Karmapa Papers
The Karmapa was the originator of the Tulku system. A Tulku is a realized practitioner who employs the compassionate skill of being reborn as a human teacher over successive lifetimes. However, only the Karmapa's leave specific instructions usually in writing in order to reveal their next incarnation. As young children they also proclaim themselves to be the Karmapa.
The 16th Karmapa died in 1981 in Chicago and many years of uncertainty regarding the where abouts of his successor followed.The true Karmapa is found in 1992 in Tibet and brought to India. ShaMar Rinpoche steps forward to discredit the imposters and to bring a lawsuit to restore Rumtek to Karmapa. He struggles with how to preserve the integrity of the Karma Kagyu lineage when one of its highest lamas was doing everything he can to take his followers away from the true guru. In 2004, the lawsuit is successful and ShaMarpa’s choice for the 17th Karmapa is enthroned.