MASSES OF GOLDEN GEESE ON A MOUNTAIN: JE GAMPOPA AND THE ORIGIN OF ‘DAGPO KAGYU’ IN TIBET. The meaning of ‘Ka-gyu’, the reason ‘Dagpo Kagyu’ became widespread in Tibet, Milarepa’s dream of golden geese and the dakini’s prophecy, and the lineage and view of the ‘Innate’ Mahamudra teachings of Gampopa (17th Karmapa, August 2024)

“Ka-gyu (བཀའ་རྒྱུད།) means anyone who upholds the words of the teachings and treatises of the ‘three baskets’ and ‘four tantras’ of Buddha.”

“The Nirmanakāya, Dagpo Gampopa prophesised by the dakinis will shine on all beings like the sun.”

“Milarepa said: “I am a yogi, but all my followers will be mainly monastics. So I have done something  for the teachings of all the Buddhas.”  –17th Karmapa (August 2024)

Introduction

On `19^th August full moon, the 17th Karmapa gave an hour-long teaching on Dagpo Gampopa.  and led an online commemoration for the anniversary of Dagpo Gampopa (1079-1153), one of the most important Kagyu founding forefather who was both a yogi and a monk, a student of yogi Milarepa as well as Kadampa masters in Tibet.

Afterwards the monastics of all the main Karma Kagyu monasteries in India, Nepal and Bhutan performed an online Guru Yoga of Gampopa (as composed by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye).  For a concise yet deep teaching on Gampopa’s life story given by the 17^th Karmapa in 2022, see here.

As an offering to the guru, and Kagyu lineages, and for those unable to attend or listen to the teaching, here is my summary and transcript of it below.

The 17th Karmapa listed four main points:

1. How Gampopa founded the Dagpo Kagyu
2. How Gampopa spread the teachings of the Sutra
3. How Gampopa benefited people through Mahamudra
4.  Gampopa’s important text: Jewel Ornament of Liberation

The 17^th Karmapa first explained that the two Tibetan words Ka-gyu , means the words of Buddha, and so anyone who upholds the lineage of the Buddha’s teachings. This lineage was passed down into Tibet from Indian Mahasiddhas like Tilopa and Naropa who passed it onto Marpa the Translator. These days, people think of Kagyu as the four descents/transmission lineage (Ka-bab Zhi) from the Indian Mahasiddhas to Marpa, for more on that see here.

However as Marpa and Milarepa were yogis and laypeople, the Kagyu never became well-known  as Marpa or Mila Kagyu, but instead as Dagpo Kagyu.  In fact, Milarepa predicted in a dream of thousands of yellow geese, that Gampopa would lead thousands of monastics in central Tibet. The 17^th Karmapa said that was one of the main reasons it was known as Dagpo Kagyu in Tibet.

The origin of the four main Kagyu lineages, and eight lesser Kagyu lineages, all originated from Dagpo Gampopa’s four main students, his nephew, Gompo Tsiltrim Nyingpa, Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyelpo, 1^st Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, and Barom Darma Wangchug. From the Kagyu lineage arose even traditions of calling other lineages Kagyu like Shangpa Kagyu (from Khyungpo Neljor) and Atisha Kagyu and so on. This dream reminded me of another teaching, the 17th Karmapa gave on the origin of the wearing of ‘yellow hats’ in Tibet as from the Karmapas and Karma Kagyu, not from Gelugpas (as is mistakenly thought).

The 17th Karmapa then described how Dagpo Gampopa went from being a married layperson (whose wife and children died) to being a monastic who combined the teachings of Sutra and Tantra, such as the Vinaya and paramitas with Naropa’s six yogas and Mahamudra into one called co-emergent Mahamudra. Generally, Gampopa would teach ordinary followers, the common practice of stages on the path, such as his well-known text Jewel Ornament of Liberation.

