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


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]
- 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]
- 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]
- 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.
- 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
[edit]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
[edit]
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
[edit]Karma Kamtsang (Karma Kagyu)
[edit]
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
[edit]The Karma Kagyu school itself has three sub-schools in addition to the main branch:[16]
- Surmang, founded by Trungmase, 1st Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche, a student of Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama, this sub-sect was centered on Surmang Monastery, in what is now Qinghai
- Nédo Kagyu (Wylie: gnas mdo), founded by Karma Chagme (Wylie: kar ma chags med, 1613–1678), a disciple of the 6th Shamarpa (Wylie: zhwa dmar chos kyi dbang phyug, 1584–1630)
- Gyaltön Kagyu
Barom Kagyu
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]
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
[edit]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
[edit]
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
[edit]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
[edit]
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
[edit]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
[edit]
The Taklung Kagyu (Wylie: stag lungs bka' brgyud), named after Taklung Monastery established in 1180 by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (1142–1210).
Trophu Kagyu
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]View
[edit]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
[edit]
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:
- 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.[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]
- The Chöd lineage
- Kalachakra (derived from the Jonang lineage)
- White Tara (derived from the Kadam school)
- The practices related to deities such as Green Tara, Avalokiteśvara, Vajrakilaya, and Padmasambhava (derived from the Nyingma school)
Notes
[edit]- ^ These four lineages of instruction are enumerated by Situ Panchen as: 1. The instructions on mahāmudrā (Wylie: phyag rgya chen po'i gdam ngags); 2. The instructions on tummo or "heat yoga" (Wylie: gtum mo'i bka' babs, Sanskrit caṇḍāli); 3. The instructions on luminosity (Wylie: 'od gsal kyi bka' babs); 4. The instructions on Karmamudrā (Wylie: las kyi phyags rgya'i bka babs)
- ^ The hereditary lineages starting from Ngok Choku Dorje's son Ngok Dode (Wylie: rngog mdo sde, b. 1090) up to 1476 AD are detailed in Roerich 1988, pp. 406–414
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ Duff, Tony, Gampopa Teaches Essence Mahamudra, p. xii
- ^ a b Powers 2007, p. 402.
- ^ a b Smith & Schaeffer 2001, p. 40.
- ^ Thurman 2003, p. 42.
- ^ Powers 2007, p. 401.
- ^ "Atisha and the Restoration of Buddhism in Tibet by Gurugana Dharmakaranama". Lamayeshe.com. 11 April 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ Roerich 1988, p. 403.
- ^ "TBRC P0RK1289". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
- ^ Dargey, Yonten. History of the Drukpa Kagyud in Bhutan. Thimphu 2001. pg. 58
- ^ "TBRC P3074". Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
- ^ Powers 2007, pp. 402–405.
- ^ Tenzin Gyatsho, Dalai Lama XIV. The Gelug / Kagyü Tradition of Mahamudra p. 262
- ^ Ray 2002, pp. 181–182.
- ^ Ray 2002, p. 182.
- ^ Stearns, Cyrus (1999). The Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, pp. 17, 47-48, 51-52, 61. State University of New York Press. ISBN 0-7914-4191-1 (hc); ISBN 0-7914-4192-X (pbk).
- ^ "Transcriptions of teachings given by His Eminence the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa (2005)". Nic.fi. Archived from the original on 17 April 2008. Retrieved 11 April 2008.
- ^ Martin, Dan (2008). "Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ Dorje, Gyurme. Jokhang: Tibets most sacred Buddhist Temple . 2010 London, Thames and Hudson . pg. 12
- ^ Stearns, Cyrus. Luminous Lives: The Story of the Early Masters of the Lam dre in Tibet. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-307-9
- ^ Stoddard, E Heather (2002) Golden Buddhas from Tibet: Reconstruction of the Façade of a Stupa from Densathil. Archived 9 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "TBRC P910".
- ^ Martin, Dan (2008). "Gyergom Tsultrim Sengge". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ Gyurme Dorje 1999, p. 200.
