Maitreya Center Golden Rosary Thangkas

The Golden Rosary thangkas hang in the upper portion of the Maitreya Shrine Hall, and represent the great masters of the past that transmitted the Kagyu lineage to the present day. Donors may sponsor a thangka to make a connection with that lineage holder. Once sponsored, KTC will install a plaque board that will recognize the sponsors or honor a dedication name, living or deceased. Donors will also receive an image of the lineage holder in the mail to put on their shrine.

Kagyu Lineage Masters for $2,800

These are the most familiar masters of the Kagyu lineage, including key Indian and Tibetan founders that transmitted the sacred teachings to their Tibetan students, who contributed to the planting and flourishing of the lineage.

Vajradhara 

Buddha Vajradhara is the primordial Buddha, the Dharmakaya Buddha. He is depicted as dark blue in color, expressing the quintessence of buddhahood itself and representing the essence of the historical Buddha's realization of enlightenment.

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Tilopa 

Tilopa was a mahasiddha who practiced Anuttarayoga Tantra, a set of spiritual practices intended to accelerate the process of attaining Buddhahood.

Naropa 

The Indian Mahasiddha and main disciple of Tilopa, whose main transmission is the Six Yogas of Naropa.

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Marpa Lotsawa

Marpa the Translator, was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher credited with the transmission of many Vajrayana teachings from India, including the teachings and lineages of Mahamudra.

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Milarepa 

The main disciple of Marpa, under whose tutelage he experienced major hardships to purify many negative actions he performed earlier in his life. His specialty was transmitting the Dharma through songs of realization.

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Gampopa 

Gampopa "the man from Gampo" Sönam Rinchen was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher in the Kagyu lineage, as well as a doctor and tantric master who founded the Dagpo Kagyu school. He was the principle student of Milarepa.

First Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa 

Main disciple of Gampopa, he is known as the "knower of the three times,” referring to knowledge of everything past, present and future that is inherent in enlightened awareness that transcends time.

Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi 

A child prodigy, his teacher Pomdrakpa realized through a clear vision that the child was an incarnation of Dusum Khyenpa. He is known for his ability to manipulate time and space.

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Eighth Tai Situpa Chokyi Jungne 

Chokyi Jungne compiled a vast library of Buddhist literature and founded the Derge Printing Press to produce over 500,000 wood block prints. He helped preserve and disseminate these works to Tibetan archives and libraries throughout the world.

Fifth Karmapa Deshin Shekpa 

The Ming Emporer Yung Lo first saw the mystic Black Crown that rests above the head of all the Karmapas. He received the 8th Karmapa’s permission to make a replica so that others might receive its blessings during a ceremony where the Karmapa dons the black hat and transforms into Chenrezig, the deity of compassion.

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Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye 

Thechok Dorje was renowned for his personal austerity and strictness as a monk, as well as for being the embodiment of compassion. Thegchog Dorje taught widely in Tibet and Kham. He identified and enthroned the tenth Situpa, Pema Kunzang. The transmission of the lineage he passed on to Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, who became the next lineage holder.

Eleventh Tai Situpa Pema Wangchok 

The 11th Kenting Tai Situpa renovated the main shrine and shedra of Palpung monastery and expanded the printing press, producing many new printing plates. He was known for the ability to remove obstacles for practitioners.

Sixteenth Karmapa Rigpe Dorje 

The sixteenth Karmapa spread the dharma around the world, and fulfilled a prophecy by Padmasambhava;" When Tibetans are scattered all over the world, and horses run on iron wheels and iron birds fly, the dharma will come to the land of the red man." He founded monasteries and centers of learning in many countries.

Kagyu Lineage Masters for $1,288

Some of the most important holders of the Kagyu lineage are the line of the Karmapas and Tai Situpas. The living incarnations today are HH 17th Gyalwang Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje and Guru Vajradhara the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa.

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Third Karmapa Rangjung Dorje

Rangjung Dorje helped to spread the teachings on buddha nature, the philosophy that all beings without exception possess the seed that will allow them to attain full enlightenment.

Fourth Karmapa Rolpe Dorje 

Rolpe Dorje’s mother heard the sound of the mantra of compassion, Om Mani Peme Hung, while the child was in her womb, and the baby said the mantra as soon as he was born.

Jetsun Ratnabhadra 

A scholar of sutra and tantra, Ratnabhadra received the full transmission of the Kagyu lineage from the 5th Karmapa Deshin Shekpa, through which he attained complete realization. He became one of the supreme meditation masters of the time. Ratnabhadra was also a teacher to the 6th Gyalwang Karmapa.

Sixth Karmapa Thongwa Donden 

Thongwa Donden organized and standardized many of the liturgies still used today. He also traveled throughout Tibet restoring monasteries, mediating disputes, and teaching the Dharma.

Seventh Karmapa Chodrak Gyatso 

Born in Northern Tibet, at the age of five months he was heard to say: "There is nothing in this world, except for emptiness." He dedicated much of his life to retreat.

First Sangye Nyenpa Tashi Paljor 

After practicing for twenty years in solitary retreat at the behest of the Karmapa, he attained full realization following the example of Milarepa.

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Eight Karmapa Mikyo Dorje 

Mikyo Dorje was a renowned artist and writer of many texts, including liturgy and commentaries on the middle way and Mahamudra.

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Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje 

Right after his birth, he declared: "I am Karmapa." He sat in cross-legged meditation posture for 3 days. During his life, his emphasis was teaching meditation.

