All ‘Kagyu Lineage’ posts

A Brief History of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibet

Sunday, January 15th, 2012
Karma Kagyu Refuge Tree

Karma Kagyu Refuge Tree

This article, by Topga Yulgyal Rinpoche, was taken from “Knowledge in Action,” a Newsletter of the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute (KIBI), New Delhi.

The Kagyu lineage, sometimes referred to as the “oral lineage” of Tibet, originated with the great yogi Tilopa, who lived in Northern India around the 10th century A.D. He is considered the founder of the lineage and, in addition, he received four special transmissions (Tib: bka-babs-bzhi) for which he became the lineage holder.

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Brief History of the Kagyu Lineage by Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche

Saturday, February 26th, 2011
Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche

Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche

This is an excerpt from a teaching held on the United Trugram Buddhist Fellowship website of Trungram Gyaltrul Rinpoche.

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Karma Kagyu Great Seal Lineage in Three Paintings

Thursday, February 24th, 2011

MilarepaMarpaGampopa

This set of three stunning 19th Century Tibetan thangka paintings (click on each to enlarge) was just posted to the Himalayan Art Resource website. The three composition painting set depicts the Karma Kagyu Great Seal (Skt. Mahamudra) Lineage ending with the 14th Gyalwa Karmapa, Thegchog Dorje (1798-1868).

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Milarepa’s tower

Monday, February 14th, 2011
Sekhar Guthok - Milarepa's Tower

Sekhar Guthok - Milarepa's Tower

This is Sekhar Guthok, “nine-storey son’s house”, the legendary tower Marpa (1012-1097) ordered Milarepa (1040-1123) to build for his son. The site is situated in Lhodrak district of Southern Tibet (click here for Google map), north of the Bhutanese border.

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The Karmapa – Shamarpa Lineage

Monday, January 31st, 2011
17th Karmapa and 14th Shamarpa at the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya 2010

17th Karmapa and 14th Shamarpa at the Kagyu Monlam in Bodh Gaya 2010

The lineage of the Karmapas was prophesied by Shakyamuni Buddha who said that approximately 1600 years after his death an emanation of Avalokiteshvara (aka Chenrezig) the Bodhisattva of Compassion would be born. Karmapa literally means ‘one who manifests buddha activity’ and his activity is to preserve and spread the essence of the teachings of all the Buddhas. The Buddha predicted the Karmapa would propagate the teachings during the course of many successive incarnations. As well, the Buddha predicted, “In the future, a great bodhisattva with a ruby red crown will come to the suffering of the multitude, leading them out of their cyclic bewilderment and misery.” In the Karmapas and the Shamarpas, the Buddha’s predictions were fulfilled.

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Milarepa’s Song to Lady Paldarboom

Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Milarepa (1052—1135) (painting by Robert Beer)

Milarepa (1052—1135) (painting by Robert Beer)

In his teachings, Lama Ole Nydahl often refers to the kind of advice Milarepa would give to his female students about obstacles in meditation, for example: “when you can see the greatness of the mountain, how can you be disturbed by a few trees?” and “when you can experience the depth of the ocean, how can you be disturbed by waves?” Here is one of Milarepa’s songs, in a translation by Lama Ole and Hannah’s old friend Ken McLeod, in which this advice is contained:

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