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THEKARMAKAGYU LIEAGE PRAYER(The Dorje Chang Tungma)
!, ,hR-eJ-:(%-(J/-+N-=R-/-
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3*3-3J.-:PR-3$R/-?$?-0R-2!:-2o.-=, ,
YAMMEDRO GO DAGPO KAGYU LAunequalled protectors of beings, the Dagpo Kagyu,
$?R=-2-:.J2?-?R-2!:-2o.-]-3-i3?, ,
SOLWADEB SOKAGYU LAMAAMKagyu lamas, I supplicate you
2o.-0-:6B/-/R-i3-,
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3/-%$-$+J
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&A-;%-3-;A/-&A
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amo Buddha Publications 2013 The Karma Kagyu Lineage Prayer with comments Page 5
Figure 1
Dusum Khyenpa
Dusum Khyenpa was the first Karmapa
and began the Karma Kagyu lineage. He
lived from 1110 to 1193 and the lineages
900th year was celebrated just recently (in
2012).
Figure 4:
The Four Greater and and Eight Lesser linages.
These are actually misnamed because the greater lineages simply means those closest to
Gampopa and lesser means those lineages one teacher removed from Gampopa.
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amo Buddha Publications 2013 The Karma Kagyu Lineage Prayer with comments Page 7
Figure 3
List of the Persons and deities in the Lineage Tree
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Figure 5An Abbreviated Form of the Lineage Tree
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Visualizing every detail of the lineage tree is difficult. So one can begin by visualizing the
major figures which are listed above and appear mostly in the central top part of the tree. Thrangu
Rinpoche says that one begins with only a vague feeling of the lineage that is very unclear. Then
gradually one can concentrate on these main figures and begin to see them with Vajradhara who is
in the center of the tree.
The persons with the black dakini hats are the 16 Karmapas. The persons with the red hats
are usually lineage holders while the Karmapas are growing up.
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Figure 6
The Meaning of Vajradhara and the Lineage
by Khenpo Kathar Rinpoche
We are presently under the guidance of the teachings of fourth Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha,
who took birth in India and lived 81 years, during which time he turned the wheel of the Dharma three
times. From Shakyamuni Buddha, a nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment, an unbroken transmission
was passed down to such great masters as Nagarjuna and Asanga, and they in turn brought the teachings
to Tibet, where the four great schools of Tibetan Buddhism developed. All these teachings originated
from the nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment. The origin of the nirmanakaya is the sambhogakaya as-
pect of enlightenment, and the origin of the sambhogakaya is the dharmakaya. An example of the nir-
manakaya, sambhogakaya, and dharmakaya aspects is that of the clarity and light in this room
originating from the clarity and light outside the house, and the clarity and light outside the house origi-
nating from the sun. Therefore, the origin of the teachings and the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism is
the dharmakaya aspect or that of Vajradhara or Samantabhadra, the realization of the ultimate state of
enlightenment.
We are dependent upon the light outside the house to brighten this room. The clarity and light
outside originates with the sun. To realize the state of Vajradhara or Samantabhadra is to become like the
sun itself and no longer dependent upon the light outside for illumination.
It is for this reason that in all the schools of the Kagyupas, Gelugpas, and Sakyapas, the trans-
mission of lineage goes back to Vajradhara. Why it goes back to Vajradhara and not to Shakyamuni Bud-
dha is that it refers directly back to the essence of enlightenment, the origin of the light, which is the sun
itself and not just the light of the sun. It is the same in the Nyingmapa tradition, where the teachings do
not originate with Padmasambhava or Shakyamuni Buddha, but with Samantabhadra. Since the ultimate
source is the dharmakaya, all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism originated with Vajradhara or Samantab-
hadra. The activity of Vajradhara is to benefit all beings without discrimination or judgment.There is sometimes confusion in the minds of new students as to whether either Vajradhara or
Samantabhadra is superior to the other. So there is actually no difference at all between Vajradhara and
Samantabhadra.
In one sense there is no difference between the two, but we can note that there are two names.
The Sanskrit word Samantabhadra in Tibetan is kuntuzangpo, kuntu meaning ultimately and zangpo
meaning goodness. What is known as Kuntuzangpo is primordially free from any fault, stain, or
mental confusion, and therefore is not only presently pure, but also can never be defiled in the future.
The Sanskrit word Vajradhara in Tibetan is Dorje Chang, with dorje meaning indestructibility and
changmeaning permanently possessed. The quality that enlightened beings have realized is within all
sentient beings. What is known as Dorje Chang is the full realization and stabilization of the enlightened
quality within all beings.
It can be further noted that when Samantabhadra and Vajradhara are depicted in thangka paint-ings, one is shown without ornaments and garments, and the other is shown with ornaments and gar-
ments. Samantabhadra is depicted naked, without ornaments and garments, to symbolize that his state
of realization is unconditionally free from mental projection and primordially pure, as is the dhar-
makaya. Vajradhara is depicted with heavenly ornaments and garments to symbolize his capacity to
ceaselessly benefit and fulfill the needs of all living beings through the means of sambhogakaya and nir-
manakaya emanations.
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In the Uttaratantra Shastra, Maitreya explains that the actual enlightened being is Samantab-
hadra or Vajradhara, and the emanation aspect of enlightenment is Shakyamuni Buddha, who appeared
on the earth. Shakyamuni Buddha himself explained that he had not spoken any words nor had he ever
given teachings, and that it was only through the karmic manifestation and karmic capacity of sentient
beings that they had heard him teach. Why Shakyamuni Buddha said that he never taught any teachings
is that in the dharmakaya or ultimate aspect of enlightenment, he never gave teachings. Shakyamuni
Buddha was an emanation and not an ultimate aspect of enlightenment. It was through the emanation or
nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment that people heard different teachings according to their karmic ca-
pacity.
