The Karma Kagyupa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism has enjoyed a distinguished 900-year history that is intertwined at various points with the Gelugpa School to which the Dalai Lama belongs. Central to the transmission of the Kagyupa Lineage are the alternating reincarnations of the Karmapa and the Shamarpa. This brief history discusses some of the highlights of this cycle and its points of intersection with the Gelugpa School and the Dalai Lama.

Karma Kagyu means literally the "Oral Transmission Lineage of the Karmapas." The Karma Kagyu tradition is closely linked with the lineage of the Karmapas (see below). The characteristic Black Hat worn by the Karmapa (literally, man of Buddha activity) is one important symbol of the school, and through this indicates that he is an embodiment of Avalokiteshvara, the Boddhisatva of Compassion, and one of the most important Bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism. In the 19th century, the Karma Kagyus were very supportive of the Rime (literally "unbiased") movement, which sought to break down the sectarianism among schools in Tibet and encourage recognition that all the traditions have their own unique value.