The Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism was founded by the 1st Gyalwang Karmapa, Düsum Kyenpa (1110-1193).

The Karma Kagyu lineage is a lineage of oral instruction. The oral instructions that are the foundation of the Karma Kagyu lineage originated from the Indian mahasiddhi Tilopa, who passed the teachings to his student, Naropa. The teachings were brought to Tibet by Marpa Lotsäwa, who gave the instructions to his student, Milarepa. Milarepa in turn gave the instructions to his student, Gampopa who in turn gave the instructions to his student, Düsum Kyenpa, the 1st Karmapa.

The Gyalwang Karmapas are reincarnated lamas (tulkus). The current 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was born in 1985 to a nomad family in the Lhatok region of Eastern Tibet. He was recognized as the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa based upon written directions left by the 16th Karmapa prior to his death in 1981.

He was enthroned as the 17th Karmapa at Tsurphu Monastery in Tibet in 1992.

In 1999, at the age of 14, the 17th Karmapa escaped Tibet through Nepal to India, where he took up residence at the Gyuto Monastery in Sidhbari.