Kagyu Monasteries And Temples
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The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. The Kagyu lineages trace themselves back to the 11th century Indian
Mahasiddha Mahasiddha (Sanskrit: ''mahāsiddha'' "great adept; ) is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the " siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic ...
s
Naropa Nāropā (Prakrit; sa, Nāropāda, Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) or Abhayakirti was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa's ...
,
Maitripa Maitrīpāda ( 1007–1085, also known as Maitreyanātha, Advayavajra, and, to Tibetans, Maitrīpa), was a prominent Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha associated with the Mahāmudrā transmission of tantric Buddhism.Roberts, Peter Alan, Mahamudra an ...
and the
yogini A yogini (Sanskrit: योगिनी, IAST: ) is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The ...
Niguma Niguma is considered one of the most important and influential yoginis and Vajrayana teachers of the 10th or 11th century in India. She was a dakini, and one of the two female founders of the Shangpa Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism, along with ...
, via their student
Marpa Lotsawa Marpa Lotsawa, Lotsāwa (, 1012–1097), sometimes known fully as Marpa Chökyi Lodrö (Wylie transliteration, Wylie: mar pa chos kyi blo gros) or commonly as Marpa the Translator (Marpa Lotsāwa), was a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist teacher ...
(1012–1097), who brought their teachings to Tibet. Marpa's student
Milarepa Jetsun Milarepa (, 1028/40–1111/23) was a Tibetan siddha, who was famously known as a murderer when he was a young man, before turning to Buddhism and becoming a highly accomplished Buddhist disciple. He is generally considered one of Tibet's m ...
was also an influential poet and teacher. The Tibetan Kagyu tradition gave rise to a large number of independent sub-schools and lineages. The principal Kagyu lineages existing today as independent schools are those which stem from Milarepa's disciple,
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
(1079–1153), a monk who merged the Kagyu lineage with the Kadam tradition. The Kagyu schools which survive as independent institutions are mainly the
Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, Mon ...
,
Drikung Kagyu Drikung Kagyü or Drigung Kagyü ( Wylie: 'bri-gung bka'-brgyud) is one of the eight "minor" lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. "Major" here refers to those Kagyü lineages founded by the immediate disciples of Gampopa (1079-1153) ...
,
Drukpa Lineage The Drukpa Kagyu (), or simply Drukpa, sometimes called either Dugpa or "Red Hat sect" in older sources,
and the
Taklung Kagyu The Taklung Kagyu () is a sub-school of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. History The Taklung Kagyu lineage was founded by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal in 1180 CE. Like the other Sarma schools, it is part of the second founding of Buddhism in T ...
. The Karma Kagyu school is the largest of the sub-schools, and is headed by the
Karmapa The Karmapa (honorific title '' His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the ' ...
. Other lineages of Kagyu teachings, such as the
Shangpa Kagyu The Shangpa Kagyu (, "Oral Tradition of the man from Shang") is known as the "secret lineage" of the Kagyu school of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism and differs in origin from the better known Dagpo Kagyu schools. The Dagpo Kagyu are the line ...
, are preserved in other schools. The main teachings of the Kagyus include
Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...
and the
Six Dharmas of Naropa The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings"), are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016-1100 CE) and passed on to the ...
.


Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

Strictly speaking, the term ''bka' brgyud'' "oral lineage", "precept transmission" applies to any line of transmission of an esoteric teaching from teacher to disciple. There are references to the "
Atiśa ( bn, অতীশ দীপংকর শ্রীজ্ঞান, ôtiś dīpôṅkôr śrigyen; 982–1054) was a Buddhist religious leader and master. He is generally associated with his work carried out at the Vikramashila monastery in Biha ...
kagyu" for the Kadam or to "Jonang kagyu" for the
Jonang The Jonang () is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, but became much wider known with the help of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a monk originally trained in the ...
and "Ganden kagyu" for the
Gelug file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous ...
sects. Today, however, the term Kagyu almost always refers to the
Dagpo Kagyu Dagpo Kagyu encompasses the branches of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism that trace their lineage back through Gampopa (1079-1153), who was also known as Dagpo Lhaje () "the Physician from Dagpo" and Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche "Incomparable Pre ...
and, less often, to the
Shangpa Kagyu The Shangpa Kagyu (, "Oral Tradition of the man from Shang") is known as the "secret lineage" of the Kagyu school of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism and differs in origin from the better known Dagpo Kagyu schools. The Dagpo Kagyu are the line ...
.


"Kagyu" and "Kargyu"

In his 1970 article ''Golden Rosaries of the Bka' brgyud schools'', E. Gene Smith discusses the two forms of the name, and : One source indicates:


Origins

Kagyu begins in Tibet with
Marpa Lotsawa Marpa Lotsawa, Lotsāwa (, 1012–1097), sometimes known fully as Marpa Chökyi Lodrö (Wylie transliteration, Wylie: mar pa chos kyi blo gros) or commonly as Marpa the Translator (Marpa Lotsāwa), was a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist teacher ...
(1012–1097) a Tibetan
householder Householder may refer to: *Householder, a person who is the head of a household *Householder (Buddhism), a Buddhist term most broadly referring to any layperson * Householder (surname), notable people with the surname *''The Householder'', a 1963 I ...
who trained as a translator with
lotsawa Lotsawa () is a Tibetan word used as a title to refer to the native Tibetan translators, such as Vairotsana, Rinchen Zangpo, Marpa Lotsawa, Tropu Lotsawa Jampa Pel and others, who worked alongside Indian scholars or panditas to translate Buddhi ...
Drogmi Shākya Yeshe (993–1050), and then traveled three times to India and four times to Nepal in search of religious teachings. His principal gurus were the siddhas
Nāropa Nāropā (Prakrit; sa, Nāropāda, Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) or Abhayakirti was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa' ...
- from whom he received the "close lineage" of mahāmudrā and tantric teachings, and Maitrīpāda - from whom he received the "distant lineage" of mahāmudrā. Together Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa are known as "Mar-Mi-Dag Sum" () and together these three are considered the founders of the Kagyu school of Buddhism in Tibet.


