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Kagyu
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Clockwise from upper left: Naropa, Maitripa, Marpa Lotsawa and Niguma.

The Kagyu school, also transliterated as Kagyü, or Kagyud (Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད།, Wylie: bka' brgyud), 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 Mahasiddhas Naropa, Maitripa and the yogini Niguma, via their student Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097), who brought their teachings to Tibet. Marpa's student Milarepa 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 (1079–1153), a monk who merged the Kagyu lineage with the Kadam tradition.[1] The Kagyu schools which survive as independent institutions are mainly the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, Drukpa Lineage and the Taklung Kagyu.[2] The Karma Kagyu school is the largest of the sub-schools, and is headed by the Karmapa. Other lineages of Kagyu teachings, such as the Shangpa Kagyu, are preserved in other schools.

The main teachings of the Kagyus include Mahamudra and the Six Dharmas of Naropa.

Nomenclature, orthography and etymology

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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 kagyu" for the Kadam or to "Jonang kagyu" for the Jonang and "Ganden kagyu" for the Gelug sects.[3] Today, however, the term Kagyu almost always refers to the Dagpo Kagyu and, less often, to the Shangpa Kagyu.

"Kagyu" and "Kargyu"

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In his 1970 article Golden Rosaries of the Bka' brgyud schools, E. Gene Smith discusses the two forms of the name, Wylie: bka' brgyud and Wylie: dkar brgyud:

A note is in order regarding the two forms Dkar brgyud pa and Bka' brgyud pa. The term Bka' brgyud pa simply applies to any line of transmission of an esoteric teaching from teacher to disciple. We can properly speak of a Jo nang Bka' brgyud pa or Dge ldan Bka' brgyud pa for the Jo nang pa and Dge lugs pa sects. The adherents of the sects that practice the teachings centering around the Phyag rgya chen po and the Nā ro chos drug are properly referred to as the Dwags po Bka' brgyud pa because these teachings were all transmitted through Sgam po pa. Similar teachings and practices centering around the Ni gu chos drug are distinctive of the Shangs pa Bka' brgyud pa. These two traditions with their offshoots are often incorrectly referred to simply as Bka' brgyud pa. Some of the more careful Tibetan scholars suggested that the term Dkar brgyud pa be used to refer to the Dwags po Bka' brgyud pa, Shangs pa Bka' brgyud pa and a few minor traditions transmitted by Nā ro pa, Mar pa, Mi la ras pa, or Ras chung pa but did not pass through Sgam po pa. The term Dkar brgyud pa refers to the use of the white cotton meditation garment by all these lineages. This complex is what is normally known, inaccuratly, as the Bka' brgyud pa. Thu'u kwan Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma sums up the matter: "In some later 'Brug pa texts the written form 'Dkar brgyud' indeed appears, because Mar pa, Mi la, Gling ras, and others wore only white cotton cloth. Nevertheless, it is fine if [they] are all called Bka' brgyud." At Thu'u kwan's suggestion, then, we will side with convention and use the term "Bka' brgyud."[3]

One source indicates:

[T]he term "Kagyu" derives from the Tibetan phrase meaning "Lineage of the Four Commissioners" (ka-bab-shi'i-gyu-pa). This four-fold lineage is

  1. the illusory body and transference yogas of the Guhyasamaja and Chatushpitha Tantra, transmitted through Tilopa, Nagarjuna, Indrabhuti, and Saraha;
  2. the dream yoga practice of the Mahamaya from Tilopa, Charyapa, and Kukuripa;
  3. the clear-light yoga of the Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, and other Mother Tantras, as transmitted from Hevajra, Dombipa, and Lavapa; and
  4. the inner-heat yoga, Kamadevavajra, Padmavajra, Dakini, Kalpabhadra, and Tilopa.[4]

Origins

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Kagyu begins in Tibet with Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097) a Tibetan householder who trained as a translator with lotsawa Drogmi Shākya Yeshe (993–1050), and then traveled three times to India and four times to Nepal in search of religious teachings.[5] His principal gurus were the siddhas Nāropa - 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" (Wylie: mar mi dwags gsum) and together these three are considered the founders of the Kagyu school of Buddhism in Tibet.

Indian origins

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Marpa's guru Nāropa (1016–1100) was the principal disciple of Tilopa (988-1089) from East Bengal. From his own teachers Tilopa received the Four Lineages of Instructions (Wylie: bka' babs bzhi),[a] which he passed on to Nāropa who codified them into what became known as the Six Doctrines or Six Dharmas of Naropa. These instructions consist a combination of the completion stage (Skt. sampannakrama; Tib. rdzogs rim) practices of different Buddhist highest yoga tantras (Skt. Anuttarayoga Tantra; Wylie: bla med rgyud), which use the energy-winds (Skt. vāyu, Wylie: rlung), energy-channels (Skt. nāḍi, Wylie: rtsa) 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 Buddha Vajradhara 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 and Mañjuśrī to Saraha, then from him through Nagarjuna, Shavaripa, and Maitripada to Marpa. The Mahāmudrā teachings from Saraha that Maitripa transmitted to Marpa include the "Essence Mahāmudrā" (Wylie: snying po'i phyag chen) 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 (982–1054) who later came to Tibet and helped found the Kadam lineage[6]

Marpa and his successors (Marpa Kagyu)

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Lotsawa Marpa Chokyi Lodro
Milarepa
Gampopa

Marpa established his "seat" at Drowolung (Wylie: gro bo lung) in Lhodrak in southern Tibet just north of Bhutan. 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 of his Yidam, Hevajra. 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. Darma Dode's incarnation as Indian master Tiphupa became important for the future development of Kagyu in Tibet.

Marpa's four most outstanding students were known as the "Four Great Pillars" (Wylie: ka chen bzhi):[7]

  1. Milarepa (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 (1079–1153), a great scholar, and the great yogi Rechung Dorje Drakpa (1088–1158), also known as Rechungpa[2]
  2. Ngok Choku Dorje (Wylie: rngog chos sku rdo rje)[8] (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.[9] 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 (Wylie: 'brug chen kun dga' dpal 'byor, 1428–1476) who received this transmission, and 1476 when Go Lotsawa composed the Blue Annals.[b]
  3. Tshurton Wangi Dorje (Wylie: mtshur ston dbang gi rdo rje)[10] - (or Tshurton Wangdor) was the principal recipient of Marpa's transmission of the teachings of the Guhyasamāja Tantra. Tshurton's lineage eventually merged with the Shalu Monastery tradition and subsequently passed this down to the Gelug founder Je Tsongkhapa, who wrote extensive commentaries on the Guhyasamāja Tantra.
  4. Meton Tsonpo (Wylie: mes ston tshon po)

Other important students of Marpa include:

  • Marpa Dowa Chokyi Wangchuck (Wylie: mar pa do ba chos kyi dbang phyug).
  • Marpa Goleg (Wylie: mar pa mgo legs) who along with Tshurton Wangdor received the Guhyasamāja Tantra.
  • Barang Bawacen (Wylie: ba rang lba ba can) - who received lineage of the explanatory teachings of the Mahāmāyā Tantra.

Jamgon Kongtrul (1813–1899) collected the initiations and sadhanas of surviving transmissions of Marpa's teachings together in the collection known as the Kagyu Ngak Dzö (Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་སྔགས་མཛོད་, Wylie: bka' brgyud sngags mdzod, "Treasury of Kagyu Tantras").

