Guhyasamja Tantra

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Thangka of Guhyasamaja in union with his consort Sparshavajr, 17th century, Rubin Museum of Art

Statue of Guhyasamaja in union with consort, Capital Museum

The Guhyasamja Tantra (Sanskrit: Guhyasamjatantra; Tibetan: Gsang dus rtsa rgyud (Toh
442); Tantra of the Secret Community) is one of the most important scriptures of Esoteric
Buddhism. In its fullest form, it consists of seventeen chapters, though a separate "explanatory
tantra" (vykhytantra) known as the Later Tantra (Sanskrit: Guhyasamja Uttaratantra; Tibetan:
Rgyud phyi ma. (Toh 443)) is sometimes considered to be its eighteenth chapter. Many scholars
believe that the original core of the work consisted of the first twelve chapters, with chapters
thirteen to seventeen being added later as explanatory material.
In India, it was classified as a Yoga or Mahyoga Tantra. In Tibet it is considered an
Unexcelled Yoga Tantra (rnal byor bla med rgyud). It develops traditions found in earlier
scriptures such as the Compendium of Reality (Sanskrit: Sarva-tathgata-tattva-sagraha; De
bzhin gshegs pa thams cad kyi de kho na nyid bsdus pa (Toh 479)) but is focused to a greater
extent on theantinomian aspects characteristic of the later Buddhist
Tantras. Naropa and Aryadeva considered the Compendium of Reality to be a root tantra in
relation to the Guhyasamaja Tantra. The Guhyasamaja Tantra survives in Sanskrit manuscripts
and in Tibetan and Chinese translation.
The Guhyasiddhi of Padmavajra, a work associated with the Guhyasamaja tradition, prescribes
acting as a Saiva guru and initiating members into Shaiva Siddhanta scriptures and mandalas.[1]

Origin
According to one tradition, the Guhyasamja Tantra was taught for the first time by the Buddha in
the form of Vajradhara to Indrabhuti the King of Oddiyana, also called King Dza.

As with most tantras, there are different traditions and transmissions. Perhaps the oldest
surviving lineage is the Jnapada Tradition (ye shes zhabs lugs), which goes back to
Buddharijna (late 8th century). The most important historically is the rya tradition (gsang
'dus 'phags lugs) which is based on commentaries attributed to Ngrjuna, ryadeva,
and Candrakrti. 'Gos Lotsawa Khug pa lhas btsas originated a transmission in Tibet, as
did Marpa Lotsawa. The Sakya tradition received both transmissions. Tsongkhapa, founder of
theGelug tradition, considered the Esoteric Community to be the most important of the tantras
and used the rya tradition as a template for interpreting all the other tantric traditions.

Iconography
There are two main commentarial traditions on the Guhyasamja Tantra, the rya Tradition and
the Jnapada tradition.

In the practice of the rya Tradition, the central deity of the Guhyasamja is blue-black
Akobhyavajra, a form of Akobhya, one of the fivetathgathas (pacatathgata), sometimes
called the dhyni buddhas. Akobhyavajra holds a vajra and bell (ghanta) in his first two hands,
and other hands hold the symbols of the four other tathgathas: wheel of Vairocana and lotus
of Amitbha in his rights, and gem ofRatnasambhava and sword of Amoghasiddhi in his lefts.
The maala consists of thirty-two deities in all.

In the Jnapada tradition, the central deity is yellow Majuvajra, a form of Majur, with
nineteen deities in the mandala. Majuvajra has three facesthe right one is white and red one
on the leftand six arms. The three faces may represent the three main channels of the subtle
body, the three stages of purification of the mind or the illusory body, light, and their
union.[2] Majuvajra holds in his hands a sword and a book, and two of his other hand a bow and
arrow represent skillful means (upya).

References[edit]

1. Jump up^ Sanderson, Alexis. "The aiva Age: The Rise and Dominance of aivism during the
Early Medieval Period." In: Genesis and Development of Tantrism,edited by Shingo Einoo. Tokyo:
Institute of Oriental Culture, University of Tokyo, 2009. Institute of Oriental Culture Special Series,
23, pp. 144-145.
 2. Jump up^ Catherine Cummings, "A Guhyasamaja Tantra," in John C. Huntington, Bangdel
Dina, Robert AF Thurman, The Circle of Bliss - Buddhist Meditational Art, Serindia Publications,
Inc., 2003. pp 432-448 (ISBN 1932476016) (ISBN 9781932476019)

Further reading[edit]

Fremantle, Francesca (1971), A Critical Study of the Guhyasamja tantra (PDF)

Wedemeyer, Christian K. 2007. ryadeva's Lamp that Integrates the Practices: The Gradual
Path of Vajrayna Buddhism according to the Esoteric Community Noble Tradition. New
York: AIBS/Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780975373453
Geshe Tashi Tsering p. 78 of 240 July 3, 2012. Tantra: The Foundation of Buddhist Thought
Volume 6. London: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 1614290113 ISBN 9781614290117
Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp of the Five Stages, Columbia University Press, 2011, ISBN
978-1-93-501100-2
A Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages, Library of Tibetan Classics, 2013, ISBN 0-86171-454-
7

External links[edit]

StudyBuddhism.com, What Is Guhyasamaja Practice?

Encyclopedia Britannica, Guhyasamja-tantra
Tsongkhapa, A Lamp to Illuminate the Five Stages, Introduction, chapter 1, chapter 2

Mahayoga

Mahyoga (Skt. "great yoga") is the designation of the first of the three Inner Tantras according
to the ninefold division of practice used by the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Mahyoga is held to emphasize the generation stage (or "development stage") of Tantra, where
the succeeding two yana, anuyoga and atiyoga, emphasise the completion stageand the
synthesis or transcendence of the two, respectively.

Practice[edit]
Reginald Ray (2002: p. 124) associates the Mahyoga with removing the obscuration of
aggression (or anger). The relative aspect of the two truths is mentioned and an embedded
quotation by Tulku Thondup:

Mahyoga-yana is associated with the masculine principle and is for those whose primary
defilement is aggression. In Mahyoga, one visualizes oneself as the divinity with consort. "All
manifestation, thoughts and appearances are considered to be the sacred aspects of the
divinities within relative truth," in the words of Tulku Thondup. By visualizing all phenomena as
the deities of the mandala of buddhahood, in the development stage, all appearances are
purified.[1]

Ray (2002: p. 124) highlights the pre-eminent usage of visualization amongst the techniques of
tantric sadhana and the teaching of the "eight cosmic commands":[2]

One particular keynote of mahyoga-yana has to do with the use of visualization. In the
Vajrayana in general, one visualizes oneself as the buddha, thus giving external form to the
enlightenment within. Like-wise, one visualizes the external world as pure and sacred, thus
under-cutting the usual practice of taking things as impure and defiled. In mahyoga, one comes
to the realization that actually all of our everyday experience is a visualization. Just as we can
visualize ourselves as a buddha and the world as pure, so we can visualize ourselves as an
existent ego and the world as defiled. Realizing that all of our images and conceptions of reality
are in fact complex visualizations, we gain a unique entry into the underpinnings of the
conventional world and gain a certain kind of unparalleled leverage over it. This is reflected in the
mahyoga-yana teaching of the "eight cosmic commands," eight kinds of ways to intervene in the
operation of the conventional world and alter its momentum for the benefit of others.[1]

Mahyoga textual tradition[edit]

As with the other yanas, Mahyoga represents both a scriptural division as well as a specific
emphasis of both view (Tibetan: ta-ba) and practice (Tibetan: yod-pa). Mahyoga scriptures are
further divided into two sections: the Sadhana section, consisting of practice texts for meditation
on specific deities, and the Tantra section.

In introducing the mTshams brag Edition of the Collected Tantras of the Ancients rnying ma
rgyud 'bum, the textual tradition of the Mahyoga-yana, the "Tibetan and Himalayan
Library"[3] states:

The Mahyoga section of the Collected Tantras of the Ancients is the largest of the three. It is
divided into two major sections: the Tantra Series (rgyud sde) and the Practice Series (sgrub
sde). One of the seminal Tantras of the Ancients found in this section is the Secret Essence
Tantra or gsang ba'i snying po'i rgyud, which has spawned not only a plethora of Indo-Tibetan
commentaries but also a heated debate in Tibet over its authenticity.[4]

The "Tibetan and Himalayan Library" states that "although the mTshams brag edition of The
Collected Tantras does not rigorously organize its texts according to sub-categories, the
Mahyoga category can be further subdivided according to the following scheme":[4]

1. Tantra Series (rgyud sde)

1. The eightfold set of root Magical Emanation Tantras (Mayajala, rtsa bar gyur
sgyu 'phrul sde brgyad)
2. The eighteenfold set of explanatory tantras (bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud
tantra sde bco brgyad) (see below)
 1. Enlightened Body (sku)
2. Enlightened Speech (gsung)
3. Enlightened Mind (thugs)
4. Enlightened Qualities (yon tan)
5. Enlightened Activities (phrin las)[5]
3. Miscellaneous
2. Practice Series of the Eight Proclamation Deities (sgrub sde bka' brgyad)
1. The Practice Series (sgrub sde)
1. Summary of the Highest Intention (bla ma dgongs pa 'dus pa)
2. Consortium of Sugatas (bde gshegs 'dus pa)
3. Miscellaneous
2. The Eight Proclamation Deities (bka' brgyad)
1. The Majushr Cycle on Enlightened Form ('jam dpal sku'i skor)
2. The Lotus Tantras on Enlightened Communication (pad ma gsung gi
rgyud)
3. The Real Tantras on Enlightened Mind (yang dag thugs kyi rgyud)
4. The Nectar Tantras on Enlightened Qualities (bdud rtsi yon tan gyi rgyud)
5. The Sacred Dagger Cycle on Enlightened Activities (phrin las phur pa'i
skor)
6. The Cycle on Invoking the Fierce Ma-mo Deities (ma mo rbod gtong skor)
7. Offerings and Praises to Protect the Teachings (bstan srung mchod
bstod)
8. The Cycle on Fierce Mantras (drag sngags skor)
9. Miscellaneous
3. Miscellaneous
3. Miscellaneous
Eighteen great tantras of Mahyoga[edit]
The 'eighteen great tantras' (Wylie: bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco brgyad)
from the Tantra series described above are at the heart of the Mahyoga tradition. These are
grouped into 'five root tantras' (Wylie: rtsa ba sku gsung thugs yon tan phrin las kyi rgyud chen
po lnga), 'five practice tantras' (Wylie: sgrub pa lag len du bstan pa rol pa' rgyud chen po lnga),
and 'five activity tantras' (Wylie: spyod pa'i yan lag tu 'gro ba'i rgyud chen po lnga), and the 'two
supplementary tantras' (Wylie: ma tshang kha bskong ba'i rgyud chen po gnyis). Together they
are known as the Myjla. They are as follows:

The "Guhyagarbha Tantra" (Wylie: rDo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba; gSang ba snying po)
is the foremost of all of these and it abridges the content of the seventeen others as follows:
Root tantras[edit]
 Equalizing Buddhahood (the tantra of the body) (Wylie: Sangs rgyas mnyam sbyor gyi rtsa
ba mkha' 'gro ma bde mchog rtsa ba'i rgyud)
The Secret Moon, (the tantra of speech) (Wylie: dPal Zla gsang thig le rtsa ba'i rgyud)
The Assembly of Secrets (Guhyasamja Tantra) (the tantra of mind) (Wylie: dPal gSang ba
'dus pa)
The Glorious Supreme Primal Tantra (the tantra of qualities) (Wylie: dPal mchog dang po)
The Activity Garland Tantra (the tantra of activities) (Wylie: Kar ma ma le)
Practice tantras[edit]

The Heruka Practice Tantra (Wylie: He ru ka rol pa'i rgyud)

The Hayagriva Supreme Practice Tantra (Wylie: rTa mchog rol pa'i rgyud)
The Compassion Tantra (Wylie: sNying rje rol pa'i rgyud)
The Nectar Practice Tantra (Wylie: bDud rtsi rol pa'i rgyud)
The Arising of the Twelve Kilayas Tantra (Wylie: Byit to ta ma rol pa'i rgyud; Phur pa bcu
gnyis)
Activity Tantras[edit]

The Mountain Pile (Wylie: Go 'phang dbang gis bgrod pa ri bo brtsegs pa'i rgyud)
The Awesome Wisdom Lightning (Wylie: La spyod pas dor ba rngam pa glog gi 'khor lo'i
rgyud)
The Array of Samayas (Wylie: gZhi dam tshigs gis bzung ba bkod pa rgyal po'i rgyud)
The One-Pointed Samadhi (Wylie: Nyams su ting 'dzin gyis blangs pa rtse gcig bsdus pa'i
rgyud)
The Rampant Elephant (Wylie: 'Phang lta bas bcad pa glang po rab 'bog gi rgyud)
Last Tantras that complete whatever is incomplete[edit]

The Vairochana Net of Magical Display (Wylie: rNam par snang mdzad sgyu 'phrul drwa ba'i
rgyud)
The Noble, Skilful Lasso, the Concise Lotus Garland (Wylie: Thabs kyi zhags pa pad mo'i
phreng ba'i rgyud)[6]

Eight Herukas of the Nyingma Mahyoga[edit]

The eight Herukas (Wylie: sgrub pa bka brgyad) of the Nyingma mahyoga tradition (and their
corresponding sadhanas) are said to have been received by Padmakara from the Eight
Vidyadharas (Tib. Rigdzin), or Eight Great
Acharyas: Manjushrimitra, Nagarjuna, Vajrahumkara, Vimalamitra, Prabhahasti, Dhanasamskrita
, Shintamgarbha andGuhyachandra.[2] They were proficient in the practices of, respectively,

1) Yamantaka (Tib. Jampal Shinje, jam dpal sku) the wrathful Manjushri, the deity of body
2) Hayagriva (Tib. Pema Sung, padma gsung) the wrathful Avalokiteshvara, the deity of speech
3) Vishuddha/Sri Samyak (Tib. Yangdak Thuk, Wylie: yang dag thugs) the
wrathful Vajrapani deity of mind
4) Vajramrita (Tib. Dudtsi Yonten, bdud rtsi yon tan) the wrathful Samantabhadra, the deity of
enlightened qualities
5) Vajrakilaya/Vajrakumara (Tib. Dorje Phurba, phur ba phrin las), the wrathful
Nivaranavishkambin, the deity of action
6) Matarah (Tib. Mamo Botong, ma mo rbod gtong) the wrathful Akasagarbha, the deity of calling
and dispatching
7) Lokastotrapuja-natha (Tib. Jigten Chotod, jig rten mchod bstod) the wrathful Ksitigarbha, the
deity of worldly offering and praise
8) Vajramantrabhiru (Tib. Mopa Dragnak, mod pa drag sngags) the wrathful Maitreya, the deity
of wrathful mantras

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:a b Ray, Reginald A. (2002). Indestructibe Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan
Buddhism - The World of Tibetan Buddhism Volume One. Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.:
Shambala Publications, Inc. ISBN 1-57062-910-2. P.124.
2. Jump up^ "Eight Cosmic Commands" Kabgye Deshek Dpa (bka' brgyad bde gshegs 'dus pa)
3. Jump up^ Tibetan and Himalayan Library
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Source: [1] (accessed: Saturday May 2, 2008)
5. Jump up^ For further discussion associated with the 'Five fundamental aspects of an enlightened
being', as per the nomenclature of Namkhai Norbu, please refer Three Vajras.
6. Jump up^ Ringu Tulku & Ann Helm, The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A
Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet, pg. 75, Shambhala Publications, Boston:2006

Further reading[edit]

Mah-yoga Tantra-s in the Collected Tantra-s of the Ancients

Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other
three being the Kagyu, Sakya andGelug). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often
referred to as Ngangyur (IPA: [au], Tibetan: , Wylie: snga 'gyur rnying ma, "school
of the ancient translations" or "old school") because it is founded on the first translations of
Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Old Tibetan in the eighth century. The Tibetan alphabet
and grammar was actually created for this endeavour.

In modern times, the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham.

Statue of Padmasambhava nearKullu, India

Early lineage and traditions[edit]
The Nyingmapa, a Red Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism, incorporate local religious practices and
local deities and elements of shamanism, which is shared with Bon. The group particularly
believes in hidden terma treasures. Traditionally, Nyingmapa practice was advanced orally
among a loose network of lay practitioners. Monasteries with celibate monks and nuns, along
with the practice of reincarnated spiritual leaders are later adaptations.[1]

The Nyingma tradition actually comprises several distinct lineages that all trace their origins to
the Indian master Padmasambhava, who is lauded in the popular canon as the founder of
Tibetan Buddhism in the eighth century, and is still propitiated in the discipline of reciprocity that
is guru yoga sdhan, the staple of the traditions.

Nyingma maintains the earliest tantra teachings that have been given the popular nomenclature
of Vajrayana. Early Vajrayana that was transmitted from India to Tibet may be differentiated by
the specific term "Mantrayana" (Wylie: sngags kyi theg pa).[2] "Mantrayana" is the Sanskrit of
what became rendered in Tibetan as "Secret Mantra" (Wylie: gsang sngags): this is the self-
identifying term employed in the earliest literature, whereas Nyingma was coined in differentiation
from the "New Schools" or Sarma.

