• Thekchok Dorje was born in the village of Danang in the Khan region of eastern Tibet during the midwinter while the flowers blossomed and many rainbows appeared.
  
  
• Was recognized by Drukchen Kunzig Chokyi Nangwa and was enthroned and later ordained by the ninth Tai Situpa.
  
  
• Received teaching and the lineage transmissions from Situpa Pema Nyinche Wangpo and Drukchen Kunzig Chokyi Nangwa.
  
  
• Lived very simple and exemplified the idea monk.
  
  
• Participated in the rime (nonsectarian) movement, whereby many noted scholars showed greater interest in each others' traditions and teachings particularly between Kagyu and Nyingma.
  
  
• Received some tantras from the Nyingma visionary treasure-revealer Chokyur Lingpa who had important visions of future Karmapas, up to twenty-first, which were recorded and them memorialized in a thangka.
  
  
• The fourteenth Karmapa's spiritual heir was the great nonsectarian master and prolific author Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.
  
  
• Passed into parinirvana at the age of seventy-one, leaving detailed instructions of his next incarnation.

The Fourth Karmapa Rolpe Dorje
(1340-1383)

The Fifth Karmapa Dezhin Shekpa (1384-1415)

The Sixth Karmapa Thongwa Donden (1416-1453)

The Seventh Karmapa Chodrak Gyatso (1454-1506)

The Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje (1507-1554)

The Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje (1556-1603)

The Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje (1604-1674)

The Eleventh Karmapa Yeshe Dorje (1676-1702)

The Twelfth Karmapa Changchub Dorje (1703-1732)

The Thirteenth Karmapa Dudul Dorje (1733-1797)

The Fourteenth Karmapa Thekchok Dorje (1798-1868)

The Fifteenth Karmapa Khakhyab Dorje (1871-1922)

The Sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924-1981)

The Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje (1985-Present)