Kagyu Golden Rosary
Kagyu Golden Rosary
Kagyu Golden Rosary
Introduction
This is sometimes called the Whispering Lineage, not because the master
literally whispered the teaching to his pupil, but rather in reference to the
continual verbal transmission to a select number of high calibre students [of
teachings that were never written down on paper ]. The Karma Kagyu Lineage is
the Yogic transmission among the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
It encompasses both the old (Nyingma) and the new (Sarma) teachings which
reached Tibet. Being heavily practice oriented, the Kagyu is called the ' oral
' or the ' perfection ' school. The origin of the Kagyu Lineage dates back to
the ninth century at the time of the full flowering of Tantric Buddhism in
India. The first teacher in this tradition was Tilopa, the renowned yogi and
Mahasiddha (perfected one). Tilopa received the transmission directly from
Dorje Chang (skt.: Vajradhara), the celestial Buddha who symbolises the
Dharmakaya, the ultimate mind. Tilopa in turn gave the whispered teachings
to Naropa who had previously been chancellor of Nalanda University in
India. Naropa's twelve years of service to Tilopa are regarded as a great
example of devotion to one's teacher.
The first Tibetan to receive the teaching was Marpa, the Translator, so
named because of his heroic efforts to reach India on foot, searching for his
teacher Naropa, and patiently practising and translating the Mahamudra
teachings into Tibetan. Marpa was a householder and landowner and he
gathered around him a number of students; the main one was Milarepa.
Because of the bad karma acquired through his early deeds as a sorcerer,
Milarepa was submitted to years of arduous purifying labour before Marpa
would grant him the teachings. Milarepa spent many years meditating in
caves, gained profound illumination and was famed as a poet and saint. He
died at the age of 80, at which time the lineage passed onto Gambopa who
had previously been a doctor. Gambopa was the first monk of the Kagyu
School and he organised the Kagyu monastic system. He also formulated the
teaching in practical texts such as the 'Jewel Ornament of Liberation' which
outlines the gradual path to liberation. Four major and eight minor schools
originated from Gampopa's four main disciples [the first Karmapa Dusum
Khyenpa, Phagmodru Dorje Gyaltsen, (Tsalpa) Weungom Tsultrim Nyingpo and
(Bahrum) Dharma Wangchuk]. The major schools have all fused into the Karma
Kagyu with the Karmapa as the head. The first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa,
was Gampopa's most gifted disciple. He manifested great spiritual power and
purity early in his life and in his sixteenth year he received a supernatural
Black Crown from dakinis and other divinities which bestowed knowledge
of the past, present and future. This hat has been passed on to all the
subsequent Karmapas who are reincarnations or Tulkus of Dusum Khyenpa.
All the Karmapas have worked unceasingly to spread the Buddha's teaching,
and are recognised as emanations of the bodhisattva Chenrezig (skt.:
Avalokitesvara).
Naropa
Born Samantabhadra, a Bengali prince, Naropa (1016-1100) rebelled
young against his royal training. Eight years old, he demanded to go to
Kashmir, to follow an intellectual education with the best teachers of the
age; three years later, he finally embarked upon the study of logic, science,
grammar, rhetoric and art.
Meanwhile his parents, according to the custom of the time, had arranged
for his marriage to Vimaladipi, a Brahmin. The ceremony took place upon
his return, but eight years later Naropa insisted on its dissolution, and
promptly returned to Kashmir to be ordained [as a monk] and to undertake
further study.
Marpa
Two of these disciples were encountered on the road by a Tibetan, Marpa
(1012-1097), who had come to Nepal in search of the Dharma. Buddhist
from his earliest youth, he had learnt Sanskrit from the Sakyapa Lama
Drogmi, then exchanged all his belongings for gold, in preparation for his
quest. So impressed was he by Naropa's disciples, he decided to become one
himself. For many years he received Naropa's teachings, as well as studying
with a variety of famous Indian masters including Jnanagarbha, Kukuripa
and Maitripa. Having practised and mastered the teachings, Marpa returned
to Lhodrag in South Tibet, where he lived with his wife Dagmema and their
two sons, and spent several years translating the Buddhist scriptures from
Sanskrit into the vernacular Tibetan. Renowned as a translator, he attracted a
group of students to whom he passed on the fruits of his Indian research.
After two further expeditions to India, from which he carried yet more
teachings back over the mountain passes to Tibet, he returned to find a
student named Milarepa had been sent to him.
