Karmapa

The Karmapa is the head of one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the Karma Kagyu, his position being analogous to the Dalai Lama as head of the Gelugpa school.

Historically, the Karmapa was the first great lama to return as a tulku or consciously reincarnate teacher.

The current Karmapa, His Holiness Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje, celebrated his seventeenth birthday on June 26, 2002.