Concept
Kagyu
Overview
The Kagyu school, also transliterated as Kagyü, or Kagyud (Tibetan: བཀའ་བརྒྱུད།, Wylie: bka' brgyud), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the four major schools (chos lugs) of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kagyu lineages trace themselves back to the 11th century Indian Mahasiddhas Naropa, Maitripa and the yogini Niguma, via their student Marpa Lotsawa (1012–1097), who brought their teachings to Tibet. Marpa's student Milarepa was also an influential poet and teacher.
The Tibetan Kagyu tradition gave rise to a large number of independent sub-schools and lineages. The principal Kagyu lineages existing today as independent schools are those which stem from Milarepa's disciple, Gampopa (1079–1153), a monk who merged the Kagyu lineage with the Kadam tradition. The Kagyu schools which survive as independent institutions are mainly the Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, Drukpa Lineage and the Taklung Kagyu. The Karma Kagyu school is the largest of the sub-schools, and is headed by the Karmapa. Other lineages of Kagyu teachings, such as the Shangpa Kagyu, are preserved in other schools.
The main teachings of the Kagyus include Mahamudra and the Six Dharmas of Naropa.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
Found by search and not yet checked by a person; they may only mention the idea in passing.
Xenophanes, Parmenides, Melissus and Zeno are to be reckoned as belonging to this school. Xenophanes may be regarded as the founder of it; Parmenides is supposed to have been his pupil, and Melissus, and especially Zeno, are called the pupils of Parmenides. In fact, they are to be taken together as forming the Eleatic school; later on it lost the name, being then called Sophistic, and its locality was transferred to…
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy
States what Kagyu is.
At this place the monks and nuns may be a thousand, who all receive their food from the common store, and pursue their studies, some of the mahayana and some of the hînayâna. Where they live, there is a white-eared dragon, which acts the part of danapati to the community of these monks, causing abundant harvests in the country, and the enriching rains to come in season, without the…
Confucius, Chinese literature
Close in meaning to Kagyu; the term itself is not named.
3. 'What is called a great minister, is one who serves his prince according to what is right, and when he finds he cannot do so, retires. 4. 'Now, as to Yu and Ch'iu, they may be called ordinary ministers.' 5. Tsze-zan said, 'Then they will always follow their chief;-- will they?' 6. The Master said, 'In an act of parricide or regicide, they would not follow him.' CHAP. XXIV. 1. Tsze-lu got Tsze-kao appointed…
Confucius, The Analects of Confucius
States what Kagyu is.
Philosophers who discussed Kagyu
- Gorampa
- Śāntarakṣita
- Longchenpa
- Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo
- Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen
- 8th Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje
- 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje
- Jamgon Kongtrul
- 9th Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje
Related ideas
- Je Tsongkhapa
- Nyingma
- Dzogchen
- Gelug
- Mahamudra
- Bhutan
- Guhyasamāja Tantra
- Yogachara
- Tibetan Buddhism
- Tibet
- Dharmakāya
- Buddhist tantric literature
- Jonang
- Madhyamaka
- Buddha-nature
- Yogini
- Saraha
- Vajravārāhī
Place in the tradition
Part of Buddhist philosophy.