Gampopa

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Gampopa (1079–1153), who was a Kadampa monk, is an influential figure in the history of the Kagyu tradition. He combined the monastic tradition and the stages of the path (Lamrim) teachings of the Kadam order with teaching and practice of the Mahāmudrā and the Six Yogas of Naropa he received from Milarepa synthesizing them into one lineage. This monastic tradition came to be known as Dagpo Kagyu—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, passed down via Niguma. Gampopa's main contribution was the establishment of a celibate and cenobitic 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 (Dwags lha sgam po) and thus allowed the Kagyu teachings to have established training centers and study curricula in a structured monastic setting which was well suited to the preservation of tradition.[11]

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

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Kagyu lineage tree, the boxes in red designate surviving independent traditions.

The principle Dagpo Kagyu lineages that exist today as organized schools are the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and the Drukpa Lineage. 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 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.[12] 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).[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

Four primary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu

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Karma Kamtsang (Karma Kagyu)

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Karma Kagyu refuge tree (note the black hats of the Karmapas)

The Drubgyu Karma Kamtsang, often known simply as Karma Kagyu, was founded by one of Gampopa's main disciples Düsum Khyenpa, 1st Karmapa Lama (1110–1193). The figure of Karma Pakshi (1204/6–1283), a student of one of Düsum Khyenpa's main disciples, was actually the first person recognized as a "Karmapa", i.e. a reincarnation of Düsum Khyenpa.[13]

Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa Lama, was an important figure because he received and preserved Dzogchen teachings from Rigdzin Kumaradza and taught this along with Kagyu Mahamudra.[14] He also influenced Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, the founder of the Jonang school who systematized the shentong teachings.[15]

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 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".

Sub-schools of Karma Kagyu
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The Karma Kagyu school itself has three sub-schools in addition to the main branch:[16]

Barom Kagyu

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The Barom Kagyu was founded by Gampopa's disciple Barompa Darma Wangchuk (Wylie: 'ba' rom pa dar ma dbang phyug, 1127–1199–1200), who established the Nak River Barom Riwoche Monastery (Wylie: nag chu 'ba' rom ri bo che) in 1160. This school was popular in the Principality of Nangchen in Kham (modern Nangqên County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, 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 (Wylie: 'gro mgon ti shri ras pa rab seng ge, 1164–1236).

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (1920–1996) was a holder of the Barom Kagyu Lineage.

Tshalpa Kagyu

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The Tshalpa Kagyu was established by Zhang Yudrakpa Tsöndru Drakpa (Wylie: zhang g.yu brag pa brtson 'gru brags pa, 1123–1193), who founded Tsel Gungtang Monastery (Wylie: tshal gung thang).[17] Lama Zhang was a disciple of Gampopa's nephew Dagpo Gomtsul Tsultim Nyingpo (Wylie: dwags sgom tshul khrims snying po, 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.[18] All of the former Tshelpa properties became Gelug possessions under the administration of Sera monastery.

Phagdru Kagyu

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Phagmodrupa with His Previous Incarnations and Episodes from His Life, 14th-century painting from the Rubin Museum of Art

The Phagmo Drupa Kagyu (Tibetan: ཕག་མོ་གྲུ་པ་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད, Wylie: phag mo gru pa bka' brgyud) or Phagdru Kagyu (ཕག་གྲུ་བཀའ་བརྒྱུད) was founded by Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (Tibetan: ཕག་མོ་གྲུ་པ་རྡོ་རྗེ་རྒྱལ་པོ, Wylie: phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 1110–1170) who was the elder brother of the famous Nyingma lama Ka Dampa Deshek (1122–1192) founder of Katok Monastery. Before meeting Gampopa, Dorje Gyalpo studied with Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (sa chen kun dga' snying po) (1092–1158) from whom he received lamdre transmission.[19]

From 1435 to 1481 the power of the Phagmodrupa declined and they were eclipsed by the Rinpungpa (Wylie: rin spungs pa) of Tsang, who patronized the Karma Kagyu. The Phagmo Drupa monastery of Dentsa Thel "was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in 1966-1978"[20]

Eight Secondary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu

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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

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Drikung Kagyu Lineage Tree

One of the most important of the Kagyu sects still remaining today, the Drikung Kagyu (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" (Wylie: dgongs gcig), "The Essence of Mahāyāna Teachings" (Wylie: theg chen bstan pa'i snying po), and the "Fivefold Profound Path of Mahāmudrā" (Wylie: lam zab mo phyag chen lnga ldan).

Since the 15th century the Drikung Kagyupa received influence from the "northern terma" (Wylie: byang gter) teachings of the Nyingma tradition.

Lingre Kagyu

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Lingre Kagyu refers to the lineages founded by Lingrepa Pema Dorje (Wylie: gling ras pa padma rdo rje) [1128-1188][21] also 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's disciple Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo; Rechungpa's disciple Sumpa Repa; and Ra Yeshe Senge, a lineage holder of Ra Lotsawa.

Drukpa Lineage

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Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211)

The Drukpa Lineage was established by Ling Repa's main disciple, Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211), who established monasteries at Longbol (Wylie: klong rbol) and Ralung Monastery (Wylie: rwa lung). 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 (Wylie: 'brug), 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. 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, Zanskar, Lahaul and Kinnaur.

Along with the Mahamudra teachings inherited from Gampopa and Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo, particular teachings of the Drukpa Lineage include the "Six Cycles of Equal Taste" (Wylie: ro snyom skor drug), a cycle of instructions said to have been hidden by Rechung Dorje Drakpa and discovered by Tsangpa Gyare, and the "Seven Auspicious Teachings" (Wylie: rten 'brel rab bdun) revealed to Tsangpa Gyare by seven Buddhas who appeared to him in a vision at Tsari.

Shuksep Kagyu

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The Shuksep Kagyu (Wylie: shug gseb bka' brgyud) was established by Gyergom Chenpo Zhönnu Drakpa (Wylie: gyer sgom chen po gzhon nu grags pa, 1090–1171), who founded the Shuksep Monastery in Nyiphu.[22] The Shuksep Kagyu emphasized the Mahamudra teachings of the dohas, spiritual songs of realization by Indian masters such as Saraha, Shavaripa, Tilopa, Naropa and Maitripa. A notable member of this lineage was the nun Shukseb Jetsun Chönyi Zangmo.

Taklung Kagyu

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Tibetan Thanka Painting of Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal

The Taklung Kagyu (Wylie: stag lungs bka' brgyud), named after Taklung Monastery established in 1180 by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (1142–1210).

Trophu Kagyu

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The Trophu Kagyu (Wylie: khro phu bka' brgyud) was established by Gyeltsa Rinchen Gön (Wylie: rgyal tsha rin chen mgon, 1118–1195) and Künden Repa (Wylie: kun ldan ras pa, 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,[23] who was a student of Trophupa Sonam Sengge (Wylie: khro phu ba bsod nams sengge)[24] and Trophu Khenchen Rinchen Senge (Wylie: khro phu mkhan chen rin chen sengge).[25] Other notable teachers of this tradition include Chegompa Sherab Dorje (1130?-1200)[26]

Yazang Kagyu

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The Yazang Kagyu (Wylie: g.ya' bzang bka' brgyud) 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

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The Yelpa Kagyu (Wylie: yel pa bka' rgyud) was established by Druptop Yéshé Tsekpa (Wylie: drub thob ye shes brtsegs pa, b. 1134).[27] He established two monasteries, Shar Yelphuk (Wylie: shar yel phug)[28] and Jang Tana (Wylie: byang rta rna dgon).

