H.H. Orgyen Trinle Dorje, Karmapa XVII*, is vegetarian since a few years. At January 3, 2007, he made a strong statement against eating meat within his monasteries and centers. With immediate effect:

• No meat is to be prepared in the kitchen of any Kagyu Monastery or Centre.
• No one is to be involved in the business of buying and selling meat – for all of his students this practice must stop.
• There is to be no killing of animals on Kagyu premises.
• Karmapa is aware of monks in robes going to buy meat and does not want to see this ever again.
  

His Holiness also quoted spiritual masters from the past who had condemned the practice of using Tsok (offerings during a gathering) as an excuse for eating meat and drinking alcohol. Leaving absolutely no room for interpretation, Karmapa said that anyone who uses meat and alcohol as Tsok is not part of Karmapa’s lineage.**

At December 24, 2007, at the 25th Kagyu Monlam H.H. Orgyen Trinle Dorje again addressed the subject of vegetarianism See also the VeggieDharma playlist at Youtube.

Tsethar
Like Chatral Rinpoche and other great lamas, H.H. Orgyen Trinle Dorje is involved in Tsethar, the Practice of Saving Lives. For more backgrounds, please see the Releasing Life Page at his website.

Sources:
• Talk on Vegetarianism by KagyuMonlam.Org as translated simultaneously by Ringu Tulku
  Rinpoche, January 3rd, 2007, Full Moon Day, during the 24th annual Great Kagyu Monlam,
  Bodhgaya, India. [download in PDF - 130 KB | download in MP3 - 12 MB]
• Instructions On Not Eating Meat From H.H. 17th Karmapa by Vin Harris [Download in PDF - 113 KB]
• Karma Thegsum Choling Newsletter Jan/Feb 2007 [Download in PDF - 1 MB]

* For the record: there are currenlty two Karmapa's XVII. Traditionally the Karmapa is head of the Karma Kagyu lineage within Tibetan Buddhism. In 1981 the sixteenth Karmapa died. Due to political issues within the Tibetan Buddhist community instead of the usual one Karmapa, two young Karmapas were appointed as his incarnation: the above quoted H.H. Orgyen Trinle Dorje and H.H. Trinley Thaye Dorje. Only the latter is recognized by the Sharmapa, who traditionally leads the Karma Kagyu lineage in concert with the Karmapa, while only the first is recognized by the Tai Situpa, who traditionally is charged with safeguarding the Karma Kagyu lineage as well. Personally both young Karmapas seem willing to solve the issue created by elders in their community, but this takes time.