Gelup Lineage

The head of the Gelup Lineage - His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He was born on 6 July 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet located in Taktser, Amdo, northeastern Tibet.  At the age of two the child, who was named Lhamo Dhondup at that time was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. The Dalai Lamas are believed to be manifestations of Avalokiteshvara or Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and patron saint of Tibet. 

Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have postponed their own nirvana and chosen to take rebirth in order to serve humanity.

List of the previous His Holiness the Dalai Lama

No.	Name	Birth Place
1.	Gedun Drupa (1391-1474)	Shabtod (U-tsang)
2.	Gedun Gyatso (1475-1542)	Tanag Segme (U-tsang)
3.	Sonam Gyatso (1543-1588)	Tolung (U-tsang)
4.	Yonten Gyatso (1589-1617)	Mongolia
5.	Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682)	Chingwar Taktse (U-tsang)
6.	Tsangyang Gyatso (1682-1706)	Mon Tawang
7.	Kelsang Gyatso (1708-1757)	Lithang (Kham)
8.	Jamphel Gyatso (1758-1804)	Thobgyal (U-tsang)
9.	Lungtok Gyatso (1805-1815)	Dan Chokhor (Kham)
10.	Tsultrim Gyatso (1816-1837)	Lithang (Kham
11.	Khedrup Gyatso (1838-1856)	Gathar (Kham)
12.	Trinley Gyatso (1856-1875)	Lhoka (U-tsang)
13.	Thup Gyatso (1876-1933)	Thakpo Langdun (U-tsang)
14.	Tenzin Gyatso (1935- ) Dedication of merits May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.	Taktser, Kumbum (Amdo)

Sakya Lineage

The Head of the Sakya Lineage - His Holiness the Sakya Trizin Rinpoche

His Holiness was born on the 7th of September 1945, the 1st day of the 8th Lunar month in the year of the Wood Bird at the Sakya palace in Tsedong. 

Immediately after his birth, in accordance with age old traditions to increase his wisdom, the syllable DHIH was traced on his tongue and profound rituals were performed. 

Many signs traditionally associated with auspiciousness were observed on this day: the milk collected from a 100 different dri (female yaks) and a statue of the Guru Padmasambhava were miraculously offered to the Palace.
Initially given the Sanskrit name Ayu Vajra, His Holiness was only later given his actual name of Ngawang Kunga Thegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wangyi Gyalpo, when his father Vajradhara Ngawang Kunga Rinchen gave him his first major initiation, that of the Nine Deities of Amitayus, when His Holiness was only four years old, he received the major initiation of the peaceful and wrathful aspects of Vajrakilaya and many other profound teachings from his father.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

The Prophecies And The Karma Kagyu Lineage

His Holiness the 16th Gyalwa Karmapal Rangjung Rigpe Dorje(1924-1981)

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje 

Origin of the Karma Kagyu Lineage

The Karmapa (officially His Holiness of the Gyalwa Karmapa) is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the kagyupa itself. The historical seat of the Karmapas is Tsurphu Monastery in the Tolung valley of Tibet. His Holiness' principal seat in exile is the Dharma Chakra Centre at Rumtek Monastery Sikkim India. 
His regional monastic seats are Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in New York , Dhagp Karyu ling in France and Tashi Choling in Bhutan. Due to a controversy within the Karma Kagyu school over the recognition process, the identity of the current 17th Karmapa is disputed.

The Prophecies 

The Lord Buddha Shakyamuni has foretold the coming of the Karmapa in various sutras and tantras. Only a few of the Buddhist masters are prophesied in the sutras and tantras and the Karmapa was certainly one of them.

From the Samadhiraja Sutra (The King of Samadhi Sutra):

Two thousand years after my passing,
The teachings will spread in the land of the red-faced ones,
Who will be the disciples of Avalokitesvara
The bodhisattva Simhanada, known as Karmapa will appear.
Possessing mastery over samadhi, he will tame beings
And establish them in bliss through seeing, hearing, recalling and touching.

From the Lankavatara Sutra (Descent Into Lanka Sutra):

Wearing monastic robes and a black crown,
He will perform unceasing benefit for beings
Until the teachings of one thousand Buddhas disappear.

From the Mulamañjushri Tantra (Root Tantra of Mañjushri):

Endowed with a name beginning with "Ka" and ending with "Ma",
There will appear an individual who illuminates the teachings.

The Karmapa's arrival was also prophesied by the great Indian mahasiddha, Padmasambhava in various termas.

The source of the oral lineage is traditionally traced back to the Buddha Vajradhara, was transmitted to the Indian master of Mahamudra and tantra Tilopa (989-1069), through Naropa (1016-1100) to Marpa. These forefathers of the and Milarepa Kagyu lineage are collectively called the "golden rosary". The 2nd Karmapa, Karma Pakshi (1204-1283), is often said to be the first person ever recognized and empowered as a tulku, a reincarnated Lama.

