Thongwa Dönden, 6th Karmapa Lama

Thongwa Dönden ( Tib: ba don ldan mthong; * 1416 in Kham, † 1453) was the sixth Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Biography

Thongwa Dönden told as a child at a meeting with Ngompa Chadral, a student of the 5th Karmapa, he was the Karmapa. He was crowned on 3 Shamar Yeshe Chöpel in Karma Guen. Chöpel Yeshe Jamyang dragpa, Khenchen Nyephuwa and particularly Ratnabhadra, the then main lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu taught him in the teachings of the Kagyu lineage.

From a young age began Thongwa Dönden to design many tantric rituals and founded a kind of liturgy for the Karma Kagyu. He was also in the teachings of the Kagyu Shangpa teach and integrated the teaching of Shijay yogini Machig Labdrön in the teaching system of the Karma Kagyu. Thongwa Dönden gave many teachings, who restored monasteries and print books to strengthen the Sangha. When he sensed his imminent death, he withdrew into retreat and entrusted the regency to the first Tshurphu Gyeltshab Rinpoche Peljor Döndrub ( 1427-1489 ). He also left a reference to where he should be reborn next. His spiritual heir was Bengar Jampel Zangpo (Tib.: ban sgar ba ' jam dpal bzang po), who wrote a famous in the Karma Kagyu Mahamudra prayer lines. Thongwa Dönden died at the age of 38 years, his successors were Bengar Jampel Zangpo (15th- 16th century ), the main teacher of the 7th Karmapa, and Goshri Peljor Döndrub.