Gyalwang Karmapas Teachings on the Vajradhara Lineage Prayer

Session One: Great masters of the Karma Kamtshang lineage

26 February, 2012, Monlam Pavilion

February 26 is the first of the three days of teachings by the Gyalwang Karmapa to both the lay and ordained sangha. Coming from all over the world, they fill the ground under the vast blue arch of the tent, reminding us that the early incarnations of the Karmapa traveled widely with his retinue who stayed in tents, hence the name Tsurphu Gar, the ncampment of Tsurphu. Flan!ed on either side by four stands of flowers, the Karmapa"s carved wooden throne is set up between the apron of the stage and the stairs that ascend up to the #uddha statue. $ust behind the Karmapa"s throne are paintings of central figures from the four different lineages in Tibet. %ccompanied by the sound of &alings, the Karmapa enters the 'onlam (avilion, ma!es three bows, and ta!es his seat on the )harma throne. *ith three bells, everyone ma!es their bows and then recites in +ans!rit the refuge and two short teachings plus a dedication, which is followed by the +hort ,a&radhara -ineage (rayer. *hile translators of ten different languages sit in front of him, the Karmapa includes in his prayers one to teach the )harma in many different tongues. %fter an offering to him for his long life, the teachings begin. The te.t the Gyalwang Karmapa will be teaching for three days is entitled /The +hort ,a&radhara -ineage (rayer.0 1e began playfully by saying that &ust loo!ing at the name, you might thin! that there is a short ,a&rdhara and a tall ,a&radhara. %ctually, it means the short prayer of ,a&radhara as compared to longer prayers of ,a&radhara. The author is #engar $ampal 2angpo, who is regarded as a reincarnation of the Kadampa Geshe, -angri Tsangpa. #engar 2angpo was also a root teacher of the +eventh Karmapa, Chodra! Gyatso. 3sually, teachings about this prayer are preceded by an e.planation of how to meditate on 4

the lineage, displayed in a refuge tree either as a gathering of lamas or as a line with one set directly above the other. Today, however, the teachings will be a commentary on the meaning rather than an e.tensive e.planation of this meditation. 5n 5ndia, the mahamudra lineage comes through Tilopa, 6aropa, and 'aitripa, and in Tibet, through 'arpa, the great translator. 1e went to 5ndia three times and studied with the masters of meditation and te.ts, 6aropa and 'aitripa, who were famous all over 5ndia. +tudying with many others, 'arpa received teachings on all four sections of the tantra. 1e received a prediction that his disciples would be more advanced than their teacher and that their students would be even more reali7ed, so that his lineage would be li!e a river ever increasing in its flow. 'arpa"s main students were !nown as the four pillars. From among them, it was 6go! Cho!u )or&e who received the transmission of the teaching lineage of the tantras. )ue to him, this lineage continues, not only in the Kagyu but also in other schools. %nother tantric lineage that 'arpa brought bac! from 5ndia was that of the practice lineage, which was transmitted to 'ilarepa. 1e preserved it through following e.actly his teacher"s instructions and through undergoing great hardships 8 meditating in the remote areas of high snow mountains and subsisting on nettles. 'ilarepa attained most profound e.periences of the lineage. 'ilarepa had numerous great students who were highly reali7ed, the two greatest of whom are !nown as the sun9li!e and moon9li!e disciples. The latter was :echungpa, famous for his hearing lineage and for passing away without leaving any physical remains. ;ne of his famous disciples was Khyung Tsangpa, and his student was -orepa. There are many supreme masters who maintain this special hearing lineage of :echungpa. %nother student was 6yand7ong :epa Changchup Gyalpo, who had a lineage called the 6yend7ong hearing lineage. The most important lineage holder of 'ilarepa was Gampopa, who founded the )agpo Kagyu. 1e is also !nown as 6oble )awa +honnu <=outhful 'oon> and )a!po -ha&e <the )octor from )a!po>. 5n three sutras, he was predicted by the #uddha, saying there will be someone called Gelong Tso7e, which means a #hi!shu who is a doctor. 1is nephew was Gompo Tsultrim 6yingpo <or Gomtsul>, who held the lineage of the main seat of Gampopa, !nown as )ensa Kagyu, which his descendants continued. Gomtsul"s main student was +hang =udra!pa or Tsondru )ra!pa, from who stems the Tsalpa Kagyu, one of the four elder Kagyu schools. 2

