Mipham Chokyi Lodro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mipham Chokyi Lodro
Religion	Buddhism
School	Vajrayana
Lineage	Karma Kagyu
Personal
Born	(1952-10-27)October 27, 1952 Derge, Tibet
Died	June 11, 2014(2014-06-11) (aged 61) Renchen, Germany
Senior posting
Title	Shamarpa, Lama, Rinpoche

Mipham Chokyi Lodro (born October 27, 1952 – died June 11, 2014) was a very important Buddhist teacher. He was also known as Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche. He was the fourteenth Shamarpa in the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Shamarpa is the second most important leader in this school. The most important leader is called the Karmapa. The Karmapas are sometimes called the Black Hat Lamas because of their special black crown.

Long ago, a Karmapa said that future Karmapas would appear in two forms. Later, the third Karmapa gave his main student a special red crown. This red crown looked just like his own black crown, but it was red. The Karmapa explained that the red crown showed they were the same. This is how the line of Shamarpas began. The sixteenth Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, recognized Mipham Chokyi Lodro as the fourteenth Shamarpa.

Early Life and Education

In 1956, when he was four years old, Shamar Rinpoche and his brother went to Tsurphu. This was the main place for the Karmapas in Lhasa, Tibet. Even at a young age, Shamarpa showed special abilities. He could recognize monks from a past life.

Because of these special signs, the sixteenth Karmapa asked the 14th Dalai Lama to allow the Shamarpa line to continue. It had been banned for a long time. Permission was given, and Shamar Rinpoche had a private ceremony in 1958. He studied at Rumtek and learned from many great teachers.

In 1964, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile officially lifted the ban on the Shamarpa. This ban had been in place for 170 years. After this, Shamar Rinpoche was officially recognized. He finished his studies in 1979 and began teaching around the world.

Important Activities and Projects

In the 1980s, the fourteenth Shamar Rinpoche started an education center. It was called the Nalanda Institute and was for Tibetan people living away from their home. He also created another education center in Kalimpong and a retreat center in Parphing.

He also helped build the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI). He even managed the institute himself for its first few years. Shamar Rinpoche also worked on building the tallest stūpa in Europe. A stūpa is a special Buddhist building. This one was built in Spain and was 33 meters tall. It opened in 2003.

The Shamarpa also looked after 800 traditional monasteries in Tibet and the Himalayas. In Western countries, he started a retreat center in Virginia in 1996. He also founded other Bodhi Path centers. These are meditation groups open to everyone, no matter their beliefs.

Shamar Rinpoche cared a lot about animals. He wrote a book about how governments could be better and fairer. In his book, he suggested a government where power starts with small, democratic villages. This power would then move up to bigger state and national levels. He believed lawmakers should protect nature, people, and animals. He also started the Infinite Compassion Foundation. This group works to make sure animals raised for food are treated kindly.

Passing Away and Legacy

After teaching for several days in Renchen, Germany, the fourteenth Shamarpa passed away. He had a sudden heart attack on June 11, 2014, at 61 years old. Just before he died, he told his followers, "All beings, even the Buddha himself, must pass."

His body was brought to many places. Tens of thousands of people came to see it in Germany, India, and Bhutan. He had a close relationship with the royal family in Bhutan. Finally, his cremation took place in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Special items called relics from Shamar Rinpoche were placed in stūpas. You can find these stūpas in France, Germany, Virginia, India, and Nepal.