Indian origins

Marpa's guru Nāropa (1016–1100) was the principal disciple of
Tilopa Tilopa (Prakrit; Sanskrit: Talika or Tilopadā; 988–1069) was an Indian Buddhist monk in the tantric Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He lived along the Ganges River, with wild ladies as a tantric practitioner and mahasiddha. He practice ...
(988-1089) from East Bengal. From his own teachers Tilopa received the ''Four Lineages of Instructions'' (), which he passed on to Nāropa who codified them into what became known as the Six Doctrines or
Six Dharmas of Naropa The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings"), are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016-1100 CE) and passed on to the ...
. These instructions consist a combination of the
completion stage The fundamental practice of Vajrayana and Tibetan tantra is deity yoga (''devatayoga''), meditation on a chosen deity or "cherished divinity" (Skt. ''Iṣṭa-devatā,'' Tib. ''yidam''), which involves the recitation of mantras, prayers and vi ...
(Skt. ''sampannakrama''; Tib. ''rdzogs rim'') practices of different Buddhist highest yoga tantras (Skt. ''
Anuttarayoga Tantra Classes of Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism refers to the categorization of Tantras (Buddhism), Buddhist tantric scriptures in Tibetan Buddhism, Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism inherited numerous tantras and forms of Tantra, tantric practice from ...
''; ), which use the energy-winds (Skt. ''vāyu'', ), energy-channels (Skt. ''nāḍi'', ) and energy-drops of the subtle ''vajra''-body in order to achieve the four types of bliss, the clear-light mind and realize the state of Mahāmudrā. The Mahāmudrā lineage of Tilopa and Nāropa is called the "direct lineage" or "close lineage" as it is said that Tilopa received this Mahāmudrā realisation directly from the
Dharmakāya The ''dharmakāya'' ( sa, धर्म काय, "truth body" or "reality body", zh, t=法身, p=fǎshēn, ) is one of the three bodies (''trikāya'') of a buddha in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The ''dharmakāya'' constitutes the unmanifested, "inconc ...
Buddha
Vajradhara Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रधर. (Also, the name of Indra, because 'Vajra' means diamond, as well as the thunderbolt, anything hard more generally) Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང། rdo rje 'chang (Dorje Chang); zh, t=金剛 ...
and this was transmitted only through Nāropa to Marpa. The "distant lineage" of Mahāmudrā is said to have come from the Buddha in the form of Vajradara through incarnations of the bodhisattvas
Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara (Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicted, ...
and
Mañjuśrī Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārab ...
to
Saraha Saraha, Sarahapa, Sarahapāda (or, in the Tibetan language མདའ་བསྣུན་, anün Wyl. mda' bsnun The Archer), (''circa'' 8th century CE) was known as the first sahajiya and one of the Mahasiddhas. The name ''Saraha'' means "the ...
, then from him through Nagarjuna,
Shavaripa Shavaripa (Sanskrit: Śabara) was an Indian Buddhist teacher, one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas, honored as being among the holders of the distant transmission of Mahamudra. He was a student of Nagarjuna and a teacher of Maitripa. He is one of t ...
, and Maitripada to Marpa. The Mahāmudrā teachings from Saraha that Maitripa transmitted to Marpa include the "Essence Mahāmudrā" () where Mahāmudrā is introduced directly without relying on philosophical reasoning or yogic practices. According to some accounts, on his third journey to India Marpa also met
Atiśa ( bn, অতীশ দীপংকর শ্রীজ্ঞান, ôtiś dīpôṅkôr śrigyen; 982–1054) was a Buddhist religious leader and master. He is generally associated with his work carried out at the Vikramashila monastery in Biha ...
(982–1054) who later came to Tibet and helped found the Kadam lineage


Marpa and his successors (Marpa Kagyu)

