'Rangjung Dorje' (
Wylie: ''rang 'byung rdo rje'') (b.
1284 - d.
1339) was the third
Karmapa, an important figure in the history of
Tibetan Buddhism. He supposedly produced a spontaneous
black crown (which would later be a symbol of the line) at the age of three and declared himself to be the rebirth of
Karma Pakshi. Born to a
Nyingma family, he received the full transmission of the Nyingma tradition in addition to the
Karma Kagyu.
Rangjung Dorje was a noted scholar who composed many significant texts, the most famous of which is the ''Profound Inner Meaning'' (zab.mo.nang.don), which concern the
Vajrayana inner yoga practices. Other important texts of his include the ''Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra'', ''Distinguishing Consciousness from Wisdom'', ''Instructions on Sahajayoga Mahamudra'', and ''A Treatise on Buddha Nature''. His mastery of both the Kagyu
Mahamudra and Nyingma
Dzogchen was widely renowned, and he was a
Kalachakra master as well.
He visited
China, where the emperor
Toghon Temur became his disciple. Upon his death, Ranjung Dorje's face is said to have appeared in the moon there.