History[edit]
Geographical dissemination of Buddhism into the Tibetan
plateau[edit]
[A]t least in Eastern Tibet, there existed during and after the time of Lha-tho-tho-ri [Fl.173(?)-
300(?) CE] a solid knowledge of Buddhism and that the upper classes of the people were
faithfully devoted to it. But the border regions in the north and west probably had also come into
contact with Buddhism long before the time of Srong-btsan-sgam-po. Buddhist teachings
reached China via a route along the western and northern borders of the Tibetan culture and
language zone; the same route was travelled by Indian Pandits and Chinese pilgrims in their
endeavour to bring this Indian religion to China. There used to be contacts with the Tibetan
population in these border regions. It is possible that the knowledge gained from these
encounters was spread by merchants over large areas of Tibet. Thus, when Srong-btsan-sgam-
po succeeded to the throne of Tibet in the year 627, the country was ready for a systematic
missionary drive under royal patronage.[3]

Origins[edit]
Around 760, Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava and the Nalanda abbot ntarakita to
Tibet to introduce Buddhism to the "Land of Snows." Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all
Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, ntarakita, 108 translators, and 25 of
Padmasambhava's nearest disciples worked for many years in a gigantic translation-project. The
translations from this period formed the base for the large scriptural transmission of Dharma
teachings into Tibet. Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of tantras; ntarakita
concentrated on the sutras. Padmasambhava and ntarakita also founded the first Buddhist
monastery in Tibet: Samye.[4] However, this situation would not last:

The explosive developments were interrupted in the mid-ninth century as the Empire began to
disintegrate, leading to a century-long interim of civil war and decentralization about which we
know relatively little.[4]

Early period[edit]
From this basis, Tantric Buddhism was established in its entirety in Tibet. From the eighth until
the eleventh century, the Nyingma was the only school of Buddhism in Tibet. With the reign of
King Langdarma (836842), the brother of King Ralpachen, a time of political instability ensued
which continued over the next 300 years, during which time Buddhism was persecuted and
largely forced underground because the King saw it as a threat to the indigenous Bn tradition.
Langdarma persecuted monks and nuns, and attempted to wipe out Buddhism. His efforts,
however, were not successful. A few monks escaped to Amdo in the northeast of Tibet, where
they preserved the lineage of monastic ordination.[5]

From the eleventh century onwards, the Nyingma tradition flourished along with the newer Sarma
schools, and it was at that time that Nyingmapas began to see themselves as a distinct group
and the term "Nyingma" came into usage.

Political ethos[edit]
Historically, the Nyingma tradition is unique amongst the four schools in that its supporters never
held political power, and therefore its practitioners were mostly removed from the political
machinations of Tibet. Indeed, the Nyingma traditionally had no centralized authority or Nyingma-
wide hierarchy. Only since the Tibetan diaspora following the Chinese annexure of Tibet have
the Nyingma had a head of the Tradition and this seat was only invested at the polite request of
the Dalai Lama. Even so, the Nyingma tradition is still politically decentralized and often
decisions are made in an oligarchy or community of the senior sangha within a given jurisdiction
or locale. Nyingmapa are also historically characterized and distinguished by decentralization
and by their general wider political disinterest, with a lesser emphasis on monasticism relative to
the other schools, with a correspondingly greater preponderance of ngagpas, uncelibate
householders and yogins.

There was never a single "head of the lineage" in the manner of either the Ganden Tripa or Dalai
Lama of the Gelug, the Karmapa of the Karma Kagyu or the Sakya Trizin of theSakya. It was
only recently in exile in India that this role was created at the request of the Central Tibetan
Administration and it is largely administrative. Nevertheless, the lamas who have served in this
role are among the most universally highly regarded. They are:

Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (c. 19041987), served from the 1960s until his death.
Dilgo Khyentse (c. 19101991), served from 1987 until his death.
Penor Rinpoche (19322009) served from 1991 until retirement in 2003.
 Mindrolling Trichen (c. 19302008), served from 2003 until his death.
Trulshik Rinpoche (19232011), served from 2010 until his death on September 2, 2011.
Selected after Chatral Rinpoche declined the position.[6]
Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche (1926-2015), served from 2012 until his death.
Rise of scholasticism and monasticism[edit]
In 1848, Dzogchen Shri Sengha (rdzogs chen srwi sengha), was founded by a charismatic
teacher, Zhanphan Thaye (gzhan phan mtha' yas, 1800-), in association with the active
participation of Do Kyentse (rndo mkhyen rtse). As scholar Georges Dreyfuss reports,

The purpose of this school was not . . . the study of the great Indian treatises . . . but the
development of Nyingma monasticism in Kham, a particularly important task at that time. Up to
then, the Nyingma tradition had mostly relied on non-ordained tantric practitioners to transmit its
teachings through authorized lineages. The move toward monasticism changed this situation,
putting a greater emphasis on the respect of exoteric moral norms of behavior as a sign of
spiritual authority. This move participated in the logic animating the nonsectarian movement, the
revitalization of non-Geluk traditions so that they could compete with the dominant Geluk school.
Since the Geluk hegemony was based on a widespread monastic practice, it was important for
the other schools to develop their own monasticism to rival the dominant Geluk tradition. This
seems to have been one the goals of Zhanphan Thaye in creating the Dzokchen commentarial
school. . . .A further and equally important step was taken a few decades later with the
transformation by [Khenpo] Zhenga of this institution into a center devoted to the study of the
exoteric tradition. This step was decisive in creating a scholastic model that could provide an
alternative to the dominant model of the Geluk seats and could train scholars who could hold
their own against the intellectual firing power of Geluk scholars.[7]

For Zhenga and his followers, the way to return to this past was the exegetical study of
commentaries, the proper object of scholarship. By downplaying the role of debate emphasized
by the Geluk monastic seats and stressing exegetical skills, they accentuated the differences
between these two traditions and provided a clear articulation of a non-Geluk scholastic tradition.
In this way, they started the process of reversal of the damage inflicted on the non-Geluk
scholarly traditions and created an alternative to the dominance of Geluk scholasticism, which
had often tended to present itself in Tibet as the sole inheritor and legitimate interpreter of the
classical Indian Buddhist tradition.[7]

This scholastic movement led by Khenpo Shenga came on the heels of the work of Mipham, who
"completely revolutionised rNying ma pa scholasticism in the late nineteenth century, raising its
status after many centuries as a comparative intellectual backwater, to arguably the most
dynamic and expansive of philosophical traditions in all of Tibetan Buddhism, with an influence
and impact far beyond the rNying ma pa themselves."[8]

Distinguishing features of the Nyingma lineage[edit]

Nine Ynas[edit]
The doxography employed by the Nyingma tradition to categorize the whole of the Buddhist path
is unique. Nyingmapas divide the Buddhist path into nine yanas, as follows:

The Sutra System

rvakayna, the Vehicle of the Listeners or disciples.

Pratyekabuddhayna (Hinayana) the Vehicle of the Solitary Buddhas, the way of solitary
meditation.
Bodhisattvayna (Mahayana) the Great or Causal Vehicle, the Vehicle of Enlightened
Beings, is the way of those who seek or attain enlightenment for the sake or intention of
liberating not just oneself, but all sentient beings from Sasra.

Outer/Lower/Exoteric Tantra

Kriy (Wylie: bya ba'i rgyud) Tantra of Action which involves ritual, mantra repetition and
visualization.[9]
Carya or Ubhaya (Wylie: u pa'i rgyud or spyod pa'i rgyud) Tantra of Conduct equal
amounts of meditation and symbolic rituals.[9]
Yogatantra (Wylie: rnal 'byor gyi rgyud) Tantra of Union

Inner/Higher/Esoteric Tantra

Mahayoga (Wylie: chen po'i rnal 'byor) Great Yoga

Anuyoga (Wylie: rjes su rnal 'byor) Subsequent Yoga controlling breathing and energy
(nervous and sexual).[9]
Atiyoga (Dzogchen) (Wylie: lhag pa'i rnal 'byor or rdzogs chen) Ultimate Yoga; The Great
Perfection often practised in monasteries kept specially for this purpose.[9]

In the later schools the inner tantric teachings are known as Anuttarayoga Tantra, which
corresponds to Mahayoga in the Nyingma system, while the Mahamudra teachings of the later
schools are said to lead to similar results as the Dzogchen teachings. The first two of the nine
vehicles are seen as Hinayana, the third as Mahayana and the remaining six as specifically
Vajrayana.[9]

Dudjom Jigdral Yeshe Dorje emphasized the eight lower vehicles are intellectually fabricated and
contrived:

The eight lower levels have intellectually fabricated and contrived that which is changeless solely
due to fleeting thoughts that never experience what truly is. They apply antidotes to and reject
that which is not to be rejected. They refer to as flawed that in which there is nothing to be
purified, with a mind that desires purification. They have created division with respect to that
which cannot be obtained by their hopes and fears that it can be obtained elsewhere. And they
have obscured wisdom, which is naturally present, by their efforts in respect to that which is free
from effort and free from needing to be accomplished. Therefore, they have had no chance to
make contact with genuine, ultimate reality as it is (rnal ma'i de kho na nyid).[10]
Philosophy and doctrinal tenets[edit]
Koppl notes that although later Nyingma authors such as Mipham attempted to harmonize the
view of Dzogchen with Madhyamaka, the earlier Nyingma author Rongzom Chokyi Zangpo did
not:

Unlike Mipham, Rongzom did not attempt to harmonize the view of Mantra or Dzogchen with
Madhyamaka.[11]

Rongzom held that the views of sutra such as Madhyamaka were inferior to that of tantra, as
Koppl notes:

By now we have seen that Rongzom regards the views of the Sutrayana as inferior to those of
Mantra, and he underscores his commitment to the purity of all phenomena by criticizing the
Madhyamaka objectification of the authentic relative truth.[11]

Tantra and Dzogchen texts and praxis in the Nyingma

tradition[edit]
With the advent of the transmission of Sarma traditions into Tibet, various proponents of the new
systems cast aspersions on the Indic origins of much of the Nyingma esoteric corpus. Indic origin
was an important component of perceived legitimacy at the time. As a result, much of the
Nyingma esoteric corpus was excluded from the Tengyur, a compilation of texts by Buton
Rinchen Drub that became the established canon for the Sarma traditions. This means that while
Nyingma accept the Tengyur scriptures they also include writings that other schools reject as not
being authentic for having no Indic sourcesthough Sanskrit originals of some have been
discovered in Nepal.[9]

The Nyingmapas organized their esoteric corpus, comprising mostly Mahayoga, Atiyoga
(Dzogchen) Mind class Semde and Space Class (Longde) texts, into an alternate collection,
called the Nyingma Gyubum (the Hundred Thousand Tantras of the Ancient
School, Wylie: rnying ma rgyud bum).[4] Generally, the Gyubum contains Kahma (Wylie:bka'
ma) and very little terma (Wylie: gter ma). The third class of Atiyoga, the Secret Oral Instructions
(Menngagde), are mostly terma texts.

Various editions of the Gyubum are extant, but one typical version is the thirty-six Tibetan-
language folio volumes published by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in New Delhi, 1974. It contains:

10 volumes of Ati Yoga (Dzogchen)

3 volumes of Anu Yoga
6 volumes of the tantra Section of Mahayoga
13 volumes of the sadhana Section of Mahayoga
1 volume of protector tantras
3 volumes of catalogues and historical background
Mahayoga[edit]
Main article: Mahayoga

There are 'eighteen great tantras' (Wylie: bshad pa dang cha mthun gyi rgyud tantra sde bco
brgyad) at the heart of the 'Mahayoga' (Wylie: rnal 'byor chen po) tradition, grouped into 'five root
tantras' (Wylie: rtsa ba sku gsung thugs yon tan phrin las kyi rgyud chen po lnga), 'five practice
tantras' (Wylie: sgrub pa lag len du bstan pa rol pa' rgyud chen po lnga), and 'five activity tantras'
(Wylie: spyod pa'i yan lag tu 'gro ba'i rgyud chen po lnga), and the 'two supplementary tantras'
(Wylie: ma tshang kha bskong ba'i rgyud chen po gnyis). Together they are known as
the Myjla. The Guhyagarbha Tantra (Wylie: rDo rje sems dpa' sgyu 'phrul drwa ba gSang ba
snying po) is the foremost of all of these and it abridges the content of the seventeen others.

"Eighteen" Texts of the Mind Division (Semde)[edit]

Main article: Semde

The mind class (semde) of Dzogchen comprises 21 tantras, although the formulation eventually
came to include slightly more. The Kunjed Gyalpo (Sanskrit: Kulayarja Tantra; The Great
Leveler) Tantra is the most significant of the 'mind' tantras and is taken to be the primary or root
tantra of the Mind Series. The first five Dzogchen tantras are the "Five Earlier Translated
Tantras", translated by Vairotsana and are contained in The Great Leveler. The next thirteen
were translated primarily by Vimalamitra and two Tibetan lotsawas.

Yidam practice & protectors[edit]

The foremost deities practiced by the Nyingma masters are Vajrakla (Tib. Dorje Phurba) and
Vajra Heruka (also Vishuddha Heruka; Tib. Yangdak Tratung, Wylie: yang dag khrag 'thung), the
third of the Eight Herukas who closely resembles r Heruka of the Chakrasamvara tantra. The
three principle protectors of the Nyingma lineage are said to beEkaja (Wylie: e ka dza
ti), Rhula (Wylie: gza' ra hu la) and Dorje Legpa (Wylie: rdo rje legs pa, Sanskrit: Vajrasdhu).

Termas and tertons[edit]

The appearance of terma ("hidden treasures") is of particular significance to the Nyingma
tradition. Although there have been a few Kagyupa "tertons" (treasure revealers) and the practice
is endemic to the Bnpo as well, the vast majority of Tibetan Buddhist tertons have been
Nyingmapas. It is held that past masters, principally Padmasambhava, secreted objects and hid
teachings for discovery by later tertons at appropriate and auspicious times such that the
teaching would be beneficial. These teachings may be physically discovered, often in rocks and
caves, or they may be "mind terma," appearing directly within the mindstream of the terton.

Terma[edit]
Padmasambhava and his main disciples hid hundreds of scriptures, ritual objects and relics in
secret places to protect Buddhism during the time of decline under King Langdarma. These
termas were later rediscovered and special terma lineages were established throughout Tibet.
Out of this activity developed, especially within the Nyingma tradition, two ways of dharma
transmission: the so-called "long" oral transmission from teacher to student in unbroken lineages
and the "short" transmission of "hidden treasures". The foremost revealers of these termas were
the five terton kings and the eight Lingpas.

The terma tradition had antecedents in India; Nagarjuna, for example, rediscovered the last part
of the "Prajnaparamita-Sutra in one hundred thousand verses" in the realm of the Ngas, where
it had been kept since the time of Buddha Shakyamuni.

Tertons[edit]
According to Nyingma tradition, tertons are often mindstream emanations of the 25 main
disciples of Padmasambhava. A vast system of transmission lineages developed through the
ages. Nyingma scriptures were updated when the time was appropriate. Terma teachings guided
many Buddhist practitioners to realisation and enlightenment.

The rediscovering of terma began with the first terton, Sangye Lama (10001080). Tertons of
outstanding importance were Nyangral Nyima Oser (11241192), Guru Chowang(1212
1270), Rigdzin Godem (13071408), Pema Lingpa (14501521), Migyur Dorje (1645
1667), Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (18201892) and Orgyen Chokyur Lingpa(18291870). In
the nineteenth century some of the most famous were the Khen Kong Chok Sum referring
to Jamyang Khyentse, Jamgon Kongtrul and Chokgyur Lingpa.

Various traditions and important historical figures[edit]

Nyangrel Nyima zer (1136-1204)[edit]
Nyangrel Nyima zer (1136-1204) was the principal architect of the Padmasambhava mythos
according to Janet Gyatso.[12]

Guru Chwang (121270)[edit]

Guru Chwang (121270) was the next major contributor to the Padmasambhava mythos.[12]

Rinchen Terdzod[edit]
The Rinchen Terdzod (Tibetan: , Wylie: rin chen gter mdzod) is the most important
collection of terma treasure to Nyingmapas today. This collection is the assemblage of thousands
of the most important terma texts from all across Tibet made by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye,
at the behest of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo in the nineteenth century.

Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso (18461912)[edit]

Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso (Mipham the Great) was born into an aristocratic family in 1846 in
Kham, a province of eastern Tibet. His name, Mipham Gyatso, means Unconquerable Ocean,
and as a scholar and meditator he was so accomplished that he was enthroned as an emanation
of the Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom. As such, he was asked to compose a definitive
articulation of the philosophical outlook of the Nyingma lineage. This had never been
systematized in the manner of the other four lineages and, as a result, was vulnerable to attack
by hostile scholars.
As requested, Mipham Rinpoche composed authoritative works on both the Sutra and Vajrayana
teachings as understood in the Nyingma tradition, writing particularly extensively on dzogchen.
He is said to have composed these vast works effortlessly. They reinvigorated and revitalized the
Nyingma lineage enormously, and he soon became one of the most renowned lamas in Tibet,
attracting disciples from all traditions, many of whom became lineage holders. Mipham's works
have become the foundation of study for not only the Nyingma lineage, but the Kagyu lineage as
well. They hold a central position in all Nyingma monasteries and monastic colleges. Along with
Longchenpa, he is considered the source of the Nyingma doctrine.

The Six Mother Monasteries[edit]

Nyingma tradition has held that there were "Six Mother Monasteries" out of which developed a
large number of branch monasteries throughout Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.

There have been slightly different formulations of the six. At one time they included Dorje
Drak, Mindrolling and Palri monasteries in Upper Tibet
and Katok, Palyul and Dzogchenmonasteries in Lower Tibet.

After the decline of Palri and the flourishing of Shechen Monastery, the Six Mother Monasteries
were Dorje Drak and Mindrolling in the upper region, Shechen and Dzogchen in the center, and
Kathok and Palyul in the lower part of Tibet. The last four monasteries are all located in Kham.[13]

Also of great importance to the Nyingma lineage is Samye, the first Tibetan monastery, which
was founded by ntarakita.

Recent and contemporary lineage teachers[edit]

Recent and contemporary Nyingma teachers include Trulshik Rinpoche, Chatral Sangye
Dorje, Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche, Thinley Norbu, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Namkhai
Norbu, Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Lama Gonpo Tseten, Tarthang
Tulku, Sogyal Rinpoche, Palden Sherab, Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, Khentrul Lodro Thaye
Rinpoche, Chamtrul Rinpoche, Khandro Rinpoche, Chkyi Nyima Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop
Rinpoche, Togdan Rinpoche.