Shangpa Kagyu

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The Shangpa Kagyu (Wylie: shangs pa bka' brgyud) 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 transmitted in Tibet through Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa and their successors. In contrast, the Shangpa lineage descended from two female siddhas, Naropa's consort Niguma[29] and Virupa's disciple Sukhasiddhi, 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 of Zhongzhong or Zhangzhong.

For seven generations, the Shangpa Kagyu lineage remained a one-to-one transmission.[30] 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 lamas belonging to many different schools.

In the 20th century, the Shangpa teachings were transmitted by the first Kalu Rinpoche, who studied at Palpung Monastery, the seat of the Tai Situpa.

Teaching and practice

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View

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Kagyu expositions of the 'right philosophical view' vary depending on the lineage.

Some Kagyu lineages follow the Shentong ('empty of other') presentations, which were influenced by the work of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. This view was defended by the influential Rime philosopher Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thayé (1813–1899). Shentong views the two truths doctrine as distinguishing between relative and absolute reality, agreeing that relative reality is empty of self-nature, but stating that absolute reality is "empty" (Wylie: stong) only of "other" (Wylie: gzhan) relative phenomena, but is itself not empty.[31] In Shentong, this absolute reality (i.e., Buddha-nature) is the "ground or substratum" which is "uncreated and indestructible, noncomposite and beyond the chain of dependent origination."[32] 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."[33] 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 and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche.

However, as noted by Karl Brunnhölzl, several important Kagyu figures have disagreed with the view of "Shentong Madhyamaka", such as Mikyö Dorje, 8th Karmapa Lamal (1507–1554) and Second Pawo Rinpoche Tsugla Trengwa, both of whom see "Shentong" as another name for Yogachara and as a separate system to Madhyamaka.[34] In his Chariot of the Takpo Kagyü Siddhas, Mikyö Dorje attacks the shentong view of Dolpopa 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.[35] He argued that the Rangtong-Shentong distinction is inaccurate and not in line with the teachings of the Indian masters.[36] As noted by Brunnhölzl, he also argues that "teachings on Buddha nature being a self, permanent, substantial, really existent, indestructible, and so on are of expedient meaning."[37] The writings of the Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, 9th Karmapa Lama, 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".[38]

Practice

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A section of the Northern wall mural at the Lukhang Temple depicting both Tummo (Skt. Candali) and Phowa (transference of consciousness), two of the Six Dharmas of Naropa

With regards to presentations of the path, the surviving Dagpo Kagyu schools rely on the Lamrim (stages of the path) format outlined by Gampopa in his Jewel Ornament of Liberation. The practice of Lojong (Mind training), which derives from the Kadam school, is also important.[39]

The central meditative practice in Kagyu is Mahamudra ("the Great Seal"). This practice focuses on four principal stages (the four yogas of Mahamudra), namely:

  1. The development of single-pointedness of mind
  2. The transcendence of all conceptual elaboration
  3. The cultivation of the perspective that all phenomena are of a "single taste"
  4. 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.[40]

A central set of practices maintained in the Kagyu schools is the Six Yogas of Naropa.[41] The Six Yogas consist of the following yogic practices:

  • tummo – the yoga of inner heat (or mystic heat).[42]
  • 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 – the yoga of the in-between.
  • phowa – the yoga of the transference of consciousness

Other practices which are taught in the Kagyu schools include:[39]

Notes

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References

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Further reading

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The Kagyu is one of the four principal schools of Tibetan , distinguished by its emphasis on oral transmission of meditative and tantric practices directly from to disciple. Originating in the , the lineage traces its esoteric instructions to Indian mahasiddhas (988–1069 CE) and , who transmitted them to the Tibetan translator Marpa Chökyi Lodrö (1012–1097 CE), the foundational figure in . Marpa's disciple (1052–1135 CE), a renowned for his ascetic attainments and poetic songs, further embodied these teachings, passing them to Sönam Rinchen (1079–1153 CE), who integrated Kagyu methods with the Kadam tradition of scriptural study to form a structured monastic path. From Gampopa arose the Dagpo Kagyu branches, including major sub-schools such as (led by the lineage), , and , each preserving core practices like realization and the six yogas of for achieving enlightenment in one lifetime. Central to Kagyu doctrine is the primacy of experiential insight over textual scholarship, with unbroken -disciple successions ensuring the potency of whispered instructions (gtag brgyud), fostering profound states of non-dual awareness through intensive retreat and visualization.

Nomenclature and Etymology

Meaning and Orthography of "Kagyu"

The term "Kagyu" derives from the Tibetan bka' brgyud, where bka' signifies "word," "command," or "authoritative oral instruction," and brgyud denotes "transmission" or "lineage," collectively translating to "lineage of oral instructions" or "whispered transmission." This nomenclature underscores the tradition's emphasis on direct, experiential transmission from guru to disciple, prioritizing pith instructions (gdams ngag) passed orally through successive masters rather than primary dependence on written scriptures alone. In orthography, the Wylie transliteration standard renders the term as bka' brgyud, preserving conventions such as aspirated consonants and abbreviations, which differ from phonetic approximations in English like "Kagyu" or "Kargyu." Variations in spelling, including "Kagyü" with diacritics to approximate Central Tibetan pronunciation, arise from efforts to balance scholarly precision with accessibility in non-Tibetan languages. This contrasts with schools like , which draws from ancient translated texts ( and terma), or , which integrates extensive commentarial , as Kagyu's titular focus highlights unbroken chains of realized practitioners' insights over institutionalized textual study.

Historical Origins

Indian Roots and Tantric Influences

The Kagyu lineage draws its foundational teachings from the tantric traditions of late Indian Buddhism, particularly the mahasiddhas active in regions like Bengal and Kashmir during the 10th and 11th centuries CE, who emphasized direct realization of non-dual awareness through yogic practices and spontaneous dohas (spiritual songs). These figures integrated Vajrayana methods from texts such as the Hevajra Tantra and Cakrasamvara Tantra, focusing on transformative techniques that purportedly alter consciousness and physiology via empirical meditative disciplines. Tilopa (988–1069 CE), born in Chittagong (then part of ), emerged as a central after receiving esoteric transmissions from dakinis and gurus like Sukhasiddhi and Vajravarahi, synthesizing them into the path of direct insight into mind's empty luminosity. His instructions, conveyed through dohas like the Ganges Mahamudra, express non-dual reality beyond conceptual elaboration, privileging unmediated awareness over scholastic analysis. Naropa (1016–1100 CE), initially a Nalanda abbot renowned for scriptural erudition, renounced monastic scholarship following a vision and underwent rigorous trials under , including leaps from cliffs and subjugation by tigresses, to realize the causal tantric s. These culminated in the Six Yogas—inner heat (), illusory body, dream, , (consciousness transference), and —rooted in Indian tantric lineages, with tummo involving psychophysical techniques to generate bodily heat via focalized breath and visualization at navel cakras, as described in texts attributing verifiable thermal effects to practitioners. Illusory body yoga extends this by training perception of phenomena as ephemeral projections, akin to dreams, fostering detachment from dualistic grasping. Maitripa (c. 1007–1085 CE), a contemporary influenced by and Nagarjuna's apophatic , further shaped these streams by blending -based emptiness with tantric non-conceptuality, emphasizing "non-abiding nirvikalpa" meditation that rejects reification of views. His dohas and treatises, transmitted orally among siddhas, underscore causal realism in : practices as verifiable means to dissolve subject-object , evidenced in traditional accounts of siddhas' supernormal feats like subsisting on minimal sustenance during retreats. This Indian matrix provided the unadulterated empirical and textual basis later systematized in Tibetan Kagyu, distinct from traditions by its emphasis on rapid enlightenment through body-mind integration.