- ^ "TBRC P3098".[dead link]
- ^ "TBRC P3099".[dead link]
- ^ "Chegompa Sherab Dorje - The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters". Tibetanlineages.org. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
- ^ "Yelpa Kagyu". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ Martin, Dan (2008). "Yelpa Yeshe Tsek". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
- ^ "Niguma Story". Archived from the original on 9 March 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
- ^ Jamgon Kongtrul 2003, p. 16.
- ^ Stearns 1999, p. 3.
- ^ Stearns 1999, p. 82.
- ^ Ringu Tulku, The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet, 2007, pp. 219, 226.
- ^ Brunnhölzl 2004, p. 446.
- ^ Brunnhölzl 2004, p. 447.
- ^ Brunnhölzl 2004, pp. 447–448.
- ^ Brunnhölzl 2004, p. 454.
- ^ The Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje; Dewar, Tyler (translator), (2019), pp. 14, 50, 300.
- ^ a b Roberts, Peter Alan (2011), Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools, Simon and Schuster, p. 5.
- ^ Roberts, Peter Alan (2011), Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools, Simon and Schuster, p. 6.
- ^ Roberts, Peter Alan (2011), Mahamudra and Related Instructions: Core Teachings of the Kagyu Schools, Simon and Schuster, p. 2.
- ^ "UVA Library". www.library.virginia.edu.
Works cited
[edit]- Berzin, Alexander (2003). "A Brief History of Drug Sang-ngag Choling Monastery". Retrieved 19 August 2013.
- Brunnhölzl, Karl (2004). The Center of the Sunlit Sky: Madhyamaka in the Kagyu Tradition. Snow Lion Publications.
- Dargye, Yonten (2001). History of the Drukpa Kagyud School in Bhutan (12th to 17th Century A.D.). Thimphu, Bhutan. ISBN 99936-616-0-0.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Gyurme Dorje (1999). Tibet Handbook: With Bhutan. Footprint Handbooks. ISBN 978-1-900949-33-0.
- Thurman, Robert (2003). Huntington, John C.; Bangdel, Dina (eds.). The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art. Serindia Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-932476-01-9.
- Hookham, S.K. (1991), The Buddha within : Tathagatagarbha doctrine according to the Shentong interpretation of the Ratnagotravibhaga, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791403587
- Jamgon Kongtrul (5 November 2003). Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse of the Shangpa Masters. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1-55939-960-9.
- Martin, Dan (May 2006). "A Bronze Portrait Image of Lo-ras-pa's Disciple: Tibetological Remarks on an Item in a Recent Asian Art Catalog". Tibetan Mongolian Museum Society. Archived from the original on 10 August 2009. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
- Powers, John (1994). Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Snow Lion. ISBN 1-55939-026-3.
- Powers, John (2007). Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Rev. ed.).
- Ray, Reginald (2002). "Indestructible Truth, The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism". The World of Tibetan Buddhism. Vol. I. Shambhala.
- rdo rje gdan pa mi pham tshe dbang btsan 'dzin (2001). The biography of Pha ʾBrug-sgom-zhig-po called the current of compassion. National Library of Bhutan. ISBN 978-99936-17-00-6.
- Roerich, George N. (1988) [1949]. The Blue Annals. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0471-5.
- Smith, E. Gene; Schaeffer, Kurtis R (2001). Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-86171-179-6.
- Stearns, Cyrus (1999), The Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, State University of New York Press, ISBN 0-7914-4191-1
- Stearns, Cyrus (2003), The Buddha from Dolpo: A Study of the Life and Thought of the Tibetan Master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., ISBN 81-208-1833-4
- Thondup (1987). Buddhist Civilization in Tibet. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-7102-1087-6.