See also[edit]
Organizations Teachings

Rigpa Chokling Tersar

Longchen Nyingthig
Nam Cho

Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ Sherpa, Lhakpa Norbu (2008). Through a Sherpa Window: Illustrated Guide to Sherpa
Culture. Kathmandu, Nepal: Vajra Publications. ISBN 978-9937-506205.
2. Jump up^ Source: [1] (accessed: Monday July 22, 2008)
 3. Jump up^ Dargyay, Eva M. (author) & Wayman, Alex (editor)(1998). The Rise of Esoteric
Buddhism in Tibet. Second revised edition, reprint. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers
Pvt Ltd. Buddhist Tradition Series Vol.32. ISBN 81-208-1579-3 (paper) p.5
4. ^ Jump up to:a b Germano, David (March 25, 2002). A Brief History of Nyingma Literature.
Source: [2] (accessed: Wednesday July 23, 2008)
5. Jump up^ "The Nyingma Lineage". tergar.org. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
6. Jump up^ [3]
7. ^ Jump up to:a b "Where do Commentarial Schools come from? Reflections on the History of
Tibetan Scholasticism" by Dreyfus, Georges. Journal of the International Association of Buddhist
Studies Vol. 28, Nr 2 2006. pgs 273-297
8. Jump up^ Review by Robert Mayer of Miphams Dialectics and the Debates on Emptiness: To Be,
Not to Be or Neither. Buddhist Studies Review 23(2) 2006, 268
9. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Sangharakshita. An Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism.
10. Jump up^ Dudjom Rinpoche. Wisdom Nectar. Snow Lion 2005.
11. ^ Jump up to:a b Koppl, Heidi. Establishing Appearances as Divine. Snow Lion Publications 2008,
chapter 4.
12. ^ Jump up to:a b Gyatso, Janet (August 2006). "A Partial Genealogy of the Lifestory of Ye shes
mtsho rgyal". The Journal of the International Association of Tibetan Studies (2).
13. Jump up^ Buswell (2013). Lopez, Donald S, ed. Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ:
Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691157863.

References[edit]
Dudjom Rinpoche and Jikdrel Yeshe Dorje. The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism: its
Fundamentals and History. Two Volumes. 1991. Translated and edited by Gyurme Dorje
with Matthew Kapstein. Wisdom Publications, Boston. ISBN 0-86171-087-8
Dargyay, Eva M. (author) & Wayman, Alex (editor)(1998). The Rise of Esoteric Buddhism in
Tibet. Second revised edition, reprint.Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt Ltd.
Buddhist Tradition Series Vol.32. ISBN 81-208-1579-3 (paper)

Further reading[edit]
Introduction

Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. The Opening of the Dharma. Library of Tibetan Works and
Archives, Dharamsala 1974
Keith Dowman. Skydancer - The Secret Life and Songs of the Lady Yeshe Tsogyal. Snow
Lion Publ., Ithaca-New York 1996, ISBN 1-55939-065-4
Ngawang Zangpo. Guru Rinpoch - His Life and Times. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New
York 2002, ISBN 1-55939-174-X
Sogyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, ISBN 0-06-250834-2

Dzogchen

Dudjom Lingpa. Buddhahood Without Meditation, A Visionary Account known as Refining

Apparent Phenomena. Padma Publishing, Junction City 1994, ISBN 1-881847-07-1
Gyatso, Janet (1999). Apparitions of the Self, the Secret Autobiographies of a Tibetan
Visionary. New Jersey: New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-01110-9.
 Longchen Rabjam. A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmission, a Commentary on The
Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena. Padma Publishing, Junction City
2001, ISBN 1-881847-30-6
Longchen Ragjam. The Practice of Dzogchen. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York
1996, ISBN 1-55939-054-9
Longchen Rabjam. The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena. Padma
Publishing, Junction City 2001, ISBN 1-881847-32-2
Longchen Rabjam. The Precious Treasury of the Way of Abiding. Padma Publishing,
Junction City 1998, ISBN 1-881847-09-8
Longchenpa. You Are the Eyes of the World. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York
2000, ISBN 1-55939-140-5
Manjushrimitra. Primordial Experience, An Introduction to Dzogchen Meditation. Shambhala
Publications, Boston & London 2001, ISBN 1-57062-898-X
Nudan Dorje, James Low. Being Right Here - A Dzogchen Treasure Text of Nuden Dorje
entitled The Mirror of Clear Meaning. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca-New York 2004,ISBN 1-
55939-208-8
Padmasambhava. Advice from the Lotus-Born. Rangjung Yeshe Publications, Hong-Kong
1994, ISBN 962-7341-20-7
Padmasambhava. Natural Liberation - Padmasambhava's Teachings on the Six Bardos.
Wisdom Publications, Boston 1998, ISBN 0-86171-131-9
Reynolds, John Myrdhin. The Golden Letters. Snow Lion Publications, Ithaca New York
1996, ISBN 1-55939-050-6
Reynolds, John Myrdhin, Self-Liberation through seeing with naked awareness. Snow Lion
Publications, Ithaca-New York 2000, ISBN 1-55939-144-8

External links[edit]
Kathok Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
Palyul Nyingma Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
Nyingma Trust headed by Tarthang Tulku
Nyingma Institute headed by Tharthang Tulku, with centres in Berkeley, Amsterdam and Rio
de Janeiro
Zangthal Translations of Tibetan texts into English.
Padmasambhava Buddhist Center Headed by Kenchen Palden Sherab and Khenpo
Tsewang Dongyal with centers around the world and Padma Samye Ling Retreat Center and
Monastery in Sidney Center, New York.
[5] Bodhicitta Sangha - a Minnesota-based dharma center
Thubten Lekshey Ling - Nyingma Dharma Center in India
 Khordong - Byangter and Khordong sangha of the tradition from Chim Rigdzin (also known
as CR Lama, 1922-2002) with centres and groups in India, Poland, German, France,
England

Kagyu
The Kagyu, Kagy, or Kagyud (Tibetan: , Wylie: bka' brgyud) school, also known as the
"Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today regarded as one of six main schools
(chos lugs) of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other five being
theNyingma, Sakya, Jonang, Gelug and Bon. Along with the Sakya and Gelug schools, the
Kagyu tradition is classified as one of the Sarmaor "New Transmission" schools
of Vajrayna founded during the second diffusion of Buddhism into Tibet (diffusing the so-called
"New Tantras"). It is a Red Hat sect along with the Nyingma and Sakya.

Due to the Kagyu tradition's particularly strong emphasis on guru devotion and guru yoga, and
the personal transmission of esoteric instructions (Wylie: dam ngag or man ngag) from master to
disciple, the early Kagyu tradition soon gave rise to a bewildering number of independent sub-
schools or sub-sects centered on individual charismatic Kagyu teachers and their lineages.
These lineages are hereditary as well as mindstream emanation in nature

Kagyu refuge tree

Nomenclature, orthography and etymology[edit]

Strictly speaking, the term bka' brgyud "oral lineage", "precept transmission" applies to any line of
transmission of an esoteric teaching from teacher to disciple. There are references to the
"Atia kagyu" for the Kadam or to "Jonang kagyu" for the Jonang and "Ganden kagyu" for
the Gelug sects.[1] Today, however, the term Kagyu almost always refers to the Dagpo
Kagyu and, less often, to the Shangpa Kagyu.

"Kagyu" and "Kargyu"[edit]

In his 1970 article Golden Rosaries of the Bka' brgyud schools, E. Gene Smith discusses the two
forms of the name, Wylie: bka' brgyud and Wylie: dkar brgyud:

A note is in order regarding the two forms Dkar brgyud pa and Bka' brgyud pa. The term Bka'
brgyud pa simply applies to any line of transmission of an esoteric teaching from teacher to
disciple. We can properly speak of a Jo nang Bka' brgyud pa or Dge ldan Bka' brgyud pa for the
Jo nang pa and Dge lugs pa sects. The adherents of the sects that practice the teachings
centering around the Phyag rgya chen po and the N ro chos drug are properly referred to as the
Dwags po Bka' brgyud pa because these teachings were all transmitted through Sgam po pa.
Similar teachings and practices centering around the Ni gu chos drug are distinctive of the
Shangs pa Bka' brgyud pa. These two traditions with their offshoots are often incorrectly referred
to simply as Bka' brgyud pa.

Some of the more careful Tibetan scholars suggested that the term Dkar brgyud pa be used to
refer to the Dwags po Bka' brgyud pa, Shangs pa Bka' brgyud pa and a few minor traditions
transmitted by N ro pa, Mar pa, Mi la ras pa, or Ras chung pa but did not pass through Sgam po
pa. The term Dkar brgyud pa refers to the use of the white cotton meditation garment by all these
lineages. This complex is what is normally known, inaccuratly, as the Bka' brgyud pa. Thu'u kwan
Blo bzang chos kyi nyi ma sums up the matter: "In some later 'Brug pa texts the written form
'Dkar brgyud' indeed appears, because Mar pa, Mi la, Gling ras, and others wore only white
cotton cloth. Nevertheless, it is fine if [they] are all called Bka' brgyud." At Thu'u kwan's
suggestion, then, we will side with convention and use the term "Bka' brgyud."[2]

One source indicates:

[T]he term "Kagyu" derives from the Tibetan phrase meaning "Lineage of the Four
Commissioners" (Ka-bab-shi-gyu-pa). This four-fold lineage is

1. the illusory body and transference yogas of the Guhyasamaja and Chatushpitha Tantra,
transmitted through Tilopa, Nagarjuna, Indrabhuti, and Saraha;
2. the dream yoga practice of the Mahamaya from Tilopa, Charyapa, and Kukuripa;
3. the clear-light yoga of the Chakrasamvara, Hevajra, and other Mother Tantras, as
transmitted from Hevajra, Dombipa, and Lavapa; and
4. the inner-heat yoga, Kamadevavajra, Padmavajra, Dakini, Kalpabhadra, and
Tilopa.(Thurman 2003, p. 42)

Shangpa Kagyu[edit]
Main article: Shangpa Kagyu
The Shangpa Kagyu (Wylie: shangs pa bka' brgyud) differs in origin from the better known
Marpa or Dagpo school that is the source of all present-day Kagyu schools. The Dagpo school
and its branches primarily came from the lineage of the Indian siddhas Tilopa
and Naropa transmitted in Tibet through Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa and their successors. In
contrast, the Shangpa lineage descended from two female siddhas, Naropa's
consort Niguma[3] and Virupa's disciple Sukhasiddhi, transmitted in Tibet in the 11th century
through Khyungpo Nenjor. The tradition takes its name from the Shang Valley where Khyungpo
Nenjor established the gompa of Zhongzhong or Zhangzhong.

For seven generations, the Shangpa Kagyu lineage remained a one-to-one

transmission.[4] Although there were a few temples and retreat centres in Tibet and Bhutan
associated with the Shangpa transmission, it never really was established as an independent
religious institution or sect. Rather, its teachings were transmitted down through the centuries
by lamas belonging to many different schools.

In the 20th century, the Shangpa teachings were transmitted by the first Kalu Rinpoche, who
studied at Palpung Monastery, the seat of the Tai Situpa.

Marpa Kagyu and Dagpo Kagyu[edit]

Kagyu begins in Tibet with Marpa Lotsawa (10121097) who trained as a translator with Drogmi
Lotsawa Shkya Yeshe (Wylie: 'brog mi lo ts ba shkya ye shes, 9931050), and then traveled
three times to India and four times to Nepal in search of religious teachings. His principal gurus
were the siddhas Nropa - from whom he received the "close lineage" of Mahmudr and Tantric
teachings, and Maitrpda - from whom he received the "distant lineage" of mahmudr.

Indian Origins[edit]

Tilopa

Marpa's guru Nropa (10161100) was the principal disciple of Tilopa (988-1089) from East
Bengal. From his own teachers Tilopa received the Four Lineages of Instructions (bka' babs
bzhi),[5] which he passed on to Nropa who codified them into what became known as the Six
Doctrines or Six Yogas of Nropa. These instructions consist a combination of the completion
stage (Skt. sampannakrama; Tib. rdzogs rim) practices of different Buddhist highest yoga tantras
(Skt. Anuttarayoga Tantra; Wylie: bla med rgyud), which use the energy-winds
(Skt. vyu,Wylie: rlung), energy-channels (Skt. ni, Wylie: rtsa) and energy-drops of the
subtle vajra-body in order to achieve the four types of bliss, the clear-light mind and realize the
state of Mahmudr.

The Mahmudr lineage of Tilopa and Nropa is called the "direct lineage" or "close lineage" as
it is said that Tilopa received this Mahmudr realisation directly from
the Dharmakya Buddha Vajradhara and this was transmitted only through Nropa to Marpa.

The "distant lineage" of Mahmudr is said to have come from the Buddha in the form of
Vajradara through incarnations of the bodhisattvasAvalokitevara and Majur to Saraha, then
from him through Nagarjuna, Shavaripa, and Maitripada to Marpa. The Mahmudr teachings
from Saraha that Maitripa transmitted to Marpa include the "Essence Mahmudr" (Wylie: snying
po'i phyag chen) where Mahmudr is introduced directly without relying on philosophical
reasoning or yogic practices.

According to some accounts, on his third journey to India Marpa also met Atia (9821054) who
later came to Tibet and helped found theKadam lineage[6]

Marpa and his successors[edit]

Marpa

Marpa established his "seat" at Drowolung (Wylie: gro bo lung) in Lhodrak in southern Tibet just
north of Bhutan. Marpa married the Lady Dagmema, and took eight other concubines as mudras.
Collectively they embodied the main consort and eight wisdom dakini in the mandalaof
his iadevat, Hevajra. Marpa wanted to entrust the transmission lineage to his oldest son
Darma Dode who died in accident. Darma Dode's incarnation as Indian master Tiphupa became
important for the future development of Kagyu in Tibet.
Marpa's four most outstanding students were known as the "Four Great Pillars" (Wylie: ka chen
bzhi):[7]

1. Milarepa (10401123), born in Gungthang province of western Tibet, the most

celebrated and accomplished of Tibet's yogis, who achieved the ultimate goal of
enlightenment in one lifetime became the holder of Marpa's meditation or practice
lineage.
2. Ngok Choku Dorje (Wylie: rngog chos sku rdo rje)[8] (10361102) - was the principal
recipient of Marpa's explanatory lineages and particularly important in Marpa's
transmission of the Hevajra Tantra. Ngok Choku Dorje founded the Langmalung temple
in the Tang valley of Bumthang district, Bhutanwhich stands today.[9] The Ngok branch
of the Marpa Kagyu was an independent lineage carried on by his descendants at least
up to the time of the Second Drukchen Gyalwang Kunga Paljor (Wylie: 'brug chen kun
dga' dpal 'byor, 1428-1476) who received this transmission, and 1476 when Go Lotsawa
composed the Blue Annals.[10]
3. Tshurton Wangi Dorje (Wylie: mtshur ston dbang gi rdo rje)[11] - (or Tshurton Wangdor)
was the principal recipient of Marpa's transmission of the teachings of the Guhyasamja
tantra. Tshurton's lineage eventually merged with the Shalu Monastery tradition and
subsequently passed down to Je Tsongkhapa who wrote extensive commentaries on
Guhyasamja.
4. Meton Tsonpo (Wylie: mes ston tshon po)

Marpa had wanted to pass his lineage through his son Darma Dode following the usual Tibetan
practice of the time to transmit of lineages of esoteric teachings via hereditary lineage (father-son
or uncle-nephew), but his son died at an early age and consequently he passed his main lineage
on through Milarepa.

Other important students of Marpa include:

Marpa Dowa Chokyi Wangchuck (Wylie: mar pa do ba chos kyi dbang phyug).
Marpa Goleg (Wylie: mar pa mgo legs) who along with Tshurton Wangdor received the
Guhyasamja tantra.
Barang Bawacen (Wylie: ba rang lba ba can) - who received lineage of the explanatory
teachings of the Mahmy Tantra.

Jamgon Kongtrul (18131899) collected the initiations and sadhanas of surviving transmissions
of Marpa's teachings together in the collection known as the Kagyu Ngak
Dz(Tibetan: , Wylie: bka' brgyud sngags mdzod, "Treasury of Kagyu Tantras").

Milarepa and his disciples[edit]

Main article: Milarepa

Among Milarepa's many students were Gampopa (10791153), a great scholar, and the great
yogi Rechung Dorje Drakpa, also known as Rechungpa.
Gampopa
Main article: Gampopa

Gampopa combined the stages of the path tradition of the Kadam order with teaching and
practice of the Great Seal (Mahamudra) and the Six Yogas of Naropa he received from Milarepa
synthesizing them into one lineage, which came to be known as Dagpo Kagyuthe main lineage
of the Kagyu tradition passed down via Naropa as we know it today. The other main lineage of
the Kagyu is the Shangpa Kagyu passed down via Niguma.

Following Gampopa's teachings, there evolved the so-called "Four Major and Eight Minor"
lineages of the Dagpo (sometimes rendered "Tagpo" or "Dakpo") Kagyu School. This phrase is
descriptive of the generation or order in which the schools were founded, not of their importance.

Together Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa are known as "Mar-Mi-Dag Sum" (Wylie: mar mi
dwags gsum) and together these three are considered the founders of the Kagyu school of
Buddhism in Tibet.
Twelve Dagpo Kagyu Lineages
See also: Dagpo Kagyu

Although few survive as independent linages today, there were twelve main sub schools of the
Dagpo Kagyu derived from Gampopa and his disciples. Four primary branches stemmed from
direct disciples of Gampopa and his nephew; and eight secondary branches derived from
Gampopa's disciple Phagmo Drupa.[12] Several of these Kagyu traditions in turn developed their
own branches or sub-schools. It must be said, though, that the terminology "primary and
secondary" (che chung) for the Kagyu schools can only be traced back as far as Kongtrul's
writings (19th century).[citation needed]
The Tibetan terminology "che chung", literally "large (and)
small," does not reflect the size or influence of the schools, as for instance the Drikung school
was in the 13th century probably the largest and most influential of them, although it is, according
to Kongtrul, "secondary".[citation needed]

The abbatal throne of Gampopa's own monastery of Daglha Gampo, passed to his own nephew
Dagpo Gomtsul.

