Kagyu Lineage

The Kagyu Lineage Of The Buddhism Of Tibet
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Compiled specially for the web (2000)
1 of 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4

The lineage of the Kagyu emphasizes the continuity of oral instructions passed on from master to student. This emphasis is reflected in the literal meaning of "Kagyu." The first syllable "Ka" refers to the scriptures of the Buddha and the oral instructions of the guru. "Ka" has the sense both of the enlightened meaning conveyed by the words of the teacher, as well as the force which such words of insight carries. The second syllable "gyu" means lineage or tradition. Together, these syllables mean "the lineage of the oral instructions."

Kagyu Lineage

The Kagyu Lineage traces its origin back to the historic Buddha, Shakyamuni through Marpa, the great translator and yogi, who brought back the unbroken lineage from India to Tibet.

Marpa The Translator

Marpa first trained as a translator under Drogmi Yeshe (993-1050), and then traveled three times to India and four times to Nepal in search of buddhist teachings. He is said to have studied with a hundred and eight masters and yogis, but his principle teachers were Naropa and Maitripa.

Tilopa And Naropa

From Naropa, Marpa received the lineage of tantric teachings called the Four Special Transmissions (bK'a-babs-bzhi): the yogas of 1) illusory body and transference of consciousness, 2) dream, 3) luminosity, and 4) inner heat. Naropa obtained these teachings directly from Tilopa (988-1069), who in turn had received them from two original sources, called the direct and  indirect lineage. The direct lineage and original source of the teachings was Buddha Vajradhara. The indirect lineage comes from four main teachers of Tilopa. Both Tilopa and Naropa are some of the greatest panditas, scholars, and siddhas, accomplished saints, of Nalanda, the famous Buddhist university of ancient India.

Milarepa

Marpa brought these lineages to Tibet, passing them on to his primary disciple and lineage holder, Milarepa (1040-1123), the most renowned and accomplished of Tibet's tantric yogis, who achieved enlightenment in one lifetime. Milarepa held the lineage and tradition of the Practice Lineage. Some of the other great students of Marpa were Ngog Choku Dorjey, Tsurton Wangey and Meton Chenpo, who held the Marpa's tradition of the Teaching Lineage. This is how the two great systems of the practice lineage and the teaching lineage were founded in Kagyu lineage.

Gampopa

The great master Gampopa (1079-1153), also known as Dakpo Lhaje, and Rechungpa (1084-1161) were the principal students of Milarepa. Gampopa was prophesized in the sutras by Buddha. He pioneered in establishing the framework of the lineage by unifying Milarepa's Mahamudra lineage with the stages of the path tradition of the Kadampa lineage. This lineage and tradition is known as the Dhakpo Kagyu.

Gampopa had three heart disciples: Dusum Khyenpa, Phakmo Drupa and Saltong Shogom. Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193), or Khampa Usey (literally, the "white-haired Khampa"), became known as the First Karmapa, who established the Karma Kagyu lineage.

From Gampopa's Dakpo Kagyu, four main lineages developed, which are: 1) Barom Kagyu, 2) Tshalpa Kagyu, 3) Kamtsang or Karma Kagyu, and 4) Phagdru Kagyu.

From Phakmo Drupa (1110-1170) developed eight additional Kagyupa Schools which are: 1) Drikung Kagyu, 2) Taklung Kagyu, 3) Drukpa Kagyu, 4) Yasang Kagyu, 5) Trophu Kagyu, 6) Shuksep Kagyu, 7) Yelpa Kagyu, 8) Martsang Kagyu.

Among these lineages, one of the most widely known is the Karma Kagyu lineage, which was impeccably continued over the centuries through the activity of the Gyalwang Karmapas.

Next: The Kagyu Lineage Succession
1 of 4 | 1, 2, 3, 4 | Index of Teachings