THE KAGYU LINEAGE
The Kagyu Lineage of Vajrayana Buddhism traces its origin back to Buddha Shakyamuni. The enlightened yogin Tilopa (988-1069) received the core teachings directly from the primordial Buddha, Dorje Chang. Tilopa transmitted these teachings to Naropa, an outstanding scholar at Nalanda University, who then passed them to the Great Tibetan translator, Marpa. Marpa brought all the Buddhist teachings received from Naropa and other teachers back to Tibet. MarpaĦ's most famous disciple, the renowned yogi Milarepa, passed the lineage to Gampopa, an accomplished physician and spiritual master of the Kadampa School. Gampopa combined the monastic traditions of the Kadampa with the teachings of Mahamudra (The Great Seal) and The Six Yogas of Naropa that he received from Milarepa. This was then transmitted to his four main disciples, one of whom was Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193), the first Karmapa and founder of the Karma Kagyu Lineage.
Since then, the Karma Kagyu Lineage has been headed by a succession of reincarnations of the Gyalwa Karmapa, of whom the present is the 17th incarnation, Ogyen Trinley Dorje of Tsurphu Monastery, Tibet.
The Kagyu Lineage emphasizes the continuity of oral instructions transmitted from guru to disciple, from whence the name "Kagyu" derives. The term "Kagyu" refers to a phrase that translates as "the unbroken lineage of profound and intimate guidance in the four sorts of transmitted mastery, the heart meaning of the three yanas". Each of these four transmissions contains the very essence of the others and therefore each contains everything. As a whole they are called Mahamudra, the practice towards the realization of one's mind nature.
HIS HOLINESS, THE 17Th GYALWANG KARMAPA,
OGYEN TRINLEY DORJE
The present supreme spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu Lineage, His Holiness, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was born in eastern Tibet on 26 June, 1985. The details and circumstances of the birth of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa were predicted in a letter left behind by his predecessor, His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1923-1981). His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche confirmed the identification and recognised Ogyen Trinley Dorje as the seventeenth incarnation of the Karmapa.
In the formal confirmation letter from His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, it reads as:
"The boy born to Karma Dondrup and Loga in the wood ox year (of the Tibetan calendar) was identified through the prediction letter (left by the late Karmapa) and is hereby recognized as the reincarnation of the 16th Karmapa, with prayers for his well-being and for the success of his activities."
The enthronement of the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa was held on 27 September 1992 at Tsurphu Monastery, Tibet.
From then on, began Karmapa's thorough education on sutrayana and tantrayana textual learning, philosophy, liturgy, meditation and so forth at Tsurphu Monastery, the historic seat of the Karmapas in Tibet and at Gyuto Ramoche Tantric University in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India in which he is now presently residing after having left Tibet in December 1999.
THE BUDDHA ACTIVITY
All great Kagyu teachers regard His Holiness, the Karmapa as the embodiment and source of all of the blessings of the Kagyu Lineage. Karmapa means "the one who carries out Buddha-activity" or "the embodiment of all the activities of the Buddhas." The Karmapas have incarnated in this form of nirmanakaya or manifestation body for seventeen lifetimes, the present and all the previous incarnations have played an important role in preserving and propagating the Buddhist teachings. The arrival of a master who would be known as "The Karmapa" was prophesied by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Padmasambhava. Throughout the centuries, the Karmapas have been one of the central figures in the continuation of the Vajrayana Lineage in general and Karma Kagyu Lineage in particular.
HIS EMINENCE, THE 10TH SANGYES NYENPA RINPOCHE
THE RESIDENT RINPOCHE
According to the lineage history, the 1st Sangyes Nyenpa, Tashi Paljor was the root guru of the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje. Our Resident Rinpoche is the tenth in the line of reincarnated Sangye Nyenpa.
His Eminence, the 10th Sangyes Nyenpa Rinpoche was born in 1964 in Bhutan and was recognized by His Holiness, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa. He was invited at the age of four to Rumtek Monastery where he was enthroned by His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa. From an early age, he has been studying Buddhist philosophy with various teachers of the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions, including His Holiness, the 16th Karmapa and His Holiness, Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche. His thorough education on sutrayana and tantrayana textual learning, philosophy, liturgy, meditation and so forth at Nalanda Institute in Rumtek, Sikkim was a total of eighteen years. An accomplished scholar and practitioner, His Eminence Sangyes Nyenpa Rinpoche taught three years at the Institute.
His Eminence Sangyes Nyenpa Rinpoche is one of the most learned Rinpoches in both philosophy and tantric rituals. When the construction of the Benchen Monastery was completed in the early nineties, His Eminence Sangyes Nyenpa Rinpoche gave the transmission of the whole Kangyur to several thousand people. Currently, Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche resides at Benchen Phuntsok Dargyeling Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Updated on 30 May 2006
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