Four primary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu

Karma Kamtsang
Main article: Karma Kagyu

The Drubgyu Karma Kamtsang, often known simply as Karma Kagyu, was founded by one of
Gampopa's main disciples Dsum Khyenpa, 1st Karmapa Lama (11101193).

Sub-schools[edit]

The Karma Kagyu itself has three subschools in addition to the main branch:[13]
 Surmang, founded by Trungmase, 1st Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche, a student
of Deshin Shekpa, 5th Karmapa Lama, this sub-sect was centered on Surmang
Monastery, in what is now Qinghai
Ndo Kagyu (Wylie: gnas mdo), founded by Karma Chagme (Wylie: kar ma chags
med, 16131678), a disciple of the 6th Shamarpa (Wylie: zhwa dmar chos kyi dbang
phyug, 15841630)
Gyaltn Kagyu
Karmapa controversy[edit]
Main article: Karmapa controversy

Following the death of Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa in 1981, followers came to
disagree over the identity of his successor. In the early 1990s two main candidates,Ogyen
Trinley Dorje and Trinley Thaye Dorje, were publicly identified. The 14th Shamarpa,
recognized Trinley Thaye Dorje as the 17th Karmapa; while other senior Karma Kagyu
incarnates, including the 12th Tai Situpa and 12th Goshir Gyaltsab, recognized Ogyen
Trinley Dorje as the 17th Karmapa, as did the Dalai Lama and majority senior monks of the
karma kagyu school. Both of these candidates underwent enthronement ceremonies and
each is now considered by his respective followers as the 17th Karmapa.[14][15] A minority of
Karma Kagyu adherents recognize both candidates as legitimate incarnations of the previous
Karmapa.

Barom Kagyu[edit]

The Barom Kagyu was founded by Gampopa's disciple Barompa Darma

Wangchuk (Wylie: 'ba' rom pa dar ma dbang phyug, 11271199/1200), who established the
Nak River Barom Riwoche Monastery (Wylie: nag chu 'ba' rom ri bo che) in 1160.

An important early master of this school was Tishri Repa Sherab Senge (Wylie: 'gro mgon ti
shri ras pa rab seng ge, 11641236).

This school was popular in the Principality of Nangchen in Kham (modern Nangqn
County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, southern Qinghai) where it has survived in
one or two pockets to the present day.

Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (19201996) was a holder of the Barom Kagyu Lineage.

Tshalpa Kagyu[edit]

The Tshalpa Kagyu was established by Zhang Yudrakpa Tsndru Drakpa (Wylie: zhang
g.yu brag pa brtson 'gru brags pa, 11231193), who founded Tsel Gungtang Monastery
(Wylie: tshal gung thang). Lama Zhang was a disciple of Gampopa's nephew Dagpo
Gomtsul Tsultim Nyingpo (Wylie: dwags sgom tshul khrims snying po, 11161169).

The Tshalpa Kagyu tradition continued to function independently until the 15th century when
it was absorbed by the Gelug, who still maintain many of its transmissions.[16] All of the former
Tshelpa properties became Gelug possessions under the administration of Sera monastery.
 This section needs
expansion.You can help
by adding to it. (June 2008)

Phagdru Kagyu
The Phagmo Drupa Kagyu (Tibetan: , Wylie: phag mo gru pa bka' brgyud)
or Phagdru Kagyu () was founded by Phagmo Drupa Dorje
Gyalpo (Tibetan:, Wylie: phag mo gru pa rdo rje rgyal po, 11101170) who
was the elder brother of the famous Nyingma lama Ka Dampa Deshek (11221192) founder
of Katok Monastery. Before meeting Gampopa, Dorje Gyalpo studied with Sachen Kunga
Nyingpo (sa chen kun dga' snying po) (10921158) from whom he
received lamdretransmission.[17]

In 1158 Dorje Gyalpo built a reed-hut hermitage at Phakmo Drupa ("Sow's Ferry Crossing")
in a juniper forest in Nedong (Tibetan: , Wylie: sne gdong) high above theBrahmaputra
River. Later, as his fame spread and disciples gathered, this site developed into the major
monastic seat of Dentsa Thel (Tibetan: , Wylie: gdan sa thel). Following his death the
monastery declined and his disciple Jigten Sumgn sent Chenga Drakpa Jungne
(Tibetan: , Wylie: spyan snga grags pa 'byung-gnas) (11751255), a
member of the Lang (Wylie: rlang) family, to become abbot and look after the monastery.

Chenga Drakpa Jungne was abbot for 21 years and restored the monastery to its former
grandeur. In 1253 when the Sakyapas came to power they appointed Dorje Pel
[(Tibetan: , Wylie: rdo rje dpal)] the brother of Chenga Drakpa Jungne as Tripon
[hereditary myriarch] of Nedon. From that time on the Tripon who as a monk, assumed the
seat of government of Nedon and also ruled as abbot at Dentsa Thel and his brothers
married in order to perpetuate the family line. This tie with the monastery founded by
Phagmo Drupa led to the Tripons of Nedong to become known as Phagdru (short of Phagmo
Drupa) Tripon and their period of rule in Tibet as the Phagmo Drupa period (or Phagmodrupa
dynasty).[18]

Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen (13021364) was born into this Lang family. In 1322, he was
appointed by the Sakyapas as the Pagmodru Myriarch of Nedong and given the title "Tai
Situ" in the name of the Yuan emperor. Soon he fought with a neighboring myriarchy trying
to recover land lost in earlier times. This quarrel displeased the Sakya ruler (dpon-chen)
Gyelwa Zangpo (Tibetan: , Wylie: rgyal ba bzang po) who dismissed him as
myriach. Following a split between Gyelwa Zangpo and his minister Nangchen Wangtsn
(Tibetan: , Wylie: nang chen dbang brtson), the former restored Changchup
Gyeltsen to his position in 1352. Taking advantage of the situation, Changchup Gyeltsen
immediately went on the offensive and soon controlled the whole of the
central Tibetan province of . Gyelwa Zangpo and Changchup Gyeltsen were reconciled at a
meeting with the Sakya lama Knpangpa (Tibetan: , Wylie: bla ma kun spangs
pa). This angered Nangchen Wangtsn, who usurped Gyelwa Zangpo as Sakya ruler and
imprisoned him.

In 1351 Changchup Gyeltsen established an important Kagyu monastery at the ancient

Tibetan capital of Tsetang. This was later dismantled during the time of the 7th Dalai
Lama (18th century) and replaced by a Gelugpa monastery, Gaden Chokhorling.[19]

In 1358, Wangtson assassinated Lama Kunpangpa. Learning of this, Changchup Gyeltsen

then took his forces to Sakya, imprisoned Wangtsn, and replaced four hundred court
officials and the newly appointed ruling lama. The Pagmodrupa rule of Central Tibet (U,
Tsang and Ngari) dates from this coup in 1358.[20]

As ruler, Changchup Gyeltsen was keen to revive the glories of the Tibetan
Empire of Songtsn Gampo and assert Tibetan independence from the Yuan dynasty of
the Mongolsand from Ming China. He took the Tibetan title "Desi" (sde-srid), re-organized
the thirteen myriarchies of the Yuan Shakya rulers into numerous districts (Wylie: rdzong),
abolished Mongol law in favour of the old Tibetan legal code, and Mongol court dress in
favour of traditional Tibetan dress.[21]

Tai Situ Changchub Gyaltsen died in 1364 and was succeeded as by his nephew Jamyang
Shakya Gyaltsen (Tibetan: , Wylie: jam dbyangs sha kya rgyal mtshan)
(13401373), who was also a monk. The subsequent rule of the Phagmodrupa
Dynasty lasted until 1435 followed by the Rinpungpa kings who ruled for four generations
from 14351565 and the three Tsangpa kings 1566-1641.

In 1406 the ruling Phagmodrupa prince, Drakpa Gyaltsen, turned down the imperial invitation
to him to visit China.

From 1435 to 1481 the power of the Phagmodrupa declined and they were eclipsed by the
Rinpungpa (Wylie: rin spungs pa) of Tsang, who patronized the Karma Kagyu.

The Phagmo Drupa monastery of Dentsa Thel "was completely destroyed during the Cultural
Revolution in 1966-1978"[22]

Eight Secondary branches of the Dagpo Kagyu

The eight secondary lineages (zung bzhi ya brgyad or chung brgyad) of the Dagpo Kagyu all
trace themselves to disciples of Phagmo Drupa. Some of these secondary schools, notably
the Drikung Kagyu and Drukpa Kagyu, became more important and influential than others.

Drikung Kagyu[edit]
 Drikung Monastery

Main article: Drikung Kagyu

One of the most important of the Kagyu sects still remaining today, the Drikung
Kagyu () takes its name from Drigung Monastery founded by Jigten Sumgn,
also known as Drikung Kyopa.

The special Kagyu teachings of the Drikung tradition include the "Single Intention"
(Wylie: dgongs gcig), "The Essence of Mahyna Teachings" (Wylie: theg chen bstan pa'i
snying po), and the "Fivefold Profound Path of Mahmudr" (Wylie: lam zab mo phyag chen
lnga ldan).

Since the 15th century the Drikung Kagyupa received influence from the "northern terma"
(Wylie: byang gter) teachings of the Nyingma tradition.

Sub-schools[edit]

Several sub-schools branched off from the Drikung Kagyu including the Lhapa or Lhanangpa
Kagyu, founded by N Lhanangpa (Wylie: gnyos lha nang pa, 11641224) who came to
Bhutan in 1194. This school was at one time important in Western Bhutan, particularly in
the Thimphu and Paro regions, where they were rivals of the Drukpa Kagyu. The Lhapa first
came into conflict with the early Drukpa teacher, Phajo Drugom Zhigpo (b. 12th
century)[23] and finally with Ngawang Namgyal (15941651). In 1640 the remaining followers
of the Lhapa Kagyu were expelled from Bhutan together with the Nenyingpa followers as
both had sided with the attacking Tsangpa forces against the Drukpa during their three
invasions of Bhutan and continued to refuse to acknowledge the authority of the
Shabdrung.[24]

Lingre Kagyu and Drukpa Kagyu[edit]

Lingre Kagyu[edit]
Lingre Kagyu refers to the lineages founded by Lingrepa Pema Dorje (Wylie: gling ras pa
padma rdo rje) [1128-1188][25] also known as Nephupa after Nephu monastery (sna phu
dgon) he founded near Dorje Drak (rdo rje brag) in Central Tibet (dbus). Lingrepa's teachers
were Gampopa's disciple Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo; Rechungpa's disciple Sumpa Repa;
and Ra Yeshe Senge, a lineage holder of Ra Lotsawa.
Drukpa Lineage[edit]
Main article: Drukpa Lineage

The Drukpa Lineage was established by Ling Repa's main disciple, Tsangpa Gyare (1161
1211), who established monasteries at Longbol (Wylie: klong rbol) and Ralung
Monastery (Wylie: rwa lung). Later, Tsangpa Gyare went to a place called Nam Phu where,
legend has it, nine roaring dragons rose from the ground and soared into the sky. The
Tibetan word for dragon is Druk (Wylie: 'brug), so Tsangpa Gyare's lineage and the
monastery he established at the place became known as the Drukpa and he became known
as the Gyalwang Drukpa. This school became widespread in Tibet and in surrounding
regions. Today the Southern Drukpa Lineage is the state religion of Bhutan, and in the
western Himalayas, Drukpa Lineage monasteries are found
in Ladakh, Zanskar, Lahaul and Kinnaur.

Along with the Mahamudra teachings inherited from Gampopa and Phagmo Drupa Dorje
Gyalpo, particular teachings of the Drukpa Lineage include the "Six Cycles of Equal Taste"
(Wylie: ro snyom skor drug), a cycle of instructions said to have been hidden by Rechung
Dorje Drakpa and discovered by Tsangpa Gyare, and the "Seven Auspicious Teachings"
(Wylie: rten 'brel rab bdun) revealed to Tsangpa Gyare by seven Buddhas who appeared to
him in a vision at Tsari.

Sub-schools[edit]

Several of Tsangpa Gyare's students started sub-schools, the most important of which were
the Lower Drukpa founded by Gyalwa Lorepa Wangchug Tsondru and the Upper Drukpa
founded by Gyalwa Gotsangpa Gonpo Dorje. This branch further gave rise to several
important sub-schools. However the chief monasteries and succession of Gyalwang Drukpa
Tsangpa Gyare passed to his nephew, nre Darma Senge, at Ralung Monastery; this
lineage was known as the Central Drukpa. This lineage of hereditary "prince-abbots" of
Ralung continued until 1616, when Ngawang Namgyal, the Zhabdrung Rinpoche, fled to
Bhutan due to a dispute over the incarnation of the 4th Gyalwang Drukpa and the enmity of
the Tsangpa ruler. Due to those events, the Central Drukpa split into the Southern Drukpa
led by the Zhabdrung and his successors in Bhutan and the Northern Drukpa led
by Gyalwang Pagsam Wangpo and the successive Gyalwang Drukpa tulkus in Tibet.[26]

The Lower Drukpa

The Lower Drukpa (Wylie: smad 'brug) was founded by Tsangpa Gyare's disciple Lor
Wangchuk Tsndr (Wylie: lo ras dbang phyug brtson 'grus, 1187-1250). Lorepa built the ri
(Wylie: dbu ri) and Sengeri (Wylie: seng ge ri) monasteries and visited Bhutan, where he
founded Tharpaling Monastery (Wylie: thar pa gling) in Jakar. A special transmission of the
Lower Drukpa Lineage is known as The Five Capabilities (Wylie: thub pa lnga), which are:[27]

1. Being capable of [facing] death: capability of Mahmudr (Wylie: phyag rgya chen-
po 'chi thub)
 2. Being capable of [wearing only] the cotton cloth: capability of tummo (Wylie: gtum
mo ras thub)
3. Being capable of the tantric activities done in seclusion (Wylie: gsang spyod kyi ri
thub)
4. Being capable of [facing] the disturbances of 'don spirits: sickness (Wylie: nad 'don
gyi 'khrug thub)
5. Being capable of [facing] circumstances: capability of [applying] antidotes
(Wylie: gnyen-po rkyen thub-pa)
The Upper Drukpa

The Upper Drukpa (Wylie: stod 'brug) was founded Tsangpa Gyare's disciple Gtsangpa
Gnpo Dorj (Wylie: rgod tshang pa mgon po rdo rje, 1189-1258), a highly realized yogiwho
had many disciples. His main disciples were Orgyenpa Rinchenpel (Wylie: o rgyan pa rin
chen dpal, 12301309), Yanggnpa (Wylie: yang dgon pa), Chilkarpa (Wylie: spyil dkar pa)
and Neringpa.

Orgyenpa, who was also a disciple of Karma Pakshi, 2nd Karmapa Lama, became a
great siddha who traveled to Bodhgaya, Jalandhar, Oddiyana and China. In Oddiyana he
received teachings related to the Six Branch Yoga of the Kalachakra system known as the
"Approach and Attainment of the Three Adamantine States" (Wylie: rdo rje gsum gyi bsnyen
sgrub) and, after returning to Tibet, founded the Orgyen Nyendrup tradition and wrote many
works including a famous guide to the land of Oddiyana. Ogyenpa had many disciples
including Rangjung Dorje, 3rd Karmapa Lama, Kharchupa (Wylie: mkhar chu pa, 1284
1339) and Tokden Daseng (Wylie: rtogs dan zla seng).

Barawa Gyeltsen Pelzang (, 1255-1343) was a great scholar of the Upper Drukpa
succession of Yanggnpa. He established the Barawa sub-school, which for a time was
widespread in Tibet and survived as an independent lineage until 1959.[28] For a time this
lineage was also important in Bhutan

The Central Drukpa[edit]

The Middle Drukpa (Wylie: bar 'brug) was the hereditary lineage of Tsangpa Gyare centered
at Ralung. Following Tsangpa Gyare, the next holder of this lineage was his nephew Darma
Sengge (Wylie: dar ma seng ge, 1177-1237), son of Tsangpa Gyare's brother Lhanyen
(Wylie: lha gnyan). Darma Sengge was succeeded by his own nephew Zhnnu Sengge
(Wylie: gzhon nu seng ge, 120066) and he by his nephew Nyima Sengge (Wylie: nyi ma
seng ge, 1251-1287).

The lineage then went to his cousin Dorje Lingpa Sengge Sherap (Wylie: rdo rje gling pa
seng ge shes rab, 1238-1287), son of Wntak (Wylie: dbon stag), a member of the branch of
the Drukpa lineage descended from Tsangpa Gyare's brother Lhambum Wylie: lha 'bum).
The lineage passed to Sengge Sherap's brother Sengge Rinchen (Wylie:seng ge rin chen,
1258-1313), who was succeeded in turn by his son Sengge Gyelpo (Wylie: seng ge rgyal po,
1289-1326), grandson Jamyang Knga Sengg (Wylie: 'jam dbyangs kun dga' seng ge,
1289-1326), great-grandson Lodr Sengge (Wylie: blo gros seng ge, 134590) and great-
great-grandson Sherap Sengge (Wylie: shes rab seng ge, 137192). These first nine holders
of Tsangpa Gyare's lineage were known as the "Incomparable Nine Lions" (Wylie: mnyam
med seng ge dgu).

Sherap Sengge, who died at the age of 21, was succeeded on the throne of Ralung by his
elder brother Yeshe Rinchen (Wylie: ye shes rin chen, 1364-1413) and he by his sons
Namkha Pelzang (Wylie: nam mkha' dpal bzang, 1398-1425) and Sherap Zangpo
(Wylie: shes rab bzang po, 140038). These three were considered the emanations of the
three mahsattvas Manjusri, Vajrapani and Avalokitevara, respectively. Sherap Zangpo's
son was the second Gyalwang Drukpa, Gyelwang J Knga Penjor (Wylie: rgyal dbang rje
kun dga' dpal 'byor, 142876), who received teachings from the most renowned lamas of his
age and became a great author and teacher.