Hearing the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa speak in person about the liberation-story of Kagyu forefather, Dagpo Gampopa was watching one realised Tibetan master speaking about another. When the 17th Karmapa described the ‘pointing out the mind’ instructions of Gampopa to young monks, in unconventional and funny ways, the 17th Karmapa also transmitted some deep and very ‘secret’ blissful wisdom blessings. It reminded me of this quote that Gampopa is said to have told one of his main students, Barompa Darma Wangchug:

“Fierce veneration is the ground for interdependent connections. Keep holding on with the hook of compassion. Rise to the level of unchanging bliss.”

For a couple of video clips of this teaching I created in Tibetan (with Englisb subtitles), see Dakini Publications Youtube channel here and here.

Music? Prayer to the Glorious Karma Kagyu lineage by 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. For other original articles, translations, transcripts and research, see the Dagpo Gampopa section on this website here.

Written and transcribed by Adele Tomlin, 21st August 2024.

TRANSCRIPT

“Today, is the anniversary of the Lord of Dharma, Gampopa, Sonam Rinchen. It is not only his anniversary but also the day on which the 3rd Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje’s face was seen in the moon. But also the cremation of the ‘kudung’ remains of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche’s parinirvana.

Also, for myself my kind father, Karma Dondrub’s corpse will also be cremated today. So for this reason, in terms of the worldly and Dharma it is a special day with those four things coming together. In particular, today as we are reciting the Dagpo Gampopa guru yoga I will speak about him.

Many of you know about Dagpo Gampopa, but I will give a brief introduction to him. His birthplace was in central Tibet in one of the southern of the nine valleys of Yolpo,  Nyel. In present day, Nyel To which is in present day ?.  He was from the Nyiwa (snyi ba) clan, his father was called Nyiwa Lhaje Utso Gabar Gyelpo (lha rje dbu gtso dga’ ‘bar rgyal po) and his mother was called Shomo Zachecham (sho mo gza’ che lcam).  He was born in 1079 CE, the Tibetan calendar, the Earth-sheep year, he passed away in water-bird year of 1153, at the age of 74 counting full years. Today, I do not have time to speak about his life in detail but will speak about three main points in his life-story:

1) How Gampopa founded the Dagpo Kagyu teachings

2) How Gampopa spread the teachings of the Sutras

3) How Gampopa benefited people through Mahamudra

4) Gampopa’s important texts and collected works

1) How Gampopa founded the Dagpo Kagyu teaching tradition

So, the first point is the way in which Dagpo Gampopa founded the Dagpo Kagyu teaching tradition. We often say “we are Kagyupa” in the Dagpo Kagyu lineage, but many people do not really understand what it means to say one is a Kagyupa. Many people think it is because their parents have faith in the Kagyu. Some people think it is because they became a monk or nun in a Kagyu monastery, and think “I am a Kagyupa’. So, it is doubtful if we have a deep understanding of what it means to be a Kagyupa.

So first if we think about this word Ka-gyu it has a deep meaning. Kagyu is two words, the first word ‘ka’ means the words of the Buddha. ‘Gyu’ means holding the lineage passed down from one person to another. So when they are joined as Kagyu, it means ‘someone who upholds the transmitted lineage of the three baskets and four tantras of the words of the Buddha.’ If we think about it, one could say anyone who upholds the words of the Buddha is a Kagyupa. We could say that and it would be reasonable to say that.

So, in Tibet there are many Kagyu lineages. In the Kadampa there is a custom of saying “Jowo  Kagyu”. In the Gandenpas there is a custom of saying  “Gelug/Ganden Kagyu”. There is an oral custom of calling the lineage of Bodong Penchen as “Bodong Kagyu”. Also, the lineage passed down from Khyungpo Neljor is called “Shangpa Kagyu”. 

These days, people generally understand the word Kagyu as a particular lineage name of Tibetan Buddhism. For example, these days, if you ask somone whatever lineage they are. If they are Nyingma, they say “I am Nyingma”. If they are from Sakya, they say “I am Sakya.” However, they will not say “I am  Kagyu”. This is not because they are not part of a lineage that upholds the Buddha’s words. They are not saying that. It means they are not a member of a specific Kagyu lineage.