Further reading
[edit]- Brunnhölzl, 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. [A 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. ISBN 978-0-14-310622-7
- Roberts, Peter Alan. The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan hagiography. London: Routledge, 2007. ISBN 0-415-76995-7
- 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. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
- 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. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
- 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. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
- Thaye, Jampa A Garland of Gold. Bristol: Ganesha Press, 1990. ISBN 0-9509119-3-3
- Thinley, Karma. The History of the Sixteen Karmapas of Tibet (1980) ISBN 1-57062-644-8
- 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
[edit]- Martin, Dan The Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism at Treasury of Lives
- Kagyu Lineage Chart
Barom Kagyu
[edit]Drikung Kagyu sites
[edit]Drukpa Kagyu
[edit]- Site of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa
- Drukpa Kagyu Lineage - Dorzong Rinpoche
- Drukpa Mila Center ~ a Bhutanese Drukpa Kagyu Center
Karma (Kamtsang) Kagyu
[edit]Sites associated with Trinlay Thaye Dorje
[edit]Sites associated with Urgyen Trinley Dorje
[edit]Karma Kagyu sites
[edit]Taklung Kagyu
[edit]Shangpa Kagyu
[edit]
Media related to Kagyu at Wikimedia Commons- Samdrup Dhargay Chuling Monastery
- Shangpa Kagyu Network
- Kagyu Dzamling Kunchab (Founded by Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche), New York, NY, USA
Kagyu
View on GrokipediaNomenclature 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."[5][1] 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.[8][9] In orthography, the Wylie transliteration standard renders the term as bka' brgyud, preserving Tibetan script conventions such as aspirated consonants and abbreviations, which differ from phonetic approximations in English like "Kagyu" or "Kargyu."[10] 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.[11] This contrasts with schools like Nyingma, which draws from ancient translated texts (tantra and terma), or Gelug, which integrates extensive commentarial exegesis, as Kagyu's titular focus highlights unbroken chains of realized practitioners' insights over institutionalized textual study.[12][1]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).[13] 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.[14] Tilopa (988–1069 CE), born in Chittagong (then part of Bengal), emerged as a central mahasiddha after receiving esoteric transmissions from dakinis and gurus like Sukhasiddhi and Vajravarahi, synthesizing them into the mahamudra path of direct insight into mind's empty luminosity.[15] His instructions, conveyed through dohas like the Ganges Mahamudra, express non-dual reality beyond conceptual elaboration, privileging unmediated awareness over scholastic analysis.[16] Naropa (1016–1100 CE), initially a Nalanda abbot renowned for scriptural erudition, renounced monastic scholarship following a dakini vision and underwent rigorous trials under Tilopa, including leaps from cliffs and subjugation by tigresses, to realize the causal tantric yogas.[17] These culminated in the Six Yogas—inner heat (tummo), illusory body, dream, clear light, phowa (consciousness transference), and bardo—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.[18] Maitripa (c. 1007–1085 CE), a contemporary mahasiddha influenced by Saraha and Nagarjuna's apophatic Madhyamaka, further shaped these streams by blending sutra-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 tantra: practices as verifiable means to dissolve subject-object dichotomy, evidenced in traditional accounts of siddhas' supernormal feats like subsisting on minimal sustenance during retreats.[19] This Indian matrix provided the unadulterated empirical and textual basis later systematized in Tibetan Kagyu, distinct from sutra traditions by its emphasis on rapid enlightenment through body-mind integration.[13]Marpa Lotsawa and Early Transmission (11th Century)
Marpa Lotsawa Chökyi Lodrö (1012–1097 CE) served as the primary conduit for Indian tantric teachings into Tibet, 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.[20][21] Marpa undertook three extended journeys to India and Nepal spanning roughly 1045 to 1080 CE, enduring significant hardships including shipwrecks and banditry to access declining Indian Buddhist centers. On these travels, he studied under Naropa (d. ca. 1040 CE), receiving the four special initiations that underpin the Six Yogas of Naropa—practices encompassing inner heat (gtum mo), illusory body, dream yoga, clear light, transference (pho ba), and intermediate state (bar do) yogas—along with empowerments into tantras such as Hevajra, Guhyasamāja, and Cakrasaṃvara. He also trained with Maitrīpa (986–1063 CE), acquiring foundational Mahāmudrā 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.[21][22][23] 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 Tibet.[21][24][25]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.[26] These retreats involved subsisting on minimal food, such as nettles, in extreme conditions, demonstrating the yogic discipline central to Kagyu transmission.