From the 2nd Gyalwang Drukpa, the lineage passed to his nephew Ngakwang Chgyel
(Wylie: ngag dbang chos rgyal, 1465-1540), then successively in turns from father to son to
Ngak gi Wangchuk Drakpa Gyeltsen (Wylie: ngag gi dbang phyug grags pa rgyal mtshan,
1517-1554), Mipham Chgyal (Wylie: mi pham chos rgyal, 1543-1604), Mipham Tenpa'i
Nyima (Wylie: mi pham bstan pa'i nyi ma, 1567-1619) and Ngawang Namgyal, who was the
great-great-grandson of Ngawang Chgyal.

In the Middle Drukpa tradition many great scholars appeared including the fourth Gyalwang
Drukpa, Kunkhyen Pema Karpo (kun mkhyen padma dkar po) [15271592], Khewang
Sangay Dorji (mkhas dbang sangs rgyas rdo rje) [15691645] and Bod Khepa Mipham
Geleg Namgyal (bod mkhas pa mi pham dge legs rnam rgyal) (16181685) who was famed
for his knowledge of poetics, grammar and medicine. His collected works fill over twenty
volumes in modern editions. He founded Sangngak Ch Monastery(Wylie: gsang sngags
chos gling) in 1571[29] to "subdue the klo pa", the inhabitants of southeastern Tibet.[30] This
monastery, which is located in modern Lhoka Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region
near the border with Arunachal Pradesh, India, became the seat of the successive Gyalwang
Drukpa incarnations in Tibet and thus the center of the Northern Drukpa.

Three great siddhas of Middle Drukpa school were Tsangnyn Heruka (1452-1507), author
of the Life of Milarepa, the Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, the Life of Rechungpa,
and compiler of the Demchog Khandro Nyengyud; Drukpa Kunley (1455-1529); and nyn
Knga Zangpo (Wylie: dbus smyon kun dga' bzang po, 1458-1532). All three were disciples
of the 4th Gyalwang Drukpa.

Following the death of the 4th Gyalwang Drukpa, two incarnations were recognized: Paksam
Wangpo (Wylie: dpag bsam dbang po), who was the offspring of the Chongje Depa, and
Ngawang Namgyal, who was also the heir to Drukpa lineage of Ralung. Paksam Wangpo
gained the backing of the powerful Tsangpa Desi, who was a patron of the Karma Kagyu and
hostile to Ngawang Namgyal. The latter subsequently fled to Bhutan, where his lineage
already had many followers, established the Southern Drukpa, and became both the spiritual
and temporal head of the country, after which the country became known
as Drukyl in Standard Tibetan and Dzongkha.

Shuksep Kagyu[edit]

The Shuksep Kagyu (Wylie: shug gseb bka' brgyud) was established by Gyergom Chenpo
Zhnnu Drakpa (Wylie: gyer sgom chen po gzhon nu grags pa, 10901171), who founded
the Shuksep Monastery in Nyiphu. The Shuksep Kagyu emphasised the Mahamudra
teachings of the Dohas, spiritual songs of realisation by Indian masters such as Saraha,
Shavaripa, Tilopa, Naropa and Maitripa. A notable member of this lineage was the
nun Shukseb Jetsun Choying Zangmo.

Taklung Kagyu[edit]
Main article: Taklung Kagyu

The Taklung Kagyu (Wylie: stag lungs bka' brgyud), named after Taklung Monastery
established in 1180 by Taklung Thangpa Tashi Pal (11421210).

Trophu Kagyu[edit]

The Trophu Kagyu (Wylie: khro phu bka' brgyud) was established by Gyeltsa Rinchen Gn
(Wylie: rgyal tsha rin chen mgon, 11181195) and Knden Repa (Wylie: kun ldan ras pa,
11481217). The tradition was developed by their nephew, Thropu Lotsawa, who invited
Pandit Shakyasri of Kashmir, Buddhasri and Mitrayogin to Tibet.

The most renowned adherent of this lineage was Buton Rinchen Drub (12901364)
of Zhalu,[31] who was a student of Trophupa Sonam Sengge (Wylie: khro phu ba bsod nams
sengge)[32] and Trophu Khenchen Rinchen Senge (Wylie: khro phu mkhan chen rin chen
sengge).[33] Other notable teachers of this tradition include Chegompa Sherab Dorje (1130?-
1200)[34]

Yazang Kagyu[edit]

The Yazang Kagyu (Wylie: g.ya' bzang bka' brgyud) founded by Sharawa Kalden Yeshe
Sengge (d. 1207). His foremost disciple was Yazang Chje Ch Mnlam (11691233) who
in 1206 established the monastery of Yabzang, also known as Nedong Dzong, in Yarlung.
The Yazang Kagyu survived as an independent school at least until the 16th century.

Yelpa Kagyu[edit]

The Yelpa Kagyu (Wylie: yel pa bka' rgyud) was established by Druptop Ysh Tsekpa
(Wylie: drub thob ye shes brtsegs pa, b. 1134). He established two monasteries, Shar
Yelphuk (Wylie: shar yel phug) and Jang Tana (Wylie: byang rta rna dgon).

Dagpo Kagyu Lineages Today[edit]

The principle Dagpo Kagyu lineages existing today as organized schools are the Karma
Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu and the Drukpa Lineage. For the most part, the teachings and main
esoteric transmissions of the other Dagpo Kagyu lineages have been absorbed into one or
another of these three independent schools. Periodic attempts are made to reestablish the
institutional independence of some of the other lineages such as the Taklung and Barom
Kagyu, but these have met with very modest success to date.

Kagyu Doctrines
Mahmudr[edit]
Main article: Mahamudra

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:

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.

The Six Yogas of Naropa[edit]

Main article: Six Yogas of Naropa

Important practices in all Kagyu schools are the tantric practices

of Chakrasamvara and Vajravarahi, and particularly the Six Yogas of Naropa.

Kagyu Literature[edit]
In terms of view, the Kagyu (particularly the Karma Kagyu) emphasize the Hevajra
tantra with commentaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and Dakpo Tashi Namgyal,
theUttaratantra with commentaries by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye and another by Glo
Shnu Pal as a basis for studying buddha nature, and the Third Karmapa Rangjung
Dorje's Profound Inner Principles (Tib. Zabmo Nangdon) with commentaries by Rangjung
Dorje and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye as a basis for tantra.

This section needs

expansion.You can help
by adding to it. (June 2008)

See also[edit]
This section is empty. You can
help by adding to it. (July 2010)
References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Schaeffer 2001, p. 40.
2. Jump up^ Smith & Schaeffer 2001, p. 40.
3. Jump up^ Niguma Story
4. Jump up^ Jamgon Kongtrul 2003, p. 16.
5. Jump up^ These four lineages of instruction are enumerated by Situ Panchen as: 1. The
instructions on Mahmudr (phyag rgya chen po'i gdam ngags);2. The instructions
oncali or "heat yoga" (gtum mo'i bka' babs); 3. The instructions on clear light ('od gsal kyi
bka' babs); 4. The instructions on Karma Mudr (las kyi phyags rgya'i bka babs)
6. Jump up^ "Atisha and the Restoration of Buddhism in Tibet by Gurugana
Dharmakaranama". Lamayeshe.com. 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
7. Jump up^ Roerich, George N. (Translator) The Blue Annals. Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi
1988. [reprint of Calcutta, 1949] p. 403
8. Jump up^ TBRC P0RK1289
9. Jump up^ Dargey, Yonten. History of the Drukpa Kagyud in Bhutan. Thimphu 2001. pg. 58
10. Jump up^ The hereditary lineages starting from Ngok Choku Dorje's son Ngok Dode
(Wylie: rngog mdo sde, b. 1090) up to 1476 AD are detailed on pp. 406-414 in Roerich's
translation of the Blue Annals.
11. Jump up^ TBRC P3074
12. Jump up^ Tenzin Gyatsho, Dalai Lama XIV. The Gelug / Kagy Tradition of Mahamudra p.
262
13. Jump up^ "Transcriptions of teachings given by His Eminence the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa
(2005),". Nic.fi.
14. Jump up^ "The Karmapa's Return To Tsurphu In Tibet, The Historic Seat Of The
Karmapas"Retrieved on December 22, 2008.
15. Jump up^ "The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje" Retrieved on December 22,
2008.
16. Jump up^ Dorje, Gyurme. Jokhang: Tibets most sacred Buddhist Temple . 2010 London,
Thames and Hudson . pg. 12
17. Jump up^ Stearns, Cyrus. Luminous Lives: The Story of the Early Masters of the Lam dre in
Tibet. Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-307-9
18. Jump up^ "The rise of Changchub Gyaltsen and the Phagmo Drupa Period in Bulletin of
Tibetology, 1981 Gangtok: Namgyal Institute of Tibetology [1]
19. Jump up^ Dorje, Gyurme. Tibet Handbook: The Travel Guide. Footprint 1999. p.185 ISBN 1-
900949-33-4
20. Jump up^ Berzin, Alexandra A Survey of Tibetan History: 4 The Pagmodru, Rinpung, and
Tsangpa Hegemonies
21. Jump up^ Norbu, Dawa "China's Tibet Policy". RoutledgeCurzon 2001. p. 57
22. Jump up^ Stoddard, E Heather (2002) Golden Buddhas from Tibet: Reconstruction of the
Faade of a Stupa from Densathil.
23. Jump up^ see: Dargye and Srensen (2001) pp.ixx, 3436, 4146
24. Jump up^ Dorje, Sangay and Kinga (2008) pp.1467.
25. Jump up^ TBRC P910
26. Jump up^ Smith & Schaeffer 2001, pp. 44-5.
27. Jump up^ Martin 2006.
28. Jump up^ Smith 2001, p. 45.
29. Jump up^ Berzin 2013.
30. Jump up^ "gsang sngags chos gling". Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center. Retrieved 27
June2015.
31. Jump up^ Gyurme Dorje 1999, p. 200.
32. Jump up^ TBRC P3098
33. Jump up^ TBRC P3099
34. Jump up^ "Chegompa Sherab Dorje - The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan
Religious Masters". Tibetanlineages.org. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011.
Retrieved2012-09-10.

Bibliography[edit]
 Berzin, Alexander (2003). "A Brief History of Drug Sang-ngag Choling Monastery".
Retrieved 2013-08-19.
Dargye, Yonten (2001). History of the Drukpa Kagyud School in Bhutan (12th to 17th
Century A.D.). Thimphu, Bhutan. ISBN 99936-616-0-0.
Gyurme Dorje (1999). Tibet Handbook: With Bhutan. Footprint Handbooks. ISBN 978-1-
900949-33-0.
Huntington, John C.; Bangdel, Dina; Thurman, Robert (2003). The Circle of Bliss:
Buddhist Meditational Art. Serindia Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1-932476-01-9.
Jamgon Kongtrul (5 November 2003). Timeless Rapture: Inspired Verse of the Shangpa
Masters. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-1-55939-960-9.
Martin, Dan (May 2006). "A Bronze Portrait Image of Lo-ras-pa's Disciple: Tibetological
Remarks on an Item in a Recent Asian Art Catalog". Tibetan Mongolian Museum
Society. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
Powers, John (1994). Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Snow Lion. ISBN 1-55939-026-
3.
rdo rje gdan pa mi pham tshe dbang btsan 'dzin (2001). The biography of Pha Brug-
sgom-zhig-po called the current of compassion. National Library of Bhutan. ISBN 978-
99936-17-00-6.
Roerich, George N. (1988). The Blue Annals. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-
208-0471-5.
Smith, E. Gene; Schaeffer, Kurtis R (2001). Among Tibetan Texts: History and Literature
of the Himalayan Plateau. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-86171-179-6.
Thondup (1987). Buddhist Civilization in Tibet. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-
7102-1087-6.

Further reading
Kapstein, Matthew. "The Shangs-pa bKa'-brgyud: an unknown school of Tibetan
Buddhism" in M. Aris and Aung San Suu Kyi (eds.), Studies in Honor of Hugh
RichardsonWarminster: Aris and Phillips, 1980, pp. 13844.
Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen. The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury.
Ithica: Snow Lion Publications, 1990. [A translation of part of the Bka' brgyud kyi rnam
thar chen mo- a collection of 'Bri gung Bka' brgyud hagiographies by Rdo rje mdzes 'od]
Quintman, Andrew, transl. The Life of Milarepa. Penguin Classics, 2010. ISBN 978-0-14-
310622-7
Roberts, Peter Alan. The Biographies of Rechungpa: The Evolution of a Tibetan
hagiography. London: Routledge, 2007. ISBN 0-415-76995-7
Smith, E. Gene. "Golden Rosaries of the Bka' brgyud Schools." in Among Tibetan Texts:
History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau, ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 39-52. Boston:
Wisdom Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
 Smith, E. Gene. "The Shangs pa Bka' brgyud Tradition." in Among Tibetan Texts: History
and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau, ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 53-57. Boston: Wisdom
Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
Smith, E. Gene. "Padma dkar po and His History of Buddhism" in Among Tibetan Texts:
History and Literature of the Himalayan Plateau, ed. Kurtis R. Schaeffer, 81-86. Boston:
Wisdom Publications, 2001. ISBN 0-86171-179-3
Thaye, Jampa A Garland of Gold. Bristol: Ganesha Press, 1990. ISBN 0-9509119-3-3
Thinley, Karma. The History of the Sixteen Karmapas of Tibet (1980) ISBN 1-57062-644-
8
Brunnholzl, Karl. Luminous Heart: The Third Karmapa on Consciousness, Wisdom, and
Buddha Nature Snow Lion Publications, 2009.
Rinpoche, Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. The Practice of Mahamudra Snow Lion
Publications 2009.
Rinpoche, Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen. The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage
Treasury Snow Lion Publications 2006.

External links[edit]
Martin, Dan The Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism at Treasury of Lives
Kagyu Lineage Chart
Barom Kagyu[edit]

Barom Kagyu Chodrak Pende Ling

Drikung Kagyu sites[edit]

The Drikung Kagyu Official Site

Drukpa Kagyu[edit]

Site of His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa

Drukpa Kagyu Lineage - Dorzong Rinpoche
Drukpa Mila Center ~ a Bhutanese Drukpa Kagyu Center
Karma (Kamtsang) Kagyu[edit]
Sites associated with Trinlay Thaye Dorje[edit]

Karmapa the Black Hat Lama of Tibet - official homepage

Karma Kagyu Tradition - official website
Sites associated with Urgyen Trinley Dorje[edit]

Kagyu Office
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra Monastery, Woodstock, NY, USA
 Karma Kagyu sites[edit]

(Note: Karma Kagyu related sites that apparently do not take sides on the so-called
"Karmapa controversy").

Khenkong Tharjay Buddhist Charitable Society

Karma Thinley Rinpoche
Taklung Kagyu[edit]

Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple

Shangpa Kagyu[edit]

Samdrup Dhargay Chuling Monastery

Shangpa Kagyu Network
Kagyu Dzamling Kunchab (Founded by Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche), New York, NY, USA

Sakya
The Sakya (Tibetan: , Wylie: sa skya, "pale earth") school is one of four major schools
of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being theNyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat
sects along with the Nyingma and Kagyu

Sakya Lineage Tree

Origins
Sakya Monastery

The name Sakya ("pale earth") derives from the unique grey landscape of Ponpori Hills in
southern Tibet near Shigatse, whereSakya Monastery, the first monastery of this tradition, and
the seat of the Sakya School was built by Khon Konchog Gyalpo (10341102) in 1073.

The Sakya tradition developed during the second period of translation of Buddhist scripture
from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the late 11th century. It was founded by Drogmi, a famous scholar
and translator who had studied at the Vikramashila directly under Naropa,Ratnkaranti,
Vagishvakirti and other great panditas from India for twelve years.[1]

Konchog Gyalpo became Drogmi's disciple on the advice of his elder brother.[2][3]

The tradition was established by the "Five Venerable Supreme Masters" starting with the
grandson of Khonchog Gyalpo, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo, who became known as Sachen, or
"Great Sakyapa":[4][5]

Sachen Kunga Nyingpo (10921158)

Sonam Tsemo (11421182)
Jetsun Dragpa Gyaltsen (11471216)
Sakya Pandita (11821251)
Drogn Chgyal Phagpa (12351280)

Buton Rinchen Drub (12901364) was an important scholar and writer and one of Tibet's most
celebrated historians. Other notable scholars of the Sakya tradition are the so-called "Six
Ornaments of Tibet:"

Yaktuk Sangyey Pal

Rongton (13671449) [6]
Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo [7]
Zongpa Kunga Namgyel
Gorampa (14291489)
Sakya Chokden (14281507)

The leadership of the Sakya School is passed down through a hereditary system between the
male members of the Sakya branch of the Khon family.
Teachings

Sakya Pandita

Sachen, the first of the five supreme masters, inherited a wealth of tantric doctrines from
numerous Tibetan translators or "lotsawas" who had visited India: most importantly Drokmi
Lotsawa,[3] Bari Lotsawa and Mal Lotsawa.[8] From Drokmi comes the supreme teaching of Sakya,
the system of Lamdre "Path and its Fruit" deriving from the mahasiddha Virupa based upon
the Hevajra Tantra. Mal Lotsawa introduced to Sakya the esoteric Vajrayogini lineage known as
"Naro Khachoma." From Bari Lotsawa came innumerable tantric practices, foremost of which
was the cycle of practices known as the One Hundred Sadhanas. Other key transmissions that
form part of the Sakya spiritual curriculum include the cycles
of Vajrakilaya, Mahkla and Guhyasamja tantras.

The fourth Sakya patriarch, Sakya Pandita, was notable for his exceptional scholarship and
composed many important and influential texts onsutra and tantra, including "Means of Valid
Cognition: A Treasury of Reasoning" (Wylie: tshad ma rigs gter), "Clarifying the Sage's Intent"
(Wylie: thub pa dgongs gsal) and "Discriminating the Three Vows" (Wylie: sdom gsum rab dbye).

The main Dharma system of the Sakya school is the "Path with its Result" (Wylie: lam dang 'bras
bu bcas), which is split into two main lineages, "Explanation for the Assembly" (Wylie: tshogs
bshad) and the "Explanation for Close Disciples" (Wylie: slobs bshad).