List of the previous H.H. Karmapas

1) Dusum Khyenpa (1110-1193)

2) Karma Pakshi (1204-1283)

3) Ranjung Dorje (1284-1339)

4) Rolpe Dorje (1340-1383)

5) Deshin Shekpa (1384-1415)

6) Thongwa Donden (1416-1453)

7) Chodrak Gyatso (1454-1506)

8) Mikyo Dorje (1507-1554)

9) Wangchukl Dorje (1556-1603)

10) Choying Dorje (1604-1674)

11) Yeshe Dorje (1676-1702)

12) Changchub Dorje (1703-1732)

13) Dudul Dorje (1733-1797)

14) Thekchok Dorje (1798-1868)

15) Khakyab Dorje (1871-1922)

16) Ranjung Rigpa Dorje (1924-1981)

17) Ogyen Trinley Dorje(1985)

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Nyingma Lineage

1930-2008 (Parinirvara)  

His Holiness was the head of the Nyingma Lineage - 11th Mindroling Trichen Rinpoche has Prinirvana on 09/02/2008 in Dehra Dun India at the age of 78.

The Biography of His Holiness 11th Mindroling Trichen Rinpoche
Born in 1930 at Lhasa Tibet 
Father H.H Mindrolling Dondrup Wangya.
Extensive teachings and empowerments from many exceptional Tibetan masters. 

Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodro, Sechen Kongtrul the great, Minling Chung Rinpoche, Minling Khen Rinpoche, Sechen Rabjam Rinpoche, Dordzin Namdrol Gyatso, Dordzin Dechen Choedzin and Gelong Kunzangla are some of the renowned masters with whom he studied.

The Parinirvana of His Holiness

7:00pm evening of the 3rd day of the 1st month of Miracles in the year of the Earth Mouse 
(9 February 2008), without even the slightest discomfort, with a face even more radiant than before, and with a smiling countenance, Kyabje Rinpoche gazed lovingly at all those surrounding him. With the aspect of resting, Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Jurme Kunzang Wangyal displayed the final activity of transferring his enlightened intention to another realm, in order to turn the minds of those to be tamed towards the dharma.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

The Ideology of Tibetan Buddhism

When in Buddha hood, one is freed from all mental obscuration, one is said to attain a state of continuous bliss mixed with a simultaneous cognition of emptiness, the true nature of reality. In this state, all limitations on one's ability to help other living beings are removed.

Tibetan definitions of Buddhist

The Tibetan term for Buddhist which is literally and internalist and more precisely, Tibetans specify two alternative criteria for being Buddhist:-

a)    Formal and having taken refuge

b)    In belief and acceptance of the there marks of existence.

According to tradition, after meditation and the Buddha concluded that everything in the physical world and everything in the phenomenology of psychology is marked by these three characteristics and all phenomena other than Nirvana are marked by three characteristics, sometimes referred to as the Dharma seals, that is impermanence dukkha (uneasiness), and anatta (not-self).

Anica (Sanskrit –anitya) 
All things eventually cease to existence or impermanent

Dukkha (Sanskrit – Duhkha)

Nothing in this physical world or psychologically realm can bring lasting satisfaction.

Anatta (sankrit – anatman) 

All composite, con substantial, phenomenal temporal things from microcosmic , physical body which are impermanent. 

Nirvana

Is peace and termed as other shore from samsara.

Transmission and Realisation (lungtok, lung-rtogs)

Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages oral transmission is more important than the printed word derives from the earliest Buddhism, The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it the lineages transmission from Gurus or lamas.

By reading a teaching is helpful but no substitute for obtaining a transmission of it, and who holds the lineage of transmission making oneself more ready for realization of such teaching.

Preliminary Practices of Vajrayana

Vajrayana is said to be the fastest method for attaining Buddha hood but it carries the caution that for unqualified practitioners it can be dangerous. Even for a qualified advanced practitioner, to engage in Vajrayana without having received the appropriate initiation or known as empowerment from a qualified lama or Guru.

Without the basis of these three in particular to practice Vajrayana and the guidance from a qualified Guru it can be dangerous just like a kid attempting to ride a vehicle. Without training in the preliminary practices, the ubiquity of allusions to them in Vajrayana is meaningless and even successful Vajrayana initiation becomes impossible.  

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

History of Tibetan Buddhism

Traditional Tibetan Buddhist

Tibetan Buddhist Full Prostrations.

Wencheng a Chinese princess and a Buddhist from Tang Dynasty who married to the Tibet king and she brought along the Statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. The King who died in year 650 and in the 8^th Century, King Trisosng Detsen (755-797) established Buddhism as an official religion of the state. King Trisosng Detsen (755-797) has invited an Indian Buddhist scholars a famous tantric master Padmasambhava or known as Guru Rinpoche.  

Tibetan Buddhism doctrine and institutional characteristic of Tibet and some parts of the snow land of Himalayas, northen Nepal and as well in Indian – Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Sikkim. It is also practice in Mongolia and certain part of Russia ( Buryatia, Kalmykia and Tuva) and northern China.

Tibetan Buddhism has put forth to a strong influences in the 11^th century CE amoung the peoples of central Asia, especially in Mogoloa and Manchuria. It was an official state religion by the Mongol during yuan Dynasty and as well during the Manchuria Qing Dynasty that ruled China. 

1950s the Invasion of Tibet

The land reform of the Tibetan region was invaded by the People’s Republic of China beginning in Middle 1950s and it led to armed conflicts later in the decade and countless of innocent Tibetan lives included Monks and nuns and many monasteries were perished by the invasion.

In this insurgence has resulted in the exile of estimated 80,000 Tibetan to India (An example of the exile and most prominent is His Holiness of the 14^th Dalai Lama and His Holiness of the 17^th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje) Some of the them went further to the west, Eventually led to the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to many parts of the western countries and where the traditional of this unique Vajrayana and culture has survived and continuing to gained recognition and popularity. 

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.