Marpa established his "seat" at Drowolung () in Lhodrak in southern
Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
just north of
Bhutan Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
. Marpa married the Lady Dagmema, and took eight other concubines as mudras. Collectively they embodied the main consort and eight wisdom dakini in the
mandala A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...
of his
Yidam ''Yidam'' is a type of deity associated with tantric or Vajrayana Buddhism said to be manifestations of Buddhahood or enlightened mind. During personal meditation (''sādhana'') practice, the yogi identifies their own form, attributes and mi ...
,
Hevajra Hevajra (Tibetan: kye'i rdo rje / kye rdo rje; Chinese: 喜金剛 Xǐ jīngāng / 呼金剛 Hū jīngāng;) is one of the main yidams (enlightened beings) in Tantric, or Vajrayana Buddhism. Hevajra's consort is Nairātmyā (Tibetan: bdag med ...
. Marpa wanted to entrust the transmission lineage to his oldest son, Darma Dode, following the usual Tibetan practice of the time to transmit of lineages of esoteric teachings via hereditary lineage (father-son or uncle-nephew), but his son died at an early age and consequently he passed his main lineage on through
Milarepa Jetsun Milarepa (, 1028/40–1111/23) was a Tibetan siddha, who was famously known as a murderer when he was a young man, before turning to Buddhism and becoming a highly accomplished Buddhist disciple. He is generally considered one of Tibet's m ...
. Darma Dode's incarnation as Indian master
Tiphupa Tiphupa was an Indian Buddhist teacher from the 11th and 12th century who was considered to be the rebirth of Darma Dode, son and student of Tibetan lama Marpa Lotsawa. When young Darma Dode died in an accident his father with the special abilities ...
became important for the future development of Kagyu in Tibet. Marpa's four most outstanding students were known as the "Four Great Pillars" (): #
Milarepa Jetsun Milarepa (, 1028/40–1111/23) was a Tibetan siddha, who was famously known as a murderer when he was a young man, before turning to Buddhism and becoming a highly accomplished Buddhist disciple. He is generally considered one of Tibet's m ...
(1040–1123), born in Gungthang province of western Tibet, the most celebrated and accomplished of Tibet's yogis, who achieved the ultimate goal of enlightenment in one lifetime became the holder of Marpa's meditation or practice lineage. Among Milarepa's many students were
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
(1079–1153), a great scholar, and the great yogi
Rechung Dorje Drakpa Rechung Dorje Drakpa (, 1083/4-1161), known as Rechungpa, was one of the two most important students of the 11th century yogi and poet Milarepa and founder of the Rechung Kagyu subtradition of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. (The other studen ...
(1088–1158), also known as Rechungpa #Ngok Choku Dorje () (1036–1102) - was the principal recipient of Marpa's explanatory lineages and particularly important in Marpa's transmission of the Hevajra Tantra. Ngok Choku Dorje founded the Langmalung temple in the Tang valley of Bumthang district, Bhutan—which stands today. The Ngok branch of the Marpa Kagyu was an independent lineage carried on by his descendants at least up to the time of the Second Drukchen Gyalwang Kunga Paljor (, 1428–1476) who received this transmission, and 1476 when Go Lotsawa composed the ''Blue Annals''. #Tshurton Wangi Dorje () - (or Tshurton Wangdor) was the principal recipient of Marpa's transmission of the teachings of the
Guhyasamāja Tantra The ''Guhyasamāja Tantra'' (Sanskrit: ''Guhyasamājatantra''; Tibetan: ''Gsang ’dus rtsa rgyud'', Toh 442; ''Tantra of the Secret Society or Community''), also known as the ''Tathāgataguhyaka (Secrets of the Tathagata),'' is one of the most ...
. Tshurton's lineage eventually merged with the
Shalu Monastery Shalu Monastery () is small monastery south of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1040 by Chetsun Sherab Jungnay, for centuries it was renowned as a centre of scholarly learning and psychic training and its mural paintings were considered to be the ...
tradition and subsequently passed this down to the
Gelug file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India). The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous ...
founder
Je Tsongkhapa Tsongkhapa ('','' meaning: "the man from Tsongkha" or "the Man from Onion Valley", c. 1357–1419) was an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk, philosopher and tantric yogi, whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Budd ...
, who wrote extensive commentaries on the Guhyasamāja Tantra. #Meton Tsonpo () Other important students of Marpa include: *Marpa Dowa Chokyi Wangchuck (). *Marpa Goleg () who along with Tshurton Wangdor received the Guhyasamāja Tantra. *Barang Bawacen () - who received lineage of the explanatory teachings of the
Mahāmāyā Tantra The Mahāmāyā Tantra,Toh 425, Degé Kangyur vol. 80 (rgyud ’bum, nga), folios 167a–171a () (Tibetan: ''sgyu 'phrul chen po'i rgyud'') is an important Buddhist Anuttarayoga Tantra, Anuttarayoga tantra or Yoganiruttaratantra particularly ...
.
Jamgon Kongtrul Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (, 1813–1899), also known as Jamgön Kongtrül the Great, was a Tibetan Buddhist scholar, poet, artist, physician, tertön and polymath.Jackson, Roger R. The Tibetan Leonardo, 2012, https://www.lionsroar.com/the ...
(1813–1899) collected the initiations and sadhanas of surviving transmissions of Marpa's teachings together in the collection known as the Kagyu Ngak Dzö (, "Treasury of Kagyu Tantras").


Gampopa

Gampopa (1079–1153), who was a
Kadampa 300px, Tibetan Portrait of Atiśa The Kadam school () of Tibetan Buddhism was an 11th century Buddhist tradition founded by the great Bengali master Atiśa (982-1054) and his students like Dromtön (1005–1064), a Tibetan Buddhist lay master. ...
monk, is an influential figure in the history of the Kagyu tradition. He combined the monastic tradition and the stages of the path (''
Lamrim Lamrim (Tibetan: "stages of the path") is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of ''lamrim'', pres ...
'') teachings of the Kadam order with teaching and practice of the Mahāmudrā and the
Six Yogas of Naropa The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings"), are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016-1100 CE) and passed on to the ...
he received from Milarepa synthesizing them into one lineage. This monastic tradition came to be known as
Dagpo Kagyu Dagpo Kagyu encompasses the branches of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism that trace their lineage back through Gampopa (1079-1153), who was also known as Dagpo Lhaje () "the Physician from Dagpo" and Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche "Incomparable Pre ...
—the main lineage of the Kagyu tradition passed down via Naropa as we know it today. The other main lineage of the Kagyu is the
Shangpa Kagyu The Shangpa Kagyu (, "Oral Tradition of the man from Shang") is known as the "secret lineage" of the Kagyu school of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism and differs in origin from the better known Dagpo Kagyu schools. The Dagpo Kagyu are the line ...
, passed down via Niguma. Gampopa's main contribution was the establishment of a celibate and
cenobitic Cenobitic (or coenobitic) monasticism is a monastery, monastic tradition that stresses community life. Often in the West the community belongs to a religious order, and the life of the cenobitic monk is regulated by a Monastic rule, religious ru ...
monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...
Kagyu order. This was in sharp contrast to the tradition of Marpa and Milarepa which mainly consisted of non-monastic householder or hermit yogis practicing in solitary locations or hermitages. According to John Powers, Marpa "saw the monastic life as appropriate only for people of limited capacities." Gampopa on the other hand, founded
Daklha Gampo Monastery Daklha Gampo Monastery (''Dwags lha sgam po''), also romanized as Daglha Gampo, is a Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist monastery founded in 1121 CE by Je Gampopa (1079-1153), the disciple of the famous and much-loved bodhisattva, Jetsun Milarepa (c. 1052 ...
(''Dwags lha sgam po'') and thus allowed the Kagyu teachings to have established training centers and study curricula in an structured monastic setting which was well suited to the preservation of tradition. Most of the major Kagyu lineages in existence today can be traced through Gampopa. Following Gampopa's teachings, there evolved the so-called "Four Major and Eight Minor" lineages of the Dagpo (sometimes rendered "Tagpo" or "Dakpo") Kagyu School. This phrase is descriptive of the generation or order in which the schools were founded, not of their importance.