5t was also predicted that Gampopa would have ?@@ purified students and ?@@ still to be purified. From among these, there were A@@ highly Bualified meditators and of these, the principal ones were the three men from Kham. ;ne of them, the Grey91aired Khampa or )usum Khyenpa <the First Karmapa>, founded the lineage of the Karma Kamtsang. %nother of the three, Khampa )orgyal or (alden (a!modru!pa, founded the (a!dru Kagyu. This lineage spread the most widely since all the eight younger schools of Karma Kagyu stem from him. %nother direct student of Gampopa is #arompa )arma *angchu! who started the #arom Kagyu lineage, home to many great masters. 1is student was Trishi :epa, who became a teacher of the Chinese emperor, and his teachings continue to this day. The ,a&radhara (rayer spea!s of /the four elder lineages0 and these come from Gampopa and his nephew Gomtsul, who were very similar in their reali7ation. There were no students of Gampopa who did not also receive teachings from Gomtsul as well. These four lineages are the Tsalpa Kagyu, Karma Kagyu, #arom Kagyu, and (a!dru KagyuC some add the )ensa Kagyu to ma!e five. These are called the elder lineages as they all come directly from Gampopa and his nephew GomtsulC the younger lineages all come from the students of Gampopa"s students. This is an e.tremely important point because one might misunderstand <especially if the term che is translated as /greater0 and chung as /lesser0> and thin! that the four elder lineages are better8 more powerful, valuable, or famous8 and that the eight younger lineages are not as good8being smaller, wea!er, or not so important. #ut this is not the case. The direct disciples of Gampopa and Gomtsul are the elder, and the ne.t generation stemming from them, especially (a!modru!pa, are !nown as the younger. +ome writers say that the term four elder and eight younger < che bzhi chung brgyad> was not there before $amgon Kongtrul -odro Thaye, a contemporary of the Fourteenth Karmapa, but this is not correct. 5n writings of Ta!lung +habdrung 6gawang 6amgyal, who lived at the time of the Tenth Karmapa, we find this term so it predates $amgon Kongtrul. *hen translating the Kagyu 'onlam (rayer #oo!, we decided to use the terms /elder0 for the direct disciples of Gampopa and Gomtsul and /younger0 for the lineages of their students. This way of translating also follows a tradition related to three families of -ing Gesar, in which these terms che, chung, and also bar <middle> appearD the first was the lineage of the elder and the second of the younger, which was actually more powerful. +o in Tibetan the term che can mean /the elder brother0 and chung can mean /younger E

brother. 5t"s very important to be clear about this so that we do not use the term to mean than some lineages are better than the others. +ince this is a )rupgyu Karma Kamtshang gathering, it might be useful to e.plain this name, too. Drupgyu <sGrub brgyud> refers to the practice lineageC Karma is from Karmapa, the one who performs the activities of all the buddhasC and Kam comes from Kampo Gangra, the name of a place in -ithang in astern TibetC Tshang literally means /nest0 and by e.tension, /dwelling or place,0 so the name could be translated as /the Karmapa"s practice lineage from Kampo Gangra.0 This sacred place of Cha!rasamvara is where Gampopa told )usum Khyenpa to practice, and if he did, his activity would spread throughout Tibet. )usum Khyenpa"s final reali7ation was also here at Kampo Gangra. 5n addition to the name of Karma Kamtshang, we also find Karma Kagyu < Kar ma bka brgyud>. The first Karmapa, )usum Khyenpa, was not popularly !nown as Karmapa, though in a vision he had received this name as the performer of the activities of all the buddhas. (eople have different theories about the origin of this name. +ome say that it comes from the fact that the )usum Khyenpa stayed for a long time in Karma Gon, and so his lineage too! its name from this place. +ome historians say the name Karmapa was given only to the second Karmapa, so the Karmapas begin with him, and )usum Khyenpa is then considered the first holder of the #lac! Crown. +o there are different ways of e.plaining the origin of the name Karmapa and, by e.tension, of Karma Kagyu. There is also a variety of predictions about the number of the Karmapa"s incarnations. Cho!gyur -ingpa wrote that for seven generations, the Karmapa"s rebirth or reincarnations <yangsi, yang srid> will appear and then there will be thirteen manifestations < trulpa, sprul pa> ma!ing for a total of twenty9one. There is a prediction from Guru :inpoche that the Karmapa will have only seven reincarnations. The Fifth Karmapa predicted that there will be twenty9five. )rupchen 6ya!re +ewo stated that there will be 4@@2 Karmapas, and though they might not be throne holders or carrying the name of the Karmapa, they will be performing the Karmapa"s activities, so it is said that the Karmapa"s activities will not finished until all the activity of the 4@@@ buddhas comes to a close. ;thers say that his activity will last until the end of samsara. -et us ta!e a brief loo! at the differences between what are !nown as reincarnations and as manifestations. % manifestation arises from its own basis, or foundation, and there can be many manifestations. For e.ample, an arhant can produce manifestations, but they have no independent power to thin! or act for themselvesC the basis that produced them F