Marpa Lotsawa and Early Transmission (11th Century)

Marpa Lotsawa Chökyi Lodrö (1012–1097 CE) served as the primary conduit for Indian tantric teachings into , establishing the oral transmission lineage central to the Kagyu tradition through his direct studies with mahāsiddhas. Unlike contemporaries who emphasized scriptural translation, Marpa prioritized the esoteric gdams ngag (practical instructions) passed verbally from master to disciple, reflecting the etymological root of "Kagyu" in ka gyu (oral lineage). This approach stemmed from his recognition that profound tantric realizations, such as those in the Highest Yoga Tantras, required unmediated experiential guidance to avoid misinterpretation. Marpa undertook three extended journeys to and spanning roughly 1045 to 1080 CE, enduring significant hardships including shipwrecks and to access declining Indian Buddhist centers. On these travels, he studied under (d. ca. 1040 CE), receiving the four special initiations that underpin the Six Yogas of Naropa—practices encompassing inner heat (gtum mo), illusory body, , , transference (pho ba), and intermediate state (bar do) yogas—along with empowerments into tantras such as , Guhyasamāja, and Cakrasaṃvara. He also trained with Maitrīpa (986–1063 CE), acquiring foundational instructions. These transmissions, verified in part by Naropa's historical attestation via contemporary Indian traveler accounts, emphasized realization over rote learning, with Marpa translating select texts but safeguarding core instructions orally to preserve their potency. Upon returning to Tibet, Marpa selectively transmitted these teachings to a limited circle of disciples, subjecting them to rigorous tests of devotion and merit to ensure lineage integrity, as detailed in traditional biographies that blend historical events with hagiographic elements. Among early recipients were Ngok Chöku Dorjé (1036–1102 CE), to whom Marpa imparted the four classes of tantras including root texts and commentaries, and other figures like Mes and Tsur, forming initial transmission nodes. His son Darma Dode, who had received partial instructions, died young in a conflict with rival translator Ra Lotsāwa Dorje Drak—traditionally depicted as a tantric duel over practice superiority—underscoring the era's competitive dynamics and the causal role of practitioner merit in sustaining pure transmissions, as unmeritorious heirs led to hermitage decline and redirection to tested yogis. These events, while legendary in parts, align with broader historical patterns of tantric rivalry and selective discipleship in 11th-century .

Milarepa's Yogic Achievements and Legacy

Milarepa (1052–1135 CE), born in western Tibet, underwent severe penance under Marpa's guidance by enduring prolonged solitary retreats in remote Himalayan caves to atone for his earlier use of black magic that caused deaths in his village. These retreats involved subsisting on minimal food, such as nettles, in extreme conditions, demonstrating the yogic discipline central to Kagyu transmission. A hallmark of Milarepa's practice was mastery of , the inner heat yoga, which enabled him to generate bodily warmth sufficient to survive frigid winters clad only in a thin without external shelter or fire. Traditional accounts describe him meditating in snow-bound caves like those in southern , where such feats served as empirical validation of meditative proficiency within the oral lineage. He is said to have conducted retreats in at least twenty such sites, including fortress-like hermitages, underscoring the ascetic rigor of his path to realization. Milarepa's insights were expressed through spontaneous mgur (songs of realization), poetic verses recounting non-conceptual meditative experiences and direct perception of mind's nature, comprising an estimated 100,000 compositions attributed to him. These mgur emphasized experiential awakening over doctrinal study or ritual performance, implicitly contrasting with more ceremonial approaches in contemporaneous Tibetan traditions by highlighting unmediated as the core of liberation. His legacy in yogic transmission is evident through close disciples like Rechungpa (Ras chung rDo rje grags pa, c. 1083–1161), who received direct esoteric instructions, including those on the , validating the lineage's reliance on personal verification of attainments rather than institutional hierarchies. Rechungpa's journeys to for supplemental texts and his subsequent teachings perpetuated Milarepa's emphasis on lived meditative proof, ensuring the Kagyu tradition's focus on individual . This experiential model influenced subsequent Kagyu practitioners, prioritizing direct guru-disciple realization over textual or ritual formalism.

Gampopa's Doctrinal Consolidation (12th Century)

Gampopa (1079–1153 CE), also known as Dagpo Lhaje or Sönam Rinchen, initially trained as a physician and ordained in the Kadam tradition before becoming a primary disciple of Milarepa around 1110 CE. He integrated Milarepa's experiential yogic instructions, rooted in the Mahamudra and Six Yogas of Naropa, with the analytical and mind-training (lojong) methods of the Kadam school derived from Atisha Dipamkara (982–1054 CE). This synthesis produced a structured framework balancing intellectual view, meditative practice, and resultant realization, exemplified in his Four Dharmas of Gampopa: transforming attachment to samsara into renunciation, causes into the path, the path into non-meditation, and non-meditation into dharmakaya fruition. In 1121 CE, established Daklha Gampo Monastery in the Dagpo region of southern , serving as the foundational seat of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage. This institution represented a pivotal shift from the itinerant, lay practices exemplified by to organized monastic communities emphasizing scriptural study alongside , thereby institutionalizing the oral transmission for broader dissemination. Gampopa's hagiographies describe visionary experiences, including encounters confirming the efficacy of devotion and meditation, which underscored the causal mechanisms linking , preliminary practices, and profound in his doctrinal system. His teachings, preserved in texts like The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, emphasized verifiable progress through ethical conduct, accumulation of merit, and direct realization, adapting tantric esotericism to a graduated path accessible within monastic settings. This consolidation ensured the Kagyu lineage's doctrinal coherence and longevity beyond individual yogic feats.

Lineage Structure

Shangpa Kagyu Tradition

The Shangpa Kagyu tradition originated with the Tibetan scholar-yogi Khyungpo Naljor (990–1139), who established it as a distinct lineage parallel to the Dagpo Kagyu by receiving unique transmissions from Indian female adepts. Khyungpo Naljor undertook seven journeys to and , studying under more than one hundred masters, but the core of the Shangpa teachings derives from two principal female lineage holders: , sister of the Indian mahasiddha , and Sukhasiddhi. These transmissions emphasize practical yogic instructions over extensive scriptural , fostering a lineage noted for its esoteric and experiential focus rather than institutional monastic structures. Central to the Shangpa Kagyu are the "Five Golden Dharmas" (gser chos lnga), received directly from , which form a complete path likened to a tree with roots, trunk, branches, flowers, and fruit. The roots consist of the Six Dharmas of Niguma, including practices on inner heat (gtum mo), illusory body, , (clear light), transference of consciousness (), and intermediate state () navigation—distinct yet analogous to Naropa's six yogas but tailored through Niguma's visionary instructions. The trunk features the teachings from the "Amulet Mahamudra" (thong mun ma), a concise oral instruction emphasizing direct realization of mind's nature, while branches, flowers, and fruit incorporate deity yogas such as the Five Deity Chakrasamvara and integrations with view. This system prioritizes solitary meditation and realization over communal rituals, distinguishing it from the more doctrinally systematized Dagpo branches. Though Khyungpo Naljor founded monastic seats like those in the Shang region of Tsang, the tradition historically favored itinerant yogic practice with minimal emphasis on hierarchical monasticism, leading to its preservation through small, secretive lines rather than expansive institutions. By the seventeenth century, the lineage faced near extinction but was revived through efforts of masters like Taranatha, who documented its texts, and decisively by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodrö Thaye (1813–1899) in the nineteenth century. Kongtrul established retreat centers such as Tsadra Rinchen Drak in 1859 and integrated Shangpa transmissions into broader non-sectarian (rimé) compilations, ensuring its survival as an independent yet complementary strand within Tibetan Buddhism. Today, Shangpa Kagyu maintains autonomy, often practiced alongside other lineages by lay practitioners and yogins emphasizing its "secret" oral transmissions.

