The Kagyu Sect བཀའ་བརྒྱུད། is one of four major schools of thought in Tibetan Buddhism. It is important to know a little about Tibetan Culture and Tradition before Traveling to Tibet, so we have written about the Kagyu sect here.
The Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism is also known as the Oral Lineage. The tradition is one of the four primary schools of Tibetan Buddhism, along with Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. The lineage is often called the practice lineage. The tradition places great importance on Intensive meditation practice of Guru Yoga, The Power of devotion, and transmission from the master to the disciple. The Mahamudra “The Great Seal” in the prime teaching of the Kagyu.
Early Origin in India
Kagyu traces its lineage back to the Indian sage Tilopa. He is said to have received direct Vajradhara (Dorje Chang) instruction. Vajradhara’s Teaching is considered superior to Sakyamuni’s (The Historical Buddha) because Shakyamuni’s teaching is bound to human capabilities, whereas Vajradhara has the complete enjoyment body. In Order to thoroughly understand the teaching of the master with the Complete enjoyment body, one must reach a certain level of realization. So, the instruction of such a Buddha is far superior to that of an emanation-bodied Buddha like Shakyamuni.
Besides Tilopa, the lineage counts on essential figures like Nagarjuna, Saraha, Savari, and Maitripa as lineage members. The primary student of Tilopa is Naropa. He was a very well learned scholar of Buddhism and rose to the rank of abbot of Nalanda University. He lacked a deeper understanding of teaching despite scholarly knowledge.
History of Kagyu in Tibet
Kagyu tradition begins in Tibet with Marpa Lotsawa ( the translator from Mar). He was trained as a translator and traveled to India three times and Nepal four times in search of religious teachings. His master is Naropa, from whom he received the close lineage of Mahamudra and Tantric teaching.
Upon returning to Tibet, Milarepa became his principal student. Gompopa became the principal student of Milarepa. It is Gompopa who started the monastic institution of Kagyu with the fusion of the traditions of Kadampa Monastic culture. This marks the start of the Dagpo Kagyu. His students later subdivided this school into four subschools.
The four main sub-schools of Dagpo Kagyu are
- Karma
- Barom
- Tsalpa
- Pagdru
Pagyu Kagyu later split into eight subschools, found by Phagmodrupa’s eight main students. Currently, only three out of eight subschools remain. Pagyu Kagyu ruled Tibet during the 14th and part of the 15th Centuries. Here is the list of eight subschools of Pagdru Kagyu.
- Drikung
- Drukpa
- Taklung
- Martsang
- Shugseb
- Trophu
- Yamzang
- Yelpa
Some important figures in Kagyu Lineage
A) Marpa Lotsawa
The Marpa’s real name is Chokyi Lodro of Mar (the Village name). He was trained as a translator under Drogmi Yeshi. He traveled to India three times and Nepal four times in search of Buddhist teaching. His Principal Teachers were Naropa and Maitripa.
B) Tilopa and Naropa
Tilopa and Naropa are the great Panditas (Scholars) and Siddhas ( accomplished saints) of Nalanda University in ancient India. Tilopa received the teaching of four special transmissions: The yoga of 1) Illusory Body and transference of Consciousness, 2) Dream Yoga, 3) Luminosity, and 4) Yoga of Inner heat from two sources, called the direct and indirect lineage. The direct lineage of the teaching was Buddha Vajradhara. The indirect lineage comes from four primary teachers of Tilopa and is called the “four special transmission lineages.” Naropa received these teachings from Tilopa, and Naropa taught to the Marpa.
C) Milarepa
Milarepa is Marpa’s primary student, and Marpa passed these lines. He is the most renowned Tibetan Tantric yogi who achieved enlightenment in one lifetime. He holds the lineage and tradition of the practice.
D) Gampopa
Also known as Dakpo Lhaje, he is the principal student of Milarepa and was prophesied by Buddha himself in the Sutras. He pioneered the establishment of the framework of the lineage by unifying Milarepa’s Mahamudra lineage with the stages of the path tradition of the Kadampa lineage. This lineage and tradition are known as the Dhakpo Kagyu.
Gampopa had three heart disciples: Düsum Khyenpa, Phakmo Drupa, and Saltong Shogom. Düsum Khyenpa (1110-1193), also known as Khampa Usey (literally, the “white-haired Khampa”), became known as the First Karmapa, who established the Karma Kagyu lineage.
The Main Monastery of the sect in Tibet
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