There are four main traditions of Tibetan Buddhism: Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug. The spiritual leader of the Kagyu tradition is His Holiness the Karmapa. The Karmapa is considered to be the embodiment of all the blessings of the lineage. To this day, each successive Karmapa has left a letter predicting the precise details and circumstances of his next rebirth.
The first Karmapa died when he was 84. His heart was found intact in the funeral pyre and some of his remaining bones had manifested into images of the buddhas.
|