Dagpo Kagyu: Overview and Primary Branches

The Dagpo Kagyu lineage, systematized by (1079–1153 CE), diversified after his passing into four primary branches established by his principal disciples, each preserving core transmissions of meditation and the Six Yogas of while developing distinct institutional emphases. These branches—, Barom Kagyu, Tshalpa Kagyu, and Phagdru Kagyu—emerged in the mid-12th century, reflecting adaptations to regional monastic needs and leadership structures in central and eastern . Their longevity is evidenced by the persistence of foundational monasteries, such as those initiated under each founder's guidance, which served as centers for doctrinal continuity amid later political upheavals. The Karma Kagyu branch was founded by Dusum Khyenpa (1110–1193 CE), who established key monasteries including Tsurphu in 1185 CE, introducing the formalized tulku system of recognized reincarnations to ensure unbroken transmission, with Dusum Khyenpa himself prophesying his successor Karma Pakshi. Barom Kagyu originated with Barom Darma Wangchuk (1127–1199 CE), who founded Barom Monastery in northern Latö, prioritizing yogic retreat practices and maintaining a smaller, meditation-focused lineage without extensive tulku hierarchies. Tshalpa Kagyu, initiated by Zhang Yudrakpa Tsöndru Drakpa (1123–1193 CE), emphasized doctrinal scholarship and monastic discipline at Tsel Gungtang Monastery, blending Kagyu meditation with administrative innovations that influenced later Tibetan governance. Phagdru Kagyu was established by Phagmo Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170 CE), who constructed Gungthang Monastery and fostered a broad monastic network in the Phagdru region, laying groundwork for expansive sub-lineages through emphasis on communal practice and regional patronage. While all branches upheld Gampopa's integration of —direct realization of mind's empty luminosity—with tantric yogas, distinctions arose in institutional mechanisms for authority; for instance, 's tulku recognitions provided a verifiable continuity absent in Barom's reliance on direct discipleship succession, enabling resilience against fragmentation as documented in surviving lineage records and monastic charters dating to the 12th–13th centuries. This structural variance contributed to varying degrees of endurance, with demonstrating empirical adaptability through over 900 years of institutional survival.

Dagpo Kagyu: Secondary Branches

The Dagpo Kagyu tradition diversified into eight secondary lineages, primarily emerging from disciples of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170 CE), extending the meditative and transmission emphases of the primary branches while adapting to regional contexts in central and eastern during the 12th and 13th centuries. These sub-schools maintained core Kagyu practices such as and the Six Yogas of but developed distinct institutional structures and emphases, with some achieving enduring regional influence.
  • Drikung Kagyu, founded by Jigten Sumgön (1143–1217 CE), a direct disciple of Phagmo Drupa, emphasizes the Fivefold Profound Path of , integrating bodhichitta cultivation, deity practice (particularly Chakrasamvara), , and profound insight as a complete system for enlightenment in one lifetime.
  • Lingre Kagyu, established by Lingrepa Pema Dorje (1128–1188 CE), focused on direct yogic transmission and monastic foundations in the Ling region, though it largely integrated into broader Drukpa lineages over time.
  • Drukpa Kagyu, initiated by Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161–1211 CE), spread extensively into eastern , , and by the , where it unified the region under Zhabdrung (1594–1651 CE), fostering political autonomy alongside tantric practices.
  • Shuksep Kagyu, founded by Gyergom Tsultrim Senge (1144–1204 CE), centered on Shuksep (established 1181 CE) and prioritized realization through intensive retreat practices in remote central Tibetan valleys.
  • Taklung Kagyu, originating with Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (1142–1209 CE), highlights and unwavering devotion to the root lama as the primary vehicle for realization, with key monasteries in northern sustaining the lineage.
  • Trophu Kagyu, developed by Gyal Tsha Rinchen Gon (1118–1195 CE) and Kunden Repa (1148–1217 CE) from Gampopa's direct line, maintained scholarly-monastic traditions emphasizing scriptural alongside at Trophu .
  • Yazang Kagyu, founded by Sharawa Kalden Yeshe Sengge (d. 1207 CE) and continued by Yazang Chöje, operated in limited regional scopes, preserving esoteric transmissions with a focus on visionary yogic experiences.
  • Yelpa Kagyu, established by Yelpa Yeshe Tsekpa (1134–1194 CE), built institutions like Tana (1168 CE) in , integrating retreat-based practices and local adaptations for eastern Tibetan practitioners.
![Tsangpa Gyare, founder of the Drukpa Kagyu]float-right These lineages, while numerically secondary, contributed to the Kagyu's resilience by decentralizing authority and tailoring transmissions to diverse terrains, with Drikung, Drukpa, and Taklung demonstrating the longest historical continuity through monastic networks.

Core Teachings and Practices

Philosophical View: Mahamudra and Emptiness

Mahamudra, translated as "great seal," constitutes the Kagyu tradition's paramount philosophical view, denoting the direct, non-conceptual realization of the mind's ultimate nature as primordially empty of inherent existence yet inherently luminous and cognizant. This realization affirms that all phenomena lack independent self-nature while manifesting dependently, thereby upholding causal processes without positing eternal substrates or void nullity. In this framework, emptiness (śūnyatā) is not mere privation but the open ground enabling all arising, where apparent forms emerge through interdependent conditions, preserving efficacy in cause-effect relations as observed in empirical sequences of perception and action. Aligned with Prasangika , Kagyu elucidates as synonymous with dependent origination, rejecting both nihilistic denial of functionality—which would undermine verifiable patterns of arising and cessation—and eternalistic reification of essences, which contradicts revealing all entities as conventionally designated aggregates. This causal realism posits that phenomena's illusory-like operation stems precisely from their lack of intrinsic reality, allowing dynamic interdependence without foundational fixity; for instance, sensory experiences arise conditioned by prior mental and physical factors, dissolving tracelessly upon examination. Such a view is corroborated by meditative deconstructions yielding uniform insights among adepts, wherein mind's clarity remains unaltered amid flux, debunking claims of inherent duality between subject and object. Distinguishing Kagyu from more gradualist approaches in other Tibetan schools, prioritizes sudden, guru-mediated pointing-out of mind's innate luminosity over protracted conceptual preliminaries or scholastic deconstructions, contending that excessive staging risks entrenching dualistic habits rather than dissolving them outright. While integrating preparatory stabilizations, the emphasis lies in immediate verification through introspective , where uncontrived reveals the "one taste" of samsara and nirvana, rendering further artifice superfluous once recognized. This directness, evidenced by lineage texts' consistent experiential criteria, critiques over-dependence on accumulative paths as potentially obscuring the ever-present ground, though it demands rigorous discernment to avoid mistaking transient glimpses for stable fruition.