The other major system of the Sakya school is the "Naropa Explanation For Disciples" (Wylie: n
ro mkha spyod slob bshad).

Subschools[edit]
In due course, two subsects emerged from the main Sakya lineage,

Ngor, founded in Tsang by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (13821457).[7] The Ngor school is
centered on Ngor Evam Choden monastery. It represents 85% of the Sakyapa school[citation
 needed]
and most if not all the monasteries in India are Ngorpa, apart from Sakya Trizin's
monastery.
Tshar, founded by Tsarchen Losal Gyamtso (1496 - 1560 or 15021556).[9]

There were three "mother" monasteries of the Sakya school: Sakya Monastery, founded in
1073, Ngor Evam Choden, founded in 1429, and Phanyul Nalendra in Phanyul, north of Lhasa,
founded in 1435 by Kuntchen Rongten. Nalendra became the home of the 'whispered-lineage' of
the Tsar school.[10]

The Bodongpa tradition, founded by Bodong Panchen Chgle Namgyel [1376 1451], is
considered by some scholars to be a sub-sect of the Sakya tradition.[citation needed]

Feudal lordship over Tibet[edit]

See also: Tibet under Yuan rule, Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs, and List of rulers of
Tibet

Tibet within the Yuan dynasty under the top-level department known as theBureau of Buddhist and Tibetan
Affairs(Xuanzheng Yuan).

The Mongol conquest of Tibet began after the foundation of the Mongol Empire in the early 13th
century. In 1264, the feudal reign over Tibet was given to Drogn Chgyal Phagpa by Kublai
Khan, founder of the Yuan dynasty. Sakya lamas, along with Sakya Imperial
Preceptors and dpon-chens continued to serve as viceroys or administrators of Tibet on behalf
of Yuan emperors for nearly 75 years after Phagpas death in 1280 until the Yuan dynasty was
greatly weakened by the Red Turban Rebellion in the 1350s, a decade before theMing
dynasty founded by the Han Chinese overthrew Mongol rule in China.

The leaders of the Sakya regime were as follows.[11]

Drogn Chgyal Phagpa 1253-1280

Dharmapala Raksita 1280-1282, d. 1287
Jamyang Rinchen Gyaltsen 1286-1303
Zangpo Pal 1306-1323
Khatsun Namkha Lekpa Gyaltsen 1325-1341
Jamyang Donyo Gyaltsen 1341-1344
Lama Dampa Sonam Gyaltsen 1344-1347
 Lotro Gyaltsen 1347-1365

Sakya today[edit]
The head of the Sakya school, known as Sakya Trizin ("holder of the Sakya throne"), is always
drawn from the male line of the Khn family. The present Sakya Trizin, Ngawang Kunga
Tegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wanggi Gyalpo, born in Tsedong in 1945, is the forty-first to
hold that office. 41st Sakya Trizin is the reincarnation of two great Tibetan masters: a Nyingmapa
lama known as Apong Terton (Orgyen Thrinley Lingpa), who is famous for his Red Tara cycle,
and his grandfather, the 39th Kyabgon Sakya Trizin Dhagtshul Thrinley Rinchen (1871
1936).[12] Today, he resides in Rajpur, India along with his wife, Gyalyum Kushok Tashi Lhakyi,
and two sons Ratna Vajra Rinpoche andGyana Vajra Rinpoche. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche being the
older son, is the lineage holder and is married to Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi Sakya and Gyana Vajra
Rinpoche is married to Dagmo Sonam Palkyi Sakya.

Traditionally hereditary succession alternates between the two Sakya palaces since Khon
Knchok Gyelpo's (10341102) reign. The Ducho sub-dynasty of Sakya survives split into two
palaces, the Dolma Phodrang and Phuntsok Phodrang. Sakya Trizin is head of the Dolma
Phodrang. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya (19292016) was the head of the Phuntsok Phodrang, and
lived in Seattle, Washington, where he co-founded Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism
with Dezhung Rinpoche III, and constructed the first Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in the United
States. Dagchen Sakya's father was the previous Sakya Trizin, Trichen Ngawang Thutop
Wangchuk, throne holder of Sakya, and his mother Dechen Drolma. Dagchen Sakya was
married to Her Eminence Dagmo Jamyang Kusho Sakya; they have five sons, and several
grandchildren.

The Rim movement

Having seen how the Gelug institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's
cultural life, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgn Kongtrl compiled together the teachings
of the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma, including many near-extinct teachings.[13] Without Khyentse
and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of Buddhism by the
Communists would have been much more final.[14]

See also[edit]
Tibet under Yuan rule
Sakya Monastery
Lamdr
Tibetan Buddhism
Jonang
Patron and priest relationship
Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ Luminous Lives, Stearns, Wisdom 2001
2. Jump up^ Ch. 25, Treasures of the Sakya Lineage, Tseten, Shambhala, 2008
3. ^ Jump up to:a b Warner, Cameron David Warner (December 2009). "Drokmi kya Yeshe". The
Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
4. Jump up^ Powers, John. Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Snow Lion Publications. 1995. p.
382.
5. Jump up^ Townsend, Dominique (December 2009). "Sachen Kunga Nyingpo". The Treasury of
Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
6. Jump up^ Townsend, Dominique (February 2010). "Rongton Sheja Kunrik". The Treasury of
Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
7. ^ Jump up to:a b Townsend, Dominique; Jrg Heimbel (April 2010). "Ngorchen Kunga
Zangpo". The Treasury of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-
09.
8. Jump up^ Gardner, Alexander (June 2010). "Mel Lotswa Lodro Drakpa". The Treasury of Lives:
Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
9. Jump up^ Gardner, Alexander (April 2010). "Nesar Jamyang Khyentse Wangchuk". The Treasury
of Lives: Biographies of Himalayan Religious Masters. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
10. Jump up^ The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art by John C. Huntington and Dina Bangdel.
Serindia Publications. pg 42
11. Jump up^ Central Asia - East
12. Jump up^ Hungarian website of Sakya Trizin
13. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University Press 2011, page 165-9.
14. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University Press 2011, page 169.

References[edit]
Davidson, Ronald (1992). "Preliminary Studies on Hevajra's Abhisamaya and the Lam 'bras
Tshogs bshad." In Davidson, Ronald M. & Goodman, Steven D. Tibetan Buddhism: reason
and revelation. State University of New York Press: Albany, N.Y. ISBN 0-7914-0786-
1 pp. 107132.
Powers, John (1995). Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism. Ithaca, N.Y. USA: Snow Lion
Publications. ISBN 1-55939-026-3.
Trichen, Chogyay. History of the Sakya Tradition, Ganesha Press, 1993

External links[edit]
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, Official Website.
The French Ngorpa temple.
Palden Sakya - Website of Sakya Trizin's Monastery in Rajpur, India
Tsechen Kunchab Ling - Sakya Trizin's seat in the United States
Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling - Canada
Sakya Foundation - Canada
Sakya Dechenling - Canada
Sakya Kachd Chling - Canada
Sakya Lamas
International Buddhist Academy (IBA) in Kathmandu, Nepal
 Sakya Foundation - USA
Sakya Monastery in Seattle, Washington
Chdung Karmo, Sakya Translation Group

Gelug
The Gelug, Gelug-pa, dGe Lugs Pa, dge-lugs-pa or Dgelugspa is the newest of the schools
of Tibetan Buddhism.[1] It was founded by Je Tsongkhapa (13571419),
a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader. The first monastery he established was
namedGanden, and to this day the Ganden Tripa is the nominal head of the school, though its
most influential figure is the Dalai Lama. Allying themselves with the Mongols as a powerful
patron, the Gelug emerged as the pre-eminent Buddhist school in Tibet since the end of the 16th
century.

"Ganden" is the Tibetan rendition of the Sanskrit name "Tushita", the Pure land associated
with Maitreya Buddha. At first,Tsongkhapa's school was called "Ganden Choluk" meaning "the
Spiritual Lineage of Ganden". By taking the first syllable of 'Ganden' and the second of 'Choluk'
this was abbreviated to "Galuk" and then modified to the more easily pronounced "Gelug".[

Gelug

Tibetan name

Tibetan

[show]Transcriptions

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese / /

Simplified Chinese / /

[show]Transcriptions
Statue of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa school, on the altar in His Temple (his birthplace)
in Kumbum Monastery, near Xining, Qinghai (Amdo),China. Photo by writer Mario Biondi, July 7, 2006

Origins and development

Tsongkhapa
The Gelug school was founded by Je Tsongkhapa. A great admirer of the Kadam school,
Tsongkhapa was a promoter of the Kadam emphasis on the Mahayana principle of universal
compassion as the fundamental spiritual orientation. He combined this with extensive writings
on Madhyamaka and Nagarjuna's philosophy of nyat (emptiness) that, in many ways,
marked a turning point in the history of philosophy in Tibet.[3]

Establishment of the Dalai Lamas

In 1577 Sonam Gyatso, who was considered to be the third incarnation of Gyalwa Gendn
Drup,[4] formed an alliance with the then most powerful Mongol leader, Altan Khan.[4] As a result,
Sonam Gyatso was designated as the 3rd Dalai Lama; "dalai" is a translation into Mongolian of
the name "Gyatso" ocean,[4] and Gyalwa Gendn Drup and Gendun Gyatso were posthumously
recognized as the 1st and 2nd Dalai Lamas.[5]

Sonam Gyatso was very active in proselytizing among the Mongols,[5] and the Gelug tradition
was to become the main spiritual orientations of the Mongols in the ensuing centuries.[5] This
brought the Gelugpas powerful patrons who were to propel them to pre-eminence in Tibet.[5] The
Gelug-Mongol alliance was further strengthened as after Sonam Gyatso's death, his incarnation
was found to be Altan Khan's great-grandson, the 4th Dalai Lama.[5]

Emergence as dominant school

By the end of the 16th century, following violent strife among the sects of Tibetan Buddhism, the
Gelug school emerged as the dominant one. According to Tibetan historian Samten Karmay,
Sonam Chophel[6] (15951657), treasurer of the Ganden Palace, was the prime architect of the
Gelug's rise to political power. Later he received the title Desi [Wylie: sde-sris], meaning
"Regent", which he would earn through his efforts to establish Gelugpa power.[7]

From the period of the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, the Dalai Lamas held political control
over central Tibet. The core leadership of this government was also referred to as the Ganden
Phodrang.

Scottish Botanist George Forrest, who witnessed the 1905 Tibetan Rebellion led by the Gelug
Lamas, wrote that the majority of the people in the Mekong valley in Yunnan were Tibetan.
According to his accounts, the Gelugpas were the dominant power in the region, with their
Lamas effectively governing the area. Forrest said they used "force and fraud" to "terrorise the...
peasantry".[8]

Teachings[edit]
Lamrim and Sunyata
The central teachings of the Gelug School are Lamrim, based on the teachings of the Indian
master Atia (c. 11th century), and the systematic cultivation of the view of emptiness.

Vajrayna Practice
This is combined with the yogas of Anuttarayoga Tantra iadevat such as
the Guhyasamja, Cakrasavara, Yamntaka and Klacakra tantras, where the key focus is the
direct experience of the indivisible union of bliss and emptiness.

The Guhyasamja tantra is the principal one. As the Dalai Lama remarks,

There is a saying in the Gelug, 'If one is on the move it is Guhyasamja. If one is still, it is
Guhyasamja. If one is meditating, it should be upon Guhyasamja.' Therefore, whether one is
engaged in study or practice, Guhyasamja should be one's focus."[9]

Vinaya
The Gelug school focuses on ethics and monastic discipline of the vinaya as the central plank of
spiritual practice. In particular, the need to pursue spiritual practice in a graded, sequential
manner is emphasized. Arguably, Gelug is the only school of vajrayna Buddhism that
prescribes monastic ordination as a necessary qualification and basis in its teachers (lamas /
gurus).[citation needed] Lay people are usually not permitted to give initiations if there are teachers with
monastic vows within close proximity.

Texts
Six commentaries by Tsongkhapa are the prime source for the studies of the Gelug tradition, as
follows:
 1. The Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path (Lam-rim chen-mo)
2. The Great Exposition of Tantras (sNgag-rim chenmo)
3. The Essence of Eloquence on the Interpretive and Definitive Teachings (Drnng-nges
legs-bshad snying-po)
4. The Praise of Relativity (rTen-'brel bstodpa)
5. The Clear Exposition of the Five Stages of Guhyasamja (gSang-'dus rim-lnga gsal-
sgron) and
6. The Golden Rosary (gSer-phreng)

Each Gelug monastery uses its own set of commentarial texts by different authors, known as
monastic manuals (Tib. yigcha). The teachings of Tsongkhapa are seen as a protection against
developing misconceptions in understanding and practice
of Mahyna and Vajrayna Buddhism. It is said that his true followers take The Great
Exposition of the Stages of the Path as their heart teaching.

The Great Exposition of the Stages of the Path was completely translated into English in a three
volume set in 2004, under the title The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
Enlightenment. The translation took 13 years to complete, and was undertaken by scholars at the
Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center, a non-sectarian Tibetan Buddhist educational center in
Washington, New Jersey.[10] A translation is also available in Vietnamese.[11] In 2008, the 14th
Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso gave a historical five day teaching on the text at Lehigh University.[12]

Monasteries and lineage holders

Gelug monks in Spituk Monasteryduring the Gustor Festival

Monasteries[edit]
Tsongkhapa founded the monastery of Ganden in 1409 as his main seat.
 Drepung Monastery was founded by Jamyang Choje, Sera Monastery was founded by Chje
Shakya Yeshe and the Gyalwa Gendn Drup founded Tashi Lhunpo Monastery.

Labrang Monastery, in Xiahe County in Gansu province (and in the traditional Tibetan province of
Amdo), was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru. Many Gelug
monasteries were built throughout Tibet as well as in China and Mongolia.

Lineage holders[edit]
Tsongkhapa had many students, his two main disciples being Gyaltsab Je (13641431)
and Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, 1st Panchen Lama(13851438). Other outstanding disciples were
Togden Jampal Gyatso, Jamyang Choje, Jamchenpa Sherap Senge and Gendn Drup,1st Dalai
Lama (13911474).

After Tsongkhapa's passing, his teachings were held and spread by Gyaltsab Je and Khedrup
Gelek Pelzang, who were his successors as abbots of Ganden Monastery. The lineage is still
held by the Ganden Tripas the throne-holders of Ganden Monastery among whom the
present holder is Thubten Nyima Lungtok Tenzin Norbu,[13] the 102nd Ganden Tripa (and not, as
often misunderstood, by the Dalai Lama).

Among the main lineage holders of the Gelug are:

The successive incarnations of the Dalai Lama (also commonly referred to as "Gyalwa
Rinpoche")
The succession of the Panchen Lama, the Chagkya Dorje Chang, Ngachen Knchok
Gyaltsen, Kyish Tulku Tenzin Thrinly, Jamyang Shepa, Phurchok Jampa Rinpoche,
Jamyang Dewe Dorje, Takphu Rinpoche, Khachen Yeshe Gyaltsen
Successive incarnations of Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche
Successive incarnations of Kyabje Yongzin Trijang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso

See also

Tibetan Buddhism portal

Tibet portal

Schools of Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama
History of Tibet
List of rulers of Tibet
Gyuto Order
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
Yellow shamanism
References
Citations[edit]
1. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University Press 2011, page 129.
2. Jump up^ Mullin 2001, p.367.
3. Jump up^ Jinpa, Thupten. Self, Reality and Reason in Tibetan Philosophy. Routledge 2002, page
10.
4. ^ Jump up to:a b c McKay 2003, p. 18.
5. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e McKay 2003, p. 19.
6. Jump up^ also Sonam Choephel or Sonam Rabten
7. Jump up^ Samten G. Karmay, The Great Fifth
8. Jump up^ Short 2004, p. 108.
9. Jump up^ Speech to the Second Gelug Conference by the Dalai Lama (06-12-2000), retrieved
03-23-2010).
10. Jump up^ http://www.labsum.org/snowlionarticle.html
11. Jump up^ http://www.prajnaupadesa.net/luan-giang/
12. Jump up^ http://www.lehigh.edu/~indalai/visit.html
13. Jump up^ http://www.loselingmonastery.org/index.php?id=48&type=p

Sources

The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of
Tibet by Ringu Tulku, ISBN 1-59030-286-9, Shambhala Publications
Ringu Tulku: The Rim (Ris-med) movement of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great Paper given on
7th Conference of International Association For Tibetan Studies in June 1995
McKay, A., ed. (2003), History of Tibet, RoutledgeCurzon, ISBN 0-7007-1508-8
Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation.
Clear Light Publishers. Santa Fe, NM. ISBN 1-57416-092-3.
Short, Philip S. (2004), In pursuit of plants: experiences of nineteenth & early twentieth
century plant collectors, Timber Press, ISBN 0-88192-635-3

External links[edit]
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
H.H. the Dalai Lama's Namgyal Monastery
Dictionary definition of Geluk

Jonang
The Jonang (Tibetan: , Wylie: Jo-nang) is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its
origins in Tibet can be traced to early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, but became much
wider known with the help of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a monk originally trained in
the Sakya school. The Jonang school was widely thought to have become extinct in the late 17th
century at the hands of the 5th Dalai Lama, who forcibly annexed the Jonang monasteries to
his Gelug school, declaring them heretical.[citation needed]
The Jonang re-established their religio-political center in Golok, Nakhi and Mongol areas
in Kham and Amdo centered at Dzamthang Monastery and have continued practicing
uninterrupted to this day. An estimated 5,000 monks and nuns of the Jonang tradition practice
today in these areas and at the edges of historic Gelug influence. However, their teachings were
limited to these regions until the Rim movement of the 19th century encouraged the study of
non-Gelug schools of thought and practice.[1]

History[edit]
The monk Knpang Tukj Tsndr (Wylie: kun spangs thugs rje brtson 'grus, 1243-1313)
established a kumbum or stupa-vihara in the Jomonang Valley about 160 kilometres (99 mi)
northwest of the Tashilhunpo Monastery in -Tsang (modern Shigatse). The Jonang tradition
took its name from this monastery, which was significantly expanded by Dolpopa Sherab
Gyaltsen (12921361).[2]

The Jonang tradition combines two specific teachings, what has come to be known as
the shentong philosophy of nyat, and the Dro lineage of the Kalachakra Tantra. The origin of
this combination in Tibet is traced to the master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, an 11th/12th century pupil of
the Kashmiri master Somanatha.[3]

After several centuries of independence, however, in the late 17th century the Jonang order and
its teachings came under attack by the 5th Dalai Lama, who converted the majority of their
monasteries in Tibet to the Gelug order, although several survived in secret.[4] The order
remained in power in parts of Kham and Amdo centered on Dzamthang Monastery.

