Barom Kagyu Lineage

Tilopa was born into a Brahmin family in Bengal, identified as either Chittagong or Jagora. After mastering Brahminical studies, he entered monastic life and later received tantric empowerments from great Indian masters, including the mahasiddhas Saraha, Nagarjuna, and Matangi. Through years of rigorous meditation and yogic practice, he integrated their teachings into what became known as the Four Special Transmission Lineages. 

It is said that during a meditative vision, Tilopa received the full mahamudra and vajrayana transmissions directly from the primordial Buddha Vajradhara. His realization of mahamudra, the Great Seal of ultimate reality, made him the human founder of the Kagyu lineage, transmitting its essence to his disciple Naropa.

Tilopa’s life reflected the principle that realization transcends conventional boundaries. Under Matangi’s unconventional guidance, he worked in a brothel and pounded sesame seeds, transforming ordinary life into a vehicle for awakening. Once he attained complete enlightenment, he expressed his realization through spontaneous dohas (songs of realization) and miraculous demonstrations, inspiring countless followers. His main disciples, Naropa and Lalitavajra, continued his teachings. Naropa is remembered as his main student, whose own disciple, Marpa Lotsawa, brought the lineage to Tibet. 

Tilopa’s transmission from Vajradhara became the living heart of the Kagyu school, preserving the unbroken stream of mahamudra realization.

Naropa was a great Indian mahasiddha and scholar who played a central role in establishing the Kagyu lineage. Born into a Brahmin family in Kashmir, he first studied non-Buddhist philosophies before turning to Buddhism after encountering the profound teachings of the sutras. 

He then went to Madhyadesha to become a Buddhist monk, and rose to become one of the highest scholars in all of Buddhism. He was well-regarded for this, and eventually became the abbot of Nalanda University, one of the greatest centers of Buddhist learning in India. 

After a profound interaction with a Dākinī, Naropa realized that his deep intellectual understanding of the Dharma wouldn’t result in ultimate awakening. His deep yearning for direct realization led him to leave Nalanda and seek out the accomplished yogi, Tilopa. He was then guided by more visionary encounters with Dākinīs.

Meeting Tilopa transformed Naropa’s life. Under his master’s guidance, he underwent twelve arduous trials designed to break through conceptual attachment and pride, demonstrating his unwavering devotion. In the end, Tilopa bestowed upon him the complete Mahamudra and Vajrayana teachings, which Naropa fully realized. He later transmitted this profound lineage to his Tibetan disciple Marpa, who carried it to Tibet. 

Through Naropa’s realization and his transmission to Marpa, the living current of Tilopa’s teachings and the wisdom of Vajradhara was preserved as the unbroken Kagyu lineage.

Marpa Chökyi Lodrö, known as Marpa the Translator or Marpa Lotsāwa, was born in Lhodrak Chukhyer in southern Tibet into a prosperous family. From a young age, he showed a deep passion for learning, and studied Sanskrit under the great scholar Drogmi Shākya Yeshe. 

Motivated by his devotion to the authentic Dharma, Marpa undertook three arduous journeys to India, and four to Nepal, to seek out realized masters. His principal teachers were Nāropa and Maitrīpāda, from whom he received the complete transmissions of the Vajrayana and Mahamudra teachings. He preserved the direct lineage of realization that originated from Tilopa and Vajradhara.

Upon returning to Tibet, Marpa devoted himself to translating a vast body of Buddhist scriptures into Tibetan, making the profound Indian teachings accessible to his homeland. He became renowned not only for his scholarship, but also for his spiritual realization and skillful means in teaching. 

Marpa transmitted the full Mahamudra and Vajrayana teachings to his foremost disciple, Milarepa, ensuring the continuation of the unbroken Kagyu lineage. Through Marpa’s efforts, the wisdom of Vajradhara and the great Indian masters took root in Tibet, establishing the foundation for centuries of realization and practice.

Milarepa, born as Mila Thöpaga in the Gungthang region of western Tibet, came from a wealthy family. His father died young, and temporarily entrusted the family wealth to his uncle and aunt until Milarepa became of-age. However, his uncle and aunt seized the family’s wealth, leaving himself, his mother and his sister to live in poverty. 

Driven by anger and grief, and at the request of his vengeful mother, Milarepa learned black magic and used it to enact revenge. This caused the death of 35 people in his village. 

Overwhelmed by remorse, he turned to the genuine Dharma to purify his actions and find liberation. He eventually sought out Marpa Lotsāwa as his guru and endured extreme hardships under his guidance. Marpa tested him through years of grueling labor, making him build and dismantle stone towers repeatedly before finally granting him the precious teachings. These trials purified Milarepa’s negative karma and deepened his own devotion and humility. 