Dagpo Kagyu lineages

The principle Dagpo Kagyu lineages that exist today as organized schools are the
Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, Mon ...
,
Drikung Kagyu Drikung Kagyü or Drigung Kagyü ( Wylie: 'bri-gung bka'-brgyud) is one of the eight "minor" lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. "Major" here refers to those Kagyü lineages founded by the immediate disciples of Gampopa (1079-1153) ...
and the
Drukpa Lineage The Drukpa Kagyu (), or simply Drukpa, sometimes called either Dugpa or "Red Hat sect" in older sources,
. For the most part, the teachings and main esoteric transmissions of the other Dagpo Kagyu lineages have been absorbed into one of these three independent schools. Historically, there were twelve main sub schools of the Dagpo Kagyu derived from
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
and his disciples. Four primary branches stemmed from direct disciples of Gampopa and his nephew; and eight secondary branches derived from Gampopa's disciple Phagmo Drupa. Several of these Kagyu traditions in turn developed their own branches or sub-schools. The terminology "primary and secondary" (early/later) for the Kagyu schools can only be traced back as far as Kongtrul's and other's writings (19th century). The Tibetan terminology "che chung", literally "large (and) small," does not reflect the size or influence of the schools, as for instance the Drikung school was in the 13th century probably the largest and most influential of them, although it is, according to Kongtrul, "secondary".Or it can be taken as early and later schools.


Four primary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu


Karma Kamtsang (Karma Kagyu)

The Drubgyu Karma Kamtsang, often known simply as Karma Kagyu, was founded by one of Gampopa's main disciples
Düsum Khyenpa, 1st Karmapa Lama Düsum Khyenpa (, 1110–1193) was the 1st Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. ''Düsum Khyenpa'' means "knower of the three times" (past, present and future). It was given to him to refer to knowledge of the thre ...
(1110–1193). The figure of
Karma Pakshi Karma Pakshi (; 1204/6–1283) was the 2nd Gyalwa Karmapa. He was a child prodigy who had already acquired a broad understanding of Dharma philosophy and meditation by the age of ten. His teacher, Pomdrakpa, had received the full Kagyu transmissi ...
(1204/6–1283), a student of one of Düsum Khyenpa's main disciples, was actually the first person recognized as a "
Karmapa The Karmapa (honorific title '' His Holiness the Gyalwa'' ྒྱལ་བ་, Victorious One''Karmapa'', more formally as ''Gyalwang'' ྒྱལ་དབང་ཀརྨ་པ་, King of Victorious Ones''Karmapa'', and informally as the ' ...
", i.e. a reincarnation of Düsum Khyenpa.
Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa Lama Rangjung Dorje () (1284–1339) was the third Karmapa (head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyu) and an important figure in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, who helped to spread Buddha-nature teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Bio ...
, was an important figure because he received and preserved
Dzogchen Dzogchen (, "Great Perfection" or "Great Completion"), also known as ''atiyoga'' ( utmost yoga), is a tradition of teachings in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism and Yungdrung Bon aimed at discovering and continuing in the ultimate ground of existence. ...
teachings from
Rigdzin Kumaradza Rigdzin Kumaradza (1266–1343) was a Dzogchen master in the lineage of the ''Vima Nyingthig''. Nomenclature, orthography and etymology Kumārarāja, Kumārāja and Kumaraja (Sanskrit) is sometimes also orthographically represented as Kumārar ...
and taught this along with Kagyu Mahamudra. He also influenced
Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen Dölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen () (1292–1361), known simply as Dölpopa, was a Tibetan Buddhist master. Known as "The Buddha from Dölpo," a region in modern Nepal, he was the principal exponent of the shentong teachings, and an influential memb ...
, the founder of the
Jonang The Jonang () is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, but became much wider known with the help of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a monk originally trained in the ...
school who systematized the shentong teachings. The Karmapas continue to be the heads of the Karma Kagyu order today and remain very influential figures. According to Reginald Ray:
Although in the diaspora the sixteenth Karmapa was considered the “head” of the Kagyu lineage, in Tibet the situation was more decentralized. In spite of the titular role of the Karmapa, even in exile the various surviving Kagyu subschools maintain a high degree of independence and autonomy.
Following the death of
Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa The sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (; August 14, 1924 – November 5, 1981) was the spiritual leader of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Followers believed him to be part of the oldest line of reincarnate lamas in Vajra ...
in 1981, followers came to disagree over the identity of his successor. The disagreement of who holds the current title of Karmapa is an ongoing controversy termed the "
Karmapa controversy 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 ...
".


= Sub-schools of Karma Kagyu

= The Karma Kagyu school itself has three sub-schools in addition to the main branch: :*Surmang, founded by Trungmase, 1st
Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche Prior to his birth on 30 June 1965, Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche (Tibetan: ཟུར་མང་གར་དབང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་, Wylie: zur mang gar dbang rin po che) was recognized by the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa as the twelfth incar ...
, a student of Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama, this sub-sect was centered on
Surmang Monastery Surmang (or Zurmang) refers to a vast alpine nomadic and farming region, historically a duchy under the King of Nangchen, with vast land holdings spreading over what is today the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province. In Tibetan the King ...
, in what is now
Qinghai Qinghai (; alternately romanized as Tsinghai, Ch'inghai), also known as Kokonor, is a landlocked province in the northwest of the People's Republic of China. It is the fourth largest province of China by area and has the third smallest po ...
:*Nédo Kagyu (), founded by
Karma Chagme The name Karma Chagme refers to a 17th-century Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayāna) lama and to the tülku (reincarnate lama) lineage which he initiated. Including the first, seven Karma Chagme tülkus have been recognized. The Neydo Kagyu () sub-school ...
(, 1613–1678), a disciple of the 6th
Shamarpa The Shamarpa (; literally, "Person (i.e. Holder) of the Red Crown"), also known as ''Shamar Rinpoche'', or more formally Künzig Shamar Rinpoche, is a lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and is regarded to be the mind ma ...
(, 1584–1630) :*Gyaltön Kagyu


Barom Kagyu

The Barom Kagyu was founded by Gampopa's disciple Barompa Darma Wangchuk (, 1127–1199–1200), who established the Nak River Barom Riwoche Monastery () in 1160. This school was popular in the Principality of Nangchen in
Kham Kham (; ) is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions, the others being Amdo in the northeast, and Ü-Tsang in central Tibet. The original residents of Kham are called Khampas (), and were governed locally by chieftains and monasteries. Kham ...
(modern
Nangqên County Nangqên County, or Nangchen (, ), is a county of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and is the southernmost county-level division of Qinghai province, China, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. The county seat is Xangda (sh ...
,
Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (, , retranscribed into Tibetan as ), also transliterated as Yüxü or Yulshul, is an autonomous prefecture Autonomous prefectures () are one type of autonomous administrative divisions of China, existing ...
, southern Qinghai) where it has survived in one or two pockets to the present day. An important early master of this school was Tishri Repa Sherab Senge (, 1164–1236).
Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920A Brief Biography of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche
– ...
(1920–1996) was a holder of the Barom Kagyu Lineage.