Tenth Karmapa Choying Dorje ($1,800)

By the age of six he surpassed his teachers as an artist and sculptor. However, due to political strife, he was forced to leave Central Tibet. Upon being exiled, he established monasteries and centers of practice everywhere he travelled.

Eleventh Karmapa Yeshe Dorje 

It is said that the 11th Karmapa’s consummate realization communicated itself both through his teaching and the miraculous quality of his activity. Mingyur Dorje and Taksham Nuden Dorje also gave him Tercho teachings, thereby fulfilling a prophecy of Padmasambhava recorded in the scriptures.

Twelfth Karmapa Changchub Dorje

Karmapa studied under many illustrious masters and later also shared the Kagyu teachings with masters of other lineages. He imparted the profound Mahamudra teachings to the supreme Nyingma master of Kathok Monastery, who in turn gave the sacred Dzogchen teachings to the Karmapa.

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Thirteenth Karmapa Dudul Dorje 

The thirteenth Karmapa saved the famous Jo-khang from a flood, as predicted by Padmasambhava. Later, he offered a white scarf (kata) to the Jowo image, and it is said that the statue reached out to accept it. The arms have remained in that position since that time.

Ninth Tai Situpa Pema Nyingje Wangpo 

The Indian master Padmasambhava predicted this incarnation of Situpa. He became a great scholar and meditation master and his dharma activities flourished throughout the land. He established many retreat centers, where he taught and greatly inspired many to practice and teach the Kagyu meditation practices.

Fourteenth Karmapa Thechok Dorje 

Tekchok Dorje lived very simply and exemplified the ideal monk. He was gifted in poetry and dialectics and participated in the ri-me (non-sectarian) movement, whereby many noted scholars studied and shared interest in each other’s traditions and teachings.

Fifteenth Karmapa Khakyab Dorje 

Khakyab Dorje taught and gave empowerment to many as he travelled throughout Tibet and preserved many rare texts by having them reprinted. Unlike the previous Karmapas, Khakyab Dorje married and fathered three sons, one of whom was recognized as the second Jamgon Kongtrul, Palden Khyentse Özer.

Kagyu Lineage Masters for $888

Although not as well-known as other figures in the Kagyu lineage, such as the Karmapas, these masters were vital to transmitting the teachings to the present day. Many led fascinating lives, and they all fully realized the teachings of the lineage.

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Drogon Rechen 

The first Karmapa entrusted the prediction concerning his next rebirth to Situ Drogon Rechen. Starting with Drogon Rechen, the relationship between the Karmapas and Kenting Tai Situpas has continued without interruption.

Pomdrakpa 

Gyalsey Pomdrakpa's activities of benefiting beings flourished as a main lineage holder, and he passed on the lineage transmission to the Second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi.

Orgyenpa 

At an early age, he mastered Vajrakilaya and other teachings and practices. At fifty-three, he met the Second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi, and received the full Kagyu lineage teachings and transmissions. His main disciple and lineage holder was the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje.

Gyalwa Yungtonpa 

Gyalwa Yungtonpa composed a text differentiating the views of buddhahood in Sutra and Tantra and impressed and outshined many great scholars of the time. He manifested as a hidden yogi and benefited many sentient beings.

Second Shamarpa Khacho Wangpo 

Due to Khacho Wangpo’s ability to remember all learning from previous lives, he became a teacher at the age of three. He was enthroned by the fourth Karmapa Rolpe Dorje at the age of six.

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Bengar Jampal Zangpo

The principal teacher of the Seventh Karmapa, and author of the famous Kagyu lineage prayer Dorje Chang Tungma that incorporates instruction on Mahamudra meditation.

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First Gochir Gyaltsab Paljor Dondrub 

Goshir Paljor Dondrub came into the sphere of the 6th Karmapa when he was five years old and became his secretary at 14. He became a teacher of the 7th Karmapa Chodrak Gyamtso.

Fifth Shamarpa Konchok Yenlak 

Konchok Yenlak studied with the Eighth Karmapa as well as with his student, Pawo Tsuklak Trengwa, and became a great scholar and meditation master. His collected writings number many volumes. He recognized the Ninth Karmapa and became his principal teacher.

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Sixth Shamarpa Chokyi Wangchuk 

From an early age, he followed and studied with the Ninth Karmapa and received the full transmission of the Kagyu lineage. He became one the most renowned Panditas of the time, in Sutra and Tantra, composing many commentaries.

Seventh Shamarpa Yeshe Nyingpo 

He was extremely devoted to and followed the instructions of the Tenth Karmapa Chöying Dorje. He received the full transmission of the Kagyu lineage and had many signs of accomplishment in both Mahamudra and Dzogchen meditation.

Eighth Shamarpa Chokyi Dondrub 

At age seven, he was enthroned by the Karmapa, who oversaw his education from then on. Chokyi Dondrub in turn identified the 12th Karmapa Changchub Dorje and became his teacher. Both travelled to Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, India and China where they taught extensively. Both the 12th Karmapa and the 8th Shamarpa passed away in China just one day apart.

Tenth Shamarpa Chodrub Gyatso 

He studied many years with Situ Chökyi Jungney as well as with Pawo Tsuklak Gawa and Rikdzin Tsewang Norbu and thus developed into a great scholar and meditation master. He went to Nepal in the 1780s, where he continued his bodhisattva activities of restoring the Swayambhu Stupa and benefited many students.

Second Jamgon Kongtrul Khyentse Özer 

Palden Khyentse Özer was born in 1902 as the son of the His Holiness the 15th Karmapa Khakyab Dorje. Under the watchful eye of his father, he diligently trained and perfected his studies of the ten sciences under several teachers.