The Kagyu Lineage

by

Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa

A lineage master of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
When we say Ka-gyu, one has to understand simply what it is supposed to mean because Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet has eight major lineages.1 There are eight lineages because of the time and location of the great masters who brought them from India, and who established their seats. So according to the continuation of their lineage then it became eight. It did not become eight because of any disagreement. It is eight lineages because of the eight great masters contribution and their dharma continuation. And out of which the Kagyu Ngakzod2 is part of the Kagyu. But then when we say Kagyu, I dont know whether it is true or not, but there is a very common saying, which is, In the old days everything was wonderful and now things are no good. I have read this in texts that were written five or six hundred years ago. I am quite sure five or six hundred years from now people will be saying the same thing. So I am not really sure that in the past everything was wonderful and great and today everything is terrible and bad. But I have to somehow go along with it because that is what is written. But regardless of whether it is true or not it is good for us, because here we are and this tells us that we have to behave, we have to practice, we have to pull ourselves together, we have to respect ourselves, we have to respect the dharma and we have to respect everybody. So this is somehow a great reminder for us, about what we should do and how we should conduct ourselves. So it is good for us. Now of these eight lineages two of them are Kagyu; Marpa Kagyu and Shangpa Kagyu. In essence they are same, but lineage wise they are two of the eight. I have to do a lot of talking here because in order to relate to the Kagyu Ngakzod you have to relate to Gampopa and the four senior and eight junior lineages of the Marpa Kagyu. That then naturally has to relate to Milarepa, which naturally has to relate to Marpa. Then because of Marpa we have to know something about Naropa. And
These eight are the Nyingma, Kadampa, Lamdre, Marpa Kagyu, Shangpa Kagyu, Shije, Jordruk, and Dorje Nyendrup traditions. 2 Rinpoche is teaching on the Kagyu Ngakzod, a collection of the tantras, practices and empowerments of the Kagyu lineage.
1

because of Naropa we have to know something about Tilopa. Tilopa had so many great masters, but one easy thing about learning Tilopas source is learning about Vajradhara. Tilopa also received the distance lineage from all the masters of the four main streams. Ka means command, the teaching of the Buddha, gi means four, and gyupa means lineage, continuation. So Tilopa received four streams of lineage and that makes it Ka-gyu, Ka-gi-gyupa. Tilopa said that he also received all the transmissions directly from Vajradhara, so we have to learn about Vajradhara. Later, when I transmit the Dam Ngakzod, you have to learn a little bit of history of all the eight major lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet. This way there is a lot to say but I can not say all of this in the correct order because there is no time for such. But by the time the transmission of the Kagyu Ngakzod and Dam Ngakzod is complete then I will have taught a little bit of everything. This way, later, the order has to be adjusted. Now saying that, the Ka gi gyupa, the general simplistic description of Ka gi gyupa is, Mahamudra, Tummo, Clear Light and Karma Yoga (Leja). These four are a kind of simplistic general description of these four streams of lineages: Mahamudra is from Saraha, Tummo is from Nakpopa, Clear Light is from Nagarjuna, and Karma Yoga (Leja) is from Indrabhuti. There are quite a few Indrabhutis, so this one we call Indrabhuti Marpa, which means second Indrabhuti. There is another description, which does not conflict with this, which is that Tilopa received transmissions from great masters of the four directions; from the east, south, west and north, four of each. From the east, Sukhamahasiddhi, Thanglopa, Shinglopa and Karnaripa. From the south, Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Chandrakirti and Matangi. From the west, Dombipa, Vinapa, Lvabapa (Kambala) and Indrabhuti. And from the north, Luyipa, Dengipa, Darikapa and Sukhadhari. When it comes to such sacred practices, the essential practices like the Six Yogas, then there are four: from Caryapada, Tummo (the inner heat); from Nagarjuna, Illusory Body and Clear Light; from Lvabapa (Kambala), Dream Yoga and; from Sukhasiddhi, intermediate Bardo and Phowa (transferring of consciousness). That way the Six Yogas were received from four great masters. Anyway, all of that is not in contradiction, because at the end, all the teachings of the Buddha, its essence, Tilopa received from four streams of lineages. At the same time one has to know who Tilopa is, because Tilopa was not an ordinary person. Tilopa was an emanation, a sambhogakaya manifestation. From his childhood, to his parents and to himself, there were always prophecies by dakinis. Therefore, all his practice progressed according to the dakinis prophecies. Eventually he received direct transmission from Vajravarahi and Vajrayogini and attained enlightenment. That way, Tilopa says in his own sacred doha, I Tilopa do not have a human guru. My guru is Vajradhara. But at the same time, in a miraculous manner,

