The Kagyu (Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་; Wylie: Bka'-brgyud) school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" and "the Spotless Practice Lineage" school, is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being Nyingma (Rnying-ma), Sakya (Sa-skya), and Gelug (Dge-lugs). This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating the Tibetan script using the keys on a typical English language typewriter. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug). ... Sakya is one of four major schools (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Gelug) in Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana). ... The Geluk (dge lugs) School was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), Tibets best known religious reformer and arguably its greatest philosopher. ...

Origins

The Kagyu school traces its origins to the teachings of the Indian mystics Tilopa (988-1089) and Naropa (1016-1100), whose lineage was transmitted in Tibet by the great translator Marpa (1012-1097). He took over the mahamudra ("great seal") transmission lineage from Naropa. Moreover Marpa studied with the Indian Masters Maitripa and Kukuripa. On his third journey to India he met Atiśa (982-1054) and studied the teachings of the Kadampa masters (both Kagyu and Gelug schools trace their roots to the earlier Kadampa school). Marpa spent 17 years in India and is known as one of the great translators of the second translation period. Marpa's principal disciple was Milarepa (Mi-la-ras-pa) (1052-1135), arguably one of Tibet's great religious poets and meditators. Among Milarepa's many students were Gampopa (Sgam-po-pa) (1079-1153) - a great scholar who can be recognized as the real founder of Kagyu as a distinct school of Tibetan Buddhism - and Rechung Dorje Drakpa, also known as Rechungpa. Following Gampopa's teachings, there evolved the so-called "Four Major" schools, and from Gampopa's disciple Phagmogrupa the "Eight Minor" lineages of the Kagyu School. Tilopa (Tibetan; Sankrit: Talika, 988 - 1069) was an Indian tantric practitioner, regarded as the human founder of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Events Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev marries Anna, sister of Byzantine emperor Basil II and converts to Christianity. ... Events Northumbria divided by the Normans into the counties of Northumberland, County Durham, Yorkshire, Westmorland and Lancashire August 11, powerful Britain Coronation of Rama Varma Kulasekhara in Kerala Synod of Melfi under Pope Urban II imposes slavery on the wives of priests Palmyra destroyed by earthquake Byzantine conquest of Crete... Naropa (Tibetan; Sanskrit: Nadaprada, 1016-1100) was an Indian Buddhist mystic and monk, the pupil of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner, of Niguma. ... Events George Tsul, ruler of Khazaria, is captured by a combined Byzantine- Rus force, which effectively ends Khazarias existence. ... Events William II of England dies in a hunting accident - Henry I becomes King of England King Henry I proclaims the Charter of Liberties, one of the first examples of a constitution. ... This article is becoming very long. ... A traditional depiction of Marpa painted on a rock on Holy Isle, Firth of Clyde Marpa Lotsawa (1012-1097), or Marpa the translator was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Buddhist teachings to Tibet from India, including the teachings and lineages of vajrayana and mahamudra. ... Events Mael Morda starts a rebellion against Brian Boru in Ireland, which would eventually end in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. ... Events Edgar I deposes Donald III to become king of Scotland. ... Mahamudra (Sanskrit: great seal or great symbol) or Chagchen (Wylie: phyag-chen) (Tibetan) is a method of direct introduction to the nature of Mind (or Buddha-nature) and the practice of stabilizing the accompanying transcendental realization. ... AtiÅ›a Dipamkara Shrijnana (Bangla: অতীশ দীপঙ্কর শ্রীজ্ঞান) (982 - 1054 CE) was a Buddhist teacher who reintroduced Buddhism into Tibet after King Langdharma had nearly destroyed it. ... Events Greenland founded by Erik the Red ; first contact of Europeans with North America Births Emma of Normandy Atisha the Bengali Buddhist Saint Deaths Categories: 982 ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ... The Kadampa (Bka-gdams-pa) Tradition was a Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist school. ... Jetsun Milarepa (Wylie: Rje-btsun Mi-la-ras-pa), 1052-1135 (approx) was one of one of Tibets most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu (Bka-brgyud) school of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Events Births Milarepa Deaths Heads of state Holy See - Leo IX pope (1049-1054) Categories: 1052 ... Events January - Byland Abbey founded Stephen of Blois succeeds King Henry I. Empress Maud, daughter of Henry I and widow of Henry V opposed Stephen and claims the throne as her own Owain Gwynedd of Wales defeats the Normans at Crug Mawr. ... Gampopa or Dakpo Rinpoche (1016-1053) was the formost student of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Milarepa. ... Events Persian astronomer, Omar Khayyám, computed the length of the year as 365. ... Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and Sikkim), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Rechung Dorje Drakpa (Wylie: Ras-chung Rdo-rje Grags-pa), known as Rechungpa. ...

