Drikung Kagyu
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| Drikung Kagyu | |
|---|---|
 Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · source | |
| Name | Drikung Kagyu |
| Region | Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia |
| Founded | 12th century |
| Founder | Jigten Sumgön |
| Head | Drikung Kyabgön |
| Schools | Kagyu |
Drikung Kagyu is a major subtradition of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism founded in the 12th century by disciples of the yogi Tilopa and the scholar Marpa Lotsawa. It traces institutional transmission through notable figures such as Milarepa, Gampopa, and its primary founder Jigten Sumgön, and has established monastic centers across Tibet, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia. The tradition combines meditative lineages from Mahamudra and tantric cycles like the Six Yogas of Naropa with scholastic and ritual institutions linked to major Tibetan figures and courts.
History
The historical formation of the tradition began amid the 11th–13th century of the Tibetan Empire aftermath, with roots connected to Tilopa, Naropa, Marpa Lotsawa, and Gampopa; it crystallized under Jigten Sumgön at the monastery of Drikung Thil Monastery near Lhasa and expanded through disciples into principalities such as Kham, Amdo, and the Tsang region. During the Mongol period contacts with the Yuan dynasty and patrons like Kublai Khan influenced monastic patronage, while later interactions with figures like the 5th Dalai Lama and the Mongol rulers shaped political-religious dynamics. In the 19th and 20th centuries the tradition navigated reforms and revival movements connected to leaders such as Situ Panchen and faced upheaval during the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the 1959 Tibetan uprising, resulting in diasporic reestablishment in Dharamshala, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath.
Lineage and Leadership
Succession in the school hinges on tantric and pith-instruction transmission from early masters Milarepa and Gampopa to the founding figure Jigten Sumgön and subsequent holders like Drikung Kyabgön Chetsang and Drikung Kyabgön Chungtsang. Leadership roles have included abbots of Drikung Thil Monastery and heads recognized through enthronement ceremonies attended by abbots from Sakya, Gelug, Nyingma, and Jonang traditions, as well as secular patrons such as the King of Nepal and Mongolian nobles. Lineages incorporate tertöns associated with the Nyingma tertreasure tradition as well as connections to the Karmapa lineage and figures like Gyalwa Karmapa in ecumenical exchanges.
Teachings and Practices
Doctrinally the school emphasizes Mahamudra meditation and completion stage practices drawn from the Six Dharmas of Naropa and the Hevajra and Cakrasaṃvara cycles, integrated with lojong instructions similar to those taught by Atisha and tantric sadhanas transmitted by Marpa Lotsawa. Practice centers teach preliminary practices (ngöndro) alongside advanced yogic instructions attributed to Tilopa and commentaries by scholars like Jetön Rinchen and Jigten Sumgön. The tradition preserves transmission of the Vajrayana tantras, employs the Vajrakilaya ritual, and maintains mahasiddha-inspired yogic methods paralleled in Milarepa's songs and Gampopa's lamrim-style instructions.
Monastic Institutions and Centers
Major historic monasteries include Drikung Thil Monastery near Lhasa, while modern centers include monastic and lay institutions in Dharamshala, Bodh Gaya, Leh, Kathmandu, Pharping, and Kathmandu Valley. Overseas branches and retreat centers have been established in United States, Europe, Australia, and Mongolia with affiliated centers linked to the heads of the lineage, cooperative projects with Tibetan Government-in-Exile, and intertraditional initiatives involving Sakya Monastery (Sakya), Ganden Monastery, and Mindrolling Monastery. Retreat hermitages associated with the lineage appear in regions such as Ladakh, Zanskar, and Mount Kailash pilgrimage circuits.
Rituals, Texts, and Transmission
Ritual practice includes liturgies for protector deities like Mahākāla, ritual arts such as mandala construction and tsa tsa offerings, and empowerment ceremonies (wang) for tantras like Cakrasaṃvara and Hevajra. Textual transmission involves canonical and noncanonical works: commentaries on Madhyamaka and Prasangika debates, tantras conserved in collections like the Kangyur and Tengyur, as well as lineage-specific texts by Jigten Sumgön, Drikung Kyabgön, and later authors such as Kunga Gyeltsen. Transmission routes included oral transmission (lung), empowerment (wang), and close retreat transmission (tri), with tertön revelations and printing projects in collaboration with presses in Lhasa, Calcutta, and Kathmandu.
Cultural and Societal Impact
The tradition has influenced Tibetan art, thangka painting schools in Tibet and Nepal, ritual music traditions shared with Gelug and Sakya ensembles, and pilgrimage patterns to sites like Mount Kailash, Lumbini, and regional sacred lakes. It contributed leaders to dialogues with modern institutions including the Central Tibetan Administration, international interfaith forums involving figures like the 14th Dalai Lama, UNESCO cultural heritage projects, and humanitarian initiatives across Kashmir, Sikkim, and refugee settlements in Himachal Pradesh. Its monasteries have functioned as centers for manuscript preservation, Tibetan medicine collaboration with Sowa Rigpa practitioners, and cultural transmission through Tibetan language education and performing arts such as ritual dance (cham).