After receiving Marpa’s complete transmissions of Mahamudra and Vajrayana, Milarepa retreated into the solitude of mountain caves, living simply and surviving on little sustenance. Through intense meditation and unwavering perseverance, he attained full enlightenment within one lifetime. 

Known for his spontaneous songs of realization, or dohas, Milarepa expressed the essence of awakening through poetic verses that continue to inspire practitioners. His life demonstrates the possibility of complete transformation, showing that even great wrongdoing can be purified through sincere practice, devotion, and realization.

Gampopa Sönam Rinchen was one of the most influential masters in the history of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in the Nyel Valley of central Tibet, he was first trained as a physician and later became a monk after the death of his wife and child, which inspired his deep renunciation. 

Initially an ordained monk of the Kadampa tradition, he emphasized ethics, discipline, and the gradual stages of the path. Later, upon meeting the great yogi Milarepa, Gampopa received the complete Kagyu transmission of Mahamudra and Vajrayana teachings. Gampopa practiced with great diligence and endured many hardships under his guru. He had many experiences, and finally attained great realization.

Under Milarepa’s guidance, he united the profound meditative realization of the Kagyu lineage with the structured discipline of the Kadampa tradition, embodying the perfect balance of wisdom and compassion. He founded Daglha Gampo Monastery, which became a model for monastic training in the Kagyu tradition. Among his many accomplished students were four foremost disciples: Dusum Khyenpa (the First Karmapa), Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo, Barom Darma Wangchuk, and Saltong Shogom. These masters established the principal Kagyu sub-schools, ensuring the flourishing of Gampopa’s legacy. 

His renowned text, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, remains a timeless guide to the stages of enlightenment. Through his teachings and disciples, Gampopa ensured that the living current of the Kagyu lineage continued to flow unbroken, blending deep meditation with compassionate activity for the benefit of all beings.

Barom Darma Wangchuk was one of the four principal disciples of Gampopa Sönam Rinchen and the founder of the Barom Kagyu lineage within the Kagyu tradition. 

He was born in the Gawa Yulna region of Penpo to father Donba Jungne Lodrö and mother Jomo Lochungma. From the age of seven, he took monastic ordination under preceptor Bogawa Tarma and instructor Wangchug Shonnu, studying the Kadam teachings under Trolungba Lodrö Jungne, Geshe Botowa, and Geshe Jayulwa. Later, he became the close disciple and attendant of Gampopa for six years, receiving from him the complete transmission of Mahamudra and Vajrayana instructions that trace back to Vajradhara through Tilopa, Naropa, and Marpa.

Darma Wangchuk closely attended Gampopa, and even saved his life on multiple occasions. Gampopa told him to go meditate at a hermitage in Barom, but he declined and stayed with his guru until he passed away.

After the passing of Gampopa, Barom Darma Wangchuk created 100,000 clay images (tsa-tsas) containing the ashes of Gampopa’s body. Then, he left to enter retreat for seven years in Barom, attaining deep realization and mastery of meditation. It is said that he was visited by many nonhumans during his retreat, particularly one called The White Layman.

It was during this time that the Barom Riwoche Monastery was founded, around 1160. He then went to the Kham region of Tibet to found centers such as Gotso and Lode. Here he attracted many students. According to tradition, his disciples saw plentiful evidence of his remarkable abilities, which included invisibility, foreknowledge and miracles like walking through walls.

His teachings spread widely through his disciples, especially Tishri Repa Sherab Senge, who continued the lineage throughout Kham and beyond. Through Barom Darma Wangchuk’s spiritual accomplishments and his founding of the Barom Kagyu order, the living current of Gampopa’s realization was preserved as one of the four great Kagyu lineages, carrying forward the unbroken stream of Mahamudra realization in Tibet.

Tishri Repa Sherab Senge was one of the foremost masters of the Barom Kagyu lineage. Born in the region of Kham, he was recognized early by his guru, Barom Darma Wangchuk, as his principal disciple and the future lineage holder. The two met when Tirshri Repa was just 13 years old, after the Chipar Lhakang sponsor, Tartrawa, offered Darma Wangchuk his sons, horses, and other offerings. Darma Wangchuk placed his hand on the head of one of the young boys and said, “I give you empowerment through OM AH HUM. You will become a siddhi who benefits sentient beings.”. This boy was Tishri Repa.

