A lineage defined by transmission
The word Kagyu is often translated as “oral lineage” or “lineage of the spoken word”. The name points to the emphasis the school places on teachings passed directly from a teacher to a student, accompanied by personal meditation instruction. Its followers trace the line back through Tibetan translators to Indian masters of the early medieval period. This account is the school’s own tradition, and historians may describe the details in more cautious terms.
Public descriptions of Kagyu practice usually stay general: it is known for meditation traditions such as Mahamudra, for retreat practice, and for a strong association with yogic and devotional literature. The specifics of instruction are given by teachers to students and are not appropriate to set out here.
Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa
In the traditional account, the line passes from the Indian masters Tilopa and Naropa to the Tibetan translator Marpa (eleventh century), who is said to have made several journeys to India to find teachings and bring them back to Tibet. His student Milarepa is among the most beloved figures in Tibetan literature. His life story, written down in later centuries, tells of hardship, remorse, years of solitary practice in mountain caves and eventual realisation. It is a devotional narrative as much as a biography, and scholars treat its details accordingly.
Milarepa’s student Gampopa, a monk with training in the Kadam tradition, is credited with combining the meditation lineage with monastic discipline and the graduated path. This is why the Kagyu school developed monasteries as well as retreat centres.
Sub-schools
From Gampopa’s students came several streams, traditionally spoken of as the “four great and eight lesser” Kagyu lineages. Today the best known are:
- Karma Kagyu. Led by the Karmapa, whose line is traditionally the oldest of the recognised reincarnate lineages in Tibet. Its principal seat in Tibet is Tsurphu, west of Lhasa. After the 1950s the Karmapa’s seat in exile was established at Rumtek in Sikkim. Questions about the recognition of the present Karmapa have been understood differently by different groups, so readers may encounter more than one account.
- Drukpa Kagyu. Established in Bhutan in the seventeenth century and still the school most closely associated with its religious establishment. Its history is covered in the article on Drukpa Kagyu, and it also has presence in Ladakh, including at Hemis.
- Drikung Kagyu. Centred historically at Drikung in central Tibet; Lamayuru in Ladakh is generally described as belonging to this stream.
- Taklung, Barom and others. Smaller lineages with their own monasteries and teachers.
Not all of these branches are of equal size, and some have changed considerably in recent centuries.
Places linked to the Kagyu
Many places in the Himalaya are associated with Milarepa by tradition, including caves in southern Tibet, in western Nepal and along the Nepal-Tibet border. In Nepal, Pharping and nearby sites in the Kathmandu Valley are linked to several teaching traditions, and Kagyu practitioners have long visited them. Mount Kailash, described in the Kailash in Tibetan Buddhism article, holds a special place for Drukpa Kagyu devotees as well as others. In Bhutan, the Drukpa school has shaped the Bhutan Buddhist sites and the national religious calendar. In Ladakh, Hemis and several other monasteries follow this tradition.
In Sikkim, the monastery at Rumtek and others in the Himalayan region continue Karma Kagyu worship. The wider picture of Sikkim monasteries includes Nyingma and Kagyu houses side by side.
Reincarnate teachers
The Karmapa line is often cited as the first in Tibet to use the system of recognising a teacher’s rebirth, although the historical details are debated. The practice later became widespread across schools. Visitors may encounter references to tulkus, or recognised reincarnate teachers, in all Tibetan traditions.
Visiting a Kagyu monastery
A Kagyu monastery will usually have a main assembly hall with images of the lineage masters, often including Milarepa shown with his hand to his ear. Festivals vary, and some include masked dances, which are explained in the cham masked dance article. Dates for festivals change from year to year; check current local sources and the monastery’s own notices.
Several Kagyu sites in Tibet, Sikkim, Ladakh and Bhutan involve high altitude, long road journeys and permits. Seek current medical and official travel advice before going, and remember that conditions, especially in border areas, can change quickly.