La lignée Karma Kagyüd

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The Kagyüd  lineage represents one of the main four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. It is commonly known as the Mahamudra (Great Seal) Lineage. It was initiated by the Buddha Sakyamuni in its Samboghakaya manifestation (enjoyment body) as the Buddha Vajradhara (Skt.) and passed down, through the Indian Mahasiddha Tilopa, to the present days in an uninterrupted lineage of Gurus.

The actual truth body of the Buddha is Dharmakaya or Formless Truth Body. Its essence is Compassion or Buddha's Mind.  An ordinary being cannot perceive this Formless Truth Body (Dharmakaya) of the Buddha.  Out of great compassion, the Buddha manifests thus in other form bodies known as Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya.  Sambhogakaya can only be seen by beings of pure mind such as great realized beings.  As for the ordinary beings like us, the Buddha revealed the Nirmanakaya form.

This great Mahasiddha acquired numerous teachings from other Mahasiddhas throughout India. Through diligence practice, he attained the Bhumis realization levels of Bodhisattvas,  which allowed him to perceive the Sambhogakaya form of Buddha Sakyamuni. From the Buddha himself Tilopa received profound Mahamudra teachings and this is where the Kagyüd d  Tradition and Transmission starts. This Karma Kagyüd d  Lineage can be described as the "Near Lineage" which is more powerful due to the continuous stream of blessings from Lineage Masters starting from the Sambhogakaya Form of Vajradhara.

From Siddha Tilopa, the lineage was passed on to Siddha Naropa. Naropa was the abbot of Nalanda Buddhist university in northern India. He had gained the reputation being a learned person, a great scholar and a pandita when he came to realize that he did not understand the deep inner meaning of Dharma and felt the urge to search for  Tilopa's instructions.

One day while Naropa was reading some Buddhist texts in his room, suddenly a shadow appeared from behind him.  He looked and saw an old lady.  Then the old lady asked Naropa if he understood the words he read from his books as well as their meanings. 'I understand the words,' Naropa replied.  Upon hearing Naropa's reply, the old lady was overjoyed and she happily laughed, sang and danced.  In the mind of Naropa, he was thinking that if the old lady was so overjoyed upon hearing that he understood the words, she should be even happier if he told her he understood their meaning as well.  But when Naropa told the old lady that he understood the meaning, the old lady burst into tears and cried. Naropa then asked the old lady why she cried upon hearing his second response. The old lady replied: 'you told me that you understood the words.  That made me overjoyed because you are a learned person and a great scholar and a pandita, but when you said you understood the meaning of those words, you were not telling the truth.  In reality you understood not at all the meaning of those profound texts.' Naropa then asked, 'Who understands the true meaning of the Dharma?' 'In East India, there is a Great Mahasiddha by the name of Tilopa who understands the meaning of the Profound Dharma', replied the old lady. Upon hearing the name of Tilopa, Naropa developed a great devotion for him from within.  He then thought if he understood the words and not the meaning, it then made no sense to study further. The importance was to understand the meaning and its profound essence of the Dharma. Naropa then made up his mind and vowed to search for Tilopa in order to receive teachings and instructions directly from him.

Soon after the vow, Naropa left behind his work at Nalanda University and went off in search of Tilopa. After many months and years of search, still he could not locate Tilopa even though traces and words of Tilopa were seen and widely heard along the way.  Finally he met up with Tilopa from whom he received the complete Oral Transmission. After receiving all the pith instruction, Naropa practiced with pure diligence and attained realization.  

Tilopa through his clairvoyance predicted that the future proper vessel who would uphold the lineage would be one by the name of Marpa, a future disciple of Naropa. Therefore he instructed Naropa that he should transmit all his teachings to Marpa.  Tilopa also predicted that under Marpa, the Kagyüd d  Lineage would flourish tenfold.

 As predicted by Tilopa, Marpa soon found Naropa and requested teachings from him. Marpa received the complete Oral Transmission and also the responsibility of lineage holder from Naropa.

 All in all, Marpa Lotsawa went to India three times and his stay in India totaled 16 years.  He brought back to Tibet many Buddha's teachings and later translated them into Tibetan.  Marpa had many disciples and among them were 4 main disciples as indicated in one of his dreams.  They were described as the 4 main pillars as they were the 4 great disciples who later propagated his teachings which flourished into the future.  Amongst the four was Milarepa who acquired the complete lineage transmission from the master, Marpa Lotsawa.