[27] A hallmark of Milarepa's practice was mastery of tummo, the inner heat yoga, which enabled him to generate bodily warmth sufficient to survive frigid winters clad only in a thin cotton robe without external shelter or fire.[26] Traditional accounts describe him meditating in snow-bound caves like those in southern Tibet, where such feats served as empirical validation of meditative proficiency within the oral lineage.[28] 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.[28][29] 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.[30] These mgur emphasized experiential awakening over doctrinal study or ritual performance, implicitly contrasting with more ceremonial approaches in contemporaneous Tibetan traditions by highlighting unmediated insight as the core of liberation.[31][32] 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 Cakrasaṃvara Tantra, validating the lineage's reliance on personal verification of attainments rather than institutional hierarchies.[33][34] Rechungpa's journeys to India for supplemental texts and his subsequent teachings perpetuated Milarepa's emphasis on lived meditative proof, ensuring the Kagyu tradition's focus on individual empiricism.[35] This experiential model influenced subsequent Kagyu practitioners, prioritizing direct guru-disciple realization over textual or ritual formalism.[36]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.[37] 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).[38] 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.[39] In 1121 CE, Gampopa established Daklha Gampo Monastery in the Dagpo region of southern Tibet, serving as the foundational seat of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage.[40] This institution represented a pivotal shift from the itinerant, lay yogi practices exemplified by Milarepa to organized monastic communities emphasizing scriptural study alongside meditation, thereby institutionalizing the oral transmission for broader dissemination.[37] Gampopa's hagiographies describe visionary experiences, including encounters confirming the efficacy of devotion and meditation, which underscored the causal mechanisms linking guru yoga, preliminary practices, and profound insight in his doctrinal system.[41] 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.[42] 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.[43] Khyungpo Naljor undertook seven journeys to India and Nepal, studying under more than one hundred masters, but the core of the Shangpa teachings derives from two principal female lineage holders: Niguma, sister of the Indian mahasiddha Naropa, and Sukhasiddhi.[43] [44] These transmissions emphasize practical yogic instructions over extensive scriptural exegesis, fostering a lineage noted for its esoteric and experiential focus rather than institutional monastic structures.[45] Central to the Shangpa Kagyu are the "Five Golden Dharmas" (gser chos lnga), received directly from Niguma, which form a complete path likened to a tree with roots, trunk, branches, flowers, and fruit.[46] The roots consist of the Six Dharmas of Niguma, including practices on inner heat (gtum mo), illusory body, dream yoga, luminosity (clear light), transference of consciousness (phowa), and intermediate state (bardo) navigation—distinct yet analogous to Naropa's six yogas but tailored through Niguma's visionary instructions.[46] [47] The trunk features the Mahamudra 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 Madhyamaka view.[47] [48] This system prioritizes solitary meditation and realization over communal rituals, distinguishing it from the more doctrinally systematized Dagpo branches.[49] 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.[45] 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.[44] [50] 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.[44] [1] Today, Shangpa Kagyu maintains autonomy, often practiced alongside other lineages by lay practitioners and yogins emphasizing its "secret" oral transmissions.[43]Dagpo Kagyu: Overview and Primary Branches
The Dagpo Kagyu lineage, systematized by Gampopa (1079–1153 CE), diversified after his passing into four primary branches established by his principal disciples, each preserving core transmissions of Mahamudra meditation and the Six Yogas of Naropa while developing distinct institutional emphases. These branches—Karma Kagyu, 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 Tibet. 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.[4][51] 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.[52][53][54][55] While all branches upheld Gampopa's integration of Mahamudra—direct realization of mind's empty luminosity—with tantric yogas, distinctions arose in institutional mechanisms for authority; for instance, Karma Kagyu'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 Karma Kagyu demonstrating empirical adaptability through over 900 years of institutional survival.[56][4]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 Tibet during the 12th and 13th centuries.[1] These sub-schools maintained core Kagyu practices such as Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa but developed distinct institutional structures and emphases, with some achieving enduring regional influence.[57]- Drikung Kagyu, founded by Jigten Sumgön (1143–1217 CE), a direct disciple of Phagmo Drupa, emphasizes the Fivefold Profound Path of Mahamudra, integrating bodhichitta cultivation, yidam deity practice (particularly Chakrasamvara), guru yoga, and profound insight meditation as a complete system for enlightenment in one lifetime.[5][58]
