There are currently two, separately enthroned 17th Gyalwang Karmapas: Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje. The Karmapa is the spiritual leader of the nine-hundred-year-old Karma Kagyu lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. The divisiveness started in the early and mid 1990s, with semi-public accusations of impropriety from those closely involved, and continued for several years thereafter. The recognition of the 17th Karmapa created a split within the Karma Kagyu lineage. Tai Situ Rinpoche recognized Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa, and Shamar Rinpoche disagreed and chose Trinley Thaye Dorje as the rightful claimant to the title of the 17th Karmapa. As the years passed, separate sets of organizations and highly recognized lamas, or teachers, supported one Karmapa or the other. In 2018, Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje met for the first time to begin creating a personal relationship with one another, and to encourage their spiritual communities to heal the divisions and join in efforts to help preserve the Karma Kagyu tradition. In 2020, Ogyen Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje jointly announced they would work together to find the next incarnation of the Shamar Rinpoche, historically considered second in importance to the Karma Kagyu lineage after the Gyalwang Karmapa, similar to the Panchen Lama's role as second in importance in the Gelugpa school after the Dalai Lama. Historic disputes regarding the 17th Karmapa controversy are the focus of numerous accounts, reports, and journalism articles, and are also the subject of several books that typically support one or the other candidate. Despite an intriguing history, the high lamas involved are meeting with each other on good terms and issuing statements that they are confident there will be an amicable solution. Background Conflicts with previous Karmapa recognitions This is not the first controversy around a Karmapa incarnation. The recognitions of the Karmapa incarnations are of central importance in the Karma Kagyu lineage. The 8th, 10th, and 12th incarnations, as well as the widely renowned 16th Karmapa, experienced minor conflicts during their recognitions, each of which was ultimately resolved. Re-emergence of recognition of Shamar Rinpoche The 14th Shamar Rinpoche, nephew of the 16th Karmapa, traveled alongside him during his escape to Bhutan from Tibet. In 1964, the eight year old was granted permission by the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile to be officially recognized. With the 172-year ban on recognizing Shamarpa reincarnations lifted, Shamar Rinpoche