Karma Kagyu Tradition

Jetsun Milerepa

The Kagyu has a long history, going back to 10th Century in India with Tilopa and Naropa. The Karma Kagyu originated in Tibet in the 12th century with the first Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, the disciple of Gampopa, who received the complete instructions and achieved supreme realization. His reincarnation, the 2nd Karmapa Karma Pakshi (1204-1283), was the first recognised reincarnated lama of Tibet.

Ever since that time the Karmapas have manifested in a successive line of reincarnations until the present day as the heads of the Karma Kagyu school.

The Karma Kagyu inherited two very important streams of Buddhist teachings the meditation on Mahamudra and the gradual path of the Kadampa. Mahamudra, or the Great Seal, is the direct insight into the nature of mind and a special feature of the Karma Kagyu tradition.The gradual path of the Kadampa teachings traces itself back to the Indian Buddhist master Atisha (980–1054), and incorporates the Mahayana Mind-Training practices.