<the arhant in this case> must first thin! and act. #y contrast, manifestations of the #uddha can thin! and act on their own. 6ow in the case of a reincarnation, the basis of manifestation itself ta!es rebirth. Further, the way manifestations happen depends on the capacity of the people who are manifesting. For e.ample, if they have the level of reali7ation, they can emanate manifestations of their body, speech, mind, Bualities, and activity. Tul!us can be recogni7ed in two main waysD through connection and through similarity. 6ot all tul!us are manifestations of buddhas or bodhisattvas. *hen people ma!e powerful prayers, practice well, maintain good conduct and discipline, and gather the accumulations, they create the auspicious connection to ta!e birth as a special individualC due to the aspirations they have made in the past, they will now have the capacity to help numerous living beings. % highly reali7ed master can see this potential and will give them the name of a tul!u. This benefits them in developing their positive potential as they will have more opportunities to increase their merit and wisdom will come to them. +ince their aspirations are genuine, they are able to benefit others. 5n a lighter tone, 1is 1oliness added that we cannot call everyone a tul!u. 5f we did, who would be left to offer respect to the tul!usG Through many generations, the Karmapa has had uncountable numbers of studentsC the greatest among them, he recogni7ed as having attained his level of abandoning what is negative and attaining what is positive. These disciples are !nown collectively as the father Karmapa and his heart sons < rgyal ba yab sras>. Their relationship is that of a teacher and student, but calling them father and son points to their special connectionD a father does not have so many children, and a teacher can have many students. 1is 1oliness presented the heart sons in their historical order.

Shamar Rinpoche The first of these special students is the +hamarpa. The +econd Karmapa, Karma (a!shi, predicted that about one hundred years later, he would have two reincarnations with the eBuivalent level of abandonment and reali7ation, even though they would be described as teacher and student. ;ne of them would wear the #lac! 1at and the other a :ed 1at. This lineage of enthroned reincarnations continued through to the Tenth +hamarpa. %t this time, problems arose and so the Tibetan government did not allow his reincarnations to be ?

recogni7ed or enthroned. $ust previous to this Tenth +hamarpa, there were two claimants for the reincarnation of the 6inth +hamarpa, because two lamas had recogni7ed two different children. )ue to Chinese influence, there was a lottery system of selecting a name from a golden vase, so in this way, Tashi Tsepay <his family name> +hamar was enthroned. The second reincarnation, 6am -ing <his family name> +hamar continued to ta!e birth up to the time of the Fifteenth Karmapa. *hen the Tenth +hamarpa passed away, there were three generations of lamas who were said to be reincarnations of the +hamarpa, but they were not enthroned. Therefore, if one counts all who were enthroned, the present +hamarpa is the eleventh, and if one counts those who were not enthroned, he is the fourteenth. +ince for three generations, the +hamarpas were not enthroned, when the +i.teenth Karmapa came to 5ndia, he as!ed the Fourteenth )alai -ama to allow the recognition of +hamarpa. 1is 1oliness gave his consent, and this is how the present +hamarpa was enthroned.

Situ Rinpoche The First +itupa was a direct disciple of the Fifth Karmapa, )e7hin +he!pa. +ince then the +itupas held responsibility for the seat of Karma GHn, one of the three main seats of the Karmapa. 5n general, all the +itupas were important but especially so was the ighth +itu Cho!yi $ungne, also !nown as +itu (anchen. *hen Karmapa and +hamarpa went to China, +itu :inpoche reBuested to travel with them, but the Karmapa as!ed him to remain in Tibet. %s it happened, on the way to China, both the Karmapa and +hamar :inpoche passed away within a few days of each other, so the responsibility for the lineage fell on the shoulders of +itu :inpoche. 1e carried this responsibility magnificently and engaged in vast activity. 1e established (alpung 'onastery in Kham and helped to preserve all aspects of Tibetan culture. 1e was a great scholar in all the branches of study found in 5ndia and Tibet as well as a superb artist. *e owe +itu Cho!yi $ungne tremendous gratitude. %fter the Fourth +itupa, 'ingyur Cho!yi Gocha, and the Fifth +itupa died at a young age, yet his incarnation is still counted among the numbers of +itupas, ma!ing the present one the Twelfth +itupa. %nother +itupa, -e!shey 'rawa, <born between the +eventh and ight +itupas> was recogni7ed, but at that time, the Kagyu school was undergoing a period of 6

wea!ness. +ince the members of the family were rather arrogant, they did not offer their child for enthronement, so this incarnation died at a young age and is not numbered among the +itupas. The leventh +itupa was a serious person who published all the words of the ighth