In brief, the way the word “Kagyu” is used and understood has changed.  Kagyupa actually means anyone who upholds the Buddha’s teachings. Gradually, in terms of how the word is understood it has been changed and refers to a particular Tibetan lineage.

[See video clip of this section of the teaching in Tibetan (with English subtitles), here.]

The four oral descents/transmissions

“If one explains about how the word Kagyupa is widely considered these days, it means the lineage of the four oral transmissions/descents (Ka-bab Zhi) of the Indian Mahasiddha, Tilopa. The Indian Naropa received this transmission and passed them onto the Tibetan translator, Marpa. He brought them to Tibet and transmitted them by studying, teaching and meditating on them. He had many disciples who upheld the lineage such as Milarepa, the three of Me, Ngog, Tsur  and so on. So this lineage of the four oral transmissions is what we now call the Kagyu. When we talk about the four oral transmissions there are different ways of explaining them. but I will not go into that today.  Also, with the Kagyupa, the Drugpa Kagyu sometimes spell it with an r, Kargyu. It is more widespread to say Ka-gyu though.

The origin of the Kagyu lineage is from India, there are many Indian Mahasiddhas who upheld it, such as Tilopa and Naropa. The way the Kagyu teachings spread in Tibet, is Marpa the translator became Pandita Naropa’s student and brought the Kagyu lineage to Tibet. So following him, there came Je Milarepa and Dagpo Gampopa in succession. After that, they spread the Kagyu teachings widely.  So we call Marpa, Milarepa and Dagpo Gampopa the three Kagyu forefathers. Among them one is Je Gampopa. He is not only one of the Kagyu forefathers, but the founder of the Dagpo Kagyu lineage.  If we think about it in another way, it could be explained, that if there had been no Gampopa there would not be what we call Dagpo Kagyu now.  

One of this names is Dagpo Rinpoche, Lord Gampopa, or Dawa Zhonu or Sonam Rinchen, these are the most well-known of his names. Dagpo is the name of a region, and Gampo is the name of a mountain. So a teacher was given the name of the place and mountain. Before Gampopa there was a Kagyu lineage, during the time of Milarepa and Marpa, there were Kagyupas. Later, the Kagyu was mainly called Dagpo Kagyu, not Milarepa or Marpa Kagyu. Why was that?

Why the ‘Dagpo Kagyu’ name and lineage became widespread in Tibet

“There are these terms of Marpa Kagyu and Mila Drubgyu Kagyu, but later when people said Kagyu it became well-known as the Dagpo Kagyu. Why is that? There was a Kagyu lineage at the time of Naropa, but it had not really developed into a full monastic or Buddhist tradition.

For example, Marpa the Translator (1012-1097) lived like a father in  a village and gave the secret mantra lineage to a few qualified students but he did not have a large number of students. At that time, his residence Drowo Lung was not even considered a monastic seat.

“As for Milarepa, he was even more of a renunciant and yogi and lived in mountain retreats and no fixed abode. He never settled in one place and gathered students. He did not enjoy doing that, it is clear. Wherever Milarepa went, we can point to them as empty caves or mountains, there was no great seat or monastery. Later, monasteries were built at Milarepa’s practice places but originally there were not any.  So one reason is the seats of the Kagyu forefathers were solitary mountain retreats.

Dagpo Gampopa a monastic who practised secret mantra internally and his four main ‘son’/students

However, with Je Gampopa he was unlike Marpa or Milarepa. The main reason is Gampopa was a monastic, whereas Marpa and Mila they were laypeople. When he was in his 20s, he entered the monastic system and at that time went to many Kadampa monasteries in Pempo and U in central Tibet where the discipline was very strict and he received many teachings from Kadampa masters before he met Milarepa.

So as Milarepa prophesised, Gampopa went to Daglha Gampo monastery  and many students gathered from central Tibet and Kham and among them were 500 Arhat-like disciples.  There were also many students who engaged in yoga secret mantra practice internally, but on the external level they practised monastic discipline.  So there were said to be 51 600 such followers. It was a huge monastic community that gathered there. 