The sun and Vajradhara never actually appear on the earth, it is rather the light of the sun and the
emanation of Vajradhara that sentient beings experience through their capacity and purity of mind. For
example, enlightened beings are beyond mental conception. Like the sun, they have no wish to shine
only on this part of the world or to benefit only here or there, they just simply shine. The luminosity of
the sun is perceived in its different aspects by many beings according to their capacity. The beings who
have physical form experience the warmth of the sun and are benefited, although the sun did not pur-
posely give that warmth to benefit them. The sentient beings who have bodies experience warmth sim-
ply because they have physical form. The light of the sun enables beings to see things clearly because
they have eyes. Just as the light of the sun enables those with eyes to see clearly, it is the capacity andpurity of mind that enable beings to experience the nirmanakaya aspect of enlightenment. Vajradhara
does not actually appear on the earth.
For that reason, although Shakyamuni Buddha passed into nirvana about 2530 years ago, we are
still able to experience his blessing through our devotion, confidence, and practice because the ultimate
realization of Buddhahood, the dharmakaya or Vajradhara aspect of enlightenment, never dies. As long
as the sun is above in the sky, a temporary cloud may obscure its light, but that does not mean the sun
has lost its light; the sun is always shining. Likewise, although there is a very long lapse of time between
the passing away of Shakyamuni Buddha and our present age, if we practice diligently with faith and
confidence, we are still capable of experiencing the blessing of the Buddha because Vajradhara is still
there. The Vajradhara aspect is ceaselessly present.
The activity of Vajradhara is to benefit all beings without discrimination or judgment, just as it is
inherent in the nature of the trees that grow on the earth to burn when set on fire. The nature of anywood, regardless of where it is grown, is to burn; the nature of the activity of Vajradhara is to benefit
sentient beings, regardless of what type of living being they may be. It is not only in the Buddha-nature
of the Vajradhara aspect of ultimate enlightenment to benefit sentient beings; Buddha-nature is also in-
herent in all living beings like ourselves as well.
We can all agree that the nature of wood is that it burns; but it must meet with the cause of burn-
ing as it cannot burn itself. Although the Buddha-nature or Vajradhara aspect of enlightenment is within
all living beings like ourselves, without meeting the cause to ripen this quality, we are unable to realize
it. That is why all the teachers in all the schools emphasize the importance of the lineage gurus who have
obtained the unbroken transmission. By practicing according to their teachings, we are meeting the
cause to ripen our buddha nature.
Meeting the cause of ripening our mind is necessary to experience the enlightenment of ourmind. In the teachings it is said that one butter lamp lights another. It is like having a hundred candles.
When one candle is burning, the next candle can also be lit when it meets the flame of the first candle,
and then the third candle can be lit when it meets the flame of the second, and the same with the fourth,
and so forth. If you leave a candle on a shrine, it cannot light up without meeting a flame; it needs to
meet with such a cause.
Without knowing the meaning of the actual Vajradhara, many students new to the Dharma ask
questions such as who the father or mother of Vajradhara are, and when Vajradhara took birth. There are
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other students who think that Vajradhara is a superior human being living high above in the sky. These
ideas stem from a lack of understanding of the enlightenment aspect. Because of this lack of understand-
ing, Vajradhara is believed to exist actually in physical form, abiding above us in some heavenly place,
although he is beyond words and conception. Although the state of Vajradhara is beyond words and con-
ception, it is something within ourselves which through our diligence and practice we are able to experi-
ence. Vajradhara is not anything separate or different from ourselves.
When we state that there is no physical form to Vajradhara, the argument can still be made that
we can see a dark blue human being who wears ornaments and silks and holds a bell and vajra in tangka
paintings. These are all really symbolic gestures to enable students to understand the enlightened aspect.
The dark blue color, bell, and vajra symbolize the indestructibility of Vajradhara. The dark blue also con-
notes his ceaseless activity to benefit beings, and his ornaments symbolize the preciousness of benefiting
all living beings.
Those who are familiar with the Mahamudra supplication prayer know we begin it by reciting,
Great Dorje Chang (Tibetan for Vajradhara), Telo, Naro. . . It is very important to have an understand-
ing of Vajradhara be cause everything that comes later is based on this ultimate aspect of enlightenment.
If we misunderstand anything now, then we might become confused later. We must be sure that we cor-
rectly understand the meaning of Vajradhara, so we can correctly relate to future teachings.
This teaching was given by Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at KTD, Woodstock, March 25-30, 1986. It
was translated by Chojor Radha, and edited by Tina Armond.
The words in Tibetan cannot be transliterated exactly. To get their precise pronunciation, go to
www.amoBuddhaPub.com and click on free. There you can click on the MP3 across from the Dorje
Chang Prayer and hear it sung by Thrangu Rinpoche and his monks.
amo Buddha Publications 2013 The Karma Kagyu Lineage Prayer with comments Page 11
Figure 7
This brief explanation is based on a much
longer book by Thrangu Rinpoche called
Showing the Path of Liberationis available at:
www.NamoBuddhaPub.comunder books.
Other resources
Also Thrangu Rinpoche gave a shorter week-
end teaching on the Lineage Prayer in Tucson
and this teaching is being published by Namo
Buddha Publications in the near future.
Thrangu Rinpoches foremost teacher Tulku
Damcho has given a set of teachings on the
Lineage prayer and the video DVD of these
teachings are available.
See www.NamoBuddhaPub.com
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