In this new video clip from Day One teaching on Yangonpa’s Seven Pointing Outs for the Kagyu Winter Dharma event (Guncho) in January 2024, the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje explains what is meant by transmission (Tibetan: lung) and why and how reading transmissions were done during and after the Buddha’s time in the India sub-continent, due to the teachings not being written down, and which were then spoken in order for new students to repeat and memorise them.
In brief, the Karmapa explains the different types of transmission and instruction, and concludes that these days, as the texts were written down in Tibet, there was no longer any need to go through such difficulties to transmit the teachings, however, the transmissions and distinctions between transmission (lung) and instructions (tri) has continued in Tibet, even though there is no such clear distinction between them in the Sutras or Tantras, during the Buddha’s time.
As my personal observation, this is interesting to note, as these days many Tibetan Buddhist teachers do many weeks of giving reading transmissions, of hundreds of texts, of which the vast majority of people listening do not understand, never mind have memorised! Although there may be some ‘blessing’ in attending such mass social Dharma events, can only wonder if such transmissions are really what the Buddha intended, or whether they are more beneficial for the monastery/teacher in gathering followers, popularity, fame and of course, money from all the mandala offerings made.
For an e-book compilation pdf download of this whole three day teaching, see here.