Tshalpa Kagyu

The Tshalpa Kagyu was established by
Zhang Yudrakpa Tsöndru Drakpa Zhang Yudrakpa Tsöndru Drakpa (1122–93) ''(zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'gru brags pa)'', also known as Gungtang Lama Zhang ''(gung-thang bla-ma zhang)'' and often simply as Lama Zhang, was the founder of the Tshalpa Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddh ...
(, 1123–1193), who founded Tsel Gungtang Monastery (). Lama Zhang was a disciple of Gampopa's nephew Dagpo Gomtsul Tsultim Nyingpo (, 1116–1169). The Tshalpa Kagyu tradition continued to function independently until the 15th century when it was absorbed by the Gelug, who still maintain many of its transmissions. All of the former Tshelpa properties became Gelug possessions under the administration of Sera monastery.


Phagdru Kagyu

The Phagmo Drupa Kagyu () or
Phagdru Kagyu The Phagmo Drupa Kagyu () or Phagdru Kagyu (ཕག་གྲུ་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད) is a subschool of the Tibetan Kagyu school. History It was founded by Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (, 1110–1170) who was the elder brother of the famo ...
(ཕག་གྲུ་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད) was founded by
Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo () 110-1170 was one of the three main disciples of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen who established the Dagpo Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; and a disciple of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo 092-1158one of the founders of the Sakya sch ...
(, 1110–1170) who was the elder brother of the famous Nyingma lama Ka Dampa Deshek (1122–1192) founder of
Katok Monastery Katok Monastery (, THL ''Katok Dorjé Den''), also transliterated as Kathok or Kathog Monastery, was founded in 1159 and is one of the "Six Mother Monasteries" in Tibet of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, built after Samye Monastery. It ...
. Before meeting
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
, Dorje Gyalpo studied with
Sachen Kunga Nyingpo Sachen Kunga Nyingpo () (1092–1158) was a Tibetan spiritual leader and the first of the Five Venerable Supreme Sakya Masters of Tibet. Sachen Kunga Nyinpo was the 3rd Sakya Trizin and son of Khon Konchok Gyalpo (1034–1102) who was the first ...
''(sa chen kun dga' snying po)'' (1092–1158) from whom he received
lamdre Lamdré is a meditative system in Tibetan Buddhism rooted in the view that the result of its practice is contained within the path. The name "lamdré" means the “path" () with its fruit ). In Tibet, the lamdré teachings are considered the ''sum ...
transmission. From 1435 to 1481 the power of the Phagmodrupa declined and they were eclipsed by the Rinpungpa () of Tsang, who patronized the Karma Kagyu. The Phagmo Drupa monastery of Dentsa Thel "was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1966-1978"


Eight Secondary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu

The eight secondary lineages (''zung bzhi ya brgyad'' or ''chung brgyad'') of the Dagpo Kagyu all trace themselves to disciples of Phagmo Drupa. Some of these secondary schools, notably the Drikung Kagyu and Drukpa Kagyu, became more important and influential than others.


Drikung Kagyu

One of the most important of the Kagyu sects still remaining today, the
Drikung Kagyu Drikung Kagyü or Drigung Kagyü ( Wylie: 'bri-gung bka'-brgyud) is one of the eight "minor" lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. "Major" here refers to those Kagyü lineages founded by the immediate disciples of Gampopa (1079-1153) ...
(འབྲི་གུང་བཀའ་པརྒྱུད་པ) takes its name from Drigung Monastery founded by Jigten Sumgön, also known as Drikung Kyopa. The special Kagyu teachings of the Drikung tradition include the "Single Intention" (), "The Essence of Mahāyāna Teachings" (), and the "Fivefold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā" (). Since the 15th century the Drikung Kagyupa received influence from the "northern terma" () teachings of the Nyingma tradition.


Lingre Kagyu

Lingre Kagyu refers to the lineages founded by Lingrepa Pema Dorje () 128-1188also known as Nephupa after Nephu monastery ''(sna phu dgon)'' he founded near Dorje Drak ''(rdo rje brag)'' in Central Tibet ''(dbus)''. Lingrepa's teachers were
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
's disciple
Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo () 110-1170 was one of the three main disciples of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen who established the Dagpo Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; and a disciple of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo 092-1158one of the founders of the Sakya sch ...
; Rechungpa's disciple Sumpa Repa; and Ra Yeshe Senge, a lineage holder of Ra Lotsawa.