Four Major Schools

• Barom Kagyu, founded by Barompa Darma Wangchug
• Pagdru Kagyu, founded by Pagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo
• Karma Kagyu, also known as Kamtsang Kagyu, founded by Düsum Khyenpa (Dus-gsum Mkhyen-pa), later designated the first Karmapa
• Tsalpa Kagyu, founded by Zangyu Dragpa Darma Drag (Zhang Rinpoche)

Karma Kagyu is the largest lineage of the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Düsum Khyenpa (Wylie transliteration: Dus gsum Mkhyen pa) (1110 - 1193) was the 1st Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu (bka rgyud) school of Tibetan Buddism. ... The Karmapa (officially His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa; Tibetan: རྒྱལ་ད་ཀར་མ་པ་) is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa (Tib. ...

Eight Sub-Schools of Pagdru Kagyu

• Drikung Kagyu, included the Lhapa sect, builders of the earliest dzongs in Bhutan, later eclipsed by the Drukpa
• Drukpa Kagyu, which combined lineages from both Gampopa and Rechungpa, is the state religion of Bhutan, giving the country the name Druk Yul. Drukpa monasteries are also found in Ladakh, Zanskar, Lahoul, Kinnaur, Spiti, and other parts of the Himalayas.
• Mar Kagyu
• Shugseb Kagyu
• Taklung Kagyu
• Trophu Kagyu
• Yamzang Kagyu
• Yelpa Kagyu

The organization into four major schools and eight minor schools, while traditional, is not always helpful in understanding the history or influence of the schools. For instance, the Shangpa Kagyu predates Gompopa and thus is outside the framework. Another school is the Rechung Kagyud, founded by Gampopa's peer, Rechung Dorje Drakpa. Drigung Kagyu or Drikung Kagyu or is one of the eight minor lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the former and present Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas, most notably Bhutan. ... The Drukpa is a major sect within the Kagyupa school of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Ladakh (Tibetan script: ལ་དྭགས་, Hindi: लद्दाख़, Urdu: لدّاخ; IPA: , land of high passes) is a region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in Northern India sandwiched between the Karakoram mountain range to the north and the Himalayas to the south. ... Zanskar is a region in the Kargil district, part of the north-west Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. ... Kinnaur is one of twelve administrative districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. ... The district of Lahul and Spiti in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh consists of the two formerly separate districts of Lahul and Spiti. ... The Shangpa Kagyu is a relatively obscure sub-sect of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. ... Rechung Dorje Drakpa (Wylie: Ras-chung Rdo-rje Grags-pa), known as Rechungpa. ...

The only Kagyu schools with any significant following today are the Karma, Drukpa, Drikung, and Taklung.

Teachings

The central teaching of Kagyu is the doctrine of Mahamudra, "the Great Seal", as elucidated by Gampopa in his various works. This doctrine focuses on four principal stages of meditative practice (the Four Yogas of Mahamudra), namely: Mahamudra (Sanskrit: great seal or great symbol) or Chagchen (Wylie: phyag-chen) (Tibetan) is a method of direct introduction to the nature of Mind (or Buddha-nature) and the practice of stabilizing the accompanying transcendental realization. ...

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.

It is through these four stages of development that the practitioner is said to attain the perfect realization of Mahamudra. Important practices in all Kagyu schools are the tantric practices of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi. Heruka is a principal Deity (Tantric Buddha) of Mother Tantra, who is the embodiment of indivisible bliss and emptiness. ... Vajrayogini or Vajravarahi (Tibetan: dor je phag mo, English: the Vajra Sow) is a tantric Buddhist deity whose sadhana (practice) originated in India between the 10th and 12th century. ...

External links

Sites associated with Urgyen Trinley Dorje

• Kagyu Office
• Rumtek Monastery, Sikkim, India
• Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery, Woodstock, NY, USA
• Karma Kagyu Cyber World
• Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche
• The History of the Karma Kagyu Lineage

Sites associated with Trinley Thaye Dorje

• The 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje
• The 14th Shamarpa Mipham Chokyi Lodro
• Karma Kagyu Lineage
• Kagyu Asia
• Diamond Way Buddhism