The Dalaï Lama
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyamtso, the 14th Dalai Lama, emanation of Tchenrezi, the boddhisattva of love-compassion, is the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans. He is universally acknowledged as a great buddhist master, embodying peace, joy, wisdom and compassion, values which have filled his whole life as a monk and as a defender of human values. In 1989 he was awarded the Noble Prize for Peace.
The Karmapa
His Holiness the 17th Karmapa
Head of the Karma Kagyu lineage tradition, His Holiness the Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje is the 17th incarnation of the first Tulku of Tibetan history. Gyalwang Karmapa was born in 1985 in a nomadic family in the Kham region. In 1992 he was enthroned at the Tsourpou monastery as the 17yth Karmapa, according to the Great Tertön Chogyur Lingpa's predictions and the "Testament Letter" of the 16th Karmapa. At the beginning of the year 2000, the young Karmapa made the brave decision to flee Tibet and go to India. Ever since he has been residing temporarily at the Gyuto Tantric University near Dharamsala where he keeps receiving the whole transmission of the Kagyu lineage teachings.
Every year, in Bodhgaya, His Holiness presides over the Great Kagyu Monlam, prayer ceremonies dedicated to World Peace which bring together millions of people from all around the world.
The Kagyu lineage
The Kagyu lineage is one of the schools of Tibetan buddhism which originates from Buddha Shakyamuni. Tilopa and his disciple Naropa, two great yogis among the 84 Indian mahasidhas, are with Maitripa and Saraha the main Indian patriarchs at the origin of the Kagyu lineage. These masters' knowledge has been transmitted to their disciples uninterruptedly, by three eminent Tibetan masters, Marpa the great translator, the great yogi Milarepa and Gampopa -whose coming was prophesied by Buddha- who passed it on to his main follower the first Karmapa. The kagyu lineage emphasizes the importance of the uninterrupted transmission of oral instructions from master to disciple as well as the importance of practising.
Other masters
■ Venerable Mogchok Rimpoche
He was born in Lhasa in 1954. At the age of four he was recognized by Trijang Rimpoche as the reincarnation of Mogchokpa Rinchèn Tseudru, a famous Shangpa kagyu yogi whose lineage goes back to the XIth century, which was confirmed by the Dalai Lama. Since late 1999 he has been teaching in France and has been living in Marseille. Mogchok Rimpoche regularly visits and teaches at Bodhicharya-France.
■ Venerable Khandro Rimpoche
Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rimpoche is the elder daughter of Kyabdjé Mindrolling Trichen, the supreme holder of the throne of the Mindrolling lineage, one of the six main Nyingma lineage of Tibetan buddhism.
Rimpoche was also recognized as the incarnation of the great Khandro Ugyen Tsomo from Tsurphu by His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa. Thus, she is both the holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages. Khandro Rimpoche teaches in a straightforward way, with a great sense of humour and heart openness.
