Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa Lama

Rangjung Dorjé was officially recognized as the first tulku, the reincarnation of Karma Pakshi, in 1282. The 3rd Karmapa was raised at the Tsurphu Monastery, where he received teachings from both the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions from eminent masters such as Trophu Künden Sherab and Nyenre Gendün Bum. He became renowned as one of the greatest masters of his time and had a large number of disciples. He undertook a spiritual retreat on the slopes of Everest, received full ordination, and completed his studies at a significant Kadampa teaching center.

Rangjung Dorje visited China, where the emperor Toghon Temur became his disciple. Upon his death, Rangjung Dorje's face is said to have appeared in the moon there. As a group, the Karmapa Lamas were among the earliest recognized Tulku, or lamas reincarnated as deities or lineage of deceased teachers. The first Karmapas were influential in the Yuan and Ming courts as well as the Tangut Western Xia Kingdom.[note 1]

Through visions, he is believed to have received teachings on the "wheel of time" (Kalachakra), and he introduced a reformed system of Tibetan astronomy known as the "Tsurphu system" (Tibetan: Tsur-tsi), which is still used by the Karma Kagyu school for the Tibetan calendar. He was also known as a pratitioner of Traditional Tibetan medicine.

Born to a Nyingma family, Rangjung Dorje was a lineage-holder in both the Karma Kagyu and the Nyingma tradition of Dzogchen.

He was a disciple of the Nyingma master Rigdzin Kumaradza Shönnu Gyelpo (Tibetan: rig 'dzin ku ma ra dza gzhon nu rgyal po; 1266–1343) who passed on to him the "heart-essence" (nying-thig) teachings transmitted by Padmasambhava[note 2] and Vimalamitra (the Khandro Nyingtik and Vima Nyingtik respectively).[3]

He also encountered the Nyingma master Longchenpa, who transmitted to him certain Dzogchen teachings. In exchange, Rangjung Dorje imparted important "New Translation" Tantras to Longchenpa. Rangjung Dorje was also a "Treasure revealer" of termas. The Karma Kagyu Dzogchen transmission that arose from his lineage is known as the "Karma-Nyingthig" (Tibetan: kar ma snying thig; Essence of the Heart of the Karma School).

Rangjung Dorje was a noted scholar who composed many significant texts, the most famous of which is the Profound Inner Meaning (Wylie: zab mo nang don[8]), which concern the Vajrayana inner yoga practices. Other important texts of his include:

• The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra[9] (Wylie: nge don phyag rgya chen po'i smon lam gyi 'grel pa grub pa mchog gi zhal lung),
• The Prayer to the Lineage of Chö,[10]
• The thirty-six verse doha song: Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom (Wylie: rnam shes ye shes ‘byed pa),[11]
• Instructions on Sahaja yoga Mahamudra [12],
• A Treatise on Buddha Nature (Wylie: de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa; or, de bzhin gshegs pa'i snying po bstan pa).[13]

• Schaeffer, Kurtis R. (1995), The Englightened Heart of Buddhahood: A Study and Translation of the Third Karma pa Rang byung rdo rje's Work on Tathagatagarbha. (Wylie: de bzhin pa'i snying po gtan la dbab pa). University of Washington.
• Brunnholzl, Karl (2009), Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and Buddha Nature, Snow Lion Publications

Biography

• Gardner, Alexander (June 2011). "The Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje". The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.

Texts

• Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); Peter Roberts (translator) (2001), Transcending Ego - Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom (Wylie: rnam shes ye shes ‘byed pa).
• Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); John Rockwell (translator), An Aspirational Prayer for Mahamudra
• Rangjung Dorje (root text); Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (commentary); Peter Roberts (translator) (1990), A Treatise entitled: “A Teaching on the Essence of the Tathagatas (The Tathagatagarbha)"