A Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters

The Tenth Karmapa (1604–1674) lived through dramatic changes in Tibet, including the rise to political supremacy of the Fifth Dalai Lama and the Gelug sect following a Mongol invasion. Regarded as a remarkable bodhisattva and artist, the Karmapa has largely escaped the close attention of modern scholars.
In this book launch event, Shamar Rinpoche discusses the Tenth Karmapa through his translations of the Karmapa’s autobiographical writings and an eighteenth century biography of him. As a direct lineage-descendant from the Sixth Shamarpa – the Karmapa’s guru – the Shamar Rinpoche shares his unique knowledge and experience through extensive annotations and a historical overview of Tibet from the thirteenth through seventeenth centuries.
The text ofThe Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters: The Life and Times of the Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorjeis complemented by maps and color illustrations depicting places where the Karmapa lived and his prolific artistic work, with some object images being published for the first time.
A book signing follows the talk. The Golden Swan in Turbulent Waters is available exclusively at Serai.
A more expansive examination of the Tenth Karmapa will take place November 9-11 at the international conference “The Tenth Karmapa and Tibet’s Turbulent 17th century” which will explore different aspects of Choying Dorje’s life, art, and the tumultuous times in which he lived. Some of the world’s most accomplished academics in the field will be taking part in the conference to mark the publication of the Rubin Museum of Art’s The Black Hat Eccentric: Artistic Visions of the Tenth Karmapa.

About the Author

Shamar Rinpoche is the Fourteenth Shamarpa, Mipham Chokyi Lodro. The Shamarpa, or “Red Hat Lama of Tibet,” is Tibetan Buddhism’s second oldest reincarnate lineage after the Karmapa’s lineage. He is in a direct line of descent from the Sixth Shamarpa who figures prominently in this book as the guru of the Tenth Karmapa.
Born in 1952 Shamar Rinpoche was recognized by the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa in Tibet in 1957 and, after their escape to India, was enthroned as the Fourteenth Shamarpa in 1963. Following many years of study with Buddhist scholars, he began in 1980 to spread the Buddha Dharma, teaching at Karma Kagyu centers throughout the world. In 1996 he started to organize Bodhi Path Buddhist Centers, a network of centers on five continents that practice a non-sectarian approach to Buddhism.
Shamar Rinpoche has published two previous books.Creating a Transparent Democracy: A New Model (2006) is the first book written about democracy by a Tibetan Buddhist teacher. It lays out a framework for establishing a genuine democratic system of governance that promotes the welfare and prosperity of a country’s citizens. In The Path to Awakening (2009), Shamar Rinpoche insightfully elucidates Chekawa Yeshe Dorje’s Seven Points of Mind Training.The Path to Awakening is both a guide to living a fulfilling life as a Buddhist and a comprehensive manual of meditation techniques.