Tilopa also received transmissions from so many great masters, a few of which I have mentioned. Tilopa practiced for twelve years by putting a chain on his leg so that he didnt go anywhere; he stayed put and practiced one pointedly for twelve years. So this is another way, simultaneously, how Tilopa reached enlightenment. Tilopa was from east India, which in those days was known as Bangala, nowadays it is Bangladesh. Tilopas transmissions, all of the teachings of Tilopa, were transmitted to Naropa. Naropa was born in Kashmir; in Tibetan it is called Ka Chey. There, he first became a great Vinaya master and then came to central India and became a great mahapandita. Finally, when the time was ripe, when his practice reached the highest level, he met with Tilopa. He received the transmission from Tilopaafter so much purification and practices that he had to go through, finally he reached enlightenment with the help of Tilopas sandal. Naropa followed Tilopa all over India begging to be given the highest transmission which will make him enlightened in a moment. That moment is right there, but it is very hard to recognize. So Tilopa, through his non-dualistic wisdom, saw that and prepared Naropa for the last surprise. When Naropa finally begged Tilopa, Tilopa showed that he was so angry and irritated and took his sandal and gave a very good blow to Naropas cheek which knocked him out. When Naropa woke up from that, then he realized that he had known whatever is there to know all the time, but he had to get that in order to confirm it, in order to recognize it. The Tibetan master Marpa Lotsawa was born in Lhodrak. Marpa was his family name, his surname, his real name was Chokyi Lodro, Marpa Chokyi Lodro. When Marpa was young he was very naughty and severe. Because of this his parents were quite worried so they sent him to a great master and translator from whom Marpa learned Tibetan and Sanskrit, eventually becoming one of the greatest translators. Marpa went to Nepal and from a Nepalese mahapandita and mahasiddha he received quite a few empowerments and transmissions. According to prophecy he then went to India, and at a holy place in the north, Illustrious, Seductive Flowers, which in Sanskrit is Pupahari, he met with Naropa. Tilopa had prophesized that Naropa would have a great disciple coming from Tibet and that this person will be one who will continue the sacred lineage. Naropa recognized this and gave the transmission to Marpa. Marpa ended up going to India three times, altogether spending twenty-one years, out of which sixteen years and seven months were with Naropa. During his last visit Naropa actually was not in a conventional manifestation, he was already in a sacred tantric manifestation. Therefore, ordinary disciples were not able to see him but because of Marpas great devotion and realization he met with Naropa. After giving all the transmissions, Naropa and Maitripa together prophesied, according to

the prophecy given by Tilopa, that Marpa should go back to Tibet and spread the sacred transmission there, which he did. Before he left Naropa put his right hand on Marpas head and sang a song. You can read this doha in the text known as One Hundred-Thousand Songs, where it is translated. Marpa was of course enlightened and had many great disciples, including his son, his physical son. But among them there were four main disciples known as the four great pillars. Marpa had a dream in which he saw four pillars and on each one of them there was a mythical animalactually two mythical and two not so mythical animals. The east pillar had a snow lion, which is mythical; the south pillar had a tiger, which is not mythical; the west pillar had a garuda, which is mythical and; the northern pillar had a vulture, which is not mythical. So he sang a song and this song or doha our lamas read today. These four pillars and four animals, lets call them sacred animals, represent four great masters. In the east, the lion represents Tsurtn Wanggi Dorje of Dol; the south pillar and tiger represents Ngok Chku Dorje of Zyung; the west pillar and garuda represents Meytn Chenpo of Tsang and; the north pillar and vulture represents Milarepa of Kung-Tang. Out of these four disciples Milarepa received all the sacred transmissions of the highest practice transmission. Of course all the others received the same as well, but Milarepa especially for practice Among Milarepas many disciples there were two known as the sun and moon. The disciple like the sun was Gampopa and the disciple like the moon Rechungpa. Gampopa had three main disciples known as three Khampas (Dusum Khyenpa, Phagmo Drupa and Saltong Shogom). Gampopa had another great disciple, Wangon Tsultrim Nyingpo, who he proclaimed as equal to himself. From Gampopas disciples, and one disciple of Wangon Tsultrim Nyingpo (Lama Zhang, otherwise known as Yudakpa Tsondru Trakpa), came the lineages known as the four senior Kagyu: from Gampopas disciple Phagmo Drupa, the Phagmo Kagyu; from Baram Darma Wangchuk, the Baram Kagyu; from Dusum Khyenpa, (the first Gyalwa Karmapa), the Kamtsang Kagyu, and; Wangon Tsultrim Nyingpos disciple Tsondru Trakpa, the Tsalpa Kagyu. These four are known as four greater or senior. Phagmo Drupa, one of the four senior lineage founders, had eight main disciples who founded eight additional lineages: 1. The Drikhung Kagyu was founded by Drikhung Kyopa Jigten Sumgyi Gnpo. 2. The Drukpa Kagyu was founded by Drupchen Lingrepa Pema Dorje and his disciple Chje Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje. 3. The Taklung Kagyu was founded by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal. 4. The Yasang Kagyu was founded by Zarawa Kalden Yeshe Senge and his disciple Yasang Chje Chkyi Mnlam. 5. The Trophu Kagyu was founded by Rinpoche Gyatsa, and his disciple Trophu Lotsawa Champa Pal. 6. The Shuksep Kagyu was founded by Gyergom

Tsultrim Senge. 7. Yelpa Kagyu was founded by Yelpa Drupthop Yeshe Tsekpa. 8. Martsang Kagyu was founded by Martsang Sherab Senge. These are known as eight, normally they call it lesser but I like to call it junior because the son of the grandfather is senior and his sons are junior. It has nothing to do with better or worse, but it is the timing, the lineage, either directly related with Gampopa or Gampopas disciples disciples. The teaching is exactly same and the essence is exactly the same, no-one is better or worse than any other. So these are twelve lineage manifestations of the Marpa Kagyu. The Kagyu Ngakzod is the essence of all of these because it is directly related with the word Marpa. This teaching by Kenting Tai Situpa is from the Nectar of Dharma: The Sacred Advice, Volume 2, published by and available from Palpung Zhyisil Chokyi Ghatsal Publications: www.greatliberation.org/shop/books/nectar-of-dharma-the-sacred-advicevolume-two.html
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