Drukpa Lineage

The Drukpa Lineage was established by Ling Repa's main disciple,
Tsangpa Gyare The great ascetic Drogon Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211) was the main disciple of Lingchen Repa Pema Dorje and the founder of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism the main or central branch of which was, until the 17th Century, transmitted by his ...
(1161–1211), who established monasteries at Longbol () and
Ralung Monastery Ralung Monastery (), located in the Tsang region of western Tibet south of Karo Pass, is the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare, 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, a disciple of Lingje Répa ( ...
(). Later, Tsangpa Gyare went to a place called Nam Phu where, legend has it, nine roaring dragons rose from the ground and soared into the sky. The Tibetan word for dragon is ''Druk'' (), so Tsangpa Gyare's lineage and the monastery he established at the place became known as the ''Drukpa'' and he became known as the
Gyalwang Drukpa The Gyalwang Drukpa () is the honorific title of the head of the Drukpa Lineage, one of the independent Sarma (new) schools of Vajrayana Buddhism. This lineage of reincarnated masters started from Tsangpa Gyare, the first Gyalwang Drukpa and fou ...
. This school became widespread in Tibet and in surrounding regions. Today the Southern Drukpa Lineage is the state religion of Bhutan, and in the western Himalayas, Drukpa Lineage monasteries are found in
Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu and ...
,
Zanskar Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is a tehsil of Kargil district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre is Padum (former Capital of Zanskar). Zanskar, together with the neighboring region of Ladakh, was brief ...
,
Lahaul The Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahaul () and Spiti (; or ). The present administrative centre is Kyelang in Lahaul. Before the two districts were merged, ...
and
Kinnaur Kinnaur is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative he ...
. Along with the
Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...
teachings inherited from Gampopa and
Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo () 110-1170 was one of the three main disciples of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen who established the Dagpo Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; and a disciple of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo 092-1158one of the founders of the Sakya sch ...
, particular teachings of the Drukpa Lineage include the "Six Cycles of Equal Taste" (), a cycle of instructions said to have been hidden by
Rechung Dorje Drakpa Rechung Dorje Drakpa (, 1083/4-1161), known as Rechungpa, was one of the two most important students of the 11th century yogi and poet Milarepa and founder of the Rechung Kagyu subtradition of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. (The other studen ...
and discovered by Tsangpa Gyare, and the "Seven Auspicious Teachings" () revealed to Tsangpa Gyare by seven Buddhas who appeared to him in a vision at Tsari.


Shuksep Kagyu

The Shuksep Kagyu () was established by Gyergom Chenpo Zhönnu Drakpa (, 1090–1171), who founded the Shuksep Monastery in Nyiphu. The Shuksep Kagyu emphasized the Mahamudra teachings of the ''doha''s, spiritual songs of realization by Indian masters such as
Saraha Saraha, Sarahapa, Sarahapāda (or, in the Tibetan language མདའ་བསྣུན་, anün Wyl. mda' bsnun The Archer), (''circa'' 8th century CE) was known as the first sahajiya and one of the Mahasiddhas. The name ''Saraha'' means "the ...
, Shavaripa, Tilopa, Naropa and Maitripa. A notable member of this lineage was the nun
Shukseb Jetsun Chönyi Zangmo Shukseb Jetsunma Chönyi Zangmo (1865–1953) was the most well known of the yoginis in the 1900s, and was considered an incarnation of Machig Lapdron. She was the abbess of Shukseb nunnery, and was a Nyingma Tibetan Buddhist teacher. She made the ...
.


Taklung Kagyu

The
Taklung Kagyu The Taklung Kagyu () is a sub-school of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. History The Taklung Kagyu lineage was founded by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal in 1180 CE. Like the other Sarma schools, it is part of the second founding of Buddhism in T ...
(), named after Taklung Monastery established in 1180 by
Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (1142–1210) is the Founder of the Taklung Kagyu lineage. The Taklung Kagyu lineage remains unbroken to this day. Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal founded the Taklung Yarthang Monastery. He is considered one of the many imm ...
(1142–1210).


Trophu Kagyu

The Trophu Kagyu () was established by Gyeltsa Rinchen Gön (, 1118–1195) and Künden Repa (, 1148–1217). The tradition was developed by their nephew, Thropu Lotsawa, who invited Pandit Shakyasri of Kashmir, Buddhasri and Mitrayogin to Tibet. The most renowned adherent of this lineage was Buton Rinchen Drub (1290–1364) of Zhalu, who was a student of Trophupa Sonam Sengge () and Trophu Khenchen Rinchen Senge (). Other notable teachers of this tradition include Chegompa Sherab Dorje (1130?-1200)


Yazang Kagyu

The Yazang Kagyu () founded by Sharawa Kalden Yeshe Sengge (d. 1207). His foremost disciple was Yazang Chöje Chö Mönlam (1169–1233) who in 1206 established the monastery of Yabzang, also known as Nedong Dzong, in Yarlung. The Yazang Kagyu survived as an independent school at least until the 16th century.


Yelpa Kagyu

The Yelpa Kagyu () was established by Druptop Yéshé Tsekpa (, b. 1134). He established two monasteries, Shar Yelphuk () and Jang Tana ().


Shangpa Kagyu

The Shangpa Kagyu () differs in origin from the better known Marpa or Dagpo school that is the source of all present-day Kagyu schools. The Dagpo school and its branches primarily came from the lineage of the Indian siddhas Tilopa and
Naropa Nāropā (Prakrit; sa, Nāropāda, Naḍapāda or Abhayakirti) or Abhayakirti was an Indian Buddhist Mahasiddha. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma. As an Indian Mahasiddha, Naropa's ...
transmitted in Tibet through Marpa, Milarepa,
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
and their successors. In contrast, the Shangpa lineage descended from two female siddhas, Naropa's consort
Niguma Niguma is considered one of the most important and influential yoginis and Vajrayana teachers of the 10th or 11th century in India. She was a dakini, and one of the two female founders of the Shangpa Kagyu school of Vajrayana Buddhism, along with ...
and Virupa's disciple
Sukhasiddhi Sukhasiddhi (flourished 11th Century) was an Indian teacher of Vajrayana Buddhism, a yogini and master of meditation. She was born in west Kashmir to a large, poor family. A mother of three sons and three daughters, she once gave a beggar the on ...
, transmitted in Tibet in the 11th century through Khyungpo Nenjor. The tradition takes its name from the Shang Valley where Khyungpo Nenjor established the
gompa A Gompa or Gönpa ( "remote place", Sanskrit ''araṇya''), also known as ling (), is a Buddhism, Buddhist ecclesiastical fortification of learning, lineage and sādhanā that may be understood as a conflation of a fortification, a vihara and a ...
of Zhongzhong or Zhangzhong. For seven generations, the Shangpa Kagyu lineage remained a one-to-one transmission. Although there were a few temples and retreat centres in Tibet and Bhutan associated with the Shangpa transmission, it never really was established as an independent religious institution or sect. Rather, its teachings were transmitted down through the centuries by
lama Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "hi ...
s belonging to many different schools. In the 20th century, the Shangpa teachings were transmitted by the first
Kalu Rinpoche Kalu Rinpoche (1905 – May 10, 1989) was a Buddhist lama, meditation master, scholar and teacher. He was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West. Early life and teachers Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1905 during the Female Woo ...
, who studied at
Palpung Monastery Palpung Monastery () is the name of the congregation of monasteries and centers of the Tai Situpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the name of the Tai Situ's monastic seat in Babang, Kham (modern Sichuan). Palpung means ...
, the seat of the
Tai Situpa Tai Situpa (; from ) is one of the oldest lineages of tulkus (reincarnated lamas) in the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism In Tibetan Buddhism tradition, Kenting Tai Situpa is considered as emanation of Bodhisattva Maitreya and Guru Padmasambhava ...
.


