 The Kadama (bka’ dam) tradition was the first of the so-called New Schools of Tibetan Buddhism, traditions that arose during the Second Propagation of Buddhism in Tibet after the 10th century. The Kadam tradition was founded by Dromtonpa Gyalwai Jungne (’brom ston pa rgyal ba’i ’byung gnas), a disciple of the Bengali teacher Atisha Dipamkara, who had been invited to Tibet by the kings of Purang in Western Tibet to revitalize monastic Buddhism there. Dromton founded the monastery of Reting (rwa sgreng) and propagated the Lamrim (lam rim) and Lojong (blo blong) teachings, which lay out a complete path to Buddhahood and means of training the mind, respectively. The Kadampa were known for their monastic discipline, a character that was adopted by the Gelug tradition that supplanted it in the 14th century, adopting its teaching and absorbing its monasteries. View additional essays |
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Atisha Dipamkara b.982? - d.1054 The Bengali monk Atisha Dipamkara was of pivotal importance in the second transmission of Buddhism in Tibet. Invited from the Indian monastery-university of Vikramalasila to Tibet by the Purang kings, Atisha spent thirteen years in Ngari and U-Tsang. He is credited with the propagation of the Lamrim and Lojong teachings that later became the core of the Gelug tradition; his composition, the Bodhipathapradipa is a central text for the Lamrim, or Stages of the Path. He was also instrumental in the spread of the cult of Tara in Tibet. Atisha’s disciple Dromton founded several important monasteries and gave rise to the Kadam tradition, which was later absorbed by the Gelug and, to some extent, the Sakya and Kagyu traditions.
Chegompa Sherab Dorje b.1130? - d.1200? Chegompa Sherab Dorje is a mystifying figure for students of Tibetan Buddhism. He is widely accepted as a Kadampa, and certainly does hold a Kadam lineage. Still, in his best-known work he lays emphasis on simultaneous Mahamudra teachings, which were usually not in favor with Kadampas. Some think he had connections with the Tsalpa Kagyu, although more certainly he was affiliated with the Tropu Kagyu. He was important for the transmission of the Kadam text known as the Example Teachings (dpe chos) and wrote a commentary on it, but he is probably best known for his Precious Heap of Instructions (man ngag rin chen spungs pa). Today his works are most greatly treasured by Gelugpas.
Dalai Lama 01 Gendun Drup b.1391 - d.1474 Gendun Drup was a close disciple of Tsongkhapa, after ordaining and training first in the great Kadam monastery of Nartang. He was posthumously identified as the First Dalai Lama, a previous incarnation of the third Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, who first held the title. Gendun Drup founded the great Gelug monastery Tashi Lhunpo in 1447 and was its first abbot, until 1484. He was instrumental in spreading the new Gelug school in Tsang.
Drapa Ngonshe b.1012 - d.1090 Drapa Ngonshe was the treasure revealer who produced the Four Tantras, the root texts of Tibet’s medical tradition. A master in the Nyingma, Shije, and Kadam traditions, he established numerous religious communities in Tibet, including the great Dratang monastery which was later absorbed by the Sakya. Ordained in the Eastern Vinaya tradition, he was instrumental in popularizing tantric practices among that community, and later returned his vows to live as a tantrika.
Dromton Gyalwa Jungne b.1004? - d.1064 Dromtonpa was one of the primary disciples of Atisha and is considered the founder of the Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism. A layman, he nevertheless established Reting Monastery in 1057, one of the great centers of the Kadampa tradition.
Gampopa Sonam Rinchen b.1079 - d.1153 Gampopa Sonam Rinchen, also known as Dakpo Lhaje, is credited with founding the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Trained first as a medical doctor and then ordained as a Kadam monk, Gampopa met Milarepa when he was thirty years old, and spent much of the next decades in meditation retreat. Never renouncing his monastic vows, he combined the Indian Mahasiddha practices brought back to Tibet by Marpa and others with the monastic order of his Kadampa teachers. He also united the Kadam teachings of Lamrim with the Mahamudra teachings he received from Milarepa. He founded Daklha Gampo in 1121 and trained many of the greatest Kagyu masters of all time, including the 1st Karmapa and Pagmodrupa.
Gotsangpa Gonpo Dorje b.1189 - d.1258 Gotsangpa is considered the founder of a special branch of the Drugpa Kagyu school known as the Upper Drugpa. He traveled widely in western Tibet and present-day Himachal Pradesh, India, and is particularly well known today in Ladakh and Lahaul.
Karmapa 01 Dusum Khyenpa Chokyi Drakpa b.1110 - d.1193 Karmapa 01 Dusum Khyenpa Chokyi Drakpa was the founder of the Karma Kagyu tradition. A native of Kham, he was initially ordained and educated in the Kadam tradition. After spending 30 years in Tibet studying with Gampopa and other disciples of Marpa and Milarepa, Dusum Khyenpa returned to Kham where he remained for 20 years, establishing a number of monasteries, including Karma Gon. Then, at the age of 70, Dusum Khyenpa returned to Tibet, establishing Tsurpu Monastery in Tolung, the seat of the subsequent Karmapas. It is said that when he was 16 the dakini gave Dusum Khyenpa a hat made from the hair of 100,000 dakini, which is visible only to the most advanced practitioners. He famously predicted the conditions of his rebirth, charging his disciples to find and train the boy, thereby initiating the Tibetan institution of the Tulku, or incarnate lama.
Khyungpo Naljor b.1050? - d.1127? Khyungpo Naljor initiated the Shangpa Kagyu tradition. Initially a Bonpo, he converted to Buddhism before going to India to study from mahasiddhas. He is said to have studied with one hundred and fifty siddhas, chief among them Niguma and Sukhasiddhi. Khyungpo Naljor is said to have founded one hundred monasteries, although the names of only two are known: Shangshong Dorjedan in Shang and Chakar in Penyul. He had six main disciples, but he transmitted the complete doctrine he received from Niguma to only one, Mogchokpa. In addition to the Nigu Chodrug, the Six Yogas of Niguma, he also transmitted the Mahamudra Gauma. Tradition has it that Khyungpo Naljor lived for one hundred fifty years.
Khyungtsangpa Yeshe Lama b.1115 - d.1176 In the second generation following Milarepa, Khyungtsangpa is primarily remembered for his key role in the transmission of the ear-whispered teachings of Rechungpa known as the Rechung Nyengyu (ras chung snyan brgyud). These teachings were not tied to any particular branch of the Kagyu, although it has been more often associated with the Drugpa Kagyu than with any other. In particular, the better-known Rechung Nyengyu lineages of Tsangnyon Heruka (gtsang smyon he ru ka) and the Fifth Drugchen Pema Karpo (’brug chen pad+ma dkar po) descended through him.