Milarepa
From the Gungthang province of Western Tibet, close to Nepal, Milarepa
(1052-1135) had had a hard childhood and a dark youth. Only seven when
his father died, relatives had taken over his father's property, and maltreated
the bereaved family. His mother, bitter, sent Milarepa to train in black
magic, to wreak revenge on those who had blighted her life. Her wish was
fulfilled - Milarepa proved adept at the practices he was taught, and
unleashed a tide of destruction, killing many. But he came to regret his
actions, and looked for help in shedding the bad karma he had acquired
during his vengeful adolescence. He first attached himself to a Nyingmapa
Lama Rongton, who, observing that Milarepa had an affinity for Marpa, sent
him to await Marpa's return from his travels.
Gampopa
From Nyal, in East Tibet, Gampopa (1079-1135) was the son of a doctor,
and a doctor himself. He married in his early twenties, and fathered two
sons. Several years later, an epidemic took both their lives, despite his skill.
His wife falling sick of the same disease, and similarly failing to respond to
his ministrations, begged him as she died not to marry again, but to become
a monk. One might question her motives, but nevertheless, at the age of
twenty-six, Gampopa became a novice in the Kadampa tradition. He applied
himself, working with many masters, and achieved a high degree of
proficiency before - at thirty-two - hearing talk of Milarepa. Feeling a surge
of devotion in response to these tales, and understanding that this must be his
true teacher, he set out on a gruelling but eventually successful search to find
him. Gampopa, a talented writer, of great insight, was entrusted by Milarepa
with the complete Kagyu transmission - the only one of Milarepa's students
so honoured - before leaving Milarepa to go into retreat at Dhagpo in South-
East Tibet. There he founded the monastery of Dhaglha Gampo, where he
drew many disciples. Four of these were to found the four "major" Kagyu
branches. Eight "minor" branches would appear later. One of the four,
Dusum Khyenpa was both the next Kagyu lineage-holder, and the first
Karmapa.
Ratnabadra
Ratnabadra (tib.: Rinchen Zangpo) (15th century) was born in Soksam
province, and ordained when still young. Receiving his education at the
hands of the foremost masters of the time, he became one of the greatest
scholars and meditation masters of the age. Given pointing out instructions
on the ultimate meaning of the Kagyu teachings by the fifth Karmapa, he
attained complete realisation of the absolute nature of reality. In time, he
bacame the teacher of the sixth Karmapa, Tongwa Donden.
Mikyo Dorje took the full Kagyu teachings from Tashi Paljor, and rounded
off his studies with a range of accomplished masters. He went on to write
many treatises, and found several monastic colleges. He selected as lineage
holder the fifth Shamarpa, Konchog Yenlag, whom he had identified, and to
whom he had passed on the Kagyu transmission, stating that the Karmapa
and Shamarpa incarnations are inseparable, and of the same mind-stream.
His life took on the pattern of his predecessors, travelling and teaching
throughout the country. But then political circumstances intervened, with the
1950 take-over of Tibet by the Chinese. The Dalai Lama, with government
officials and many high lamas, including the sixteenth Karmapa, attended
talks in Beijing, in the hope of negotiating a settlement. The discussions
were successful in buying some time for the Tibetan people, but in 1959 the
Chinese proceeded to annex Tibet, at which point the Karmapa fled to India.
The King of Sikkim, Tashi Namgyal, offered the Karmapa land, upon which
he built Rumtek monastery. He also accepted an invitation to come to
Bhutan by their King, Jigme Dorje Wangchuk. He travelled to Ladakh,
teaching at various monasteries, before going on pilgrimage to holy sites in
India and Nepal. His travels continued to broaden in his efforts to spread the
dharma; in 1974 he came to the West for the first time, as dharma centers
were established world-wide, and he attracted an increasing number of
followers.
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Appendix
O ne Karmapa has not been discussed in this account. The biography of Chogyur
Lingpa, a Nyingma master and terton (one who reveals the termas, or hidden teachings, of
Padmasambhava), recounts that between the fourteenth and fifteenth Karmapas was a
reincarnation, born into a family related to the fourteenth Karmapa, who lived for
only two years. If one counts this incarnation, Khakyab Dorje then becomes the
sixteenth Karmapa, and Rangjung Rigpe Dorje the seventeenth, which makes more
understandable the prediction of the fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shegpa, to the effect that
between the end of the sixteenth and the start of the seventeenth Karmapas lives,
Buddhist teachings will decline in Tibet, the Chinese will rise against their Emperor -
whose line will end, the Chinese will invade and occupy Tibet, and that the two
countries will suffer and endure poverty.