- 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.[56]
- Drukpa Kagyu, initiated by Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161–1211 CE), spread extensively into eastern Tibet, Ladakh, and Bhutan by the 16th century, where it unified the region under Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594–1651 CE), fostering political autonomy alongside tantric practices.[59][60]
- Shuksep Kagyu, founded by Gyergom Tsultrim Senge (1144–1204 CE), centered on Shuksep Monastery (established 1181 CE) and prioritized Mahamudra realization through intensive retreat practices in remote central Tibetan valleys.[57]
- Taklung Kagyu, originating with Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (1142–1209 CE), highlights guru yoga and unwavering devotion to the root lama as the primary vehicle for realization, with key monasteries in northern Tibet sustaining the lineage.[61]
- 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 exegesis alongside meditation at Trophu Monastery.[62]
- 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.[1]
- Yelpa Kagyu, established by Yelpa Yeshe Tsekpa (1134–1194 CE), built institutions like Tana Monastery (1168 CE) in Kham, integrating retreat-based practices and local adaptations for eastern Tibetan practitioners.[63][64]
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.[65][66] 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.[67] Aligned with Prasangika Madhyamaka, Kagyu Mahamudra elucidates emptiness 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 analysis 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.[68][69] Distinguishing Kagyu from more gradualist approaches in other Tibetan schools, Mahamudra 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 gaze, where uncontrived awareness 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.[70][71]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 subtle body and realizing the innate luminosity of mind. These techniques, originating from the Indian mahasiddha Tilopa (988–1069 CE) and transmitted to Naropa (c. 1016–1100 CE), emphasize direct experiential insight into emptiness 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 guru yoga devotion to activate causal potency beyond mechanical effort.[72][73] The practices progress sequentially:- Tummo (inner heat) involves vase breathing and visualization to ignite psychic heat at the navel chakra, 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.[74][75]
- Illusory body cultivates recognition of phenomena as dreamlike projections of mind, dissolving dualistic perception into the clear light of the subtle vajra body.
- Dream yoga extends this by maintaining lucidity in sleep states, transforming nocturnal experiences into paths for realizing self-liberated awareness.
- Clear light yoga pierces the innate luminosity underlying all states, training in non-conceptual rigpa to abide in primordially pure dharmakaya.
- Phowa (transference) directs consciousness at death via central channel winds, ejecting it through the crown aperture toward pure lands, practiced preemptively for bardo navigation.
- Bardo yoga prepares for intermediate states post-death, recognizing six bardos as opportunities for enlightenment by integrating prior yogas' realizations.[76][73]
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.[1] 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.[78][79] 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.[80] Key tantric yidams unique to Kagyu include Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara (Cakrasambhava), and Gyalwa Gyatso, practiced through sadhanas involving mantra recitation, mudra performance, and mandala offerings to embody the deities' enlightened qualities.[1] Vajrayogini sadhana, prerequisite for advanced yogas like those of Naropa, entails self-visualization as the deity amid charnel ground settings, transforming dualistic perception via union with wisdom consort aspects.[81] Chakrasamvara practice, prominent in Drikung Kagyu, focuses on nondual union of male and female principles, generating a rainbow body through bliss-channel winds manipulations.[82] These are compiled in Jamgön Kongtrul's Treasury of the Kagyu Tantras (19th century), preserving Marpa's Indian transmissions.[1] Upon empowerment, practitioners vow tantric samaya commitments, including 14 root pledges against actions like denigrating the guru or revealing secrets to unqualified persons, binding vajra master, disciples, and siblings in a mandala of purity essential for efficacy.[83][84] Rituals extend to ngondro preliminaries incorporating Vajrasattva purification mantra (100,000 recitations standard) and guru yoga, invoking lineage blessings via visualization and dissolution into the lama's mindstream, underscoring the oral, experiential transmission over doctrinal study alone.[1] Advanced self-empowerments (for retreatants post-initial wang) sustain samaya, enabling continuous ritual immersion without external masters.[85]