Although Barom Darma Wangchuk was Tishri Repa’s most important teacher, he also studied with Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa (Founder of Tshalpa Kagyu), Taklungtangpa Tashi Pel (Founder of Taklung Kagyu), and Yelpa Yeshe Tsek (Founder of Yelpa Kagyu). He received novice monastic ordination from Yelpa Yeshe Tsek (where he received the name Sherab Sengge), and learned the Lamdre teachings from Machik Zhama. He later received full ordination at Drikung Monastery.

Under the guidance of Barom Darma Wangchuk, Tishri Repa received the complete Mahamudra and Vajrayana transmissions of the Barom Kagyu lineage, which trace back through Gampopa, Milarepa, and Marpa to the primordial Buddha Vajradhara. 

Known for his spiritual maturity even at a young age, he embodied the blend of yogic realization and disciplined practice characteristic of the early Kagyu masters.

He later travelled to northern Tibet, where he visited the Tangtut kingdom called Minyak. Learning of his presence, the king issued a proclamation that Tishri Repa could build a monastery wherever he chooses. By around 1200 CE, he had built several monasteries which held thousands of monks. In 1206, the Minyak king gave him the title Tishri Repa, which means “Imperial Preceptor Who Wears Cotton Robes”.

In 1209, Tishri Repa conducted rituals to help defend against Genghis Khan’s Mongol army. Genghis Khan was unable to take the capital by force, largely due to a flood that wiped out the Mongol camp.

By 1226, the Mongols attacked the capital again and largely destroyed Tangtut culture. This forced Tishri Repa and many others to escape Minyak and flee to Tibet. Here he lived the rest of his life. He made a silver reliquary housing the remains of Barom Darma Wanchuk, and produced many writings such as The Barom Aspiration and others. He is also said to have written a collective biography of teachers of the Barom, Drigung and Taklung lineages combined, which has not survived to this day. 

Tishri Repa’s main disciple and spiritual successor was Repa Karpo, a native-born Tangtut.

Tishri Repa was a renowned teacher and meditator, serving as a spiritual preceptor in the region of Nangchen and as imperial preceptor for the Tangut court. He taught extensively throughout Kham, establishing practice centers and guiding many disciples in meditation and retreat. Renowned for his mastery of Mahamudra and deep contemplative realization, he ensured the continuity of the Barom Kagyu lineage during a period of significant change in Tibet. Passing away in 1236, his life is remembered as a model of devotion, realization, and compassionate activity that preserved the living current of Barom Kagyu teachings for future generations.

Repa Karpo Sherab Jangchub was born in 1198 in the Tangut Kingdom of Minyak. In Minyak, he received monastic ordination and the complete Barom Kagyu teachings and transmissions from his guru, Tishri Repa, who gave him the name Sherab Jangchub. He later dedicated himself to practice, and is said to have completely mastered the inner winds and channels of his body. 

His wearing of white cotton robes earned him the name, Repa Karpo, which means the one who wears white cotton robes.  His name reflects both his yogic training in the cotton-clad tradition (repa) and his luminous realization. 

It is said that when Tishri Repa passed away, when Repa Karpo presided over the funeral rites, many miraculous signs appeared, such as non-human beings seen making offerings. 50 days after Tishri Repa passed away, a reliquary was established according to his instructions. This later became Kumbum Monastery, where Repa Karpo led the consecration ceremony. It is said that Tishri Repa’s body was seen hovering above the monastery, wearing his 5-pointed hat. 

In 1240, the Mongolian Army reached Kham. Repa Karpo sent the following request to the Mongolian commander: “Lama Tishri Repa was chaplain to the Tangtut Emperor. After his passing we have constructed a great stupa of one hundred thousand sacred images to enshrine his remains as well as a monastery. Now we ask that you help provide with a basis for its maintenance.” Prince Godan of Mongolia then endowed Kumbum with an estate and tax-paying citizens. 

Repa Karpo was enthroned as religious leader, while Trewo Alu was appointed secular leader. Godan Khan then created a large stone castle and a magnificent temple. This was in the vicinity of Kumbum Monastery and was called Nangso Chemno. Repa Karpo was also enthroned here. This realm turned into the Nangchen Kingdom. Repa Karpo eventually passed away at age 65. 

Throughout his life, Repa Karpo exemplified the synthesis of yogic realization and compassionate activity. He continued to propagate the oral instructions and experiential teachings he received from his master, ensuring that the Barom Kagyu lineage remained vibrant in the 13th century. His students preserved his legacy, transmitting the same living current of direct realization that began with Tilopa and passed through Naropa, Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa, and Barom Darma Wangchuk. Repa Karpo’s life stands as a bridge between the early formative masters of the lineage and its sustained continuity across Tibet, representing the enduring strength of meditative realization within the Barom Kagyu tradition.