Meditative Practices: Six Yogas of Naropa

The Six Yogas of Naropa, also termed the Six Dharmas, form a pivotal sequence of advanced completion-stage (sampannakrama) meditative practices in the Kagyu lineage, aimed at mastering the and realizing the innate of mind. These techniques, originating from the Indian (988–1069 CE) and transmitted to (c. 1016–1100 CE), emphasize direct experiential insight into and coemergent bliss through psychophysical control, distinct from preliminary generation-stage visualizations. Naropa passed these orally to Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097 CE), who integrated them into Tibetan practice, where they became quintessentially Kagyu, requiring devotion to activate causal potency beyond mechanical effort. The practices progress sequentially:
  • Tummo (inner heat) involves vase breathing and visualization to ignite psychic heat at the navel , melting the white drop and generating four joys, with verifiable physiological effects such as peripheral temperature increases up to 8.3°C in extremities during sessions.
  • Illusory body cultivates recognition of phenomena as dreamlike projections of mind, dissolving dualistic perception into the of the subtle body.
  • extends this by maintaining lucidity in states, transforming nocturnal experiences into paths for realizing self-liberated awareness.
  • yoga pierces the innate underlying all states, training in non-conceptual to abide in primordially pure dharmakaya.
  • (transference) directs consciousness at death via central channel winds, ejecting it through the crown aperture toward pure lands, practiced preemptively for navigation.
  • yoga prepares for intermediate states post-death, recognizing six bardos as opportunities for enlightenment by integrating prior yogas' realizations.
These yogas yield empirical markers like tummo's heat, documented in controlled observations of practitioners, and culminate in rare siddhis such as dissolution, attested in hagiographies of Kagyu forebears like (1052–1135 CE), where physical remains reportedly vanished into light, underscoring causal efficacy of sustained subtle-body mastery over mere intellectual grasp. Devotional reliance on the , via samaya-bound empowerments, ensures practices transcend egoic striving, fostering uncontrived realization aligned with Mahamudra's direct .

Tantric and Ritual Elements


The Kagyu tradition operates within the Vajrayana framework, emphasizing Anuttarayoga tantra practices that integrate development stage visualizations and completion stage yogas to achieve rapid enlightenment through the inseparability of bliss and emptiness. Tantric rituals center on empowerments (wang), ceremonial transmissions conferring blessings, purifying obscurations, and authorizing engagement in deity meditations; these typically encompass four initiations—the vase (purifying body into enjoyment body), secret (speech into speech of dharmas), prajnajnana (mind into wisdom mind), and word (conferring buddhahood potential)—administered by a qualified lama representing the lineage. In Kagyu lineages, such as Karma Kagyu, empowerments for yidams like Chakrasamvara include preparatory stages to ready recipients for the full ritual, often involving group recitations and symbolic acts to invoke the deity's presence.
Key tantric yidams unique to Kagyu include , Chakrasamvara (Cakrasambhava), and Gyalwa Gyatso, practiced through sadhanas involving recitation, performance, and offerings to embody the deities' enlightened qualities. sadhana, prerequisite for advanced yogas like those of , entails self-visualization as the deity amid settings, transforming dualistic perception via union with consort aspects. Chakrasamvara practice, prominent in , focuses on nondual union of male and female principles, generating a through bliss-channel winds manipulations. These are compiled in Jamgön Kongtrul's Treasury of the Kagyu Tantras (19th century), preserving Marpa's Indian transmissions. Upon , practitioners tantric commitments, including 14 root pledges against actions like denigrating the or revealing secrets to unqualified persons, binding master, disciples, and siblings in a of purity essential for efficacy. Rituals extend to ngondro preliminaries incorporating purification mantra (100,000 recitations standard) and , invoking lineage blessings via visualization and dissolution into the lama's , underscoring the oral, experiential transmission over doctrinal study alone. Advanced self-empowerments (for retreatants post-initial wang) sustain , enabling continuous ritual immersion without external masters.

Historical Institutions and Influence

Key Monasteries and Centers

Tsurphu Monastery, established in 1189 CE by , the first , in Tolung Valley near , functions as the ancestral seat of the lineage and a primary repository for its oral transmissions, including instructions passed through recognized incarnations. The site supported intensive retreats for yogic practices derived from the Six Yogas of , verifying lineage authenticity via enthronements and scriptural commentaries preserved in its libraries. Severely damaged during the 1960s , partial reconstructions since the 1980s have enabled limited continuity of these functions under restricted access. Drikung Thil Monastery, founded in 1179 CE by Jigten Sumgön approximately 150 kilometers northeast of , anchors the sub-lineage as its inaugural institution and a focal point for empirical validation of meditative realizations through communal retreats and debate. It housed transmission lineages emphasizing the Five Profound Paths, with historical records documenting over 100 subsidiary centers that disseminated these practices across by the 13th century. Like other Kagyu sites, it faced demolition in the mid-20th century invasions, yet foundational texts and ritual artifacts were safeguarded in exile, facilitating doctrinal recovery. Namdruk Monastery, initiated in 1205 CE by Tsangpa Gyare in eastern following his reported vision of ascending dragons, originated the branch and served as an early hub for tantric empowerments and visionary training aligned with Kagyu oral heritage. The site enabled verification of successor qualifications through direct lineage inspections, expanding to regional networks that preserved Drukpa-specific yogas amid 13th-century integrations with local clans. Subsequent establishments, such as Druk Sangag Chöling founded in the by Pema Karpo, extended these roles southward, though original structures suffered wartime losses and 1959 upheavals, with transmissions relocated abroad for continuity.

Political and Cultural Role in Tibetan History

The branches of the Kagyu school exerted significant temporal authority in medieval , with the Phagmo Drupa Kagyu lineage giving rise to the , which ruled Central from 1354 to the early 17th century after overthrowing governance. This regime maintained regional control through monastic networks, blending spiritual leadership with administrative power over . Similarly, sub-lineages such as held sway in eastern , fostering localized polities that resisted centralized unification. The lineage, in particular, cultivated patron-priest ties with imperial China, beginning under the and extending to the Ming, where successive received honors like the title of National Preceptor and invitations to court. For instance, the Fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shekpa (1384–1415), visited the in 1407, advising on state rituals while upholding doctrinal independence. These relations granted the leverage against domestic rivals, enabling territorial holdings in and Tsurphu Monastery as a base of influence, though leaders often eschewed direct . Culturally, Kagyu contributions emphasized experiential realization through poetry and song, with Milarepa's attributed corpus of over 100,000 verses shaping Tibetan literary traditions by embedding yogic insights into vernacular expression. These works, transmitted orally, influenced Himalayan and spiritual narratives, portraying ascetic trials and enlightenment as accessible archetypes. Kagyu resistance to theocratic consolidation under later hegemony preserved a decentralized , prioritizing lineage-based monastic over unified , which sustained diverse regional practices amid 16th–17th-century sectarian tensions. Internal dynamics, however, fostered fragmentation, as sub-lineage rivalries spurred conflicts in the 13th–14th centuries, including succession wars and alliances with external patrons that exacerbated divisions within Dagpo Kagyu branches. This pattern of intra-Kagyu competition, evident in Phagmo Drupa's splintering into secondary lines like Tselpa and Rinpungpa, undermined cohesive political projection while highlighting causal links between charismatic reincarnation systems and hereditary disputes.

