Kagyu: the oral instruction lineage
The Four Main Buddhist Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
There are four major lineages in Tibetan Buddhism. The Karmapa is the head of the Kagyu lineage. The Dalai Lama, as well as being the current political leader of Tibetans in exile, is the head of the Geluk lineage. The other two main lineages are Nyingmapa and Sakya. For more information about the the four lineages see here.
The meaning of ‘Kagyu’
The Kagyu school emphasizes the continuity of oral instructions passed on from master to student. This emphasis is reflected in the literal meaning of “Kagyu.” The first syllable “Ka” refers to the scriptures of the Buddha and the oral instructions of the guru. The second syllable “gyu” means lineage or tradition. Together, these syllables mean “the lineage of the oral instructions.”
A worldwide following
The Kagyu school accounts for about 20% of Tibetan Buddhists and between a third to a half of Buddhists in Sikkim, Ladakh, Bhutan and Nepal. The Kagyu school also has more than 100,000 adherents in Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. It has nearly 200 monasteries in Tibet, 30 in India and Nepal, and more than 200 centres throughout the world.
For further information about the Kagyu lineage please visit: http://www.kagyuoffice.org/kagyulineage.html
