Karmapa is the head Lama of the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism since the XII century. The first Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa (1110-1193) was a yogi from the Kham, a region in the eastern Tibet. He arrived to the monastery of Gampopa Sonam Rinchen (1079–1153), one of the most prominent Buddhist teachers of the time, a direct disciple of Milarepa, around 1140. Karmapa was first.

Bhāviveka (c. 490-570 CE), also known as Bhavya or Bhāvaviveka - was an Indian Buddhist philosopher and historian, and founder of the Svātantrika-Madhyamaka School: As all of Bhāviveka’s works are lost in the original Sanskrit and preserved only in Tibetan translations, the scholarly world came to know of him only through Candrakīrti (c. 580-650 CE), who refuted Bhāviveka’s position in the 1st chapter of the

Longchenpa (Longchen Rabjampa, 1308-1363) is perhaps the most important philosophical author in the history of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the great figures in 14th century Tibet, a time of larger-than-life authors and systematizations of sectarian traditions. Longchenpa is renowned as the systematiser of the Nyingma tradition of the Great Perfection (Dzogchen), which he expounded in a series of brilliant texts.

The Indian philosopher Nāgārjuna (c. 150 – c. 250 CE) is probably the single most important Buddhist philosopher. Nothing reliable is known about his life; modern scholars do not accept the traditional account whereby Nāgārjuna lived for some 600 years and became a Tantric wonderworker (siddha), although it is believed that Nāgārjuna was the teacher of Āryadeva. There is a number of works attributed to

Nāropa (1016-1100) was an Indian tantric adept and scholar who is counted among the 84 Mahāsiddhas, or great adepts. He is widely revered in Tibet for his tantric instructions. Nāropa received monastic ordination and in 1049 entered the Buddhist University of Nālanda, in present-day Bihar. He excelled as a scholar and subsequently served a term as abbot and senior instructor at Nālanda. Later he developed

Barompa Darma Wangchug (b.1127 - d.1194). The boy took novice ordination in his 7th or 8th year and received the name by which he would from then on be known, Darma Wangchug. In 1153 Gampopa presented Darma Wangchug with a piece of gold and advised him to go and meditate at a hermitage in Barom. During his 7 year retreat in Barom the community grew

Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa (b.1123 - d.1193). Zhang Yudrakpa Tsondru Drakpa, also popularly known as Lama Zhang was born in 1123 at Tsawadru in the valley of the Lhasa River south of Lhasa. Lama Zhang later became the founder of the Tsalpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and a prominent religious figure, but his extensive involvement in the political and military conflicts of Tibet was

Gampopa (1079-1153) PART ONE: Early Life, Finding the Guru. Gampopa, also known as Dagpo Rinpoche, is one of the most important figures in the Kagyu lineage: The foremost disciple of Jetsun Milarepa, he truly consolidated the Kagyu tradition by integrating its special teachings with those of the other main trends of Buddhism: Fulfilling his promise, and inwardly very happy to renounce worldly life, he took

Prior to endless aeons when Lord Gampopa was a Bodhisattva, he accumulated the immeasurable merits (accumulation of virtues and accumulation of insight) in the presence of many Buddhas. He received all the definitive teachings from Tathāgata Śākyamuni Buddha. Later then, by the name of the Jīvaka (Bhikṣu Physician) he was known to the people of Tibet. He lived with 500 perfect and imperfect disciples, receiving