Tilopa

Tilopa (Tibetan: lo ti pa * 988, † 1069) was the most important Indian forefather of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He was probably born in Cittagong the son of a Brahmin family.

Biography

Tilopa already studied early Buddhist texts and mastered it. He worked after he left the monastery and had been meditating for many years as an assistant at night and during the day as a prostitute sesame masher on a market in the East Indies. From this position, he also received his name: Til means " sesame seeds " in Sanskrit.

His main teacher applies the joy state of Buddha Dorje Chang. From him he received in meditation directly the transmissions of Buddhist tantra. As this was difficult to understand for his students, he moved around in India and gathered again to all transfers of the old Mahasiddha lines. Tilopa received the transmissions of four teachers from different directions.

The four streams of verbal instructions

In accordance with Jonang Taranatha Tilopa following lessons have been transferred:

  • East:

Buddha Shakyamuni - Indra Bhodi - Visukapala - Saraha - Nagarjuna - Tilopa. The Tantra here is the Guhyasamaja Tantra ( Sangwa Düpa ), and was entrusted with the exercise of the illusory body and clear light.

  • North:

Shakyamuni - Indrabodhi - Sumati - Tanglopa - Schinglopa - Kanaripa - Dzalendaripa - Krishnacharia (or Chariapa ) - Tilopa. Tantra: Mahamaya Tantra and Tantra Vajracaturpita, Exercise: Internal heat ( Tummo ) and phowa

  • West:

Shakyamuni - Indrabodhi - Drombipa - Vinasa - Lawapa - Tilopa. Tantra: Hevajra, Exercise: Dream Yoga

  • South:

Shakyamuni - Ratnamati ( Manjushri ) - Sukhanata ( Loving Eyes ) - Saraha - Luipa - Tengipa - Darikapa - Sukhasiddhi (or Sukhadhari and Gantapara ) - Tilopa. Tantra: Tantra Chakrasamvara, Exercise: Internal heat and Bardo

Marpa assigns in his life story about Tilopa the tantras and the exercises slightly different to: Accordingly, Tilopa received from Nagarjuna, the practice of illusory body and the practices of powa and the Bardo, by Caryapa the dream yoga, Lavapa the Clear Light and the Dakini Kalpabhadra the practice of interior heat.

Tilopa is represented as a yogi with bone ornaments and with a fish in his hand. The fish is due to his encounter with Naropa, when he caught fish and fried it in the pan to test the confidence of Naropa.

Student

Chief disciple of Tilopa was Naropa, who in turn passed the transfers to his main disciple Marpa.

Naropa formed the transfers to the " Six Yogas of Naropa ". They form the "way of the method" of the Kagyu lineage and are still next to the " way of understanding " (of Maitripa to Marpa ) the main component of the Kagyu school. The "Meditation on the teacher " ( Guru Yoga ) is the essence of the " path of method" and the "path of insight ." They all lead to the experience of Mahamudra ( Great Seal or Great symbol ).

Swell

  • Chos- kyi bLo gros - Mar-pa: The Life of the Mahasiddha Tilopa. Dharamsala, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. In 1995.
  • Manfred Seegers: origins and contents of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Zurich 2001.
  • Manfred Seegers and Tanja Boehnke: Room & joy - Buddhist Statues & ritual objects. Diamond Foundation eV, Wuppertal 2003.
  • The XIIth Khentin Tai Situpa: Tilopa ( Some Glimpses of His Life ). Dzalendara Publishing, Langholm 1988.
  • Jo Nang Taranata: The Seven Instruction Lineages. Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, Dharamsala 1983.
  • Translation Team, Karmapa International Buddhist Institute: The lineage holder of the Karma Kagyu tradition. Kagyu Life 16 December 1994 ( Volume 6 ).
  • Www.karmapa.org
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