Among Gampopa’s greatest students included his oldest brother’s son, Gompo Tsultrim Nyingpo (སྒོམ་པོ་ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས་སྙིང་པོ།). He was not only Dagpo Gampopa’s nephew, but his student and regent (Gyaltsab) , he had three different qualities like that. So when we talk about Gampopa’s nephew it is Gompo Tsultrim Nyingpo, he was the main student of Gampopa. For his students, Gompo Tsultrim Nyingpo served his guru Gampopa like they were inseparable.   Then there were also the other students: Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo (1110 – 1170), 1^st Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193), and Barompa Darma Wangchug (1127-1194), these were his four main students/’sons’.

In addition, there were also the four main attendants, the four heart sons lineages, the four yogis who had achieved yoga bodies in Kacheria and so on and these were his greatest disciples.  Likewise, there was a lineage Phag Drupa that descended directly from Gampopa and his nephew, Gompo, there were also the Phagmo Drugpa Kagyu, Karma Kamtsang Kagyu, Barom Kagyu, Tselpa Kagyu.

In the Phag Drug Kagyu, in the history of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyelpo it says his students then started the Drigung Kagyu, Taglung Kagyu, Drugpa Kagyu, Tropu Kagyu, Martsang Kagyu, Yelpa Kagyu, Yabsang Kagyu and Shugseb Kagyu. These are called the four parent and eight minor lineages.   The origin  of all of these are Dagpo Gampopa and his nephew and especially from Gampopa.

Je Milarepa’s dream about masses of ‘yellow birds’ in Tibet and Gampopa’s monastic following

Also,  Je Milarepa prophesised they will say Dagpo Kagyu, not Mila Drubgyu lineage. After Gampopa had left Milarepa, Milarepa told his students  that the Lhaje Tonpa, who is Dagpo Gampopa, will benefit many beings. Milarepa told them that in a dream:

“A yellow bird had flown from me to  central Tibet and landed on a huge peak. Then, on the top of that huge mountains, many yellow geese also gathered, flying in from all directions. Then after a while,  they flew off again in their own directions, and each of those original yellow geese, all had a retinue of 500 geese. So all the basins and valleys of Tibet were filled with yellow geese.”   So Milarepa said: “I am a yogi, but all my followers will be only monastics. So I have done something  for the teachings of all the Buddhas.”  

So, this means Milarepa served the Buddha’s Dharma teachings well, as the basis of the teachings is the monastic sangha, and predicted that his followers would all be monastics by relying on and serving Je Gampopa.

Also, his sponsor called Chamey when they were holding a Ganachakra, then Milarepa sang a song of question and answer saying:

“The Nirmanayaka prophesised by the dakinis will shine on all beings like the sun.”

So Milarepa praised Gampopa in this way and it actually occurred in the way he predicted.

So, to summarise, during the time of Gampopa, the monastic system of Kagyu developed and that was why the Kagyu became one of the largest traditions in Tibet. That is why we call it the Dagpo Kagyu tradition. This is why it is called Dagpo Kagyu.

2) How Gampopa spread the teachings of the Sutras and the view: the Kadampa teachers

The second point is how Gampopa spread the view and conduct of the Sutras. Gampopa studied with many Kadampa gurus. First, he was a householder, he had a wife and children, later they both died as did his wife . So he became a monk, and studied with many famous Kadampa gurus. At that time, he studied with Geshe Nyukrumpa Tsondru Gyeltsen (1042-1109), Geshe Gyel Charigpa, Geshe Chayul and many other Kadampa gurus.

In the writings of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon [founder of Drigung Kagyu], he says there were three transmissions: the view,  conduct and  pith instructions. In terms of the view this is from Kadampas, and the way they came down from Kadampa is from Geshe Gyel Yondag. The transmission of  conduct Geshe Nyugrumpa. That is how it is described by Jigten Sumgon.

These two Geshes were masters that Gampopa followed before he met Milarepa.  Among these two, was Geshe Nyug-rumpa, Sherab Gyaltsen. Gampopa received from him instructions, in particular on bodhicitta and the vows.  Gampopa said himself:

“That guru had genuine and real bodhicitta. Just as he had generated bodhicitta, because of his blessings and compassion, I also generated genuine relative bodhicitta. From that time on, I have never been apart from precious bodhicitta.”  