The Jonang school generated a number of renowned Buddhist scholars, like Dolpopa Sherab
Gyaltsen,[4][5] but its most famous was Taranatha (15751634), who placed great emphasis on the
Kalachakra Tantra.

After the Jonang monasteries and practitioners in Gelug-controlled regions were forcibly
converted, Jonang Kalachakra teachings were absorbed into the Gelug school. Taranatha's
influence on Gelug thinking continues even to this day in the teaching of the present 14th Dalai
Lama, who actively promotes initiation into Kalachakra.

Doctrinal/Philosophical reasons for suppression of the

Jonangpa[edit]
While the Gelugpa embraced the Jonang teaching on the Kalachakra, they ultimately opposed
the Jonangpa (followers of the Jonang) over a difference in philosophical view. Yumo Mikyo
Dorje, Dolpopa Sherab Gyeltsen and subsequent lamas maintained shentong teachings, which
hold that only the clear-light, non-dual nature of the mind is real and everything else is empty of
inherent existence. The Gelug school held the distinct but related rangtong view that all
phenomena are empty (of inherent existence) and no thing or process (including Mind and its
qualities) may be asserted as independent or inherently real (neither may phenomena be
asserted as "unreal" - in short, both extreme assertions are seen to be groundless, and the
middle way that phenomena are non-inherently real is asserted).

For the Jonangpas, the emptiness of ultimate reality should not be characterized in the same
way as the emptiness of apparent phenomena because it is prabhsvara-satna, or "clear light
mental continuum," endowed with limitless Buddha qualities.[6] It is empty of all that is false, not
empty of the limitless Buddha qualities that are its innate nature.

Political reasons for suppression of the Jonangpa[edit]

Modern historians have identified two other reasons which more likely led the Gelugpa to
suppress the Jonangpa. First, the Jonangpa had political ties that were very vexing to the
Gelugpa. The Jonang school, along with the Kagyu, were historical allies with the powerful house
of Tsangpa, which was vying with the Dalai Lama and the Gelug school for control of Central
Tibet. This was bad enough, but soon after the death of Taranatha, an even more ominous event
occurred. Taranatha's tulku was discovered to be a young boy named Zanabazar, the son
of Tsheet Khan, Prince of Central Khalkha. Tsheet Khan and his son were of Borjigin lineage
(the imperial clan of Genghis Khan and his successors), meaning they had the birth authority to
become khagan. When the young boy was declared the spiritual leader of all of Mongolia,
suddenly the Gelugpa were faced with the possibility of war with the former military superpower
of Asia. While the Mongol Empire was long past its zenith, this was nonetheless a frightening
prospect and the Dalai Lama sought the first possible moment of Mongol distraction to take
control of the Jonangpa monasteries.[7]

The 14th Dalai Lama confirmed this view in Glenn Mullin's The Fourteen Dalai Lamas:

After peace had been restored, the Fifth Dalai Lama closed thirteen [Kagyudpa] monasteries that
had actively supported the uprising, including the prestigious Jonangpa monastery. The sects
and institutions associated with these monasteries cried foul, and accused the Dalai Lama of
sectarianism. Tibetans have a long memory, and this accusation still stands within certain circles.

I once asked the present Dalai Lama about this. He replied "These monasteries were closed for
political reasons, not religious ones, and their closing had nothing to do with sectarianism. They
had supported the Tsangpa king in the uprising, thus committing treason. The Great Fifth
believed that they should be closed in order to insure the future stability of the (Tibetan) nation,
and to dissuade other monasteries from engaging in warfare. [...] The fact is that the Great Fifth
passed laws outlawing sectarian skirmishes, and passed laws ensuring the freedom of religion.
This freedom was extended to not only the Buddhist schools, but also to the non-Buddhist ones.
For example, he kept a Bonpo lama in his entourage to speak for the interests of the Bon
movement. And on a personal level, he himself practiced so many non-Gelukpa lineages that the
Gelukpas criticized him for straying from his roots."[8]

The writings of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen and even those of Sakya proponents of zhentong were
sealed and banned from publication and study and that Jonangpa monastics were forcibly were
converted to the Gelug lineage.[9]
Rediscovery
The Jonangpa were until recently thought to be an extinct heretical sect. Thus, Tibetologists were
astonished when fieldwork turned up several active Jonangpa monasteries, including the main
monastery, Tsangwa, located in Zamtang County, Sichuan. Almost 40 monasteries, comprising
about 5000 monks, have subsequently been found, including some in the Amdo
Tibetan and rGyalgrong areas of Qinghai, Sichuan and Tibet. [1]

Interestingly, one of the primary supporters of the Jonang lineage in exile has been the 14th
Dalai Lama of the Gelugpa lineage. The Dalai Lama donated buildings in Himachal Pradesh
state in Shimla, India for use as a Jonang monastery (now known as the Main Takten Phuntsok
Choeling Monastery) and has visited during one of his recent teaching tours. The Karmapa of
the Karma Kagyu lineage has also visited there.

The Jonang tradition has recently officially registered with the Tibetan Government in exile to be
recognized as the fifth living Buddhist tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th Dalai Lama
assigned Jebtsundamba Khutuktu of Mongolia (who is considered to be an incarnation of
Taranatha) as the leader of the Jonang tradition.

Much of the literature of the Jonang has also survived, including the Treatise on Other-Emptiness
and the Buddha-Matrix by Dolpopa, consisting of arguments (all supported by quotations taken
from the generally accepted orthodox canonical ) against "self-emptiness" and in favor of "other-
emptiness", which has been published in English translation under the title Mountain Doctrine.[10]

Notes[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Gruschke 2001, p.72; and A. Gruschke, "Der Jonang-Orden: Grnde fr seinen
Niedergang, Voraussetzungen fr das berdauern und aktuelle Lage", in: Henk Blezer
(ed.), Tibet, Past and Present. Tibetan Studies I (Proceedings of the Ninth Seminar of The IATS,
2000), Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden 2002, pp. 183-214
2. Jump up^ Buswell, Robert E; Lopez, Donald S, eds. (2013). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 401. ISBN 9780691157863.
3. Jump up^ Stearns, Cyrus (2002). The Buddha from Dolpo : a study of the life and thought of the
Tibetan master Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-8120818330., p.
19
4. ^ Jump up to:a b page 73
5. Jump up^ Newland, Guy (1992). The Two Truths: in the Mdhyamika Philosophy of the Ge-luk-ba
Order of Tibetan Buddhism. Ithaca, New York, USA: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 0-937938-79-
3. p.29
6. Jump up^ Lama Shenpen, Emptiness Teachings. Buddhism Connect (accessed March, 2010)
7. Jump up^ Stearns 2010, p. 73-4.
8. Jump up^ Mullins 2001.
9. Jump up^ stearns 2010, p. 76.
10. Jump up^ Dl-bo-ba Shay-rap-gyel-tsen (2006). Mountain doctrine : Tibet's fundamental treatise
on other-emptiness and the Buddha-matrix. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 978-
1559392389.

References[edit]
 Dolpopa Shesrab Rgyalmtshan (2006). Mountain doctrine : Tibet's fundamental treatise on
other-emptiness and the Buddha-matrix. Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publ. ISBN 978-
1559392389.
Gruschke, A. (2000). The Jonangpa Order - Causes for the downfall, conditions of the
survival and current situation of a presumably extinct Tibetan-Buddhist School. Ninth
Seminar of The International Association for Tibetan Studies
Gruschke, Andreas (2001). The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces: The Gansu
and Sichuan Parts of Amdo, Vol 2. Bangkok: White Lotus Press. ISBN 978-9747534900.
Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). The fourteen Dalai Lamas : a sacred legacy of reincarnation (1st
ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers. ISBN 9781574160390.
Stearns, Cyrus (2010). The Buddha from Dlpo : a study of the life and thought of the
Tibetan master Dlpopa Sherab Gyaltsen (Rev. and enl. ed.). Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion
Publications. ISBN 978-1559393430.

External links[edit]
Jonang Foundation
Jonang Foundation Blog
Tibetan Buddhist Rime Institute - Holder of Kalachakra Jonang
History of the Jonang Tradition - International Kalachakra Network
[1] Abstract for Gruschke, A. (2000). The Jonangpa Order - Causes for the downfall,
conditions of the survival and current situation of a presumably extinct Tibetan-Buddhist
School. Ninth Seminar of The International Association for Tibetan Studies
Theosophy in Tibet: The Teachings of the Jonangpa School by David Reigle
Main Takten Phuntsok Choeling Monastery, Shimla
Jonangpa in Russia

Rim movement
The Rim movement is a movement involving the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma schools
of Tibetan Buddhism, along with some Bonscholars.[1]

Having seen how the Gelug institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's
cultural life, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820-1892) and Jamgn Kongtrl (1813-1899)
compiled together the teachings of the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma, including many near-extinct
teachings.[2] Without Khyentse and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the
suppression of Buddhism by the Communists would have been much more final.[3] The Rim
movement is responsible for a number of scriptural compilations, such as the Rinchen
Terdzod and the Sheja Dz.
 Rim in Tibetan letters

Tibetan name

Tibetan

Literal meaning "unbiased"

[show]Transcriptions

Chinese name

Traditional Chinese

Simplified Chinese

The Rim approach

Most scholars of Buddhism explain Rim as an "eclectic movement",[4][5][6] however one
scholar has suggested that this is an inadequate rendering, saying "In fact this Rim
movement was not exactly eclectic but universalistic (and encyclopaedic), rimed (pa)(the
antonym of risu ch'edpa) meaning unbounded, all-embracing, unlimited, and also
impartial."[7] One of the most prominent contemporary Rim masters, Ringu Tulku,
emphasizes the message of the original Rim founders, that it is not a new school.[8] It is
simply an approach allowing freedom of choice which was always the majority practice
within the history of Tibetan Buddhism. TheKarmapas, Je Tsongkhapa, the Dalai
Lamas, Sakya lineage heads and major Nyingma and Kagyu figures took teachings and
empowerments from various schools and lineages.
The movement's name is derived from two Tibetan words: Ris (bias, side) and Med (lack),
which combined expresses the idea of openness to other Tibetan Buddhist traditions, as
opposed to sectarianism. The Rim movement therefore is often misunderstood as trying to
unite the various sects through their similarities. Rather Rim was intended to recognize the
differences between traditions and appreciate them, while also establishing a dialogue which
would create common ground. It is considered important that variety be preserved, and
therefore Rim teachers are generally careful to emphasize differences in thought, giving
students many options as to how to proceed in their spiritual training.
Ringu Tulku describes these points which are often misrepresented:
Ris or Phyog-ris in Tibetan means "one-sided", "partisan" or "sectarian". Med means
"No". Ris-med (Wylie), or Rim, therefore means "no sides", "non-partisan" or "non-
sectarian". It does not mean "non-conformist" or "non-committal"; nor does it mean forming
a new School or system that is different from the existing ones. A person who believes the
Rim way almost certainly follows one lineage as his or her main practice. He or she would
not dissociate from the School in which he or she was raised. Kongtrul was raised in the
Nyingma and Kagyu traditions; Khyentse was reared in a strong Sakyapa tradition. They
never failed to acknowledge their affiliation to their own Schools.[9]
Rim is not a way of uniting different Schools and lineages by emphasizing their similarities.
It is basically an appreciation of their differences and an acknowledgement of the importance
of having this variety for the benefit of practitioners with different needs. Therefore the Rim
teachers always take great care that the teachings and practices of the different Schools and
lineages and their unique styles do not become confused with one another. To retain the
original style and methods of each teaching lineage preserves the power of that lineage
experience. Kongtrul and Khyentse made great efforts to retain the original flavor of each
teaching, while making them available to many. Kongtrul writes about Khyentse in his
biography of the latter.... When he (Khyentse Rinpoche) taught, he would give the teachings
of each lineage clearly and intelligibly without confusing the terms and concepts of other
teachings.[10]
Rim was initially intended to counteract the novel growing suspicion and tension building
between the different traditions, which at the time had, in many places, gone so far as to
forbid studying one another's scriptures. Tibetan Buddhism has a long history of vigorous
debate and argumentation between schools and within one's training. This can lead a
practitioner to believe that one's school has the best approach or highest philosophic view and
that other lineages have a lower or flawed understanding. The Rim approach cautions
against developing that viewpoint, while at the same time appreciating that the debate and
discussion is important and that arguing which views are higher and lower is still valid
discourse.
Jamgon Kongtrul pointed out the necessity of each practitioner to have a strong foundation in
one school:
The scholars and siddhas of the various schools make their own individual presentations of
the dharma. Each one is full of strong points and supported by valid reasoning. If you are
well grounded in the presentations of your own tradition, then it is unnecessary to be
sectarian. But if you get mixed up about the various tenets and the terminology, then you lack
even a foothold in your own tradition. You try to use someone else's system to support your
understanding, and then get all tangled up, like a bad weaver, concerning the view,
meditation, conduct, and result. Unless you have certainty in your own system, you cannot
use reasoning to support your scriptures, and you cannot challenge the assertions of others.
You become a laughing stock in the eyes of the learned ones. It would be much better to
possess a clear understanding of your own tradition.
In summary, one must see all the teachings as without contradiction, and consider all the
scriptures as instructions. This will cause the root of sectarianism and prejudice to dry up, and
give you a firm foundation in the Buddhas teachings. At that point, hundreds of doors to the
eighty-four thousand teachings of the dharma will simultaneously be open to you.[11]
A rim practitioner may take empowerments from numerous lineages and living masters,
though it is not a requirement to do so.

Rim's founders[edit]
Two of the founding voices of Rim were Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul,
both from different schools; the epithets Jamyang and Jamgon in their name indicating that
they are considered to be emanations of Manjusri.[12]) Jamgon Kongtrul was from
the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions, while Wangpo had been raised within theSakya order. At
the time, Tibetan schools of thought had become very isolated, and both Wangpo and Jamgon
Kongtrul were instrumental in re-initiating dialogue between the sects.[13]
The Rim movement came to prominence at a point in Tibetan history when the religious
climate had become partisan.[14] The aim of the movement was "a push towards a middle
ground where the various views and styles of the different traditions were appreciated for
their individual contributions rather than being refuted, marginalized, or banned."[14] Many of
the teachings of various schools were close to being lost and the movement set out to
preserve them.[14] However, though the Rime movement gathered together teachings from
each of the various traditions, it did not mix these, but recognised the individual integrity of
each.[14]
The movement began within a large context of increasing domination by the Gelug lineage.
Beginning in the 17th century, the Gelug view and politics increasingly dominated in Tibet
and the minority lineages were at risk for losing their traditions.[15] At its founding, the Rim
movement was primarily non-Gelugpa teachers and at times the movement has appeared
critical of Gelug views. Professor Georges Dreyfus suggests this argumentation was less to
create further division but was to bolster minority views that had been marginalized by Gelug
supremacy. Nonetheless, philosophic commentaries by early Rim writers tend to criticize
Gelugpa tenets.[15]
However, Rim was in its idealized presentation the re-establishment of a rule or principle
that had always been present in Tibetan Buddhism, but that had been de-emphasized or
forgotten: To ignorantly criticize other traditions was wrong, and that misunderstandings due
to ignorance should be immediately alleviated. Ringu Tulku says:
The Rim concept was not original to Kongtrul and Khyentse neither were they new to
Buddhism! The Lord Buddha forbade his students even to criticise the teachings and teachers
of other religions and cultures. The message was so strong and unambiguous that Chandra
Kirti had to defend Nagarjuna's treatises onMadhyamika by saying, "If, by trying to
understand the truth, you dispel the misunderstandings of some people and thereby some
philosophies are damaged that cannot be taken as criticising the views of others"
(Madhyamika-avatara). A true Buddhist cannot be but non-sectarian and Rim in their
approach.[10]
The movement became particularly well-established in the Kingdom of Derge.[16] Rim has
become an integral part of the Tibetan tradition, and continues to be an important philosophy
in Tibetan Buddhism.
Other notable Tibetan Lamas noted for their non-sectarian approach were Patrul
Rinpoche and Orgyen Chokgyur Lingpa. Shabkar Tsodruk Rangdrol, Dudjom Lingpa and the
Fifteenth Karmapa Khachab Dorje who was a student of Kongtrul. Other lineage leaders gave
their blessing to the movement and its founders who were considered extremely realized.
Persecution by Phabongkha and his disciples[edit]
David Kay notes that Dorje Shugden was a key element in Pabongkhapa Dchen Nyingpo's
persecution of the Rim movement:
As the Gelug agent of the Tibetan government in Kham (Khams) (Eastern Tibet), and in
response to the Rimed movement that had originated and was flowering in that region,
Phabongkha Rinpoche and his disciples employed repressive measures against non-Gelug
sects. Religious artefacts associated with Padmasambhava who is revered as a second
Buddha by Nyingma practitioners were destroyed, and non-Gelug, and particularly
Nyingma, monasteries were forcibly converted to the Gelug position. A key element of
Phabongkha Rinpoches outlook was the cult of the protective deity Dorje Shugden, which he
married to the idea of Gelug exclusivism and employed against other traditions as well as
against those within the Gelug who had eclectic tendencies.[17]
His teaching tour of Kham in 1938 was a seminal phase, leading to a hardening of his
exclusivism and the adoption of a militantly sectarian stance. In reaction to the flourishing
Rimed movement and the perceived decline of Gelug monasteries in that region, Phabongkha
and his disciples spearheaded a revival movement, promoting the supremacy of the Gelug as
the only pure tradition. He now regarded the inclusivism of Gelug monks who practised
according to the teachings of other schools as a threat to the integrity of the Gelug tradition,
and he aggressively opposed the influence of other traditions, particularly the Nyingma,
whose teachings were deemed mistaken and deceptive. A key element of Phabongkhas
revival movement was the practice of relying upon Dorje Shugden, the main function of the
deity now being presented as "the protection of the Ge-luk tradition through violent means,
even including the killing of its enemies."[18]
Ironically the Rim movement, primarily composed of
the Sakya, Kagyu and Nyingma schools, arose in the first place as a result of Gelug
persecution.[19]

