Kagyu

The Kagyu (Wylie transliteration: Bka'-brgyud) school (known as the "Oral Lineage" and "the Spotless Practice Lineage" school) is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being Nyingma (Rnying-ma), Sakya (Sa-skya), and Gelug (Dge-lugs).

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The Kagyu school traces its origins to the teachings of the Indian mystics Tilopa (988-1089) and Naropa (1016-1100), whose lineage was transmitted in Tibet by the great translator Marpa (1012-1097). He took over the mahamudra (great seal)-transmission lineage from Naropa. Moreover Marpa studied with the Indian Masters Maitripa and Kukuripa. On his third journey to India he met Atiśa (982-1054) and studied the teachings of the Kadampa masters (both Kagyu and Gelug schools trace their roots to the earlier Kadampa school). Marpa spend 17 years in India and is known as one of the great translators of the second translation period. Marpa's principal disciple was Milarepa (Mi-la-ras-pa) (1052-1135), arguably one of Tibet's great religious poets and meditators. Among Milarepa's many students was Gampopa (Sgam-po-pa) (1079-1153), a great scholar, who can be recognized as the real founder of Kagyu as a distinct school of Tibetan Buddhism and Rechungpa (Ras-chung-pa). Following Gampopa's teachings, there evolved the so-called "Four Major" schools, and from Gampopa's disciple Phagmogrupa the "Eight Minor" lineages of the Kagyu School.

Wylie transliteration: The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating the Tibetan script using the keys on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell Wylie, who refined the scheme in 1959. It has subsequently become a standard transliteration scheme in Tibetan studies, especially...

Tibetan Buddhism: Tibetan Buddhism - formerly (and incorrectly) also called Lamaism, after their religious gurus known as lamas - is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. It is a multifaceted and integrated teaching, naturally implementing methods...

Nyingma: The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Gelug, Kagyu and Sakya). "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and accordingly the school is often referred to as the "school of the ancient translations" or the "old school" because it develo...