Born in a small village named Satam in eastern Tibet.

Spoke "I am the Karmapa" at birth and was confirmed to be the new Karmapa by Tai Situpa.

When he was five, a child from Amdo was put forward as the Karmapa. To investigate the two children the Karmapa's regent, Gyaltsap Rinpoche, was set out from Tsurphu.

On meeting with Mikyo Dorje, Gyaltsap Rinpoche found himself spontaneously prostrating and knew that he was the real Karmapa. Nevertheless, Mikyo Dorje passed all the test given by Tai Situpa and Gyaltsap Rinpoche and other students of previous Karmapa.

He took the essential Kagyu teachings from Sangye Nyenpa Tashi Paljor.

At the very young age, Karmapa declined an invitation to China because he predicted the emperor would pass away before he could arrive; and the prediction turned out to be true.

Mikyo Dorje was one of the most renowned of the Karmapas, a great meditation master, a prolific scholar, and a author of over thirty volume of work.

Through many visions, Mikyo Dorje realized that the manifestations of the Karmapa and Guru Rinpoche are inseparable.

Foreseeing his imminent passing, Mikyo Dorje entrusted a prediction letter to Shamar Knochok Yenlak and entered parinirvana at the age of forty-seven.