Present-day Rim movement[edit]

The movement's achievements have been successful in the 20th century where taking
teachings and transmissions from different schools and lineages has become the norm
amongst many monastic students, lamas, yogis as well as lay practitioners. This has mainly
been due to the proactive support of many lineage holders and various leaders such as the
13th and 14th Dalai Lamas, the 15th and 16th Karmapas, Sakya Trizin and Jigdral Yeshe
Dorje (2nd Dudjom Rinpoche), following the "eclectic" approach of the 5th Dalai Lama "who
blurred the lines between traditions":[5]
In the West, where so many different Buddhist traditions exist side by side, one needs to be
constantly on one's guard against the danger of sectarianism. Such a divisive attitude is often
the result of failing to understand or appreciate anything outside one's own tradition.
Teachers from all schools would therefore benefit greatly from studying and gaining some
practical experience of the teachings of other traditions.[20]
The 14th Dalai Lama has composed a prayer for the movement praising various historic
figures and lineages of Vajrayana from India and Tibet, part of which says:
In short, may all the teachings of the Buddha in the Land of Snows
Flourish long into the future the ten great pillars of the study lineage,
And the chariots of the practice lineage, such as Shij (Pacifying) and the rest,
All of them rich with their essential instructions combining sutra and mantra.
May the lives of the masters who uphold these teachings be secure and harmonious!
May the sangha preserve these teachings through their study, meditation and activity!
May the world be filled with faithful individuals intent on following these teachings!
And long may the non-sectarian teachings of the Buddha continue to flourish![21]
Dzongsar Khyentse Chkyi Lodr, Khunu Lama Tenzin
Gyaltsen and Dilgo Khyentse are recent Rim masters,
known for their public influence and as being advisers and
teachers to the 14th Dalai Lama. Other modern adherents
include the late 16th Karmapa and 2nd Dudjom Rinpoche,
both of whom gave extensive teachings from the works of
Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro, as well as Akong Rinpoche who,
with the late Chgyam Trungpa, helped establish Tibetan
Buddhism in the United Kingdom. The lineage of the
lateNyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche is represented today in the
teachings of Surya Das.
The 14th Dalai Lama supports and encourages a non-
sectarian spirit.[22][23] Major Gelug figures like Shabkar in the
19th century, and the Panchen Lamas and Reting Rinpoche in
the 20th century studied Nyingma teachings along with their
Gelug training.[24][25][26] The personal and hidden lake temple of
the lineage of Dalai Lamas behind the Potala
calledLukhang is dedicated to Dzogchen teachings.[27][28] 8th
Arjia Rinpoche continues the Rim tradition in the United
States.[29][30]
Bon teacher Tenzin Wangyal cautions, however, that even
this so-called non-sectarian attitude may be taken to an
extreme:
A problem that seems very difficult to avoid involves the
tendency of spiritual schools either to want to preserve their
traditions in a very closed way or to want to be very open and
nonsectarian; but there is often the danger that this very
nonsectarianism can become a source of self-justification and
lead to as closed an attitude as that of the sectarians.[31]

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ Lopez, Donald S. (1998). Prisoners of Shangri-La:
Tibetan Buddhism and the West. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, p. 190
2. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University
Press 2011, page 165-9.
3. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University
Press 2011, page 169.
4. Jump up^ Damien Keown: Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 83
5. ^ Jump up to:a b Dreyfus, Georges B.J. & Sara L. McClintock
(eds). The Svatantrika-Prasangika Distinction: What Difference
Does a Difference Make? Wisdom Publications, 2003, p. 320
6. Jump up^ Samuel, Geoffrey. (1993). Civilized shamans:
Buddhism in Tibetan societies. Washington DC: Smithsonian
Institution Press, pp. 538, 546
7. Jump up^ Seyfort Ruegg quoted in Samuel, Goeffrey
(1993). Civilized Shamans. Buddhism in Tibetan Societies, p. 538
8. Jump up^ Ri-M_Approach. YouTube (26 January 2008).
Retrieved 20 November 2011.
9. Jump up^ The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgn Kongtrul the Great: A
Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet, Chapter I, Shambhala
Publications, 2006. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
10. ^ Jump up to:a b The Rime ( Ris-Med ) Movement.
Abuddhistlibrary.com (24 July 2000). Retrieved 20 November
2011.
11. Jump up^ The Ri-Me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great:
A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet by Ringu Tulku, Chapter
I, ISBN 1-59030-286-9, Shambhala Publications, Publications,
2006. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
12. Jump up^ Samuel, Geoffrey. (1993). Civilized shamans:
Buddhism in Tibetan societies. Washington DC: Smithsonian
Institution Press, p. 538
13. Jump up^ Extract of Ri-me Philosophy Of Jamgon Kongtrul The
Great paperback, A Study Of The Buddhist Lineages Of Tibet by
Ringu Tulku And Translated By Ann Helm. Wisdom-books.com.
Retrieved 20 November 2011.
14. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Callahan, Elizabeth (2007). The Treasury of
Knowledge: Frameworks of Buddhist Philosophy. Introduction, p.
10
15. ^ Jump up to:a b Dreyfus (2003) p.320
16. Jump up^ Huber, Toni (2008). The Holy Land Reborn: Pilgrimage
& the Tibetan Reinvention of Buddhist India. University of Chicago
Press. p. 116. ISBN 0-226-35648-5.
17. Jump up^ Kay, D. N. (2004). Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in
Britain: Transplantation, development and adaptation.
RoutledgeCurzon critical studies in Buddhism. London:
RoutledgeCurzon. p.43.
18. Jump up^ Kay, D. N. (2004). Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in
Britain: Transplantation, development and adaptation.
RoutledgeCurzon critical studies in Buddhism. London:
RoutledgeCurzon. p.47.
19. Jump up^ Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University
Press 2011, page 165-9.
20. Jump up^ An Open Letter by The Network for Western Buddhist
Teachers, Tricycle, Fall 1993
21. Jump up^ Dalai Lama | Sage's Harmonious Song of Truth.
Lotsawa House (28 February 1999). Retrieved 20 November 2011.
22. Jump up^ His Holiness the Dalai Lama's response to media a
question on Shugden at the press conference in Indianapolis on 16
August 1999 Archived 14 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
23. Jump up^ Dalai Lama and Sogyal Rinpoche (2007) Mind in
Comfort and Ease: The Vision of Enlightenment in the Great
Perfection ISBN 0-86171-493-8 page xiii
24. Jump up^ Simhanada-The Lord of Refuge Chatral
Rinpoche Archived 3 June 2008 at theWayback Machine.
25. Jump up^ Kyabje Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche | Vegetarianism
& Saving Lives (Tsethar). Shabkar.org. Retrieved 20 November
2011.
26. Jump up^ Extract of Flight Of The Garuda, The Dzogchen
Tradition Of Tibetan Buddhism by Dowman, Keith. Wisdom-
books.com. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
27. Jump up^ Ian A. Baker: The Lukhang: A hidden temple in Tibet.
Asianart.com. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
 28. Jump up^ THE LIFE OF SHABKAR: The Autobiography of a
Tibetan Yogin, trans. by Matthieu Ricard, fore. by H.H. the Dalai
Lama. Snowlionpub.com. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
29. Jump up^ Arjia Rinpoche (Gegeen) of Kumbum Monastery,
Khukh Nuur
30. Jump up^ Arjia Rinpoche
31. Jump up^ Wangyal, Tenzin (1993). Wonders of the natural mind:
The essence of Dzogchen in the Bon tradition of Tibet. Barrytown,
NY: Station Hill Press, p. 22

External links[edit]
Video clip of Ringu Tulku on the Rim Approach

Kadam (Tibetan Buddhism)

The Kadampa (Tibetan: , Wylie: bka' gdams pa) school of Tibetan Buddhism was
founded by Dromtn (10051064), a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the
great Bengali master Atia (982-1054). The Kadampa were quite famous and respected for their
proper and earnest Dharma practice. The most evident teachings of that tradition were the
teachings onbodhicitta. Later, these special presentations became known
as lojong and lamrim by Atia.

Kadam instructional influence lingered long after the school disappeared:

The Bka' gdams was responsible for the distinctive Tibetan BSTAN RIM (tenrim) ("stages of
teaching") genre, based on Atia's seminal work, the BODHIPATHAPRADPA. This genre was later
adapted and popularized by TSONG KHA PA in his influential LAM RIM CHEN MO.[1]

Kadam lineages
After the death of Atia, his main disciple Dromtn organized his transmissions into the legacy
known as "The Four Divinities and Three Dharmas" - a tradition whereby an individual
practitioner could perceive all doctrines of the Sutras and Tantras as non-contradictory and could
personally apply them all as complementary methods for the accomplishment of enlightenment.

Dromtn founded Reting Monastery (Wylie: rwa sgreng) in 1056 in Reting Tsangpo Valley north
of Lhasa, which was thereafter the seat of the lineage. The nearby Phenpo Chu and Gyama
Valleys were also home to many large Kadampa monasteries.[2]

Scriptural traditions lineage

The scriptural tradition was established by Putowa Rinchensl (10311106), who emphasized
the study of six works:[1]

1. Asaga's "Bodhisattvabhumi", a section of his Yogcrabhmi stra

2. Maitreya-ntha's Mahyna-strlamkra-krik, a Yogacara work
3. Shantideva's iksamuccaya
 4. Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryvatra
5. Aryadeva's Jataka tales
6. The Udnavarga
Oral transmissions lineage
Chengawa Tsultrim Bar established the oral lineage, noted for its strict monastic discipline and
focusing on the teachings in the Book of the Kadampas, Dharma Father and
Sons(Tibetan: ).[1] It had a very influential monastery at Sangpu Neutok
(Tibetan: ),[1] which was founded in 1072 by Lekp Shrap (Tibetan: ).[3]

Pith instructions lineage

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Phuchungwa received the transmission and responsibility to hold the teachings of the pith
instructions of the Sixteen Circles of the Kadampa. As a support he received also the
empowerments, instructions, and secret teachings of the Lamp for the Path to
Enlightenment (Skt: Bodhi Pradipa, Tib: byang chhub lam gi rdon mey). The pith instructions
lineage has its root in the secret oral teachings of Atisha and are embodied in The Precious
Book of the Kadampa Masters: A Jewel Rosary of Profound Instructions on the Bodhisattva Way.
This text is seen as the main text of the Kadampas. These instructions were passed down only to
one student in each generation in a single transmission until the secrecy was lifted at the time of
Narthang Shnu Lodr. Later these teachings were incorporated into the Karma
Kamtsang Kagyu lineage by Pal Tsuglak Trengwa and into the Gelug lineage by the 1st Dalai
Lama.

Lojong lineage[edit]
These oral tradition teachings are generally known as The Instructions for Training the Mind in
the Mahayana Tradition (Wylie: theg chen blo sbyong). According to Gendun Druppa, Atia had
received three lines of Lojong transmission, but there are conflicting accounts of from whom. It is
agreed that he received teachings in Sumatra fromDharmakrtir (Wylie: gser gling pa),[4] and
sometimes as Dharmarakshita.[5] In the former case, Dharmarakita is identified as a scholar at
the monastic university of Odantapuri. The final main Lojong teacher was the Indian master
Maitriyogi. Atia secretly transmitted them to his main disciple, Dromtn.

During the time of the Three Noble Kadampa Brothers, many of these oral teachings were
collected together and compiled into the Lamrim. Yet at the time the lineages from Suvaradvipi
Dharmakrti were still kept secret.

When the time was sufficiently mature, the Lojong Teachings were publicly revealed. First, Kham
Lungpa published Eight Sessions for Training the Mind (Wylie: blo sbyong thun brgyad ma),
then Langri Tangpa (10541123) wrote Eight Verses for Training the Mind (Wylie: blo sbyong
tshig brgyad ma). After this, Sangye Gompa composed A Public Explanation (Wylie: tshogs
bshad ma) and Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (11021176) wrote Seven Points for Training the
Mind (Wylie: blo sbyong don bdun ma).

In this manner, the Lojong Oral Transmission Teachings gradually emerged and became known
to the public. Before being revealed, the secret lineage was as follows: Dharmakrti-> Atia->
Dromtn -> Potowa -> Sharawa (10701141) -> Chekhawa. From Khamlungpa, Langri
Tangpa and Chekawa Yeshe Dorje onwards they became public and later they were integrated
into all four Tibetan Buddhist Schools. (These Kadampa-Lojong texts were brought together into
the anthology A Hundred Texts on Training the Mind (Wylie: blo byong brgya rtsa).

Later developments
Je Tsongkhapa a reformer, collected all the three Kadam lineages and integrated them, along
with Sakya, Kagyu and other teachings, into his presentation of the doctrine. The pervasive
influence of Tsongkhapa was such that the Kadampas that followed were known as "New
Kadampas" or, more commonly, as "Gelugpas", while those who preceded him became
retroactively known as "Old Kadampas" or simply "Kadampas."

The Kadam tradition ceased to exist as an independent tradition by the end of the 16th century.[6]

The three other Tibetan Buddhist schools (Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu) also integrated the Lojong
(Wylie: blo sbyong) teachings into their lineages. Gampopa (Wylie: sgam po pa), who studied for
six years within the Kadam Tradition and became later the main disciple of Milarepa (Wylie: mi la
ras pa), included the Lojong and Lamrim teachings in his lineage, the Karma Kagyu (Wylie: ka
rma bka' brgyud).

Nowadays the Gelug tradition keeps and transmits the Kadam lineage of the Scriptural Traditions
of the Six Canonical Texts. Together with Dagpo Kagyu Tradition they keep and transmit The
Pith Instructions of the Sixteen Essences, and the Dagpo Kagyu Tradition keeps and transmits
the Key Instructions of the Four Noble Truths.

One of the most important sayings of the Kadam masters is said to be

See harmony in all doctrines. Receive instructions from all teachings.[7]

The modern New Kadampa Tradition
Main article: New Kadampa Tradition

In 1991, Kelsang Gyatso founded a new religious movement he named the "New Kadampa
Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union" (NKT-IKBU). Je Tsongkhapa referred to his
monastic order as "the New Kadam."[8] The term Gelug came into use only after his death.[9] The
NKT-IKBU explains that they are independent of other contemporary Tibetan Buddhist centers
and Tibetan politics although they claim they are in the 'same tradition' as the Gelug. According
to the NKT's own publicist, the purpose of using the term "New Kadampa Buddhism" to refer to
their teachings is not to introduce confusion about their origins but to encourage students to
emulate the purity and sincerity of the original Kadam school.[10]

See also[edit]
Schools of Buddhism

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d (Buswell & 2014 123)
2. Jump up^ McCue, Gary (October 1999). Trekking in Tibet: A Traveler's Guide. Mountaineers
Books. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-89886-662-9.
3. Jump up^ "gsang phu ne'u thog dgon pa". Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center. Tibetan Buddhist
Resource Center. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
4. Jump up^ Dhargyey, Geshe Ngawang (2001-01-01). An Anthology of Well Spoken Advice on the
Graded Paths of the Mind (Volume 1). Dharamsala, India: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives.
Childhood and Renunciation of Princely Life. ISBN 978-81-86470-29-9.
5. Jump up^ Berzin, Alexander (December 1999). "General Explanation of Seven-Point Attitude-
Training". Part One: The First Four Points. Study Buddhism. Retrieved 2016-06-04.
6. Jump up^ Jinpa, Thupten (2008-07-15). The Book of Kadam: The Core Texts. Wisdom
Publications. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-86171-441-4.
7. Jump up^ The Rim (Ris-Med) Movement Of Jamgon Kongtrul The Great by Ringu Tulku
8. Jump up^ Cozort, D.. quoted in Heine, S., & Prebish, C. S. (2003). Buddhism in the modern
world: Adaptations of an ancient tradition. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 230.
9. Jump up^ Lopez, Donald S. (1998). Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism and the West.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 193
10. Jump up^ Belither, James. "Modern Day Kadampas The History and Development of the New
Kadampa Tradition". Tara Buddhist Centre. Archived from the original on 2008-06-17.
Retrieved2008-09-16.

Buswell, Robert Jr., ed. (2014). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press. ISBN 9780691157863.

Further reading
Gendun Drup (1993-06-25). Training the Mind in the Great Way. Translated by Mullin,
Glenn. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 0-937938-96-3.
Kongtrul, Jamgon (2000-05-02). The Great Path of Awakening: The Classic Guide to Using
the Mahayana Buddhist Slogans to Tame the Mind and Awaken the Heart.Shambhala
Publications. ISBN 1-57062-587-5.
Atisha (2000-05-01). The Complete Works of Atisa, The Lamp for the Path & Commentary.
Translated by Sherburne, Richard. India: Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 81-7742-022-4.
Rinchen, Geshe Sonam; Sonam, Ruth (1997-09-25). Atisha's Lamp for the Path to
Enlightenment. Snow Lion Publications. ISBN 1-55939-082-4.
Jinpa, Thupten (2005-11-28). Mind Training: The Great Collection (Library of Tibetan
Classics). Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-440-7.
 Tulku, Ringu (2007-10-09). The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgon Kongtrul the Great: A Study of
the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet. Shambhala Publications. ISBN 1-59030-464-0.

External links
Lojong and Tonglen community website