So he said from the time he took vow from Geshe Nyugrumpa, he had never been apart from bodhicitta. In his Dharma Talks: Plentiful Qualities.  He speaks about how important relative bodhicitta is.

The reason it is important because at the beginning you will not be going on the Mahayana path. It is very important also in the middle because if you do not have it, you will fall into the ‘great samsara’ of both existence and peace, not just that of existence but including the extreme of peace. Also it is important at the end because without it, one will not have the two form kayas. Here he is speaking how crucial it is in terms of his own experience.

Gampopa spent about 8-9 months studying with Geshe Nyug-rumpa, many people in his previous experience of his shamatha meditation deteriorated. So he heard there was a Geshe Gyel Yondag who stayed in isolated places and he went to see him. Because the Geshe was in an isolated place and not many people, Gampopa’s shamatha also improved greatly. Geshe Gyel Yondag said to Gampopa, I will teach you Atisha’s oral instructions that were not even given to Dromtonpa and will give you them as if they were given directly by the Buddha. So there was Atisha and he had the instructions directly from him and passing them down to Gampopa. So Gampopa had instructions on Shamatha and also developed the insight meditation. What happened is when he first became a monk, he met a Geshe Bodhisattva who had instructions from Milarepa who gave them to Gampopa. So he got experience in meditation from that. The essence of the insight that he got from the instructions by Geshe Gyal Yondag, these fit exactly with the instructions he got from Geshe Bodhisattva.

Gampopa said that Geshe Gyel Yondag had genuine realisation of impermanence and that he also developed the same. This is a crucial point.  Geshe Gyel Yondag was known as having the highest realisation in all Tibet of all the Kadampa masters and Gampopa developed the same realisation that was equal to that.

The role of Atisha’s transmission in the view of Gampopa

As I said before, according to Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon,  the transmission of the view came from Geshe Gyal Yondag, which he got from Atisha. Atisha was well-known for his fondness of the Prasangika Madhyamika view. Similarly the reason why the Dagpo Kagyu presentation of the view is similar to the Prasangika Middle Way view probably is because of that. If we read the teachings of 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje, we will see this.

Also, if we look at the stages of progressing down the path, in Dagpo Kagyu it is called the ‘four yogas’. This same terminology is clearly described in the Mahamudra teachings that Atisha gave to Gompowa. This is further evidence that this view came from Atisha.

So in addition, to the view from Gyal Yondag, later when Je Mila met Gampopa, he sang a song:

 “Be certain of the view, look at your own mind.”

He also spoke about the four pitfalls of emptiness. In particular, in the song that Milarepa sang when Gampopa was going to central Tibet:

“Son, when the unelaborate arises in your mind, do not follow conventional words and so on.”

Later, these included many points about the view. When Gampopa taught Mahamudra he emphasised these points of the view. This is another very important point.

In particular, the 8th Karmapa, Mikyo Dorje wrote in his text The Complete Discussion of Mahamudra:

“The manner of teaching the paramitas and insight that is common to the causal vehicle of the paramitas is the pith instructions of the Lamp of the Path to Enlightenment, passed down from Atisha to great spiritual friend Tompa and Gampowa. In other words, known as the co-emergent yoga.”

Basically, the teachings on the pith instructions passed to Timpa and Gonpowa are known by the name of Co-Emergent Yoga and this was passed to Gampopa and then to Phagmo Drupa and others. So the Kagyu masters for students of degenerate times who liked ‘lofty vehicles’ called it the Co-Emergent (Innate) Mahamudra. The basis of the instructions on the co-emergent (lhen-kye) that came from Atisha, was given the name Mahamudra.

When we talk about the co-emergent yoga of Mahamudra, as it is described in the Complete Discussion of Mahamudra, then this is the name given to the co-emergent yoga transmitted by Atisha.