Teaching and practice


View

There are various Kagyu presentations of the right philosophical view depending on the specific lineage. Some Kagyu lineages follow the
Shentong ''Rangtong'' and ''shentong'' are two distinctive views on emptiness ( sunyata) and the two truths doctrine within Tibetan Buddhism. ''Rangtong'' (; "empty of self-nature") is a philosophical term in Tibetan Buddhism that is used to distinguis ...
(empty of other) presentations which was influenced by the work of
Dolpopa Dölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen () (1292–1361), known simply as Dölpopa, was a Tibetan Buddhist master. Known as "The Buddha from Dölpo," a region in modern Nepal, he was the principal exponent of the shentong teachings, and an influential memb ...
. This view was defended by the influential Rime philosopher Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (1813–1899). ''Shentong'' views the
two truths doctrine The Buddhist doctrine of the two truths (Sanskrit: ''dvasatya,'' ) differentiates between two levels of ''satya'' (Sanskrit; Pali: ''sacca''; word meaning "truth" or "reality") in the teaching of the Śākyamuni Buddha: the "conventional" or "pr ...
as distinguishing between relative and absolute reality, agreeing that relative reality is empty of self-nature, but stating that absolute reality is "empty" () only of "other" () relative phenomena, but is itself not empty. In Shentong, this absolute reality (i.e.
Buddha nature Buddha-nature refers to several related Mahayana Buddhist terms, including '' tathata'' ("suchness") but most notably ''tathāgatagarbha'' and ''buddhadhātu''. ''Tathāgatagarbha'' means "the womb" or "embryo" (''garbha'') of the "thus-gone ...
) is the "ground or substratum" which is "uncreated and indestructible, noncomposite and beyond the chain of dependent origination." According to Jamgon Kontrul, this ultimate reality which is "nondual, self-aware primordial wisdom" can be said to "always exists in its own nature and never changes, so it is never empty of its own nature and it is there all the time." However, this wisdom is also free of conceptual elaborations and also "free of the two extremes of nihilism and eternalism." This Shentong view has been upheld by various modern Kagyu masters such as
Kalu Rinpoche Kalu Rinpoche (1905 – May 10, 1989) was a Buddhist lama, meditation master, scholar and teacher. He was one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West. Early life and teachers Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1905 during the Female Woo ...
and
Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche () is a prominent scholar yogi in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He teaches widely in the West, often through songs of realization, his own as well as those composed by Milarepa and other masters of the ...
. However, as noted by Karl Brunnholzl, several important Kagyu figures have disagreed with the view of "Shentong Madhyamaka", such as Mikyö Dorje, the 8th Karmapa Lama (1507–1554) and Second Pawo Rinpoche Tsugla Trengwa, both of whom see "Shentong" as another name for
Yogacara Yogachara ( sa, योगाचार, IAST: '; literally "yoga practice"; "one whose practice is yoga") is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through t ...
and as a separate system to
Madhyamaka Mādhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no ''svabhāva'' doctrine"), refers to a tradition of Buddhist ...
. In his ''Chariot of the Takpo Kagyü Siddhas'', Mikyö Dorje attacks the shentong view of
Dolpopa Dölpopa Shérap Gyeltsen () (1292–1361), known simply as Dölpopa, was a Tibetan Buddhist master. Known as "The Buddha from Dölpo," a region in modern Nepal, he was the principal exponent of the shentong teachings, and an influential memb ...
as being against the sutras of ultimate meaning which state that all phenomena are emptiness as well as being against the treatises of the Indian masters. He argued that the rangtong shentong distinction is inaccurate and not in line with the teachings of the Indian masters. As noted by Brunnholzl, he also argues that "teachings on Buddha nature being a self, permanent, substantial, really existent, indestructible, and so on are of expedient meaning." The writings of the Ninth Karmapa,
Wangchuk Dorje Wangchuk Dorje (1556–1603) was the ninth Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. Wangchuk Dorje was born in Treshod, Kham. According to legend, he said after being born: "I am Karmapa." Other sources say that soon after ...
, particularly his ''Feast for the Fortunate'', also follow this view in critiquing the Shentong Madhyamaka position and arguing that "the Buddha taught buddha nature as provisional meaning".


