The Fourth Karmapa, Rölpai Dorjé: A Poet Out of Place

The fourth Karmapa, Rölpai Dorjé (Rol pa’i rdo rje, 1340–1383), wrote poetry throughout his life. Like many other lineage holders of the Kagyü, and his three Karmapa predecessors, he composed gur (mgur). According to its loosest meaning, the term gur can mean song, but most songs the early Kagyü lineage holders composed were of a type. These were songs with simple compositional structures—often employing short lines and repetition—and profound meanings. By composing songs of this type, the Kagyü sought to emulate their lineal forebear, Milarepa (1040–1123), whose songs and redemptive life story had made him famous. Many of the early Karmapas’ songs were composed in three different settings: at spiritual gatherings (tshogs), when they experienced realization (nyams) or when they wished to make a political or social comment.