According to Maitripa’s student, Sarahavajra’s commentary on the ten sessions on Hevajra:

“Atisha’s ten sessions which go well with the Tantra are called by the name, Mahamudra.”

Likewise, Je Gampopa, Phagmo Drupa and Jigten Sumgon said that our Mahamudra texts are the commentary on Uttaratantrashastra of Maitreya. So Gampopa’s meditation instructions that are included in the teachings from the experience of listening to the Kadampa instructions on shamatha and insight were the same experience as Geshe Yondag. This is another important point. It speaks about Gampopa’s practice of the Sutra tradition.”

3) How Gampopa benefited beings with the Mahamudra tradition

As for the third point, Gampopa had studied with many famous Tibetan teachers and asked for many pith instructions. He also went to many places such as Gyal Serwa Lung and Ulkha and spent many years practising mainly inner heat (tummo). He was very diligent about the practice of tummo and at the end, he realised his mind essence, the Dharmakaya as it is.  After that, he taught his students directly how to practice according to the instructions of the King of Samadhi Sutra.  These direct instructions are what we call now, co-emergent tradition of Mahamudra. The pith instructions from the Kadampa and from Milarepa, also his own experience , he combined all into one and  called it the Dagpo tradition of Mahamudra. Gampopa was very skilled at instructing students and was able to bring numerous students to liberation.

In Tibetan we talk about ‘mind instructions’  and say ‘please give me mind instructions’. Most of these mind instructions are using Dagpo Gampopa’s instructions as an example. This is according to the Jonang Jetsun Taranatha.

Gampopa’s unconventional methods at teaching Mahamudra and Shamatha

So when we think about how skilful he was at giving these instructions, just saying he is good at that is not enough. We need to give some examples. I will share a story about one of Gampopa’s students. Many of you may have heard this story already.

There was a person called Rangdon Drungpa [transcriber note: not sure about this name], who was born in a place called Dotul Damka who was a student of Gampopa. He was naturally brilliant and could remember thirteen past lives. When he was 13 years old, his mother was 70 years old and went blind. In addition to that, his  mother’s younger brother, his uncle wanted to get married so he stole of the 70 year old mother’s things. Not only that, Rangton Drunpa also had a brother who was a monk, who had been given to the Geshe Sangpo Dartron as a student, but he had contracted leprosy and was sent home, but he died on the way. Rangtonpa also had a sister, she was 18 years old and had been sent off as a bride to another family. They could not complete the marriage and she was unable to come back to her mother and she became a beggar.

So there was only him and his mother left. As they were alone, he had nothing to do. There was a Nyingma lama whom he went to beg some food from, and this lama gave his mother a six syllable prayer wheel, like the Mani wheels we have. He said “send your boy to Tsang in central Tibet, there is a student of called Sang-Ngag Nyima, send him there.” He wrote a letter and gave them some offerings and sent him to a Nyingma lama, called Sang-ngag Shakya Dar. So when he got there the Sang-Ngag Nyima was not a pure tradition, so he went to Dham Nyedrung instead. He met some traders who were coming from Tibet and so Rangdon asked : “Don’t tell me about the Nyingma tradition, in the Sarma tradition who are the most important teachers?” The traders said: ” In Tsang there was the Sakya master, Kuen, in central Tibet there was Kharag Nyung chung and Nurug Tsonpa,  who were famous but they had all passed away.  They said these days there is a student called Domani Gam of Milarepa, he is in the South. Everyone considered him to be an undisputed siddha.” That is what the traders told him.

When Rangdon Drungpa heard about this person, he felt like his mind and body were breaking apart, and had a strong feeling. So that night he had a dream., that a woman who had white silk ribbons in her hair: “If you are going to Dagpo, then follow me.” When she said this, he felt like he was going there and then he found himself at the foot of Gampo mountain.  He did not go himself, but was brought to the foot of the Daglha Gampo mountain. He got there the same time as the first lights of dawn were shining on the peaks. He immediately arrived there. When he got there, he looked at what he was wearing and he did not have his shoes or belt, he was carried away in his dream by the dakinis. He was wondering what is going on and where he was. So he then thought the woman said to follow her if I am going to Dagpo, so this must be where he is and Gampopa will look at me with compassion.