Karmapa 'i!yo )or&e, including his profound commentaries, so it is than!s to him that we still have these te.ts. 1e also established a shedra or an institute for the study of #uddhist philosophy. *e will tal! about the present +itupa on the last day of he 'onlam.

Gyaltsap Rinpoche The First Gyaltsap :inpoche, Goshir (al&or )Hndrup, was a contemporary of the author of our te.t, (engar $ampel +angpo. #oth masters were teachers of the +eventh Karmapa, who received the vinaya and ordination from (engar $ampel +angpo and most of the teachings and transmissions from the First Gyaltsap :inpoche. (engar $ampal +angpo was also !nown as -ama :inpoche *ang Gyapa <(recious -ama with 1undreds of mpowerments> as there was not one empowerment he did not have from all the lineages. This came about because the +i.th Karmapa !new that he would be his teacher in the ne.t life, so he sent him everywhere to receive all the reading transmissions, empowerments, and instructions, which (engar $ampal +angpo could then pass on to the +eventh Karmapa, allowing all of this precious )harma to remain intact in Tibet. %fter this first incarnation, the Gyaltsap :inpoches incarnated in unbro!en succession. )uring a war between Central and *estern Tibet, which involved the 'ongolians as well, the Karma Kamtsang school suffered greatly and almost disappeared. 3sing s!illful means, the ighth Gyaltsap :inpoche made a connection with the 'ongolian leader Goshri Khan and, thereby, was able to save Tsurphu 'onastery and preserve the Kamtsang lineage as well as other Kagyu schools. That the Kamtsang Kagyu remains today is than!s to Gyaltsap :inpoche.

Pawo Rinpoche and Treho Rinpoche 5n the Kagyu tradition, the First (awo :inpoche, Tsu!la! Trengwa, was a supreme scholar of the history of Tibetan #uddhism, and to this day his history is still highly respected and I

widely read. *e do not !now much about Treho +habdrung :inpoches. 5t is said that his name is one of a certain position or ran!, of which there are two, senior and &unior. The one included in the si. father and sons is the &unior one. 1is incarnations have continued. This has been a brief introduction to the five sons and their father, the Karmapa. Tomorrow, we will continue this discussion of the lineages that have given us such a rich heritage of scholarship and practice.

Session Two: Material things cannot ring tr!e happiness

2I February, 2@42, 'onlam (avilion

Gyalwang Karmapa began the second day of his teachings on the ,a&radhara -ineage (rayer by providing further e.planations on the previous day"s teachings on the history of the Karma Kagyu lineage. 1is 1oliness spo!e at length on the role of $amgon Kongtrul :inpoche in the history of the Karma Kagyu tradition. 1e said that $amgon -odro Thaye is the first $amgon Kongtrul :inpoche and his reincarnation, $amyang Khyentse ;ser, was born as the son of the Fifteenth Gyalwang Karmapa, Kha!yab )or&e. The Fifteenth Gyalwang Karmapa decided to include him as one of the heart sons, along with Tai +itupa, +hamar :inpoche, Gyaltsap :inpoche, (awo :inpoche and Treho :inpoche. 5ncluding the Karmapa, this brought the total number of heart sons in the Karma Kamtsang tradition to seven. Gyalwang Karmapa said $amgon Kongtrul was clearly predicted in the prophecies of -ord #uddha. 1e said $amyang Khyentse *angmo and $amgon Kongtrul -odro Thaye were e.tremely influential figures in the rime or the non9sectarian movement in Tibet. They propagated all the teachings of Tibetan #uddhism. They received all the empowerments and instructions available during that time. They not only remained non9sectarian in principle but also actively practiced it. $amgon Kongtrul :inpoche traveled all over Tibet and received transmissions from whoever had them. For instance, there was a story about how $amgon Kongtrul :inpoche received a rare transmission from a blind person. 1e read line by line and had the blind person repeat after him, thereby receiving the transmission. 1ow much effort they put into receiving these teachings is something beyond our imagination. A