MARPA – THE FOUNDER OF KAGYUDPA TRADITION
Marpa was the founder of Kagyudpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Marpa was one of four sons born of a well-to-do family living in Lodrak Chukhyer, southern Tibet. His father was Wangchuk Oser and his mother Gyamo Sa Dode. He was born in 1012 A.D. in the region of Lodrak, Tibet, right above the border of Bhutan. It is recorded that just the sight of the boy created a sense of fear and awe in everybody who saw him because he was very energetic and quite aggressive. Due to his unpopularity, his father sent him to study under Drogmi Sakya Yeshe Lotsawa, who was a renowned translator and teacher residing at Mangkhar (situated between Lhasa and Kathmandu). In his childhood he quickly learned reading and writing. He learnt Sanskrit from Drogmi Sakya Yeshe Lotsava(993-1050) who was well versed in Path and Fruition doctrine of Sakyapa Lineage tradition that is passed down from father to son; he had received the transmissions of Virupa, a pious monk living at Somapuri Monastery before he became a wandering yogi and master of the historical lineage of the patriarchs.
GESTURES AND ATTRIBUTES
Marpa is said to be a very fat one with hair standing five fingers straight up off his head and with angry looking face. But in some commentaries of Venerable Karma Chagme, he is described as having matted hair and wearing a Chuba with big Chinese style sleeves and a large cap.
Having been frustrated with his inability to learn more teachings from Drogmi Sakya Yeshe Lotsawa; he toured India three times via Nepal. At that time in Tibet there were few teachers from whom Marpa could receive further instructions, so – three times in all – he crossed the high passes separating Tibet from Nepal and India in search of more profound instructions from Mahapanditas, “great sages.” The journey was hard and took months, sometimes years. Thrangu Rinpoche taught that one needed to have great strength and courage to undergo such a challenge and that Marpa’s steadfast resolution was not based on a view to only benefit himself or for short-term purposes. He had two Nepali Gurus, Paindapa and Chitherpa from whom he learnt the Chakrasamvara and Chatuhpith Tantras for three years. These two Nepalese teachers gave Marpa a great deal of dharma instruction and language. Marpa mastered the Tibetan arts, language and literature, and Sanskrit under Drogmi Lotsawa’s tutelage in 3 years (other texts state in 15 years). Marpa with his great zeal and assiduity learnt the vast range of Tantric teachings from Naropa, Maitripa, Kukkuripa and others. He came back to Tibet with these vast resources and taught his disciples extensively. Among his disciples, Tibet’s great yogi Milarepa was the foremost and he had many outstanding disciples of his own through whom Kagyudpa lineage is continued uninterruptedly till today.
- Visit Guru Marpa Statues Collection
- Visit Guru Gampopa Thangka Painting Collection