So he immediately began to climb the mountain. When he got to the top,  there was a grass straw hut where Gampopa was staying. When he got to the door of that hut, he heard people reciting a text. So he heard a sound and went inside. He went in to Gampopa’s room, he did not knock on the door, and Gampopa was wearing a meditation belt and in front of him were four fully ordained monks. They were reciting the 8000 Line Prajnaparamita. At the side, was a stupa of great enlightenment and five offerings in front of that. On the left side, there was a red silk curtain, like a tent and he could hear a sound coming from inside it. So, he just went directly inside and did not ask for an audience. So then Gampopa’s attendant said “This person never asked for an audience.” And then kicked him out.

Once he was kicked out, Rangtonpa felt as if he could not think about anything, as if all the appearances had stopped. He sat there and then around sunset in the evening, his mind had completely stopped. So then a young monk came by and he had a feeling the monk was going to pull him. So then he woke up and someone had brought him some soup. So he drank the thugpa soup and he was not actually asleep. The next morning, he felt like he woke up and felt he should go and see Gampopa.  He tried to go but he had no control over his body and speech. So he sat there for seven days of all appearances having stopped. After seven days, then early one morning he had another dream of a big poisonous snake with fangs and horns eating lots of beings with blood flowing all over. The snake was in front of him and looked like it was about to eat him. He woke up terrified but it was like he was still asleep.

So, he went to Gampopa and it was the same scene of Gampopa with a meditation belt and around him were four monks as before. After that, Chungtsangwa opened up the tent next to them where there was some sound, and he opened that up. When they opened it, there was a seat made of human legs, on top of which was a naked red woman with her hair loose in the middle of flames. She was playing a piwang/lute made of human bones. When he saw her, he immediately realised the wisdom mahamudra in  his mind.  When that happened, he realised the Dharmata as it is directly.  The stupa next to Gampopa, became so vast that it filled the whole universe and on the peak of that there were many emanations of Gampopa’s body. Some were huge, some small, some dancing, some playing songs, doing lots of things and different sizes. So this is how Rangdon Tonpa was introduced to Gampopa.

Later, Gampopa was summoned by the King of Minyak. The King said to Gampopa:  “I am very wicked, so please send me away to develop wisdom. So Gampopa did the exact same thing to pointing out the mind to the King too. He then developed the shamatha experience. So Rangdonpa had spent seven days in that state, and the King of Minyak spent five months in a state of shamatha where his mind completely stopped. His ministers said they had to wake him up because he had a lot of important things to do. Not only the King but also others the Queen and other ministers had many similar experiences.

We know this is later when Rinchen Zangpo and Tisha Repa came to  Minyak, on the sacred days of 10th and 15th and Gampopa’s birthday, which they observed they had the tradition of giving empowerments then and also the pointing out mind of Mahamudra that was still practised undiminished even later.  So when Tisha Repa and those people went to Minyag, they saw this. This is one way Gampopa pointed out the nature of mind.

Another example, not as long, there was a monk called Dagpo Wangyal, he was a nephew of Yarpo.  He was studying texts at a shedras and got bored. So he thought I need to do some meditation and went to the great Kadampa master ? and spent 14 years meditating but he never really got any feeling from it. So later, he heard that Gampopa was well-known and he decided to visit him  and said:

“Rinpoche, I have studied many texts and philosophy for many years, but I never recalled death and impermanence and developed an understanding of that. Later, because of death and impermanence, I thought I cannot continue like this. I spent twelve years doing meditation and did a lot of practice but my mind would not rest at all. Now I am 73 years old,  I have no one else I can put my hope in but you, so please help me.”

He supplicated him fervently, and Gampopa replied:

“What use is it to have a subtle mind? The mind will rest, what good is that? If it does not rest and is not subtle, what harm does it do? Is there a mind that experiences happiness and suffering? For example, what benefit is it of having a cloudless sky? If there are clouds what harm is there?”