Practice

With regards to presentations of the path, the surviving Dagpo Kagyu schools rely on the ''
Lamrim Lamrim (Tibetan: "stages of the path") is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the stages in the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of ''lamrim'', pres ...
'' (stages of the path) format outlined by
Gampopa Gampopa Sönam Rinchen (, 1079–1153) was the main student of Milarepa, and a Tibetan Buddhist master who codified his own master's ascetic teachings, which form the foundation of the Kagyu educational tradition. Gampopa was also a doctor and ...
in his ''Jewel Ornament of Liberation.'' The practice of ''
Lojong Lojong (, 'mind training') is a contemplative practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition which makes use of various lists of aphorisms or slogans which are used for contemplative practice. The practice involves refining and purifying one's motiva ...
'' (Mind training) which derives from the Kadam school is also important.Roberts, Peter Alan (2011), ''Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools'', Simon and Schuster, p. 5. The central meditative practice in Kagyu is
Mahamudra Mahāmudrā (Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudr ...
, "the Great Seal". This doctrine focuses on four principal stages (the Four Yogas of Mahamudra), namely: #The development of single-pointedness of mind #The transcendence of all conceptual elaboration #The cultivation of the perspective that all phenomena are of a "single taste" #The fruition of the path, which is beyond any contrived acts of meditation The central tantric deities of the Kagyu schools are Cakrasaṃvara and his consort
Vajravārāhī In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajravārāhī ("The Diamond Sow", Dorje Pakmo) is a wrathful form of Vajrayogini associated particularly with the '' Cakrasaṃvara Tantra'', where she is paired in yab-yum with the Heruka Cakrasaṃvara. Judith Simmer-Br ...
. A central set of practices maintained in the Kagyu schools are the
Six Dharmas of Naropa The Six Dharmas of Nāropa (, Skt. ''ṣaḍdharma'', "Naro's six doctrines" or "six teachings"), are a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhist tantric practices compiled by the Indian mahasiddhas Tilopa and Nāropa (1016-1100 CE) and passed on to the ...
.Roberts, Peter Alan (2011), ''Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools'', Simon and Schuster, p. 2. The Six Dharmas consists of the following yogic practices: * ''
tummo In Tibetan Buddhism, ''tummo'' (; sa, चण्डाली, caṇḍālī) is the fierce goddess of heat and passion. Tummo is found in the Mahasiddha Krishnacarya and the ''Hevajra Tantra'' texts. Tummo is also a tantric practice for inner ...
'' – the yoga of inner heat (or mystic heat). * ''gyulü'' – the yoga of the illusory body. * '' ösel'' – the yoga of the clear light or radiant light. * '' milam'' – the yoga of the dream state. * ''
bardo In some schools of Buddhism, ''bardo'' ( xct, བར་དོ་ Wylie: ''bar do'') or ''antarābhava'' (Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese: 中有, romanized in Chinese as ''zhōng yǒu'' and in Japanese as ''chū'u'') is an intermediate, transitio ...
'' – the yoga of the in-between. * ''
phowa ''Phowa'' (, ) is a tantric practice found in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It may be described as "transference of consciousness at the time of death", "mindstream transference", "the practice of conscious dying", or "enlightenment without medita ...
'' – the yoga of the transference of consciousness Other practices which are taught in the Kagyu schools include: *
Chöd Chöd ( lit. 'to sever') is a spiritual practice found primarily in the Yundrung Bön tradition as well as in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism (where it is classed as Anuttarayoga Tantra). Also known as "cutting through the e ...
lineage *
Kalachakra ''Kālacakra'' () is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means "wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The ta ...
(derived from the
Jonang The Jonang () is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, but became much wider known with the help of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a monk originally trained in the ...
lineage) *
White Tara Tara ( sa, तारा, ; bo, སྒྲོལ་མ, ), Ārya Tārā, or Shayama Tara, also known as Jetsun Dölma (Tibetan: ''rje btsun sgrol ma'') is an important figure in Buddhism, especially revered in Tibetan Buddhism. She appears as a f ...
(derived from the Kadam school) * Practices of deities such as Green Tara, Avalokiteshvara,
Vajrakilaya In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrakilaya (Skt. ''Vajrakīlaya''; Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་ཕུར་པ་, ''Dorje Phurba'', Wyl. ''rdo rje phur pa'') or Vajrakumara (Skt. ''Vajrakumāra''; Tib. རྡོ་རྗེ་གཞོན་ནུ་, '' ...
and
Padmasambhava Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
(derived from the
Nyingma Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
school)


Notes


References


Citations


Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*Brunnholzl, Karl. ''Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and Buddha Nature''. Snow Lion Publications, 2009. *Kapstein, Matthew. ''"The Shangs-pa bKa'-brgyud: an unknown school of Tibetan Buddhism"'' in M. Aris and Aung San Suu Kyi (eds.), ''Studies in Honor of Hugh Richardson'' Warminster: Aris and Phillips, 1980, pp. 138–44. * *Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen. ''The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury''. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1990. translation of part of the ''Bka' brgyud kyi rnam thar chen mo''- a collection of 'Bri gung Bka' brgyud hagiographies by Rdo rje mdzes 'od* Quintman, Andrew, transl. ''The Life of Milarepa.'' Penguin Classics, 2010. * Roberts, Peter Alan. ''The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan hagiography.'' London: Routledge, 2007. *Smith, E. Gene. ''"Golden Rosaries of the Bka' brgyud Schools."'' in ''Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau'', ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 39–52. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001. *Smith, E. Gene. ''"The Shangs pa Bka' brgyud Tradition."'' in ''Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau'', ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 53–57. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001. *Smith, E. Gene. ''"Padma dkar po and His History of Buddhism"'' in ''Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau'', ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 81–86. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2001. *Thaye, Jampa ''A Garland of Gold''. Bristol: Ganesha Press, 1990. *Thinley, Karma. ''The History of the Sixteen Karmapas of Tibet'' (1980) *Rinpoche, Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. ''The Practice of Mahamudra''. Snow Lion Publications 2009. *Rinpoche, Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen. ''The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury''. Snow Lion Publications 2006. *The Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje; Dewar, Tyler (translator), ''The Karmapa's Middle Way: Feast for the Fortunate'', Shambhala, 2019.


External links

* Martin, Da
The Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
at ''Treasury of Lives''


Barom Kagyu


Barom Kagyu Chodrak Pende Ling


Drikung Kagyu sites


The Drikung Kagyu Official Site


Drukpa Kagyu


Site of His Holiness Gyalwang DrukpaDrukpa Mila Center
~ a Bhutanese Drukpa Kagyu Center


Karma (Kamtsang) Kagyu


Sites associated with Trinlay Thaye Dorje


Karmapa the Black Hat Lama of Tibet - official homepage

Karma Kagyu Tradition - official website


Sites associated with Urgyen Trinley Dorje


Kagyu Office

Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery, Woodstock, NY, USA


Karma Kagyu sites


Khenkong Tharjay Buddhist Charitable SocietyKarma Thinley Rinpoche


Taklung Kagyu


Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple


Shangpa Kagyu

*
Samdrup Dhargay Chuling MonasteryShangpa Kagyu Network

Kagyu Dzamling Kunchab (Founded by Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche), New York, NY, USA
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