Upon hearing the name of Marpa who was the disciple of Siddha Naropa, Milarepa was filled with great devotion and faith. Milarepa then set out in search of Marpa Lotsawa and finally he found Marpa' s residence.  After putting Milarepa through many tests and hard work, Marpa transmitted to Milarepa the complete lineage teachings.  Milarepa practiced diligently and attained realization. After he received the teaching of the Six Yoga of Naropa from Marpa, Mila concentrated on one of the practices called the Yoga of Inner Heat (gTummo). He had many disciples who also bore the Repa title. 

After Milarepa, the Karma Kagyüd d  Lineage was carried on by Gampopa. He is one of the two main disciples of Milarepa and both of them are like the moon (Rechungpa) and the sun (Gampopa). Milarepa whom created great sins before arriving to the Dharma Path, practiced with strict diligence and thus attained enlightenment. He was a great example and a human being who'd achieve the highest realization and is respected till today. The difference between Milarepa and Gampopa is the latter being an incarnation of the Great Bodhisattva Jangchub Sempa Dhawey Shinu of Mount Rajghir, the Vulture Peak where Buddha Sakyamuni thought the Prajnaparamita Sutra. 

Nowadays in Rajghir is a dirty and poor town, but tin the olden days when the Buddha roam the area it was a prosperous large city and the Buddha also delivers his sermons there. In that city lived a merchant who is very rich and powerful who is named Dhawey Shinu. On one occasion during the Buddha's visit, he hosted and prepared food for offering to the Buddha and his delegates. Soon after the meal, Dhawey Shinu requested the Buddha to give Dharma teachings. Thus the Buddha gave The Do Tenzin Gyalpo Teaching (The King of Samadhi Teaching). Many followers attended the King of Samadhi Teaching, before the teaching conclusion the Buddha addressed the crowd. The Buddha prophesied that in future this King of Samadhi teaching and practice will be very beneficial to sentient beings and will lead many toward the liberation path. It emphasizes mainly on the meditation practice. The Buddha then request someone from amongst the crowd to flourish, propagate and protect this teaching in the future. The merchant Dhawey Shinu accepted the responsibility to perform it in the future and propagate it to as many sentient beings as possible. Then the Buddha called forth Dhawey Shinu and places his palm on Dhawey Shinu's crown. He thus prophesized that Dhawey Shinu in future will take rebirth in a place near Bhramaputra River. You will be learned in medicine and thus will carry the name Dakpo Lharje (Doctor Dakpo), he will combined the Mahamudra and the King of Samadhi Teachings and propagate the Dharma far and wide. 

Milarepa also presented Gampopa with a Hat that shapes like the Gampo mountain, this hat is also known nowadays as the Gampopa Hat normally seen worn by Vajra Masters during ceremony and rites. Gampopa mainly gave teachings on Mahamudra and 6 Yogas of Naropa to his disciples.

From these disciples in turn flourish the teachings after attaining the highest realizations and at this point came many different sub lineage of the Kagyüd d  Tradition. There are 4 Major Direct and 8 Minor Kagyüd d  Lineage that sprung and many survived till today. 

One of Gampopa's outstanding main disciple, Khampa Özer, originates from the Kham Province. He was known as Düsum Khyenpa. Gampopa instructed him to go towards the East of Tibet near the Tibet-China borders (today known as Minyak) to meditate in retreat centre on a mountain surrounded by other mountains with snowy caps. Gampopa prophesied that The Karmapa would benefit many sentient beings in Tibet especially those in the province of Ü, Kham and Tsang in future (lives). 

Later Karma Pakshi was born proclaiming to be the "Karmapa" and from then on, follows the series of his reincarnations as well as that of his accomplished disciples who took rebirths after rebirths in order to continue the Karma Kagyüd d  Lineage Order. 

That is how the Oral Transmission Lineage was protected from fading away. This unique master-disciple transmission has been practiced till present days under the Blessings and guidance of the Gyalwa Karmapa, presently His Holiness Ogyen Thinley Dorje.