Controversies and Succession Disputes

Historical Schisms in Kagyu Lineages

Following the passing of Gampopa (1079–1153), the Dagpo Kagyu lineage diversified into four primary subschools—Karma Kagyu, Barom Kagyu, Phagdru Kagyu, and Tselpa Kagyu—stemming from his key disciples such as Düsum Kyenpa (1110–1193) for Karma Kagyu and Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110–1170) for Phagdru Kagyu. These early divisions arose from variations in the emphasis on specific oral instructions and meditative approaches within the shared framework of Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa, rather than fundamental doctrinal ruptures, allowing each to maintain fidelity to Gampopa's core synthesis of Nyingma and Kadam traditions with mahāsiddha practices. The Phagdru Kagyu, in particular, further fragmented into eight secondary lineages, including Drikung, Taklung, and Drukpa, founded by Phagmo Drupa's disciples like Jigten Sumgön (1143–1217) and Tsangpa Gyare (1161–1211), reflecting localized adaptations in practice and patronage amid Tibet's regional monastic networks. In the 14th century, the Phagdru Kagyu's political ascendancy under figures like Tai Situ Jangchub Gyaltsen (1302–1364), who established the Phagmodrupa dynasty's control over central from approximately 1340 to 1435, intensified inter-lineage rivalries, particularly with the , over territorial influence and monastic resources. This era saw the Phagmodrupa rulers consolidate secular authority previously held by the school, sidelining rival Kagyu branches through alliances and occasional coercive measures, such as the appropriation of peripheral monasteries, though outright doctrinal schisms remained limited as all adhered to Kagyu esoteric transmissions. The , under successive Karmapas like Rangjung Dorje (1284–1339), preserved autonomy in eastern , fostering parallel power structures that underscored the lineages' decentralized nature but also sowed seeds for future tensions. The (reincarnate lama) system, pioneered within the by the first Düsum Kyenpa in the late 12th century, played a dual role in these dynamics by enabling verifiable continuity through recognized incarnations, as evidenced by the unbroken succession of 16 Karmapas up to the without pre-modern recognition failures. In other branches, such as Drikung and Taklung, selective recognitions supported leadership stability, mitigating disputes over succession that plagued non-tulku reliant systems elsewhere in ; however, interpretive ambiguities in identifying emanations occasionally fueled intra-lineage rivalries, as seen in sporadic 13th–14th-century contests for monastic abbacies resolved through prophetic letters or oracular consultations rather than systemic breakdown. This mechanism empirically favored Kagyu endurance amid fragmentation, with historical records indicating fewer leadership vacuums compared to elective monastic hierarchies, though it did not eliminate localized power struggles tied to aristocratic patronage.

Karmapa Controversy: Origins and Key Events

The controversy surrounding the recognition of the 17th Karmapa emerged after the death of the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, on November 5, 1981, in Chicago, Illinois, while receiving medical treatment. In the Karma Kagyu tradition, the Karmapa typically leaves a sealed prediction letter detailing the circumstances of his next rebirth, to be opened after passing. Following the 16th Karmapa's death, a letter purportedly entrusted to the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche was presented in 1991, predicting the reincarnation's birth to nomadic parents in the Lhathok region near Tsurphu Monastery in the year of the wooden pig (corresponding to 1983 in the Tibetan calendar). This document's authenticity was immediately contested by the 14th Shamar Rinpoche, a key regent in the lineage, who argued it was a forgery based on discrepancies in handwriting, sealing, and timing of discovery, as well as traditional protocols requiring multiple regents' involvement in such predictions. In May-June 1992, a search party dispatched by Tai Situ Rinpoche and Goshir Gyaltsap Rinpoche identified Ogyen Trinley Dorje, born June 26, 1985, in Lhatok village, as matching the letter's description despite the noted calendar discrepancy. Formal recognition followed on June 17, 1992, with enthronement at Tsurphu Monastery on September 27, 1992, under Chinese government auspices in Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama endorsed Ogyen Trinley as the 17th Karmapa on September 11, 1992, citing traditional signs and the prediction letter. Shamar Rinpoche rejected these proceedings, maintaining the letter's invalidity and, in 1994, enthroning Trinley Thaye Dorje—born May 6, 1983, in Lhasa—as the authentic incarnation based on independent divinations and earlier sightings. Tensions escalated into disputes over administrative control of Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India, the Karma Kagyu seat-in-exile established by the 16th Karmapa in 1959. In August 1992, Tai Situ and Gyaltsap Rinpoches attempted to assume regency roles at Rumtek, prompting Shamar Rinpoche's faction to secure the premises legally, leading to accusations of impropriety and court interventions by 1993. Clashes between rival monk groups culminated in physical violence on March 17, 1994, with reports of injuries during attempts to access monastery assets. Ongoing legal battles over property ownership and trusteeship persisted through the 1990s, involving Indian courts and highlighting factional divisions without resolution. On December 28, 1999, amid these conflicts, 14-year-old escaped Tsurphu Monastery with aides, traversing the incognito to reach Dharamsala, , on January 5, 2000, where he sought refuge with the . This event intensified property claims, as Ogyen Trinley's arrival fueled demands for access to Rumtek, while Shamar Rinpoche's supporters resisted, citing unresolved authentication issues.

Karmapa Claimants: Perspectives and Verifiable Claims

Ogyen Trinley Dorje, born on June 26, 1985, in Lhatok Phutsok village in eastern Tibet, was identified as the 17th Karmapa by the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche based on a purported prediction letter attributed to the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, which specified details including the birthplace, parents' names, and birth month with three auspicious signs. This letter, allegedly given to Tai Situ in an amulet before the 16th Karmapa's death in 1981, was presented to the Dalai Lama, who issued a confirmation on June 30, 1992. Supporters cite additional signs, such as reported visions of the black crown by Ogyen Trinley at age 2 and formal enthronement at Tsurphu Monastery in 1992 under Chinese auspices, followed by his escape to India in December 2000. Critics, including the 14th Shamar Rinpoche, argue the letter is a forgery, noting inconsistencies like mismatched handwriting and timing, and question the process's reliance on Gelugpa (Dalai Lama) oversight, which deviates from Karma Kagyu tradition where the Shamarpa holds principal recognition authority. Further scrutiny arose from a 2023 multimillion-dollar settlement in a Canadian court case where Ogyen Trinley acknowledged paternity of a child born in 2017 via DNA evidence, contradicting monastic vows and prompting debates on his suitability as a tulku embodiment. Trinley Thaye Dorje, born on May 6, 1983, in Gangtok, Sikkim (though identified with a Tibetan birthplace claim), was recognized by the 14th Shamar Rinpoche in 1994 through traditional signs including dreams, oracles, and direct identification without a prediction letter, emphasizing internal Karma Kagyu protocols independent of external political figures like the Dalai Lama. Shamarpa's announcement highlighted Thaye Dorje's unprompted recitation of texts and recognition of relics from prior Karmapas, leading to his enthronement at a monastery in India in 1996 and education under Karma Kagyu lamas focused on lineage preservation. Proponents stress this adherence to historical precedents, such as the Shamarpa's role in past recognitions, avoiding what they view as Chinese or Gelugpa interference that compromised Ogyen Trinley's process. Detractors note limited initial institutional support and Thaye Dorje's smaller global following compared to Ogyen Trinley, though he has openly married and fathered children, aligning with some interpretations allowing tulkus personal life while maintaining teachings. The dual claims underscore vulnerabilities in the system, where subjective signs like dreams and letters invite forgery or manipulation, as evidenced by Shamarpa's initial acceptance then retraction of the prediction letter's authenticity, fueled by geopolitical tensions including China's early endorsement of Ogyen Trinley. This has divided Karma Kagyu adherents, with Ogyen Trinley attracting a reported through affiliations with major monasteries and the Dalai Lama's network, while Thaye Dorje retains loyalty among traditionalists prioritizing lineage autonomy. No comprehensive surveys quantify splits precisely, but the rift persists despite joint efforts, such as their 2018 meeting in affirming cooperation to heal divisions without resolving primacy. Empirical resolution remains elusive absent unified verification mechanisms, highlighting causal factors like institutional politics over innate spiritual authenticity.