When Gampopa said that then the monk thought ‘Ah , that is how meditation must be,” and developed some understanding.

One day, Gampopa summoned him, and he went there and there was Gampopa’s attendants. They said just sit down and meditate, do not go in. Just visualise and meditate right there at the door. One of them, created a huge dust storm or smoke and used sang. The other had a lot of cold water and he threw it on the monk’s face. They threw it on him. He had no idea that Gampopa would play a joke on him. So his mind stopped and at that very moment, Gampopa rushed out at the same time. He then saw Gampopa as huge as Mount Meru and he was looking up at him. Gampopa had a cane in his band and struck him hard on his head, he felt like his head would split into two. Immediately, all his body and mind and perceptions just stopped and he stayed in this wisdom that he developed. Gampopa just dissolved into a mass of light and he could not see it clearly. From then on he was able to develop good experiences in his meditation. There were many other such stories.

Dagpo Gampopa’s unique legacy: combining Sutra and Tantra teachings and practice

So Gampopa was really able to understand the level of people’s minds. He would take really young monks and introduce them to Mahamudra. Gampopa said that “some Geshes who teach philosophy said that Gampopa has ruined many young monks. He gives Mahamudra instructions to young monks who do not know anything at all.”  So some philosophers and Geshes criticised him for it. But Gampopa said he had the hope that these monks would bring benefit to beings. Gampopa himself , knew the level of beings, to know what they are capable of. He had a lot of confidence. In general, he taught most people the stages of the path from the Kadampa tradition. Only when their mindstreams were purified did he give them instructions on Mahamudra.

Gampopa said he had a dream in which he found a Gau/amulet. The person named Gautrim said show it to me. Gampopa said “I am not going to show it because it contains Atisha’s relics and Gampopa’s pith instructions” he said in the dream. But Gautrim was so insistent and so Gampopa opened it and showed him.  So for that reason, Gampopa said that:

“The little bit of help I have given sentient beings is primarily because of the Kadampa tradition. The instructions are from Nāropa. But if they are not connected with the Kadampa the benefit is minor.”

 So it is better to teach the common stages of the Kadampa tradition, and only then does one give the instructions of the six yogas of  Nāropa.

At that point in Tibet, the Kagyu lamas like Marpa, Ngog, Sakya and Nyingma lamas,  they primarily taught the tantras and most of them were laypeople. Also at that time, the lineage spread widely was the Kadampa and they taught mainly the Vinaya and the Prajnaparamita vehicle and they prohibited the teachings on Secret Mantra. However, Gampopa practised both the teachings of Kadampa and those of Milarepa. He combined and practised them both together without giving up either.

Later, as Milarepa had prophesised, he went to Daglha Gampo and had many students from central and Eastern Tibet and he taught them the common stages of the path and the special instructions on Mahamudra and six yogas, and by doing this he created what we call the ‘confluence of the rivers of Kadampa and Mahamudra, or the teachings of the union of sutra and tantra’.

3) The texts of Gampopa: importance of Jewel Ornament of Liberation

In conclusion, I want to speak about the texts of Gampopa. He was a great being who is no longer with us, but we have the texts he wrote. These are like the representatives of his body, speech and mind. Gampopa said:

 “People in the future who have faith in me, should not think they do not have the fortune to meet me in person, they should read the texts of the precious common and supreme path and the Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Reading them is no different from meeting me.”

When we read Gampopa’s texts we should think about the Jewel Ornament of Liberation and study it and think about Gampopa, especially on the anniversary of Gampopa.

We often talk about speaking statues like Tara, yet when we have the actual words of the gurus, the texts, their speech we close them up and leave them in dust or put them in a shrine room.  It is not alright to throw texts in the rubbish, but we are kind of doing the same thing.

Zharpa Kudung Lhadron (.?) said is that “All Kagyupa students read the two volumes of Gampopa’s collected works. Read the profound instructions of Gampopa’s co-emergent Mahamudra.” So he spoke about how important it is to practice and develop the siddhis by reading and practising the instructions on co-emergent Mahamudra.”