartana).

Along with Yogācāra, it is one of the two major philosophical schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Founded by Nāgārjuna around the second century CE, it is rooted in the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtras, though its initial exposition was presented in Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā.

The state of being devoid of that which is wholly different rather than being void of its own nature. The term is generally used to refer to the ultimate, or buddha-nature, being empty of other phenomena such as adventitious defiling emotions but not empty of its true nature.

The state of being empty of self, which references the lack of inherent existence in relative phenomena.

Tsen Khawoche's "meditative tradition" of exegesis of the Uttaratantra; it is one of two major Tibetan traditions of exegesis, both stemming from students of Sajjana.