Modern Developments and Global Spread

20th-Century Revival and Diaspora

Following the Chinese occupation of Tibet, the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924–1981), departed from Tsurpu Monastery on March 13, 1959, traveling through Bhutan before selecting Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India, as the Karma Kagyu seat in exile later that year. He initiated reconstruction of the ruined site in 1959, breaking ground for a new temple in January 1963 and completing it in February 1966, while relocating sacred treasures and relics from Tsurpu to safeguard material lineage elements. At Rumtek, he oversaw the education of young tulkus and conducted transmissions of core Kagyu scriptures during the 1960s and 1970s, touring refugee camps across Nepal, India, and Bhutan as early as 1961 to perform rituals and consolidate displaced communities. The 16th Karmapa's initiatives extended to revitalizing scholastic traditions diminished by pre-1959 sectarian conflicts and the occupation's destruction of over 130 monasteries, with efforts including the establishment of the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute (Rumtek Shedra) in the to hybridize traditional curricula—such as the Eight Great Texts—with modern education. This addressed empirical gaps in monastic scholarship, training figures like Chodrak Tenphel through textual transmissions and rituals to repair disrupted lineages. Oral transmissions remained prioritized for purity, as key lamas fleeing preserved experiential lineages despite physical losses, though debates persist on causal interruptions from the upheaval's scale, including executed and burned texts. Prominent exile lamas supported this reconstitution: (1905–1989), a Shangpa Kagyu holder, began instructing Western seekers in during the 1960s and founded over a dozen centers across and the by the 1970s through extensive tours. His disciple Bokar Rinpoche (1940–2003), having completed multiple three-year retreats under Kalu, directed meditation centers like those in , , emphasizing and Shangpa practices for over 19 years of personal retreat, thus sustaining intensive training amid cultural dislocation. These efforts marked the Kagyu's initial phase, bridging Tibetan refugee survival with early global dissemination via direct, verifiable impartations to growing disciple groups.

Recent Events and Leadership (2000–2025)

In the early 2000s, the Karma Kagyu lineage continued to grapple with the dual recognition of Ogyen Trinley Dorje, enthroned in 1992 by the 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche and supported by the 14th Dalai Lama, and Trinley Thaye Dorje, enthroned in 1994 by the 14th Shamar Rinpoche, leading to parallel leadership structures without formal unification. Ogyen Trinley Dorje resided primarily in India and later the United States, conducting teachings and empowerments for followers aligned with the Dalai Lama's administration, while Thaye Dorje, based in India, emphasized traditional Karma Kagyu transmissions through institutions like the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute. A notable development occurred on March 25, 2017, when Thaye Dorje, previously a celibate , married Rinchen Yangzom in a private ceremony in , disrobing to assume a role while retaining his position as ; the couple has since had children, prompting debate among adherents about adherence to monastic vows in lineage leadership, though supporters cited precedents in Kagyu history for non-celibate masters. This contrasted with Ogyen Trinley Dorje's maintenance of monastic status amid separate allegations; in January 2023, he reportedly agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement in a U.S. civil case involving claims of and fathering a child, though the case lacked DNA evidence or criminal charges and was resolved privately without admission of liability. Attempts at reconciliation included a 2018 meeting between the two Karmapas to foster amicable relations, followed by a joint statement on December 4, 2023, committing to collaboratively recognize and educate the reincarnation of the 14th Kunzig Shamar Rinpoche, signaling limited cooperation on succession matters despite ongoing factional divisions. The annual Kagyu Monlam prayer gatherings in Bodhgaya persisted, drawing thousands; the 39th edition from February 1–12, 2025, proceeded under shared organizational auspices, though Ogyen Trinley Dorje's unexplained absence from this and the concurrent Arya Kshema nuns' gathering highlighted persistent separations, with attendance estimates exceeding 10,000 participants reflecting sustained institutional vitality amid schisms. By 2025, Ogyen Trinley Dorje reaffirmed alignment with the Dalai Lama, praising him as a "Second Buddha" in July ahead of his 90th birthday and rejecting Chinese interference in Tibetan reincarnations, while delivering teachings such as a January speech on the Taglung Kagyu sub-lineage. Thaye Dorje led the Karmapa Public Course at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute from March 9–17, 2025, focusing on core texts, and visited international centers, underscoring dual leadership tracks without resolution to the controversy. Refutations of lingering 2025 allegations against Ogyen Trinley, including unsubstantiated claims of misconduct, emphasized lack of forensic evidence and legal dismissal, though they fueled partisan narratives within the lineage.

Current Institutions and Challenges

The Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI) in , , serves as a primary educational hub for the lineage, offering academic courses in , Tibetan , and to international students under the oversight of the Karmapa International Buddhist Society. Similarly, the lineage maintains key centers such as the Drikung Kagyu Institute in Dehra Dun, , alongside global outposts including the Drikung Meditation Center in , , and the Drikung Dharma Surya Center, focusing on and lineage-specific practices. The tradition encompasses thousands of monasteries, nunneries, and dharma centers worldwide, with major Western establishments like in New York, , acting as the North American seat. These institutions support practitioner engagement through retreats, teachings, and community programs, though precise global membership figures remain elusive due to decentralized affiliations and varying commitment levels among adherents. Succession uncertainties persist as a core challenge, particularly in the , where dual Karmapa claimants— and —have divided loyalties since the late 1990s, leading to parallel organizational structures and reduced unified authority. This schism contributes to affiliation splits, with some centers aligning exclusively with one claimant, hindering cohesive leadership and resource allocation. Financial and legal disputes exacerbate these issues, as evidenced by ongoing litigation over in , ; as of September 2025, the Sikkim government continues efforts to facilitate 's return, but court cases filed since 1998, including recent Supreme Court rulings remanding matters to district courts, prolong control battles and spiritual vacuums at the site. In Western contexts, critiques have emerged regarding the of teachings, where high fees for retreats and empowerments—often necessary for operational —risk commoditizing oral transmission traditions originally intended for dedicated monastics and lay practitioners without monetary barriers. Observers note that such adaptations to market-driven models can attract casual participants but dilute the emphasis on rigorous, unremunerated guru-disciple bonds central to Kagyu practice. Post-2020, institutions have adapted via online platforms, with both claimants delivering webcast teachings and prayers during the , such as Ogyen Trinley Dorje's sessions on mind training and Thaye Dorje's videos on karma and change, enhancing accessibility but raising concerns over the efficacy of virtual transmission for esoteric initiations requiring . This digital shift, while democratizing entry, faces scrutiny for potentially fragmenting the lineage's experiential core amid broader secular demands for empirical validation of meditative claims.

References

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