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Gampopa (1079-1153) "the man from Gampo" — who was equally well known in Tibet as Sonam Rinchen , Dagpo Lhaje ("the Physician from Dagpo"), Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche ("Incomparible Precious One from Dagpo"), and Da'od Zhonnu , (the Tibetan for Candraprabhakumara) — established the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhism religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India ....
 today, as an institution.

Short Biography
Gampopa, a physician from Dagpo region in Kham
Kham

Kham , is a region presently divided between the China provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live....
, was the foremost student of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Milarepa
Milarepa

Jetsun Milarepa , is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism....
.






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Gampopa (1079-1153) "the man from Gampo" — who was equally well known in Tibet as Sonam Rinchen , Dagpo Lhaje ("the Physician from Dagpo"), Nyamed Dakpo Rinpoche ("Incomparible Precious One from Dagpo"), and Da'od Zhonnu , (the Tibetan for Candraprabhakumara) — established the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhism religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India ....
 today, as an institution.

Short Biography


Gampopa, a physician from Dagpo region in Kham
Kham

Kham , is a region presently divided between the China provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live....
, was the foremost student of the Tibetan Buddhist teacher Milarepa
Milarepa

Jetsun Milarepa , is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism....
. Gampopa was renowned for the clarity of his perception and his knowledge of both Kadampa
Kadampa

The Kadam tradition was a Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist school. Dromt?npa, a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha , founded it and passed three lineages to his disciples....
 and, later, Mahamudra
Mahamudra

Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
 methods.

Gampopa's position in the transmission lineage of the esoteric Mahamudra
Mahamudra

Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
 teaching is as follows:
  1. Tilopa
    Tilopa

    Tilopa was born in either Chativavo , Bengal or Jagora, Bengal. He was a tantra and mahasiddha. He developed the mahamudra method, a set of spiritual practices that greatly accelerates the process of attaining bodhi ....
     (988-1069), the India
    India

    India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
    n yogi
    Yogi

    A yogi is a term for a male practitioner of various forms of spiritual practice. In contemporary english language yogin is an alternative rendering for the word yogi....
     who experienced the original transmission of the Mahamudra
    Mahamudra

    Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
  2. Naropa
    Naropa

    Naropa or Naropa was an Indian Buddhism yogi, mysticism and monk. He was the disciple of Tilopa and brother, or some sources say partner and pupil, of Niguma ....
     (1016-1100), who perfected the methods of accelerated enlightenment
    Bodhi

    Bodhi is both the Pali and Sanskrit word traditionally translated into English language as "enlightenment." The word "Buddhahood" means "one who has achieved bodhi." Bodhi is also frequently translated as "awakening."...
    , described in his six yogas of Naropa
    Six Yogas of Naropa

    The Six Yogas of Naropa or Naro Choe Druk , also called Naro's Six Doctrines or the Six Dharmas of Naropa , describe a set of advanced Tibetan Buddhism tantra practice, trance and meditation sadhana compiled in and around the time of the Indian monk and mystic Naropa , and conveyed to his student Marpa the translator....
    .
  3. Marpa
    Marpa

    Marpa may refer to:* Marpa Lotsawa, Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Buddhist teachings to Tibet from India.* MARPA, Modification and Replacement Parts Assocation....
     (1012-1097), the first Tibetan in the lineage, who translated the Vajrayana
    Vajrayana

    Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayana, Mantranaya, Mantrayana, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and the Diamond Vehicle ....
     and Mahamudra
    Mahamudra

    Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
     texts into Old Tibetan
  4. Milarepa
    Milarepa

    Jetsun Milarepa , is generally considered one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets, a student of Marpa Lotsawa, and a major figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism....
     (1052-1135), poet and master who overcame Marpa's reluctance to teach but nonetheless attained enlightenment in a single lifetime
  5. Gampopa, Milarepa's most important student, who integrated Atisha
    Atisha

    Atisa Dipankara Shrijnana was a Buddhism teacher from the Pala Empire who, along with Konchog Gyalpo and Marpa Lotsawa, was one of the major figures in the establishment of the Sarma lineages in Tibet after the repression of Buddhism by King Langdarma ....
    's Kadampa
    Kadampa

    The Kadam tradition was a Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist school. Dromt?npa, a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha , founded it and passed three lineages to his disciples....
     teaching and Tilopa's Mahamudra
    Mahamudra

    Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
     teaching to establish the Kagyu
    Kagyu

    The Kagyu or Kagyupa school, also known as the "Oral Lineage" or Whispered Transmission school, is today one of four main schools of Himalayan or Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being the Nyingma , Sakya , and Gelug ....
     school


This lineage sequence, taken together, is called the "Five Founding Masters" by the Kagyu followers.

Prior to studying under Milarepa, Gampopa had studied the kadampa traditions, which is a gradual path based on the lamrim
Lamrim

Lam Rim is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Gautama Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history there have been many different versions of the Lam Rim, presented by different teachers, of the Nyingma, Kagyu and Gelug schools....
 teachings. He searched for, and eventually met Milarepa, and attained realization of ultimate reality under his guidance.

Gampopa wrote The Jewel Ornament of Liberation and founded the Dagpo Kagyud school in 1125. It was the integrative teaching of Gampopa which unified Kadampa
Kadampa

The Kadam tradition was a Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist school. Dromt?npa, a Tibetan lay master and the foremost disciple of the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha , founded it and passed three lineages to his disciples....
 and Mahamudra
Mahamudra

Mahamudra literally means 'great seal' or 'great symbol'. Mahamudra is an advanced form of Buddhism meditation practice, comprising methods of attaining a direct introduction to the nature and essence of the mind....
 teachings into the distinctive Kagyu approach.

Gampopa also established various monastic institutions
Buddhist monasticism

Monasticism is one of the most fundamental institutions of Buddhism. Monks and nuns are responsible for preserving and spreading Buddhist teachings, as well as educating and guiding Buddhist lay followers....
, taught extensively, and attracted many students. Four of his disciples founded the four "major" Kagyu schools:
  • Barom Kagyu founded by Barompa Darma Wangchug
  • Phagdru Kagyu founded by Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo
    Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo

    Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo [1110-1170], was one the three main disciples of Gampopa who established the Dagpo Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism; and a disciple of Sachen Kunga Nyingpo [1092-1158] one of the founders of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism....
  • Karma Kagyu
    Karma Kagyu

    Karma Kagyu , or Kamtsang, is the largest Lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The spiritual head of the Karma Kagyu is the Gyalwa Karmapa....
    , also known as the Kamtsang Kagyu School, founded by Düsum Khyenpa
    Düsum Khyenpa

    D?sum Khyenpa was the 1st Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.D?sum Khyenpa literally means "Knower of the Three times" ....
     the 1st Karmapa
    Karmapa

    The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyupa , itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism....
  • Tsalpa Kagyu founded by Zhang Yudragpa Tsondru Drag


The succession of Gampopa's own monastery passed to his nephew Dagpo Gomtsul Tsultim Nyingpo (dwags sgom tshul khrims snying po)

See also